The street, Compton  1904.                  

James Strudwick(1798-1882) 2nd Great-Grandfather.

James, like his father before, continued to farm their small holding at Compton. Born at Compton, he married Elizabeth Colpas who was also born at Compton although, they married at Dunsfold, Surrey (1820). They had 5 children all born at Wanborough Surrey.  They seemed to have lived mainly in the adjacent village of Puttenham, and on Rev. Charles Kerry's census and village plan of 1862 - 1868, James is living in Corner Cottage, Puttenham, which was at the time the last house at the top of the street at the west end of the village. Both are buried at Puttenham cemetery.

Frederick Strudwick(1824-1902) Great-Grandfather.

Frederick, born at Wanborough, worked as a farm labourer/Carter at both Wanborough and Puttenham .   At one time he worked  with Sam Marshall, at Puttenham, to grow and provide the army with fresh vegetables at the new, near by military encampment at Aldershot. Marshall, owned a steam traction engine and trailer so he could transport the produce to Aldershot. They then returned with horse manure from the army stables to use on the land from where the produce came!  Frederick  married Sophia Constable, 1857 at Puttenham, and they had 7 children. They lived at times in Puttenham and Wanborough. Both are buried at Wanborough church cemetery.          

      This photo taken c.1952 shows Wanborough and in the centre, the white coloured cottages are Manor Farm Cottages where Frederick lived. These cottages were demolished in the 1960's and replaced with a modern semi detached house. (Photo courtesy Margaret Saunders, Puttenham & Wanborough history society)

George Strudwick(1875-1959) Grandfather.

George, my grandfather, worked for the village builder Jeals, later for the near by builder W.T.Jackson's at Jackson's corner, Compton. When he left school at the age of 14 his first job was a "pony boy" for the Revd. and Mrs Frank Clark at Old Cottage, Puttenham. This meant he looked after and drove the pony and trap for them. On Sunday's he was the church organ blower ! which really meant he operated the hand blower that powered the church organ before electricity was installed. George, was not fit for active service during WW1. At times he was engaged on munitions supplies, travelling between Aldershot and Woolwich arsenal on a typical of the period, solid tired petrol engined lorry!. George, married Florence, 23rd December 1905 at Puttenham, and they had 6 children. When he and Florence died, they were both buried at Puttenham cemetery. I cannot remember my grandmother at all, and only have a few memories of my grandfather. He died when I was quite young.

George, standing on right. Mr Jeal, the builder, standing third from left. The photo could possibly be of Puttenham School, built 1903. It was family knowledge that George Strudwick helped build the school!

Arthur Jeal born 1859 at Horsham, Sx. The 1901 census says he was a Smith, Wheelwright and Carpenter. He was married to Mary born at Godalming also in 1859 and they had 3 children, the oldest of which, Mabel, was a teacher at Puttenham school. At one time the family ran the village post office and Mr. Jeal was also the village undertaker !

     Puttenham Village. The houses on right are Edwards Cottages. This is where my Grandfather, George Strudwick & Grandmother lived before later moving lower down the street to Winton Cottage.

Prior to these Edward Cottages being built, George's father Frederick Strudwick also lived here, next door to a Mr. Edwards the shop keeper /Grocer.(1861 census) I believe Mr. Edwards was responsible for them being built. After the original cottages were demolished this is when Frederick went back to live at Wanborough.

This drain cover is situated at the cottage next door to William's cottage at Compton, and bears the company name of W.T. JACKSON contractors, Compton. Same firm that George Strudwick worked for.

  Jackson's builders lorry outside the office at Jackson's Corner, Compton.  (The lorry is a Chevrolet)

W.T.Jackson was born 1868 at East Grinstead,Sx. He married Elizabeth (born 1972 at Compton, Sy) They had 2 sons both born at Compton. William born 1895 and Arthur born 1898. I believe both of the son's worked for the family firm. I can certainly remember Arthur Jackson in the late 1950's at the builders at Jackson's Corner, Compton. He used to have a large black, post war Austin 12 car I believe.

My father, a plumber, Grandfather a labourer/carpenter and second cousin William Strudwick, a bricklayer (who was the last of the Strudwick male line to have lived at Compton and in the same cottage that William Strudwick originally bought in the late 1700's) all worked for W.T.Jackson.

Arthur Strudwick(1916-2010)My Father.

When Arthur left school at 14, he went to work for the Rev. Stanley Powell at Puttenham Rectory as garden boy. After a while his next job was at Berthorpe, near Jackson's Corner as houseboy. At this time Capt. Tuckwell used to keep a miniature Zoo there which included wallabies and, once a year, he used to have his company of the Grenadier Guards to give an open air concert on the terrace at Berthorpe! Arthur became in turn footman at the County Club in Guildford, and chauffeur-gardener at Cutt-Mill House, Puttenham. He then thought it about time to learn a trade and consequently joined WT Jackson's. He went through the range of trades whilst there including painter, carpenter, bricklayer, plumbers mate and ultimately plumber/journeyman. He was early in the LDV, (forerunner of the Home Guard) and in 1941 joined the 10th Bn. of the Buffs, with whom he went to North Africa. Service with the Inniskillings and later the Royal Irish Fusiliers followed, and with them he was in the campaign in Italy. Prior to his call up. he was engaged in conscripted labour, at the newly being built by the Canadian forces Dunsfold aerodrome.. He was involved as a plumbers mate laying a water main across the site. It was relentless work, 7 days a week. A coach used to pick them up early at Puttenham every day and take them to Dunsfold and then back in the evening. The foreman at Dunsfold for this work was a Londoner and he would line up all the labourers and then allocate each one to tradesmen! At this time Arthur was assisting a plumber laying lead pipes underground and jointing them.

When he was on active service, a couple of close encounters he told me about were, in North Africa they were on supply duties to the front line. This was done at night and on foot. They had a leader who went ahead to pick the route and at the same time lay a tape for the men to follow. This was up a sort of ravine which they called a 'waddi'. Only, on this particular night, the went up with supplies ok but, unfortunately, the leader brought them back on the wrong side of the tape so they were directly behind the German line! It was touch & go getting back with German snipers in trees firing at them. However they did get back. And on another time in Italy, he was driving a 15cwt truck behind the leader on a viaduct when the leader was struck by bullet which went through the small rear window of the vehicle cab, and consequently he went over the side!