I am trying to trace my grandmothers side of the family. Her name was ELSIE LOUISE IONA ALDER, daughter of William Alder, who married John (Jack) Gibbs at St.Denys Church on 06.10.1934 I believe she was in service at the vicarage(?) from a very young age and, when she died, she had a living sister in the village by the name of Kath Carter, who I think was married to the owner of a timber business.

I'd love to learn more about the Alder family - especially their way of life, jobs etc - and would appreciate any help you could give.

My mothers father William Henry Willis [wife Elizabeth] was the son of George Willis who was a Parish Councillor, school manager for 40 yrs, church warden at St. Denys for 50 yrs and owned a bakery and grocery at Stanford he died 20.12.1908. He had 2 sisters, Caroline & Francis who lived in Vine & Rose cottages by the church. I am wondering whether they were the cottages destroyed in the recent fire, also I would be gratefull for any information Photo's etc, on the Willis family that may exist.

i am looking for my grandparent Gordon campbell he lived in the village fo 35 yeras and driving plant sice 57 if anyone has any ideas were mite be please contact thank you for ur help

just a quick hello to anyone i knew who still lives in stanford, my email addy is here so give us a shout sometime. currently living the good life in ireland co kerry. a very laidback and friendly place to live.

Hi, I am tracing my family history. I am interested in the names MATTHEWS, HEADING, HUNSDON and HIGGINS in Stanford in the Vale, Goosey and Hatford. I am also interested in these and other names in other villages around Wantage, and elsewhere in Oxfordshire/Berkshire. I would love to hear from anyone who has an interest in these names. I would also like to hear from anyone who may be able to look at the graveyards in these villages for me. I live in Australia.

My Grandparents with their children lived in Shellingford in the 1920s before some of the children were sent to Australia...anyone with information about this unfortunate family please contact me.

Hi Gerald G Johnson. My grans auntie was May Belcher who married one of your uncles. I have also emailed you off this list, but for everyone else to see I have put this message onto here. Kind regards Lisa

Belchers of Goosey: My mother was born Dorthy May Belcher the first child of James and Chrissie May Belcher in 1910. She had a brother Donald George Owen Belcher and his twin sister Gwendoline Betty Belcher born 1914 and their youngest sister Kathleen Nancy Belcher born 1916 all four children were orphaned by 1918, James died in 1917 and Chrissie May in 1918. My mother was brought up by Crissie May's brother Francis Wheeler of Uffington and his wife Elizabeth. Are there any decendants of my mother's brother and sisters. Any contacts would be much appreciated to help me build my mother's family history.

Although we did not live in Stanford(my twin sister and i lived in Goosey),we went to Stanford School. We were there sort of 1966 - 1969 and have lovely memories of the school. The Head Mistress at the time was Miss Perkins (Polly Perkins when she was out of earshot),but she was quite nice. I've been back to Goosey and Stanford a few times over the years and would love to live there again (I doubt I could afford a house there now.)We are both living in Llanelli (yes - Scarlets, rugby, yawn, yawn)South Wales. Lets just say life has had its ups and downs and of course we all like to look back at our childhood, but I wonder if anyone remembers us? It would be nice to hear from old classmates Penny Clement, Peter ?,Donna Scrivens, Karen Froud. Anybody out there?

My family all came from Shellingford & coleshill. We are direct descendants of ROBERT GODDARD & Sibill Allen 1755, also Henry Goddard who lived in the village untill his death 1965 ,he used to walk the village in a white smock , does any one remember any of the family also has any one old school photos or village photos. If you do please can you contact me on my email or phone 01305774637. THANKYOU ALAN

good morning from holland, what a wonderful site you have, tracing my family it seems my great grandfather was born there according to the 1901 census, have been trying to find parish records, but no luck there, eny info on John durbridge born 1874 stanford, would be most welcome

My great-great-grandfather was Henry Keene, bn 1859 at SIV. He married Elizabeth Fribbance in 1883. Henry's parents were Charles Keene (bn 1829) and Ann Varney, his grandparents were William Keene (bn 1790) and Mirian Hicks. I would love to hear from anyone who can tell me any information about the Keene families of SIV, both in the past and present day. Also, if anyone could suggest historical books or where I could find records on the Keene family, I would really appreciate it.

