Rosa Harriet Newmarch 1857-1940
January 25, 2022
Rosa Newmarch was born at 29 Lansdowne Place*, Leamington, the youngest of the family of four boys and three girls of the physician Samuel Jeaffreson. She was an artist, an accomplished musician, linguist, poet, writer, critic and composer, – and a wife and mother. Mrs Newmarch began her
Derek Billings, A Tribute
January 24, 2022
Derek was a long-time member of the Leamington History Group who sadly passed away in July 2021. He was always keen to contribute to the activities of the Group and he was particularly noted for his collection of items relating to the history of the town and his huge collection of photographs. He was a
Henry Fedeski, Architect
January 19, 2022
Henry Michael Fedeski, FRIBA, Dip.T.P, AMTPI, 1907 – 1993 Henry Fedeski was born on Friday, 6th December 1907 at 28 Clarendon Street (now Road), Aston, Birmingham. His father was also named Henry and his mother was Mildred Mary. Our subject Henry, was one of five children; he had one brother and three sisters and his
Woodbine Street Recording Studio
December 9, 2021
The recording studio at this house in Woodbine Street was established by John Rivers in 1977. He converted the cellar into a basement recording studio. John moved out in 1981 to build a new studio at St Mary’s Crescent in Leamington Spa; it retains the original name. The studio is perhaps best known as the
Thomas Stedman Whitwell, Architect
November 2, 2021
Dates: 1784 to 1840. Thomas Stedman Whitwell was born in Coventry. and was active in Leamington Spa from about 1820 to 1822. In notices of his death he is named Stedman Thomas Whitwell (Stedman is occasionally spelled as Steadman). His only antecedent traced so far is an uncle named Mr Whitwell who was a surgeon
Architects of Victorian Leamington Spa
October 26, 2021
This is a video of the Zoom presentation made to our Virtual monthly meeting by Mick Jeffs on Monday, 25th October 2021. It will be available for a couple of weeks so that people can view it again or catch-up if they missed it. Just click on the title image below
Dr E A Huntley, (1852-1917) Medical Pioneer
October 18, 2021
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
Mary Hart, 98 Brunswick Street, Leamington
October 18, 2021
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
A Wartime Telephonist
October 18, 2021
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
A Leamington Knife in Argentina
October 17, 2021
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
