David Peters’ memories and photographs of Preston
From time-to-time people with an interest in Preston’s history write to offer their stories
and photographs. These are much appreciated! In January 2016, David Peters contacted
me as his sister had sadly died and her daughter had sent him some pictures of the
Peters family at Preston. These photographs (of excellent quality) are reproduced below
together with David’s memories of life in Preston.
If you have any photographs of Preston and/or its people, I would love to hear from you.
Having been born in 1931 (writes David), most of my early recollections were wartime ones. I know
we returned home early from a seaside holiday in 1939, and I do recall hearing the announcement of
the declaration of war on 3rd September of that year. It was then all about young men being called-up
for military service, black-out, and food rationing. My father, Walter Charles Peters, had served in the
Royal Horse Artillery in the Great War (of which he never spoke), and at the age of 45 was too old to
be mobilised.
Although there were many Preston residents with the Peters surname our family circle was pretty
small. My mother was Philadelphia Constance (nee Heathorn) and I had a sister, Queenie, who was
some four years older than me. My grandfather, Henry George Peters, was a widower and lived in
Holly Cottages, Back Lane, having served his working life on the Kings Walden Estate; two great
aunts, Bertha (Nash), Christobel (housekeeper to Ralston de Vins Pryor at The Laburnums); a great
uncle ,' Huckie' (Herbert), a gardener at Poynders End and living in Hitchwood Cottages. One of my
happy memories is having tea, along with my sister,with Mr. Pryor and Aunt Chris every Saturday
afternoon, even with wartime rationing.
Father worked at Halsey & Son, grocers, in Hitchin, for as long as I can recall. He served as Church
Warden from 1929 to 1945, and there were several occasions during the war when he conducted
services when clergy failed to appear. My mother was a devout member of the Church and was
blessed with a fine soprano voice. She was a keen member of the Women's Institute of which I
believe she was secretary for some years. As we were closely involved with St. Martin's, my sister
was sometimes called upon to play the organ at evensong when the regular organist was absent. No
prizes for guessing who pumped the organ! One morning service we did miss was an occasion when
the King and Queen, with the two Princesses, attended St. Paul's Warden Church on a weekend stay
with the Bowes Lyon's. Frank Lane who had been organist at St. Martin's until 1938 had very kindly
invited us over having taken a similar appointment there.
During the war my father was an ARP Warden (together with Bill Darton) and although the village was
free of direct damage, nonetheless there was some excitement. One night ,a crew of a German
bomber were seen descending by parachute and the Home Guard and ARP were mobilised for the
search. They thought they had struck lucky when they spotted white mounds in a field, but on
charging across found they were piles of lime! I recall that the German airmen surrendered at a local
farm labourer's cottage on the next morning. A bit like Dad's Army really.
Queenie and I went to the Hitchin Grammar Schools following our earlier education at the village
school. At the time, I was the only grammar school boy in the village and therefore became the post-
boy for correspondence between the Headmaster and Hugh Seebohm, chairman of the governors, at
Poynders End. I attended his Quaker memorial service as a representative of the School.
We lived at 2 Council Cottages until we were offered the tenancy of the first Swedish house
(15 Chequers Lane) somewhere about 1946. My parents celebrated their Silver Wedding in May
1947, but my mother died in December of that year following a long illness with cancer. My sister
resumed her nursing training at the London Hospital in 1948 and my father and I moved to Hitchin in
1951, which coincided with the end of my National Service in the RAF. I understand that there are no
Peters' in the village now (in 2016), except, that is, in the churchyard!
The marriage of Hubert/Herbert Thomas Peters and Eliza Childs at St Martins, Preston on
11 February 1911. (Back row, 3rd from the left) Bertha Peters;
(front row, 2nd from left) Annie Christobel Peters
The marriage of George Nash and Bertha Peters at St Martins, Preston on 4 June 1921.
Back row, 2nd from left, Eliza (Nancy) Peters; 3rd from left, Walter Charles Peters; 4th from left,
Annie Christobel Peters, 3rd from the right, Hubert Thomas Peters; Front row, third from left,
Philadelphia Constance Heathorn.
Marriage of Frederick Lawrence and Dorothy Heathorn
at St Martins, Preston on 4 August 1923.
They then moved to Codicote, Herts.
A study of Ralston de Vins Pryor at The Laburnums
Sergeant Walter Charles Peters of the Royal Horse Artillery circa 1919
Family tree of the descendants of Joseph and Sarah Peters
