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Has anyone researched the history of Abinghall House, Abinghall, Mitcheldean, when it was built, what kind of house was it, and its occupants?
I have bits of information such as an early owner being Joseph Lloyd (1741-1828) when it was part of Guns Mill that included four paper mills. It was later occupied by John Robinson (1787-1863)a cousin of my maternal Grandmother; then by his son John (1827-1899); Ellen Mary Lloyd (1876-1929)- probably not related to Joseph Lloyd, but living there when she died, and with Jane Teague (1860-1947), also a descendant of this line of Robinsons, possibly living there in the 1940's. Would be grateful for any guidance or assistance. I live in Australia.
Thanks Chris

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Hi Chris,
warm welcome on a very warm day (I'm in West London) to this great forum and website !. Did you know you can search them both ?. Searching the forum gives many mentions of Abenhall House such as this one.

http://forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?id=32356

This thread includes a link to the British History website, which is a very informative site indeed and always rewards careful searching, it may even mention some of the names you have. More detail including mentions of papermaker Joseph Lloyd and his son Joseph http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=23253
Also a Phillip Lloyd http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Gunn%27s_Mill
The 1879 Kelly's Directory (and no doubt other Editions too) list the Lloyds.
http://www.forest-of-dean.net/index.php/resources/kelly-s-directory-1879/36-abinghall
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cbennett/abenhall1876.htm

This site mentions a Smith family who were employed by Joseph Lloyd & family at Gun's Mill for sixty years.
http://www.reocities.com/pookyface/CatherineDrew.html
Also some mentions here, the GSIA may be well worth your contacting.
http://www.gsia.org.uk/general-index.php#g
http://risk.english-heritage.org.uk/register.aspx?id=46843&rt=1&pn=3&st=a&a...
http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-354139-mill-at-gun-s-mills-littledean-glouceste

So it seems that research wrt Gunn's Mill is more easily available than that of Abenhall House itself ?. However I have no doubt that someone will have already researched the House and perhaps published their findings, altho maybe not easily accessible for you; that said so far I cannot find any mentions online, or any references within the Gloucestershire Public Library catalogue ?

Searching the rest of this FoD site gives, for example, these Memorial Transcripts for Abenhall church, you may well find some of your names there ?.
http://forest-of-dean.net/index.php/resources/memorial-inscriptions/13-memorial-inscrip...

Aside from the PRs database this site contains a huge amount of old photos, old documents such as Wills & Inquests etc, e-books, newspaper cuttings and articles and so forth. A good start might be to browse from the "Resources" section on top menubar, eg the c1850 books by Henry Nicholls.
http://forest-of-dean.net/index.php/resources/ebooks

A general websearch gives http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/A2A/records.aspx?cat=040-d4869#0
https://histfam.familysearch.org/getperson.php?personID=I189500&tree=Welsh

Searching Gloucesterhsire Archives gives some hits such as these, altho given your location perhaps not ideal ?
http://ww3.gloucestershire.gov.uk/DServe/dserve.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archiv...

I suggest you contact the Dean Heritage Museum, itself located in a restored mill, hopefully they can help you. http://www.deanheritagecentre.com/museum/deanheritagemuseum.htm

atb Jeff

PS I've just reread your post and have realised you mention "Abenhall House as being part of Gun's Mill". I wonder if you are therefore talking of a different and less "important" house than I've been thinking of; I was thinking about THE Abinghall/Abenhall MANOR House which dates back to the 1300s or so and was demolished abt 1850 - see British History site above. Clearly Gun's Mill could have been within, or even part of, that Abenhall House's manor/grounds, but not viceversa. Sorry if I've got the wrong end of the stick. Please could you clarify your meaning, thanks.

???

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Thanks Jefff that's fantastic. To clarify, I am using the term 'House', variously Abinghall-, Abenhall- and Abbenhall-, that I have been coming across in the England Census' and other residence records of the people previously listed over roughly a period from Joseph Lloyd's time, when he was the owner, and where the phrase seemingly identifies it with the Gunn's Mills 'complex' location, up to possibly as late as 1940. I guess this would rule out the Abenhall Manor House on the basis of location at least?!

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From the Gloucester Journal Saturday 25th May 1867,

TO SELL BY AUCTION

Lot 2- A valuable freehold dwelling house, called Abinghall House, situate in the Parish of Abinghall, immediately contiguous to the town of Mitcheldean adjoining the turnpike road leading to Abinghall, containg entrance hall, dining, drawing and breakfast rooms, 2 pantries, kitch., laundry, 6 bedrooms, dressing and store rooms, underground cellar, yard, court, washhouse, pleasure and large, productive
kitch. garden, together with a three-stall stable, Mill-house, Cider-mill and coachhouse, with loft above and valuable PASTURE ORCHARD adjoining: the whole containing 2a 0r 26p or thereabouts now in the occupation of John ROBINSON, Esq.

