Chapel Lawn - Whither or wither -  a chance to decide?

A small group has been set up in Clun to investigate whether a project to produce a new community plan has support and to recommend to the Town Council whether that plan should be a Neighbourhood Plan or a Community Led Plan. At present I am a member of that group. I would welcome comments and questions from residents and businesses in Chapel Lawn ward. The focus appears to be very much centred on the town of Clun as most of the group are from Clun. If the project progresses with financial help from Shropshire Council then it is important that voices from more rural, remoter areas are heard. If you contact me you are not committing yourself to any involvement though, of course, if you are interested in getting involved that would be very welcome. My contact details are at the end of this article. Please do read on………..

You may remember the Clun and Chapel Lawn Parish Plan which was produced around 2009/10. It is nearly 20 years since Parish Plans were first thought of as a means of giving a voice to those living in rural areas. Some plans failed but some were extremely successful. Today rural communities have two options if they want to have some control over what happens in their area. There are Neighbourhood Plans and Community Led Plans.

Neighbourhood Plans are specifically about planning as in development and land use. They are very technical, requiring on going advice from a planning expert and needing to be assessed at the end by a Planning Inspector. If the plan is found to meet the criteria it becomes a legal document which planners must take into account when considering planning matters in that parish.

Community Led Plans are very similar to the previous Parish Plans. They are led, as the name suggests, by the community not the parish council and cover those matters that the community feels are important. That can include transport, housing, environment, planning, community facilities, community governance, communication and more. The important thing is that these broad subjects are broken down into practical issues that we in the community can do something about. The focus is on coming up with a plan to retain what we want to retain and preserve, to change those things that we want to change and to ensure that the production of the plan itself is only the beginning.

What matters is that the aspirations of the community are realised through follow up and action. Action, that is, by the community, using local government and other statutory bodies and any individual, group or organisation willing to help us reach our goals.

If you would like to comment or would like more information please email me at cmwilde@btinternet.com or speak to me on 01547 530085.  Thank you

Carolyn Wilde

From April Issue of The Redlake:

The Sad Story of Fanny Corfield  (short version) written by Patrick Cosgrove

In 1891, Lower House Farm, now Well House in Chapel Lawn was owned by 32-year old Thomas Herbert Williams, whose family had farmed in Chapel Lawn and Beguildy for generations.   Five others lived there – a housekeeper, a general servant, a shepherd, a cowman and a waggoner.  The housekeeper was 37 year old Fanny Corfield , originally from Winsley in Shropshire. The shepherd was 25-year old Alfred Buckley, from Leintwardine.  Fanny’s parents had died young and she then  worked as a housekeeper for her younger brother, William, who farmed at Sibdon Carwood near Church Stretton.  Fanny and Alfred  may even have already known each other before coming to Chapel Lawn as Alfred’s father, James, came from Onibury, no distance at all from Sibdon Carwood. Fanny was a mainstay of Chapel Lawn life, bringing her culinary and organisational capabilities to bear whenever there was a church or school event, or for the annual choir outing. There are many references to this in the parish magazine, including these:   

February 1891.  “Chapel Lawn Schools’ ‘Treats’ for children: Mr and Mrs Laurence (School House) kindly undertook the arrangements of providing tea in the school-room, and thanks to a splendid table erected by Mr Robinson, of The Pentre, down the centre of the room a large number were able to sit down at the same time. Miss Corfield, Miss Deakin, Mrs Vaughan, Miss Watkins, and others gave great assistance, and everything passed off very well.

October 1894. Harvest Festival: We must not omit mentioning that the decorations which were most tasteful and effective, certainly crowned the efforts of Mrs. N.H. Davies, Mrs Stedman, Miss Corfield, Miss Edwards and Miss Hamar with success, the Church never having looked better.

August 1895. Chapel Lawn choir outing to Swansea: Meantime, Mrs. Myddleton, Miss Corfield, Mrs. Robinson, Mrs. Adams and Mrs. Vaughan repaired to a  room previously engaged at the Victoria Restaurant for the purpose of unpacking and preparing what our American friends would call a good square meal, which on the return of the main body was done ample justice to.” .

