Edwardian Photographs found
Edwardian photographs provide a glimpse into life in the village of Hursley. First published in "Hursley Life", the Hursley Parish Magazine, September/October 2016
In the nineteenth century the association between Sir William Heathcote, 5th Baronet Hursley, and his friend and mentor John Keble, whom Sir William established as Vicar of Hursley, is well known but less is that of the early twentieth century when Sir George Cooper and Rev. Thomas Pughe were in residence at Hursley Park and the Vicarage respectively.
New light was cast on this period recently when a photograph album belonging to the Rev. Pughe’s daughter, Philippa, became available. A few tempting references to images of the Vicarage and of soldiers in the village persuaded me to acquire the album and it was well worth it as it provides a fascinating glimpse into not only the Vicar’s family but also both the estate and village. Precise dating is difficult but most pictures appear to date from immediately prior to and, judging by the image of soldiers marching through the village, during the Great War, probably c.1909-1915. This was the height of the Edwardian era, and it could be described as the Golden Era of Hursley Park as the Cooper’s wealth revitalised the estate.
Although predominantly focused on her school days in her Suffolk boarding school there are numerous pictures of family life in the vicarage including trips in the family car, a picnic at Farley Mount under the Monument, views around the village and Hursley Park.
The pictures of Hursley Park include a wonderful picture of Lady Cooper (?) in her Edwardian finery on the lawn at Hursley Park, a rare picture of the flower beds in the ‘Pleasure Gardens’ and an important picture of the sunken garden. The image of the sunken garden is significant as it confirms the appearance of the garden as painted by Sir Phillip Burne-Jones and that the design was altered prior to the start of the Great War to the basic appearance it has today.
For the Vicarage there are pictures of the gardens, the house (including the Edwardian extension under construction) and several village social events, particularly celebrating Ascension Day and May Day. Alongside the Vicarage are pictures of the village and nearby locations like Bunstead and Silkstead to the east and the now demolished Winchester and Merdon Lodges.
More work will be needed to cleanup and review the pictures and what they can tell us about Edwardian Hursley and the Rev. Pughe and his family but it does demonstrate how there is still history to be discovered and explored!