Lot 2 may be viewed by permission of the tenant.

An 1888 map from the National Library of Scotland marks (just) an Abinghall House almost in Mitcheldean.

http://maps.nls.uk/view/101570481

There are other mentions of this house In the British Newspaper Archives in the second half of the 19C where the names ROBINSON, LLOYD and SKIPP feature.

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Thank you so much Mike that is fantastic, with a full description and location. It mentions a mill but not specifically Gunn's Mills, which was in one record about Joseph Lloyd (1741-1828)that stated "Joseph owned Abenhall House, a Cottage, Land and four Paper Mills, the whole being called Gun Mills". One of Joseph's direct descendants was Joseph Skipp Lloyd, Esq S.C.L. a Barrister, who was the owner of Gunns Mills when he moved to Cheltenham between 1841 and 1851. Thanks again!

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This, I believe, is Abenhall (or Abinghall) House sold by auction in 1867, as mentioned in Mike Pinchin's post. It is not at Gun Mills but a mile or so north near the A4136.

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3347192

I have in my possession an indenture of mortgage made 23 October 1895 between Philip Nicholls, collier (my great grandfather), and John Robinson, solicitor, of Abinghall in the County of Gloucester.

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Thank you very much Harry. I have received amazing help in this quest to find more about Abenhall House, which was occupied by some of my ancestors from John Robinson, who is mentioned in the 1867 Auction found by Mike, to the last, Jane Teague in the 1940's. I too realised that Abenhall House could not be spatially linked to Gunn's Mills in the way I had interpreted a quote "Joseph [Lloyd] owned Abenhall House, a Cottage, Land and four Paper Mills, the whole being called Gun Mills", when I checked the 1891 Ordnance Survey maps and found the House on the southern edge of Mitcheldean, and Gunn' Mills almost 1 1/2 miles to the south on the road to Littledean, south of St Michael's Church at Abinghall. Although the house was put up for "Auction on Friday 31 May 1867, at four for five o'clock", do we know that it sold? Jane Teague had the Furniture, etc sold by one of her Executors in August 1947, and the house in 1949. Can you clarify what "an indenture of mortgage made 23 October 1895 between Philip Nicholls, collier (my great grandfather), and John Robinson, solicitor, of Abinghall in the County of Gloucester" actually means in terms of ownership? John Robinson was born in Abinghall 1 Aug 1827 and died in Abinghall House 22 Aug 1899. He was a Solicitor.
The picture is amazing! Thanks again.
ChrisL

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To clarify the mortgage question - John Robinson loaned Philip Nicholls the sum of £22 as a mortgage on property being purchased by Philip Nicholls at Harrow Hill, Drybrook. Nothing to do with Abenhall House.

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Thanks Harry. I thought it would be something like that.

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A very useful website mentioned before on this forum

Lloyd George Survey of Land Values Gloucester 1909

http://www.glos1909survey.org.uk

by searching ROBINSON

then going down the various names

ROBINSON, Mary Ann (this is a reference on the website next to each item - click on these and full info comes up)

Abenhall land, Gloucester Road

Abenhall buildings, Gloucester Road

Abenhall land, Folly Orchard

Longhope wood, Marshalls Grove

then

ROBINSON, Mary Ann Miss

Abenhall house, offices, gardens, Abbenhall House (GA/D2428/1/1,92)

when you click on this

Place: Abenhall

Income tax parish: Abenhall

Person(s) served with valuation: owners

Occupied by:

. Robinson, Mary Ann Miss (F)

Owned by:

. Robinson, Mary Ann (F)

Owner occupied

Property: house, offices, gardens

Address: Abbenhall House

Size: 3 roods 4 perches

Map reference: 23.16 R

Gross Value: £595

Buildings: 450

Taxable Value: £145

Poor Rate:

