Banstead Village

I used to do a morning and an afternoon paper round from the newsagents by the church from 1960 to 1964.

Weston Acres was on my morning round and they had big heavy daily papers. I never saw a soul in all the time I was doing it.

I also remember on a few occasions climbing over a wall from the cricket ground with my friends to gather windfall, tiny hard pears, from their orchard.

My grandfather and grandmother moved down from Peterborough to run this place many years ago. My Dad and his older sister grew up here.

NOTE FROM LNW: Thanks, Philip, but what were their names, and roughly when were they there?

I'm pleased to see this picture - I'm researching my family tree and the 1921 census shows that my great aunt, Ellen Eliza Smart, was a parlour maid at Weston Acres when Henry Edwin Baker was head of the household. I don't know if he owned the house though, do you?

Reply from LNW: I don't, without further research, however Janice Chapple above, another of our members, is probably in a better position to answer that question. No doubt she will respond.

Yes Henry James Baker did own Weston Acres and was the first owner. I have done extensive research on the property and previous owners.
I am now in the lucky position to live in Weston Acres in sheltered housing in a room that, in Mr Baker's time, was the butler's pantry. My bedroom was once the coke store room and measures under 6 feet in width. I have a friend who now lives in the servants' quarters.

I can send you the house plans and photos of Mr Baker's time here. Also, photos of the servants' quarters now, if any help. Although our rooms layout has changed since the Royal Alfred Seaman’s Society bought the property in 1967, many features remain the same.

Dear Janice, thank you for your reply and for the information about the house.

If it's not too much trouble, I would be delighted to see any photos of the house in Mr Baker's time. I was very fond of my great aunt and find the times when she lived fascinating. She lost her sweetheart in WW1 and was in service for the rest of her life, in one way or another.

Thank you so much. Best wishes, Jane

Reply from LNW: I have no doubt Janice will be in touch soon.

If you want to know more about life in service locally, then you might take a look at our latest publication: The Post Card relates the stories of half a dozen girls depicted on a well-known 1909 Banstead postcard. The two with the longest stories (in their own words) went into service and describe the people they worked for, relationships with soldiers, with other maids/cooks etc etc. At least one was at Court Haw in Woodmansterne, just up the road from Weston Acres.

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