The Ironsides, Janey and Christopher
March 29, 2023
An article written by Virginia Ironside, daughter of the two recipients of a Blue Plaque. I am delighted that Leamington had chosen to commemorate my parents with a Blue Plaque, because I lived in Lansdowne Circus until I was 2 1/2 and it was here that my parents were happiest. (Their marriage didn’t last long
Walter Ritchie, Sculptor, 1919-1997
April 3, 2022
Walter Ritchie was the son of a Coventry carpenter who trained with local stonemasons to become a fully -fledged sculptor by the age of 18. He said that they taught him how to hold a hammer and a chisel, – and a crowbar – in his words, “a very useful tool.” After WW2, he was
Sir Frederick Gibberd, Architect
February 7, 2022
SIR FREDERICK GIBBERD, CBE, RA, FRIBA, MTPI, FILA, 1908 – 1984, was an English architect and landscape designer. Frederick Gibberd was born in Coventry on Tuesday 7th January 1908, the eldest of the five children of a local tailor, also Frederick (sometimes John??). When born, the family was living in Spencer Street, Coventry, but soon moved
Rosemary Guiot and the Pugh Family of Bath Street
January 25, 2022
Rosemary Guiot (pictured left, as a small girl) now lives in Cubbington, but has close connections to Bath Street and its Victorian past. Her great-grandfather, William George Pugh grew up in Leominster, Herefordshire, moved first to Liverpool, then Nottingham, and finally to Leamington with his wife and four sons, William, Albert, Henry and Percy, in
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
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
