Margaret Rushton As the village of Leamington Priors rapidly developed into a fashionable spa, the increasing number of visitors and residents required distractions other than simply taking the waters. Bath Street was at the hub of the initial development since most of the springs and the bath houses built around them were in that vicinity. By 1813 … Read more
Frederick William Mulley, Baron Mulley of Sheffield Park 1918-1995 Fred Mulley was a prominent post-war Labour politician, life-long Trade Union member, Barrister and Economist. He was born in Leamington at the end of the Great War to a family whose maternal ancestors were all involved in farming. Fred’s grandfather Boiles was a waggoner on farms … Read more
My memories of living in Archery Road I lived in Archery Road from 1945-1965. My parents were stationed at RAF Gaydon during the Second World War and they married in 1944 in London (they were both Londoners). I was born in February 1945. After renting in Leamington (there were no married quarters in those days), … Read more
Dr Edith Ara Huntley, 1852-1918, Pioneering woman doctor Edith Ara Huntley was the older of two daughters of Arabella and Richard Huntley, born at Kings Langley, Hertfordshire in 1852, where their father was then joint owner of a Brewery. Edith lived in Leamington Spa, with her parents and younger sister Eliza from at least 1861 … Read more
Attempted Suicide by Local Leamington Resident Mary Hart, aged 31 years, caused quite a stir on Saturday 2 July 1870 at10.15 p.m. when she tried to drown herself. She was hauled before the magistrates for the crime of attempting to commit suicide by jumping off Castle Bridge, Warwick, into the River Avon. Originally from the … Read more
Betty Monica Still In an interview a couple of years ago with Betty Still, Betty recounted her early life in Leamington and her work as a telephonist up to and through WW2, in Leamington and Coventry. She was born at 4 Victoria Road Leamington Spa. When she was five, the family moved to 42 Willes … Read more
In the summer of 2016, Leamington History Group received a message asking for help from Alberto Guido Chester, a knife historian and researcher in Argentina who had acquired a “gaucho” knife probably made in the 19th Century and stamped ‘Hobson Cutler Leamington’ (right). Alberto had not been able to find much useful information about … Read more
Harry Warr joined his father George* in business as a plumber and house decorator when he left Clapham Terrace School aged thirteen in 1923. By the outbreak of WW2, he had become a Special Constable, and joined the Police War Reserve. In October 1943, Harry was drafted into the Navy, and the business was ‘mothballed’ … Read more
In the days before mobile phones, as far as I have been able to discover, this system for contacting police officers on the beat, or allowing them to contact the station, was in use in Leamington from 1941 to about 1956. I have managed to find the location of nine of the known pillars, and … Read more
It was particularly poignant that it was on VE Day that I should be researching the life and work of Martin Stothart Moore, elected Mayor of Leamington Spa in November 1939 soon after the start of the Second World War. At his acceptance speech he “hoped that Peace would be celebrated during his year of … Read more
Edris Albert “Eddie” Hapgood was an English footballer, who captained both Arsenal and England during the 1930s. Eddie was born in the humble working class district of East Bristol and started his footballing career in 1926 when he was driving a horse-drawn milk cart for a living and playing football for St. Philips Adult School … Read more
Joan Parsons was born in Parkeston, Dorset on 8th October 1906, the daughter of Rev. Randolph Cecil Parsons, a descendant of the 2nd Earl of Rosse. Little is known of Joan’s early life but the family came to live at 19 Avenue Road, Leamington, when her father retired from his last parish in Warwickshire. What … Read more
Contact the Secretary, Margaret Rushton: secretary@leamingtonhistory.co.uk
August 8, 2026