The Book

“A History of Preston in Hertfordshire” Details of the book The book launch and signing at Preston

The Booklet

“St Martin’s, Preston in Hertfordshire” Click for details of the booklet

New in December 2020 A re-appraisal of the identity of my great grandfather from Hitchin

General notes Wray: John and Henry Wray: 18thC and hurdlemaking Family history 1760c to 1900 Family tree Notes re: tree Charles Wray b1820 Alfred Wray b1858 Arthur Wray b1883 Son, Charlie Wray b1910 Son, Rodney Wray b1934 Charles Wray b1884 Carrie Pell/Wray b1886 Alice Snelling/Wray b1888 Flossie Sugden/Wray b1889 Ern Wray b1893 Bob Wray b1893 Nan Wray 1896 Ada Hitchman/Wray b1898 Frank Wray b1899 Jack Wray b1900 Dick Wray b1903 Sam Wray b1905 Wife, Grace Mills b1912 Maggie Whitby/Wray b1908 Ellis Wray, Luton b 1877

Data

Births and baptisms: Chronological List Alphabetical List Marriages: 1800-1900 St Martin: 1909 - 1985 Burials: 1800 - 1900 St Martin: 1906 - 2009 Censuses: General notes 1801 1807 1821 1841 Analysis Census Alphabetical list 1851 Analysis Census Alphabetical list 1861 Analysis Census Alphabetical list 1871 Analysis Census  Alphabetical list 1881 Analysis Census Alphabetical list 1886 Religious census 1891 Analysis Census Alphabetical list 1901 Analysis Census Alphabetical list 1911 Analysis Census Alphabetical list Militia Lists - Preston 1811c Preston Map and Award Manorial records of Temple Dinsley 1837 Preston Rate Book The 1939 Register for Preston

Site information

How this website evolved Contents What’s new Contact page Your family interests ‘Preston’ defined Preston: Parishes and Manors

Preston history

A detailed history of Preston Preston history by N Freebody Mrs Maybrick’s Scrapbook (1953) Preston people in the 17C Earliest map of Preston Preston visits:1890s, 1913, 1970 Traditions of Sterne and Bunyan Preston Parish News 1900 -1941 Preston and World War Two Herts Record Sessions extracts The place-name, Preston

Temple Dinsley

Temple Dinsley - an introduction Eighty-six photos re: Temple Dinsley in 1913c and 1989 The gardens of Temple Dinsley c.1909 The Cottage/The Dower House Princess Helena College and Preston

Owners

The Pryor family1874 - 1901 Barrington-White 1901 - 1908 The Fenwicks 1908 - 1918. Almina Countess of Carnarvon and Ian Dennistoun 1929 - 1934 Tenants Thomas Halsey (1840 - 1844) John Weeks (1869 - 1879)

Preston places

Introduction The cottages of Preston Tracing the history of Preston’s cottages - an introduction Cottages at : Crunnells Green/School Lane Preston Green - South side Back Lane Chequers Lane (NE side) N side of Church Lane The Old Forge Spindle Cottage Hill Farm Lane Chequers Cottages Jacks Hill Sir Edwin Lutyens’ legacy at: Chequers Lane Minsden Farm Hill End Crunnells Green Temple Dinsley The Rose Garden The Chequers Inn The Red Lion Inn Community buy out of Red Lion Preston Green Trees of Preston Green Blacksmiths/Church Lane Crunnells Green The waste at Crunnells Green Church/School Lane The Wilderness Back Lane Chequers Lane Chequers Cottages Poynders End/Jacks Hill Hill End Preston Hill Farm Pond Farm Temple Farm Wain Wood and Bunyan’s Dell Castle Farm Home Farm, Hitchin Road Holly Cottages, Back Lane Sootfield Green Kiln Wood Stagenhoe Offley Holes House Offley Holes Farm Swedish Houses, Chequers Lane Welei

Preston life

Agriculture/labourers Straw plaiting Crime Morality Mobility Ponds Preston’s wells and wind pumps Roads The pound at Preston Preston allotments Cricket Best kept village 1950s Beating the parish boundaries Preston’s Benefit Clubs Preston fair

Newspaper stories

Introduction Preston Hill robbery Parsonnage Farm Fire Arson Assault Drunkenness Family disputes Farmers and dealers Poaching Highway offences Theft and robbery Manslaughter Miscellaneous A newsworthy case (1887) News Stories Nov 2014; April 2016; December 2016

Religion

Introduction Preston’s Anglican churches A photographic visit to St Martin Preston Parish News 1900 - 1941 Bunyans Chapel Minsden Chapel Church plans to sell Minsden Chapel Back Street Meeting House, Hitchin

Education

A History of Preston’s 3 Schools Pupils in school logbook School mistresses List of teachers Attendance Literacy Preston School 1873 - 1901 FTM Preston School 1900 - 1939 Eugenics Preston school 100 years ago (from the Daily Mirror)

Preston people

Introduction Armstrong Ashton Hinde, Robert Peters Swain (later family) Stephen Swain Emily Soldene: opera star Emily and Preston (Early) Swain saga (Early) Swain tree Notes re: Swain tree Charles Swain (bn 1818) Seebohms of PoyndersEnd Norah Gribble and Mrs Leslie Seebohm Preston soldiers of WW I Nina Freebody: Preston Historian Samuel Hall Chalkley Whitbread - bankrupt Preston farmer Simon and Rebecca Stevens The Scott family of Church Road Miss Rose Barker (Preston schoolmistress) Armigel Pryor (of ‘The Cottage) William (Bill) and Rose Stanley Dick Middleditch The Wallers - builders of Preston Mr and Mrs DJW Dawson Leonard and Eileen Newell Re: Sam Soto 1969-72 Wills of Preston folk 1640 -1839 People of Preston 1929 - 1950 Preston people 1952 - 1985 Arthur Cook, Stagenhoe A gallery of Preston folk Memories of Robert Sunderland Reginald Hine - Hitchin historian T he Fox twins of Stevenage A sad suicide in 1933 Cecil and Maggie Jenkins Poems by Rebecca Cook ‘The Villager’ Preston article 4/15 Preston at Hitchin History Day 7/15 Family Tree article re:Preston 8/15 Blanchards of Rose Cottage S Gunning, Langley End Cottage Chris Sansom: Preston historian Herbie/Phyll Jenkins - Castle Farm William Pedder (1837 - 1919) Recollections of David Peters Photos of Preston folk 1950s/60s Preston’s first midwife/nurse Preston in film,TV and Radio Mary Turl - Preston’s postwoman Ralston de Vins Pryor New article in Family Tree mag 6/19 Althams of Crunnels Green House