Here you can see a list of the most recently added comments on this site. You can add your own comments at the bottom of any page on the site.
The main living room (the room running from front to back of the building) was the part used for the pub, the family lived in the kitchen. At that time there were two staircases, one of which went from the kitchen to the bedrooms, so there was no need for the children to go through the pub to get to bed.
I am a descendant of the Clark family. Grateful for this information.
My great great great great grandmother was a Dolby or Dalby and her birth is recorded as being at Bullock, Northants according to the 1851 census. By this time she was married to John Edward Hill and settled in Spratton Northants. The marriage took place in 1842 at Spratton Church. This seems to be unusual in that a wedding was usually conducted in the brides parish but this one was took place in Spratton. Again the census tells us that she was born in about 1822. I’m guessing that her family were dead or had disowned her. Interestingly, there is someone of the same name living in an all female house in Minster Precincts at Peterborough Cathedral (1841 census). If anyone knows more, please help me out on this! Thanks.
About 25 to 30 years ago my wife and I were taken to the Blue Bell by my mother who told us that some (unspecified) relatives had been landlords of the Blue Bell. However I do not recognise any of the names listed.
I am the great-grandson of James Dolby. James was the son of Thomas Dolby born 1821 and grandson of William Dolby born in Bulwick in 1795 and Hannah Hudson from Glapthorne. William moved to Helpston to work for Lord Fitzwilliam. I was of course very interested to read all the material about the Helpston Blacksmith and the Dolby family. It seems that the Dolby’s ceased to be agricultural labourers and took to working on the railways with the east coast mainline running through Helpston village. James went north to Sheffield then eloped with the daughter of the manager of a file factory, Jane Hannah Taylor. They married in Ilkley and settled at Menston with James becoming a signalman at Ilkley. He died in 1912 with Jane dying in the 1930s and they are both buried at Menston. Their son, John Thomas, my grandfather, was the railway clerk at Oxenhope. My father James was born there in 1909, a wood engraver who captured the last days of steam in wood engravings. With the help of Northamptonshire Record Office, I have traced the Dolby’s back to Bulwick with William Dawby, born I believe in 1510. Another William Dolby was the last chantry priest in Bulwick. In the 17th century they were rich tanners and there was a Dolby House in nearby Deene. The name Hudson was carried down the family as a first name.
There is a mention in the article named “The Blacksmiths Story” of the arrival into Helpston village of the Dolby family around 1818 from nearby village of Glapthorne. Two of William Dolby and Hannah Hudson’s sons have a strange family connection and I am not sure if you are aware of this. Son, John Dolby (1826-1869) married Susannah (Susan) Hudson (1820-1869), as you know and they had a daughter, Elizabeth Dolby (1856-1926), baptised 1 Jun 1856 in St. Botolph’s. She, Elizabeth married Robert Close (1854-1919), He was baptised in St. Botolph’s on 30 Dec 1855. Their daughter Ellen Close was born 16 Apr 1878 who in turn married Frederick Dolby (1871-1955). He was from Helpston of course, and was baptised on 19 Mar 1871 in St. Botolph’s. His parents were William Dolby (1819-1886) and Mary Utteridge (1827-1897), William being the brother of the earlier mentioned John Dolby (1826-1869). Just shows how small the communities were in those days. I am a keen amateur family historian and I am currently working on a family tree on behalf of a family friend who is a granddaughter of one of the children, Violet of Frederick Dolby and Ellen Close. So in turn, William Dolby (1795-1851) and wife, Hannah Hudson (1798-1848) are both 2 x Great grandparent and 3 x Great Grandparents to my friend. Unusual!
My Father, Norman Wright (1919 – 1973) would have known this troop as he was the District Commissioner for the Boy Scouts in the area. My Mother Gladys Wright, was the District Commissioner for the Girl Guides in the area until we emigrated to Canada in 1981. My wife and I and our two daughters lived at Forrest Bungalow, 7 Heath Road, Helpston until we emigrated in early 1981. We loved the village.
You can also see a list of the latest pages added to the site.
View latest pages