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THE COOK FAMILY:

Barbara,

I am interested to find out about my grandmother, Jessie Cook (she married John Pitts and their wedding appeared on your website). I just wondered whether I might be able to trace any ancestors of her brother Herbert. He was born in 1876/77 in Abbots Langley, and was living in Bunkers Lane Cottages, Abbots Langley in 1881. Son of Walter S Cook and Sarah Martin. In 1901 Herbert was living with his parents in Leverstock Green and working as foreman in the stamping department of paper works.

Unfortunately there is no information in the Pitts family about Jessie's family apart from what you have kindly supplied me with, and census records. Perhaps someone reading your pages may know what became of Herbert. He was my father's uncle. Terribly sad that the family became so fragmented. One wonderful thing about my investigations into the family is that I have made contact with my first cousin on my father's side - our parents did not speak - and have found a wonderful new friend. He knows nothing of our grandmother's family either.

ROSIE JOURNEAUX

Devon

The Finch family were important farmers in Leverstock Green from the 16th century until 1956, a period of well over 400 years. Their family history is therefore important to the history of Leverstock Green. For virtually all of that 400 year + period, their base was Corner Farm, at the corner of Westwick Row and the present A4147 St. Albans Road. It was originally in the ecclesiastical parish of St. Michael St. Albans, and since the founding of Leverstock Green parish, has still been in the civil parish of St. Michaels.

The last member of the Finch family to live at Corner Farm, died there in 1956 aged 88, he was GEORGE ALBERT FINCH.

If you have a connection with this family please get in contact with me. I am particulaly interested in any photographs showing members of the family and/or Corner Farm. The farm house still stands today and is a listed building.

Elaine Kyrke Penson was resident in the village from at least 1937 when she was listed in Kelly's Directory as the Hertfordshire Society for the Blind, teacher, resident in Curtis Road until her death in October 1941. She is buried in Holy Trinity Churchyard. Nothing else is known about her stay in the village, who she taught etc. Was it someone local? Richard Hurlock is writing a book about members of the Kyrke Benson family, of which Elaine was the last known survivour. In a recent e-mail he told me:

I no longer have the copy of the Times obit, it was only a brief statement of death, however as I think I mentioned I have been writing a book on her Architect ancestors, maybe if you mentioned a bit of the following in your local history it might provoke a response -the probate office have nothing on her:

Eleanor G. C. Kyrke Penson b. c 1880 d. Oct 30 1941. of Casa Iasata, Home tutor to the Hertfordshire Soc. For the Blind & sometime headmistress of St Ives school, Bexhill.

There is no probate record of a Will, but somebody paid for an obit in The Times and a tombstone. The Penson name died out with her -her nearest relative now called Clark, nee Plunkett, knows nothing about her.

Eleanor was the daughter of Thomas Penson who seems to have done nothing other than live in a large house in Cheltenham and spend his inheritance, dying around 1900. He was the son of Thomas Mainwaring Penson 1817-64, prolific architect and surveyor, founder of Black and White movement Chester, many railway stations, the most famous being Shrewsbury. His Brother Richard Kyrke Penson 1815- 1886 was an even more prolific architect and surveyor to the counties of Carmarthen and Cardigan. He designed many fine bridges and restored or built around 60 churches, as well as being a keen antiquarian and painter of water colours.

Their father Thomas 1790-1859 surveyor to Montgomery was the most capable architect of them all and built a large Mansion for himself outside Wrexham called Gwersyllt, now dem and the parish church as a sort of family tomb. His father Thomas 1760-1824 the founder of this dynasty of architects was more of a chancer, two of his bridges collapsed! But he laid the foundations for family wealth by marrying Frances Kyrke daughter of Richard Kirk (spelling seems to have been a family preference) wealthy Ironmaster. The Penson family acquired quarries, coal mines and railway shares in addition to their architectural work.

They were all Welsh based and none of the above explains how Elaine the last direct Penson ends up a spinster living in Leverstock, dying intestate. Maybe she gave it all to the Blind, I have come across many plans, drawings etc in my researches but no picture of any of the family who were very prominent players in the 19th.c Thomas 1890-1959 was a deputy Lord Lt. I had hoped that the last of the Pensons might have left a family album to somebody.

regards Richard Hurlock