Fanny and Alfred married on Wednesday 15th April 1896, but  in Clun: maybe there because 8-year old Thomas Weaver of Rock Hill was buried that day in St Marys’ graveyard at Chapel Lawn.  (It  was an eventful year for Lower House as Thomas Williams, married Rose Annie Edwards from Brincalled on 11th November). They stayed on at Lower House for a few months before moving across the road to what is now James Middleton’s house, which had just been vacated by Mr W H Davies, the choir master. The Buckleys farmed as tenants to Mr Davies who now worked as a music teacher in Bognor Regis. Fanny continued to feature prominently in village life, including helping to cater for 300 people at the 1896 Harvest Supper!  All we know of Alfred in those years is that along with John Robinson of The Woodcock Inn, James Vaughan, the miller at what is now The Quern, and Herbert Laurence of the School House, he sold a large number of tickets for the Chapel Lawn annual entertainment held on 20th January 1897 which was a great success.  

“From our Chapel Lawn Correspondent:-January 20th was the day fixed for the Annual Entertainment held in this schoolroom for the purpose of obtaining funds for the choir trip during the ensuing summer; as usually of late, it was, we are glad to say, a great success, the room being as full as was compatible with comfort, and if, as we hear, Ludlow Ball suffered in consequence of our having fixed upon the same evening, we hope the managers of that affair will pardon us, and Chapel Lawn will try and not stand in their way another time, especially as friends from that town always give us their kind and valuable help. The programme was a long one, the first part commenced with an instrumental duet by Mrs. Williams and Miss Urwick, to be followed by glees by the Choir and songs by the Misses Hamar, Watkins and Davies, Dr. Nunes always popular, and Messrs. Beaumont, Amies Lewis and J. Hamar. When all was so good it seems invidious to mention one more than another, indeed the remark was heard more than once, that each performer surpassed her or himself as the case may be, but we must be allowed to mention Miss E. Hara’s solos, which were a thorough treat; A Quartette, “De Profundo Basso” by Mrs. James, Miss Pugh, Mr Lawrence, and Mr. James provoked roars of laughter, and encores , which latter indeed were the order of the night. For the second part of the programme we are indebted to the Obley troupe of Minstrels, whose fame had preceded them, and who gave us a splendid selection of negro and comic songs, which were much appreciated, and thoroughly enjoyed; this part finished by special request by “My Mother’s Sweet Home is in Wales,” sung by Mr. Johnson, the leader of the troupe, first in Welsh then in English, we recommend those who have not heard this troupe to try and do so. We hope the Choir are as grateful as they should be to all the kind friends who helped them, especially Mr. Townsend, who so kindly came over the hill to give us his help. The funds amounted to £3/2/0, our expenses being very small, owing to Mr. Robinson’s usual goodness in erecting the platform and preparing the room free of charge; what other village is so fortunate I wonder?

In the spring of 1899, along with John Hamar of Llynaven, Alfred became churchwarden, a post he held for another three years.  Later that year he is reported to have hauled a load of coke for the church from Knighton Station, a task he repeated in 1900, and 1901, and in 1902 for the church and the school. “It seems hardly fair the work should fall always on the same willing helper”.

Fanny’s name crops up frequently in lists of subscribers to various causes: 2/- in 1894 to the Ladies Home Mission Association (collection arranged by Mrs Myddleton of Llynaven); 4/6 in 1899 to Universities Mission to Central Africa, and 5/7 in 1900;  in 1900, “One contribution has been made by Mrs. Buckley to the Fund for supplying comforts to the Shropshire Regiments engaged in the War.” July 1901: 5/- towards  expenses for the annual choir outing to Llandrindod Wells; 2/6 in 1902 towards a new silver chalice in the church in celebration of the coronation of King George. These were not insubstantial amounts which suggests that the Buckleys’ tenancy in Chapel Lawn was doing well.