Number 54
Size 2 roods
Gross Value: £37 16s
Rateable Value £34.5s

Comments: 18.6.13

---

Advance Search deaths: Abenhall House

27 Jan 1910 - Mary Anne ROBINSON

23 March 1929 - Ellen Mary LLOYD

17 May 1947 Jane TEAGUE

23 Mar 1957 - Thomas SMITH

10 July 1982 - Natalie Margaret TOOMER

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1911 census

Abinghall and Mitcheldean - District 20

pages 363/5

Abbenhall Lodge

Living in 13 rooms

John Webb PROBYN - age 82, Gentleman - born Longhope
+ other people

pages 364/5

Living in 11 rooms

Jane TEAGUE age 50 single, Privat Means, born Gloucester E Dean
Rose WRIGHT age 22 - single, General Servant Domestic, born Glos Mitcheldean ***

next door living in 10 rooms

Alice TRIGG - Widow age 50 Servant - Housekeeper Domestic born Glos. Mitcheldean
Anne TRIGG - 21 - General Domestic (signed by Edwin YEARSLEY)

then next door

Rose SIMMONDS age 44, Widow, is running the Lamb Inn

---

1901 Census, East Dean

Victoria Street

WRIGHT

William - 37 - Groom (not domestic) born Longhope
Ellen - 27
Rose - 12
Lily - 9
Gladys - 3
William - 2

-----

1901 Census, Gloucester Road - Abbenhall House

Mary A ROBINSON - 80 - Single, Living on own means, born Gloucestershire, Longhope
Mary E TEAGUE (LEAGUE on Ancestry) - Single, Neice, born Glos. Woodside
Catherine TALBOT - Servant, 22, General Servant - born Staffordshire, Penkridge

Just down the road from where I live, Catherine's parents, William (farm labourer) and Mary Ann - where living at Pillaton, next to Mansty Farm (which still exists)

and on Public Members Tree on Ancestry - is Catherine TALBOT born Penkridge

---

1891 Census, Abenhall House

John ROBINSON - Single 64, Solicitor, born Glos. Abenhall
Maryann ROBINSON - 72, Cousin, living on own means, born Glos. Littledean
Maria BALDWIN - single - 39 - General Domestic Servant, born Hereford Astoninghain (Ancestry) - (Aston Ingham)

Public Members' Tree on Ancestry has Maria BALDWIN - parents Thomas (farm labourer) and Maria (also working for John ROBINSON in 1881)

-----

1881 Census, Abenhall House

John ROBINSON - 54, Solicitor, born Abenhall
Maria Ann ROBINSON - Cousin - 61, Lady Housekeeper, born Little Dean
Miria BALDWIN - 30 - Domestic Servant, born Aston Ingham

------

1871 Census, Abenhall House

John ROBINSON - unmarried - 44, Attorney in Law Solicitor, born Abenhall
Sophia - mother- Widow - 80 - Annuitant, born Worcester, Blockley
Clara A MALSOM - unmarried - 19 - General Servant, born Abinghall **

** daughter of Richard (Miner) and Caroline MALSOM, 1861 census, Merrin St. Mitcheldean

---

1861 Census, Abenhall

House

John ROBINSON, 73, Landed Priorietor - born Littledean
Sopha - 70
John - 34
Rosetta SHILL - 20 born East Dean ***

Fod Records, Rosetta CHILL - 20 December 1840 at Christchurch, parents Daniel & Sarah

on the 1851 census at Ruardean : Daniel (Shoemaker) & Sarah SHILL

----

1851 Census, Abinghall House

John ROBINSON 63 - Commercial Traveller
Sophia ROBINSON - Niece - 26 Visitor
Jemima GUERNEY, unmarried, Servant, age 29 - born Kempley ***

****

Jemima (or on Fod Records….. Jamima GURNEY) - aged 29 - Spinster, residence Hawthorns
Father: Henry GURNEY, labourer
married
Henry BLEWITT - age 30 - Gardener - residence: Abbinghall
father: Thomas BLEWITT - Gardener

at Drybrook on 18 September 1851

------

James BLEWITT is on Page 9 of the 1851 census at Abinghall in Silver Street, living with his sister Caroline 18 and brother James 9 - Jemima GURNEY is on Page 13 at the Robinsons.

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Thanks again MPGriffiths. I have the Census details for Abenhall House but had ignored those for Abenhall Lodge, not realising that Jane Teague, the last of my relations to own the House, had 'lodged' there too. Your connection must have brought many interesting aspects of the past life there 'to life'. Thanks.

