Recollections of Local Residents
This page within the people section of the website includes residents who have over the years documented recollections of their lives and history in connection with the local area.
Betts, Tony
Tony Betts was a Fairseat resident and farmer. He was a boy living at his father’s farm in Offham at the outbreak of World War 2, and the aerodrome at nearby West Malling was subjected to many dangerous enemy attacks. Tony was evacuated with his school to the Cotswolds. At home during the school holiday, he and his friends, while pony riding, saw a ‘Doodlebug’ crash and explode in a nearby field. Though shocked, they gathered their ponies and continued their ride!
Brooker, Annie
In 2000, Annie Brooker recorded her memories of the Brooker family in Stansted. Joe and Mary Brooker came to Stansted sometime before 1874, and successive generations of Brookers lived at Stone Rocks, Plaxdale Green Road until 2020.
Burgess, Lucy
Members of the Burgess family have lived in Fairseat, Stansted, Ash and Hodsoll Street for the last 150 years and, in particular, have run the Dairy farm in Fairseat since before the Second World War. Lucy Burgess was born at the farm in 1944, and these are her extensive memories of village life, her family and residents in the late 1940s and early 1950s. These recollections first appeared as instalments in the Parish Notes during 2020-22.
Chinery, Joan
Joan came to Fairseat with the Land Army in 1947 to work for Colonel Anderson on his farm at Fairseat Manor. She became the herdswoman and by 1968 was in charge of a herd of 106 Jersey cows. She was on the Village Hall committee for 30 years, until 1984, and lived in Fairseat until she died in 2007.
Crabtree, Rosemary
Rosemary Crabtree (née Hooper) is the daughter of Charles Kingsley Hooper, whose name appears on the Stansted War Memorial. In this article, Rosemary recalls her childhood in Fairseat during the 1940s and 50s. Rosemary also fondly recalls the Reverend Robert Coulson, whose details are in the ‘Biographies’ section.
Feasey, Patsy
Patsy was ten years old when the war broke out. Her family lived at ‘The Forge’ in Tumblefield Road, which a V1 Doodlebug damaged, and her younger sister, Hazel, still lives in the same house. As a teenager, Patsy helped at the Toc H in Fairseat. She was one of the last remaining witnesses to the German aircraft that crashed behind the Church in 1940.
Goddings, John
Originally from Sussex, John spent his final years in Stansted and was probably the last resident alive to have served in WW2. He served in the 8th Army as an infantryman and fought in North Africa and Italy, where he was wounded at the Battle of Monte Cassino.
Hills, Robert
Robert Hills was a small child when the Second World War disrupted life in Fairseat. Bob remembers his dad as a member of the Auxiliary Fire Service and his work at Fairseat nursery in Crabtree Close. When VE Day was celebrated, the two-year-old Bob was a ‘mascot’ for the silver band that played during the celebrations.
Lindsey, Joyce
Joyce Lindsey was born in Stansted in 1921 and lived in the village until about 1937. Although she lived most of her life in Ryarsh, she never lost her love for Stansted and was a frequent contributor to the Parish Notes under the pseudonym “The Voice”. Here she writes about happy and sad times from her childhood as Joyce Cleave.
Marchant, Jeff
Evacuated to Stansted at the age of nine with his brothers and sister to live with their grandmother, Jeff attended the local school. He and his brother Stan went on to spend most of their married life in the village. Like Patsy Feasy, they also witnessed the crash of the ME110 behind the Church in 1940.
Maughan, Kit
Kit spent most of her married life with Stanley, living in Stansted. Whilst residing in Hildenborough during WW2, she lost her first husband, Bill, when his ship was sunk. Kit was invited to Buckingham Palace twice: once to receive Bill’s posthumous DSO, and then to receive an award for her work as an Akela. Kit died in 2024, aged 105, and her life history is recorded under the ‘Biographies’ section.
Maughan, Stanley
Captured by the Japanese in Hong Kong, Stanley was a POW and forced labourer for the duration of WW2. He suffered malnutrition, which irrevocably damaged his sight. He witnessed many atrocities committed against his colleagues and the local population. Upon returning to the UK, he met and married Kit and spent most of his married life in Stansted.
Medhurst, Violet
Violet Medhurst began working at Trosley Towers in 1929 and remained there until the estate was sold a few years later. For the first part of her time there, Sir Philip Waterlow was the owner, and she has happy memories of her employment.
Parker, Sheila
The Brown family moved to Stansted in the 1920s. Sheila attended Stansted School during the war and married Alan Parker in Stansted Church. They then lived in Wiltshire for over 20 years before returning to Stansted to help run the family haulage company on her father’s retirement. Both she and Alan were very involved in village affairs throughout their lives and were members of various village Committees. After many years, she is still Secretary of the Fairseat Wine Circle.
Pasteur, Grisell
Grisell and Hugh Pasteur moved to Fairseat House in 1935, and both lived in the village until they died in 1995 and 1984, respectively. Grisell was a prime mover in establishing the Stansted and Fairseat Society and the Village archive. She was closely involved in village affairs for over 60 years, and this is her account of those times.
Pasteur, Rosia
Rosia Pasteur was the youngest child of Hugh and Grisell, who lived in Fairseat House for most of their adult lives and who were instrumental in the development of community life. She had two older brothers, David and Tom, and these are her memories of growing up in Fairseat during WW2. Rosia now lives in Melbourne, Australia, where, for many years, she was a viola player with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
Roots, Alfred
Alf Roots came from a large family (he had eleven siblings) who lived in the Harvel/ Culverstone Green area. He started work as a gardener at Trosley Towers in 1908 when Sir Sydney Waterlow lived there, and the house and gardens were at their peak. These are his memories of that time.
Stacpoole, John
John Stacpoole lived in Fairseat for over 50 years. As an 18-year-old schoolboy, he volunteered for the military and underwent officer training at the OCTU, then named ‘Wrotham Camp’ (the site is now occupied mainly by Vigo Village). He completed training around VE Day, so instead of being sent to Europe, he was sent to India, where he served very successfully. He later returned to England, studied at Oxford and worked in the Colonial Office and then the Home Civil Service with great success.
Walker, Greta
Greta Walker (neé Evans) grew up in Gravesend. With many others, Greta was evacuated to a safer area but longed for Kent and persuaded her parents to let her live with her grandparents in Fairseat, where she found beauty and joy in the surroundings. Now a long-established resident of Canterbury, Australia, Greta holds fond memories of Fairseat and keeps in touch with some residents.
Walton, Anne
Stansted village stalwart Anne Walton’s father said little of what he did in WW2. This was in part because the Official Secrets Act bound him to secrecy. Only after 75 years has his pivotal role in turning the course of the war in our favour been revealed in an insight into G/Capt Felkin’s role in MI19.