Then, without any explanation that can be found, the Wellington Journal of March 28th 1903 advertised the sale by auction of all the Buckley’s livestock and equipment on 1st April, five days after Lady Day when farm tenancies changed hands. The sale included: “75 improved Clun Forest sheep, including 63 grand young ewes in or with lambs, 3 cart horses, a bay cob gelding (about 14 hands), 18 Hereford cattle, including seven young cows and heifers and  eight yearling bullocks and heifers, a collection of farm implements including a well-built dog cart, a set of harness, six sets of gears, cider and casks and numerous miscellaneous effects.” Was this a move of their own volition or had Mr Davies terminated their tenancy?

After the sale Fanny and Alfred moved to Bucknell.  “Mr. and Mrs. Buckley are leaving Chapel Lawn. During the time they have been with us, they have always been foremost in helping in the work of the Church. Mr. Buckley has been Churchwarden for four years, and Mrs. Buckley has generally done most of the decorations of the Church, whilst it has been to her management that we have owed the excellent arrangements and success of our Harvest Thanksgiving Teas. She has beside helped in many other ways known only to few. It will be a difficult matter to fill the gaps caused by their going.”  

The next we hear is that Fanny died in 1905 aged 51.  “We were all grieved to hear the death of Mrs. Buckley, who was always so willing to help in all Church work at Chapel Lawn. She and her husband have been much missed since they left us for Bucknell. She was taken to the Salop Infirmary for special treatment where she died. She was buried at Halford on October 23rd. May God comfort her husband in his great sorrow.”

 Fanny may have been ill for a while, explaining their departure from Chapel Lawn, and they may only have lived in Bucknell temporarily. She had relatives around Church Stretton, so it’s likely that she had been taken there for the last year or so of her life. Her death certificate records cause of death as ‘Malignant disease of liver’, so possibly cancer. The death certificate records Alfred’s occupation as ‘a farm bailiff of the parish of Stokesay with Afcot as his residence which is near Church Stretton.

Fanny’s Will took four years to settle, but in 1909 Alfred received £399. 19s 7d, a large amount of money in those days. As the older partner in the marriage with experience of budgeting for large households, Fanny probably managed the farm income and once the 1903 sale was over and illness forced her to fall back on family, there was little to spend it on. By 1911, six years after Fanny’s death, Alfred was employed as a farm bailiff by George Townsend at the Leasowes Farm in Clun. That farm was sold in 1912, so he may have moved elsewhere after that. But there is a possible loose end to this story. In 1912, in Clun, an Alfred Buckley married a Frances Welson from Lydbury North. Did she become another Fanny Buckley?

Patrick Cosgrove

(October 2018)

Mary Elmona Owen  by Jennifer Owen, Grand-daughter

Mary Elmona Owen, or as we liked to call her - Gran, was born on Wednesday 20th July, 1921 at Farr Hall, Dolau.  Her parents were Evan Thomas Hamer and Margaret Jane Meredith.  She was one of five children - Meredith Vernon, Edward Thomas, John Gilbert, Mary Elmona and Margaret Violet.

Life was busy on the farm and with staff employed by her father, there were always people coming and going.  Gran recalled many childhood memories, including her two mile walk to school, with great fondness - except of course during a cold winter when icicles would hang from her coat.  She spoke of the beautiful wood panelling in the house and the nanny who always looked out for her.  During her days in school, she received the cane only once for not quite standing straight in line.  Gran loved Sunday School and recalled her favourite hymn ‘What a friend we have in Jesus’ which we will be singing today.

In 1924, the family had their first motor vehicle and Gran would sit in the front and pretend to drive it from a young age.  With another Mary regularly visiting the farm, Mary (Gran) was called Mona and that was how she was known for the rest of her years.

Two of Gran’s brothers died young, which greatly affected the family.  Vernon passed away from appendicitis in 1934 aged 18 years. Teddy who never fully recovered after contracting scarlet fever along with the rest of the family, passed away just 3 years later in 1937, aged 19 years.  Surrounded by difficult memories, the family moved to Studd Farm, Bleddfa.

