Leamington Spa Borough Police Special Constabulary Special Constables are not the relatively new institution that many people suppose. They date back as far as Anglo-Saxon times, when communities policed themselves, hundreds of years before the Police Force that we know. The modern Special Constabulary was created by Act of Parliament in 1673, but in … Read more
Over the years, Leamingtonians have become accustomed to having retired Army and Navy Officers of senior rank as near-neighbours. At the outbreak of the First World War, one of the town’s most respected citizens was General Augustus Goodfellow; a former Commandant of the Corps of Royal Engineers. The General was held in high esteem locally … Read more
Harry Herbert Clarke B Squadron 6th (Iniskilling) Dragoons 7th Cavalry Brigade, 3rd Cavalry Division “A particularly fine and dashing soldier” Harry Herbert Clarke was born in Canterbury in 1872, and enlisted in 1st (Canterbury) Troop, A Squadron, Royal East Kent (Yeomanry) Mounted Rifles at the outbreak of the 2nd South African [Boer] War in October … Read more
Francis Stenton was the Master of Ceremonies at the Upper Assembly Rooms from 1821 to 1830, resigning in mysterious circumstances having been absent for a while. In an address to the subscribers at the election of his successor, Dr Amos Middleton said: “I must ever lament the necessity that has placed Capt. Stenton in a … Read more
Lieutenant General Charles Augustus Goodfellow V.C., C.B., Victoria Cross and Companion – Order of the Bath was born in Essex on 29th November 1836 . At the height of his military service Charles Goodfellow was Colonel Commandant of the Royal Engineers; in fact he was the third member of his family to be appointed Commandant of the … Read more
Bertram Saxelbye Evers, “B” Company, 9th [Service] Battalion [Prince of Wales’s Own] West Yorkshire Regiment, 32nd Brigade 3 November 1891-14 September 1916 Bertram Saxelbye Evers was born on the 3rd November 1891 in Aldborough, North Yorkshire, the youngest of the ten surviving children of Rev. Edwin and Mrs Saxelbye Evers. When he was not either … Read more
A presentation by Alan Griffin of Leamington History Group, about Eliza Scarlett – Leamington widow and Jamaican slave owner. Click on the forward and back arrows to navigate through the presentation. Click on the four-headed arrow symbol in the bottom right to enter full-screen mode.
Memories of a long-vanished trade A trawl through Leamington Street Directories of the past shows an interesting pattern in the growth and later demise of the family bakery. In 1832, there were only seven shops in the whole of the town, – two butchers, two fish shops and three mercers. Leamington families – or if … Read more
Randolph Turpin’s life was a classic rags to riches story that should have had a happy ending. As it turned out, it ended in bankruptcy and tragedy. Born in 1928 in a rented basement flat at 6 Willes Road, Leamington he was christened Randolph Adolphus. His father Lionel came from British Guiana and was descended … Read more
Mary Cordelia Emily Leigh was born in 1866 at Stoneleigh Abbey, the youngest child of William Henry, 2nd Baron Leigh. Her family were among the wealthiest and most influential landowners in Warwickshire, with an estate of nearly 15,000 acres. Despite his great wealth, Cordelia’s father proved a benevolent head of the Leigh estate, with a … Read more
William Thomas Edwards joined the 30-strong Leamington Police force which had been in existence since 1825, on the 15th October 1863. At that time, a Constable’s pay was 18s 6d (92.5p) per week whilst on probation and on being given permanent appointment, it was increased to £l-0s-6d (£1.025p) per week. The hours of duty … Read more
The James family were involved in the local licensed trade for over eighty years. Francis James commenced his business activity on 23rd July 1897, when he took over from James Walters the Park Tavern Inn, at 1a Union Road, Packmores, Warwick, (renamed Lakin Road in 1941). The Park Tavern had a bar, smoke room, and a … Read more
Contact the Secretary, Margaret Rushton: secretary@leamingtonhistory.co.uk
August 12, 2026
August 8, 2026