Chestnuts Lodge & Popes Hill Chestnut Felling 1941 (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Thursday, February 09, 2012, 02:32 (4667 days ago) @ Danny

Hi Danny, thanks for explaining what to me seemed odd on the maps, the rectangular clearing. I wonder if it was perhaps for the Woodman to keep livestock (a pig?) in.

Re the Woods generally, by coincidence I've been re-reading Humphrey Phelp's "Second Selection of Forest in Old Photographs". It carries a photo on page 102 labelled
"Timber Fellers; Chestnut Wood, Popes Hill, 1941. In the group are Cyril, Frank, Sydney and Fred(Skipper) Jones. This would have been at the time of a large scale felling of chestnut trees."

I wonder if this was the tree-clearing you recall, I guess the plum trees were the famous Blaisdon Reds, very tasty!. I recall always seeing "Plums for sale" signs on the main roadside thro' Minsterworth etc back in the 70s/80s, I hope this is still the case ? (usually dark when I drive thro these days). I'll hopefully buy some next time I'm there and it's daylight.

The photo actually contains seven men and a terrier. I think the foreground four, presumably those named, are in their 50s if not rather more, two generations I suspect. I wonder if any of these was the current occupier of the Lodge ?
I presume they are a known family of woodmen ?

From this site's Baptisms using Advanced Search can find:

Record ID 1039558
Entry Number 241
Year 1920
Month Mar
Day 7
Parents Surname JONES
Child Forenames Leonard
Fathers Forenames Frederick
Mothers Forenames Rachel
Mothers Surname
Residence Chestnut Lodge nr Littledean
Occupation Wood cutter
Officiating Minister Arthur E T McNamara
Event Baptism
Memoranda
Notes
Register Reference
Page Number 31
Parish Chapel Flaxley

The photo also contains a couple of unidentified younger lads/men, possibly Leonard.

Record ID 1016152
Entry Number 252
Year 1921
Month Nov
Day 13
Parents Surname JONES
Child Forenames Mary Elizabeth
Fathers Forenames Frederick Charles
Mothers Forenames Rachel
Mothers Surname
Residence Chestnut Lodge Pope's Hill
Occupation Woodman
Officiating Minister Arthur E T McNamara
Event Baptism
Memoranda born 9 Oct 1921
Notes
Register Reference
Page Number 32
Parish Chapel Flaxley

Advance Search of Baptisms for "Chestnut" shows other woodmen in residence at the Lodge from HERBERT c1829, five VOYCE c1840s and three NIBLETTs at Chestnut Farm Pope's Hill c1920. The address doesn't seem to appear in any Marriages but there are a couple of Burials recorded at Chestnut Cottage.

Entry Number 353
Year 1922
Month Feb
Day 9
Surname JONES
Forenames Charles
Residence Chestnut Cottage Popes Hill
Age at death 69
Officiating Minister Arthur. E. T. McNamara Vicar.
Event Burial
Cause of death
Memoranda
Notes
Register Reference P145 in 1/17
Page No 45
Parish Chapel Flaxley

Entry Number 423
Year 1934
Month May
Day 17
Surname FRY
Forenames Mary Ann
Residence Chestnut Cottage Popes Hill
Age at death 81
Officiating Minister Arthur E. T. McNamara Rector
Event Burial
Cause of death
Memoranda
Notes
Register Reference P145 in 1/17
Page No 53
Parish Chapel Flaxley

PS I've just twigged... the abovementioned photo is coincidentally just right for the original query wrt possible residents, I do hope it's a help, Janey.

Thanks Danny for keeping me thinking about this, take care, Jeff.