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Thank you MPGriffiths for another inciteful way to get more information on Abenhall House and the extent of the properties owned by Mary Anne Robinson. Two more recent, now deceased, occupants were also interesting to see. Thanks very much. ChrisL

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Chris,

If you have a look at the Wills index on this site you will see 2 Robinson Wills for Abenhall

John in 1863

Surname ROBINSON
First Name John
Abode Abinghall
Occupation Gentleman
Year Proved 1863
Page Number 386
Year of Death 1863
Month of Death Sep
Day of Death 20
Value Under £3000
Document Will
Notes
Will Number Will_00435

and Mary Ann in 1910

Surname ROBINSON
First Name Mary Ann
Abode Abinghall House
Occupation Spinster and Gentlewoman
Year Proved 1910
Page Number 229
Year of Death 1910
Month of Death Jan
Day of Death 23
Value Under £17929
Document Will
Notes
Will Number Will_04050

If you want these Wills or any others you find indexed just send me a message via the blue envelope and I can then forward the copies to you

Dave

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In previous reply on the 1901 census, Catherine Talbot - Servant aged 22 is working as a General Domestic Servant, born Penkridge

On gvtill Public Members Tree on Ancestry - is a photograph of Abinghall House (looks a fairly recent photo) with these comments

'This is the place that Catherine Talbot worked for the Lady in question and her niece were both spinsters. The niece was at one time a governess so she was well educated. Miss Robinson was a very wealthy woman so I would have thought that it could have been a good position to hold as servant to the household. This is the last census that I can find of Catherine.

Miss Robinson died 23 January 1910 leaving her niece £17,928 15s 6d. Mary Teague made good use of the money no doubt some forty years later she died 19 June 1949. She left £4,861 15s 4d to Bessie Teague Spinster, some 13 years later she died and left £4,008 1s 6d to a solicitor all this so easy to follow but no sign of my great aunt Catherine. The bulk of the money came from John Robinson who left money to both Miss Robinson and Miss Teague. He was a solicitor in Abinghall so the money went full circle'

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Thanks again MP. I didn't realise that there was an Ancestry site that already had the very nice photo of Abenhall House but anothe member of this forum pointed me to it. Bessie or Mary Elizabeth Teague probated her legacy to Jane Teague, another of the many spinsters, with effects of 18,993 Pounds Sterling. Jane also received bequests from about 4 other sources, but sadly died in Charnwood House Home after a long illness in 1947 age 58 and may not have enjoyed the benefits of the legacies, leaving 31,530 Pounds Sterling to John Nathaniel Beadles, doctor of medicine and Frank John Parsons Sheeman estate agent who sold the furniture in Abenhall House a few months after her passing as one of the Executors. The House was then sold in 1949 and left the family. Thanks for your contributions.

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Thanks dink999. I have taken Will Probate information from Ancestry.com and didn't realise it was available here, which I am new to. Am learning a great deal from this site and it wonderful supporters. Thanks for the info.

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There is another will, on Ancestry this time, which might be worth exploring; that of Philip ROBINSON of Littledean and dated 14th October 1808. It is four pages long and mostly fairly easy to read if you concentrate. If I interpret it right it provides for Philip’s wife and children (which includes a John) via a trust administered by his son, Philip ROBINSON (acknowledged as born before Philip the Elder’s marriage to his mother), Brother in Law Joseph LLOYD the Elder of Mountcraig in the County of Hereford and Joseph LLOYD the Younger of Guns Mills in the Parish of Abinghall.

I can’t see any mention of Abinghall House but the will might help to cement a link between the ROBINSON and LLOYD families.

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On the 1841 at

Abenhall

Guns Mills

Joseph LLoyd - 60 Paper Manufacturer - born in County
Penelope - 50 - not born in County
Joseph - 25 - born in County
Catherine BATE - 60 - Ind - not born in County
Mary COLLERILL? 15 - female servant
Joseph EVANS - 20 - Male Servant - not born in County

and just over the page

Follypitch

John ROBINSON - 50 - Paper Maker
Sophia - 50
John - 11
Sophia SMITH - 50 - born in County
Ann YORK - 20 - Female Servant - born in County

---

Marriage at Flaxley - 30 November 1809

Joseph Lloyd over 21 Esquire : Abinghall

married

Penelope SKIPP over 21 - Spinster : Flaxley

by Licence

and Fod Licence Allegations

6 December 1809

Joseph LLOYD - Bachelor, residence: Flaxley

to

Penelope SKIPP - Spinster, residence : Flaxley

witnesses: Thos SKIPP and Mary LLOYD

---

Marriage at Littledean - 30 July 1771

Joseph LLOYD - residence: Parish of Abenhall
married
Mary ROBINSON - of this parish : Littldean
by Licence

witnesses: Hester CHESTON (?) and Mary PYRKE

: Licence details on For records: Joseph is over 21 : residence: Abingshall (Gentleman)

and Mary ROBINSON is over 21

---

Monthly Magazine

at Goodridge 1818

Capt Geo ADAMS of the 81st Reg of foot to the daughter of Jos LLOYD esq - of Mount Craig Ross