When the war came, Gran wanted to join the Women’s Air Force. However, when her papers arrived, they said no, as the family had suffered enough loss and she was needed on the farm.  Gran spoke of the many guests staying at the farm during the Blitz, how she loved meeting them and learning of their glamorous lives back in London.  They were obviously a great inspiration to her.

Gran was also inspired by her favourite teacher and dreamed of becoming a domestic science teacher.  She was quite the independent woman and would stay with cousins in London attending events such as Royal Ascot.

Gran met Arthur at a Young Farmers Dance in Knighton and in October 1951 (the same year as the village hall was built) they were married.  They lived together at Chapel Lawn Farm with Arthurs’s mother Minnie.  Gran worked incredibly hard to improve the residence often saying how much it needed it!  She was very house-proud and liked to keep both the house and the garden well-presented.

Gran was forward-thinking and she was the driving force for the growth of the farm.  She spent 3 years with Arthur before they had their first child in 1954.  On the 31st May, Graham Giles Hamer was born and on 1st October 1957, they had another child, Janet Mary.  Both children went to Chapel Lawn School.  She would recall how Graham would happily play with his toy farm mimicking exactly what was happening outside. Janet would go for rides on her pony and play with the local girls and her cousin, Sandra.

Gran was not afraid to get her hands dirty and would do more than her fair share of jobs on the farm.  She would pull lambs and prepare the Clun sheep for market by washing their faces, trimming their fleece and marking them with an ‘O’.  She also kept poultry, selling the eggs to Evans at Bishop’s Castle so giving her extra money towards the household budget and retaining some independence.

Gran was a strong character and had difficult times to deal with.  Both her husband and her mother-in-law enjoyed a drink.  She would tell us that no good would ever come of drinking and recalled a party in Knighton where she hid her glasses of sherry behind a curtain!

In 1979, Graham married Rosemary Lewis and they farmed nearby at Pentre Hodre.  In 1982, Rachel was born and in 1984, I was born.  Gran was delighted to have grandchildren and had more time to show a softer side.

In 1986, Janet married Jonathan Benbow and they moved to Orchard Cottage.  Shortly after, they moved to the farmhouse at Woodhouse Fields, Boughton and in 1987, Gran’s first grandson was born; William.

In that same year Gran lost her husband to cancer.  Arthur was a church warden for many years and after his death Gran took on the role.  She was a devoted member of the Church and would get up in the early hours to put the heating on and prepare the communion.  She also hosted Sunday School in her kitchen for all the local children.

Another granddaughter - Charlotte - was born in 1988.  Gran loved to drive (despite never taking a driving test) and would go to visit family regularly.  In 1990, her fifth grandchild - Emily - was born.  Gran was an exceptional baker and would always treat her grandchildren to hot welsh cakes, jammie dodgers and whimberry pie.

Unfortunately, Gran lost both of her children under very sad circumstances.  Graham died in 2004 (aged 49) and Janet died shortly after him in 2005 (aged 47). She was deeply saddened by these events and was there to support her grandchildren through this difficult time.

In 2015, Gran’s first great-grandchild was born - Harriet - followed by Olivia in 2016 and Ellen in 2018.  She loved having these children around and her mantelpiece was adorned with their photographs.

Until February this year, Gran was living independently at Chapel Lawn Farm with only Sue helping with cleaning and Ken picking up her weekly shopping.  She loved having visitors (both family and friends) and her mind remained as sharp as ever as she recalled local farms, names, full family history, acreage and prices. She never missed a trick and still actively managed her farm.

In February, she went into hospital and had a brief stay at Stone House showing she was just as strong willed as ever.  She returned home with full-time care but continued to fight on, attending Charlotte’s wedding only this June.  Unfortunately, a second visit to hospital took its toll and five days later she passed away peacefully in her own bed, in her own home, exactly as she wanted it.