chandos arms , weston turville - pub my forefathers probably drank in
Was researching family history this weekend around Aylesbury , Bucks. It appears that my forefathers worked on the land as agricultural labourers, then there was a big livestock famine in the 18th century when I’m assuming they probably couldn’t get work so moved to London. The various census’ of the time after they left have them down as Horsekeepers, Dairyman and working in stables in London around Lambeth and the Elephant and Castle.
All the arable land around the area in Aylesbury was bought up by the Rothschild’s family[ they have 4 large mansions in the area], one of mansions is now the officers mess at RAF Halton, I understand they still own the land to this day. You can read more about the Rothchilds in Wikipedia. My wife suggested I go inside the pub at the top of my Great Great Grandfathers lane where he lived in the 1820’s in Weston Turville and speak to the landlord, as I went inside I was a bit apprehensive as there were a couple of young barstaff, I asked them did they know when the pub was built, they said they didn’t but would get the landlord as he may know.
A few minutes later the landlord an old gentlemen came up to me at the bar and told me the pub was built in the 1830’s, I assumed he was a local man until he asked me where I came from, I always say the ‘ Old Kent Road’ because people recognise it from the Monopoly Board game and it gives them a frame of references, ‘that’s where I’m from’ he replied, I used to sell seafood outside the Thomas A’Beckett pub and I’m a Millwall supporter, so we reminisced about that area for a good half an hour. I found it ironic that my expectation of meeting locals from my families village who could have added to my research culminated in spending more time reminiscing about the area I had just driven from.
Ah well this is life, you always expect one thing to happen and get upset when something else happens, we want certainties in a world of uncertainty.
As Dickens explained so wonderfuly – GREAT EXPECTATIONS
Faithful to the Rothchilds to the end - not a member of my family thank goodness!!!
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