Notes from the Past - October
Robert Piper delves into the archives to give us an insight into the Southwater of yesteryear.
27th September 1890 saw the village hold the last Stoolball match of the season, on the new recreation ground given to the village by Sir Henry Fletcher. The match was played against Horsham ladies, with Southwater beating Horsham by 47 runs on the first innings. Mrs Andrews, the vicar’s wife, provided the tea on the vicarage lawn. Southwater played four matches throughout the season, losing two and winning two.
By 1895, the vicar had set up a working man’s club for the villagers. Sir William Stirring - Hamilton said that he would pay the first years rent, if premises could be found, whilst Mr James Innes would provide 50 books for its library. In 1905, Sir Henry –Aubrey Fletcher gave a donation of £10 ( £1,324.77 RPI) towards the church for a new carpet for the steps in front of the alter and new cassocks for the choir. On the 21st of October of that year, the church run a Jumble sale. The funds raised went towards the purchase of a new alter liner and new alter book. The parish library announced they were to start charging for the loan of 10d (£11.87 RPI) per book for two weeks from October 1910, anyone interested was to contact the caretaker at the working man club between 7.30pm to 8.30pm.
In October 1915 the village received a letter to the village from the Rev Boyd to tell them what was happening at the front. He was working with church army, red cross and R.A.M.C. In the letter, he said that he had two days and nights of working with the wounded and dying coming into the hospital. As clergy, he would give religious rights to the dying in the darkness, with men asking for god to keep their wives and children safe, and Jesus saviour help me and so it went on the next day.
1945 saw the death of Mr John William Furze Forth MA, a former master at CH school, aged 76 of Salisbury road. He was killed outside of The Hen and Chicken pub when he was hit by a car, the coroner returned a verdict of accidental death. On the 20th of October, Miss Betty Gumbrill of Cross Lane married Pte W. A Burton of the Canada army at Southwater Church. The Southwater home front fund stated it would have a home front day on 14th November, for all men and women that served in the village. The committee reported that it had collected £650 ( £28265.08 RPI). On 14th October, a party of 15 German POW’s were expected to arrive at the ex-army camp at Woodgates. Instead, it was reported that five homeless family’s had driven to the ex-army camp at Woodgates with their furniture, they told the army office on the gate they had come to stay. The house hunting families moved in, however the council repeatedly asked them to move out but they refused, they said we have come to stay. By 1946, Horsham rural District Council had spent £250 ( £10549.07 RPI) patching up the huts , but the council said it could be a site for much need housing because of the housing shortage.