-----
Fod Records

Marriage at Goodrich - 26 March 1818

George ADAMS - Bachelor
residence: the Parish of Xt(?) Church in the City & Diocese

married

Mary LLOYD - Spinster, residence: Goodrich

witnesses: Joseph LLOYD (Junior)
Jno JAMES
P LLOYD Ann JAMES
Elizabeth Margaret JONES
----

Burial at Abenhall - 13 August 1828

Joseph LLOYD age 88 - residence: Goodrich

---

On For Records

in 1741 - Joseph & Hannah LLOYD of Gunns Mills Flaxley -

Baptism of Joseph LLOYD

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Thanks MPG, I think I have all that now, thanks to being introduced to FoD!!!
Now to try and find out when Abenhall House was built and by whom??
Any suggestions?! ChrisL

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Gloucestershire Archives has information on Researching your house history

http://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/archives/article/107391/Reserching-your-house-history

+ links to researchers who specialise in house history

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Thanks MPG, another great suggestion - will be on to that too! Just what I need. I have a couple of other fine houses in the family tree in Gloucestershire, which I will follow up through that URL too. One we know quite a lot about but no longer exists, the other we know little about but have a picture of in the family album and visited back in 2006 in the Parish of Kemerton. Thanks again! ChrisL

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Thanks for the thought Mike. I do have a copy of that will, which took sometime to decipher because of the uneven reproduction, thought the writing was excellent. And it I have traced the family connection between the Lloyds and the Robinsons. It was a Josephy Lloyd (1741-1828) who married Mary Robinson (1712-1784) who was a daughter of John Robinson (1712-1784, father of Philip (1744-1809), father of John (1787-1863). I do not know when Abinghall house was built or by whom? Was it one of the Joseph Lloyd's?? Thanks again Mike.

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On British History on Online -

Maps 1891 - Ordnance Survey 1:10,560 - Epoch 1 - England - Gloucestershire 023/SE

By enhancing you can clearly see Abinghall House marked -

Gloucestershire Records office hold earlier Ordnance Survey maps (not sure what particular areas) - I do remember also the GRO have information whereby planning applications are on record.

As an aside!!!!!

By looking at the 1911 census - to show the other side of Mitcheldean - Ernest W Crockett aged 38 and a cement labourer - with his wife Elizabeth (nee BARNETT) aged 33 and married 16 years - are bringing up their ten children (1 son + 9 daughters) - and they hadn't lost one child up to that point - and looking at Freebdm - they had two more children Clarence G in 1912 and Irene D - 1915 (so they made they round dozen!!)

By looking at the FoD records etc - this does highlight - not all children were christened or registered.

The Son, Reginald Godfrey CROCKETT aged 15 - his war records are on Ancestry (home address - High Street, Mitcheldean)

Name: Reginald Godfrey CROCKETT

Residence: May Villa Beaufort Road, Sirhowy, Tredegar

Document Date: 1914

Regimental No: 2706

Regiment Name: 5th (Reserve) Battalion Manchester Regiment

Number of images: 8

(gunshot wound to head - discharged 19 February 1915)

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Thanks Mike, not sure whether I answered yours or someone else also mentioned the same will of Philip Robinson. Anyway, I had found it and read it, which is not easy as from the point of view of the quality of the copy, rather than the writing, which is great!
So thanks for that. All I need now is to find out who built Abenhall House and when, to sort of complete the picture, which so many have contributed to. All fascinating! Thanks.

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?

Have you found on Ancestry

UK Register of Duties paid for Apprentices Indenture 1710-1811

Payment date May 26 1741 - Joseph LLoyd of Abinhall - Papermaker - Will BAYHAM of Newland - 1 April 1740

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No, that's new to me, thanks.

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A History of Paper making in and near Winchcombe, Gloucestershire England - reprinted by the Gloucestershire Society for Industrial Archaelogy 1976

Chapter 2 - page 31 - is all about your Lloyd family

and there are drawings of papermaking equipment - very interesting.

Drawing of Postlip Mill 1920 (making blotting paper) - Lloyd family tree - their firm stamp etc etc, bills

You can just Google the above i.e. A History of Paper making in and near Winchcombe, Gloucestershire, England

this comes from this website and click on year 1976

http://www.gsia.org.uk

Click on Publications
then

Journal re-prints

Click on

Year 1976

then go down the page to : Journal for 1975, Editoral 7 (in red 9-65) click

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Thanks MPG, looking forward to googling and reading that one! ChrisL

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