Herald - Issue 421

31st March 2022 • The HERALD • Page 29 v SAY YOU SAW IT IN THE HERALD v A.M.H. Handyman Services Internal & External Painting All aspects of DIY Work • Flat Pack Assembly Power Washing: Driveways, Patios, Paths & Decking Gutter, Fascia Boards & Window Cleaning (Bungalows only) Call or email Andy for a free estimate Tel: 07961 443623 handyandyharding@gmail.com Local and Reliable M.D.S. DIGITAL INSTALLS/SERVICE • DIGITAL AERIALS/FREEVIEW • SKY DIGITAL/FREESAT DIGITAL • EXTRA TELEVISION POINTS • TELEPHONE LINES/POINTS • TELEVISION SYSTEMS SETUP/TUNED • WALL MOUNTED TV’S QUALIFIED, FAST FRIENDLY SERVICE FREE SURVEYS/QUOTES BEAULIEU: 01590 611011 MOBILE: 07717 194441 The next Herald is out on 21st April TALES FROM THE GRAVEYARD OF ALL SAINTS’ CHURCH, FAWLEY Written by Patricia Hedley-Goddard, Churchyard Archivist for the ancient parish church of All Saints’, Fawley THE NICHOLAS FAMILY Buried within the graveyard are several generations of the ‘Nicholas’ family who were brickmakers. e kilns, now sadly no longer visible, were located by the Lepe Road opposite where the White eld Business Centre is now located. Our ‘Tale’ starts with John Nicholas, born in 1762 at Fawley, and his 3rd wife Elizabeth (née Gingle) who originated from Bath. ey were married in 1801, and they originally worked the White eld Brickyard in Langley. John died in July 1833 but Elizabeth is shown as still occupying the brickyard on the 1840 Fawley Tithe Map. At that time it was recorded as comprising of 1 acre, 3 rods and 8 perches of land (approximately 2+ acres), and was owned by Andrew Robert Drummond, Lord of the Manor of Cadland House. Elizabeth died aged 77 at Fawley. e running of the brick yard was then taken over by one of the sons from one of John’s previous marriages. He was also named John Nicholas and was born in 1785. John was Elizabeth’s step-son. He ran the brickyard for his elderly step-mother, Elizabeth, from the 1840’s onwards, together with his 5 siblings. John was born at White eld Cottage opposite the brickworks and was described as a Master Brickmaker employing 4 men on the 1851 census. In those days clay bricks and pipes were all made by hand. At the Langley brickworks each brickmaker had his own little hut where they made the bricks from the local clay, which was plentiful. ey used to dig the clay out of the ground and pile it outside each hut. Each hut had its own supply of water in a pool. When they had su cient clay, the men would turn up their trousers, and ‘puddle’ the clay in the water with their A similar brick kiln to the one at Langley located at Bailey’s Hard, Beaulieu (Photo: New Forest Knowledge) Continued on page 30 bare feet and legs until it was a so mould. is process was to prepare the clay for the making of the bricks or pipes. Prior to this, the men would have cut the furze from the surrounding area, and stacked it up to be used as the fuel for when they were burning the bricks. e brickmaking started early in the summer,