TREADWELL FAMILY - My mother Kathleen Treadwell b.1922 and her father Frederick Harry Treadwell(Fred) b.1893 were both born in Stanford in the Vale. I am doing a family history and would very much like to know what happened to my grandfather's half-siblings- children of Frederick Treadwell and Louisa ann Bosbury: they were Nellie Treadwell b.1878, George Bosbury Treadwell b.1880, Annie Treadwell b.1882, Gertie Treadwell b. 1885? I am also interested in all connections to Treadwell family (of Stanford-in-the-Vale, Childrey, Sutton Courtenay and East Ilsley) - and connections to BOSBURY, BLACKWELL, GREEN(Bampton), NORTON, PILL(Shellingford)families. Contact by e-mail please.

Visitors may be interested in the following webpage that I have started putting together:

Visitors to St Denys' Church may have noticed the number of Cowderoy graves. I should be delighted to hear from anyone interested in my one name study of this surname, my mother's maiden name.

My great grandmother, Ann Chesterman, was born in 1823 in Abingdon and buried in Stanford in the Vale. One of her brothers, Edwin, was an inventor and manufacturer. Family lore has it that he was very successful and I'm intrigued to know what it was he invented.

I am researching the Pulbrook family who came from Standford in the Vale. My branch of the family in Australia originated from Lot Pulbrook who married Rosette Jaques and came to Australia around 1850 with Lot's younger brother - any information on the Pulbrook family, where they lived, if there are any buried in the churchyard and how I might further research would be most welcome.

Can anyone please help me trace my family history? ISRAEL STRATTON was born in Stanford in 1847. His parents PRICE and ANN were also born there. Israel later lived in Great Coxwell. Any information on the family would be appreciated. Thanks.

I'm searching for information on John (b 1848) and Susanna Roberts (b 1852), from Great Coxwell, and their son Albert Ernest Roberts. I am descended from them on my mothers side. I have found Susanna's grave in St Denys.

Hello! I'm searching for my long lost pen friend Judith Clark Farrington. I lost her just about 20 years ago, we had been corresponding since we were 14 years old. Judith's husband's name is Gordon Farrington and they have 2 daughters. I am wondering if someone can give me information on her whereabouts?
Thank you from Quebec, Canada!

I have found an ancestor that married in 1718/19. I have been unable to find further details but John LOVEGROVE from East Challow married Elizabeth FARMER who came from Stanford in the Vale. Does anyone know anything about Elizabeth and/or her family?

I have old family members in the grave yard at Stanford; circa 1850'ish and family folk says that one of them was the head mistress at the school. Any thoughts of suggestions of help in tracking down information on the "wicks" family in Stanford would be gratefully received.

My family came from Stanford in the Vale. Their name was KEENE. I've read Violet Howse's book on Stanford, but,although she mentions various Keenes, none of them seem to be from our branch of the family, and I can't find our family names in the census records. My great great grandfather was THOMAS KEENE, who married Elizabeth ROBEY at Stanford on 25 Dec 1847.Their children were:-

Hannah - bapt 3 Feb 1850, married Thomas HORTON 24 Oct 1870 at Stanford
Mary Ann - bapt 24 Oct 1852, married Robert SLADE 25 Oct 1879
Ruth - bapt 23 Oct 1859, married Frank WAIN.
JOHN KEENE (my great grandfather) - bapt 12 Apr 1857, married Emily SPENDILOE / SPINDLOW 7 Aug 1880 (daughter of John Spendiloe of South End Cottages Hatford.) They had one child, my grandfather, FREDERICK THOMAS KEENE, bapt 16 Sep 1880 at Stanford, and in 1881 they moved to Swindon.

As I have come to a dead end researching my family in Stanford, I wondered whether any of the older inhabitants might have heard of these names,or have any info about the family. I should love to know whereabouts they lived.

My sister is researching our family history & has found that my father's grandfather came from Stanford. His name was Lowe, dates would be about 1850. Any info would be appreciated.

Having served in the Royal Navy for 30 years i now still live away and work in HM Coastguard at Dover and would love to hear from anyone who left Faringdon School around 1961/62. I lived in Baulking but most of my friends were in mighty Stanford.

One and a half years ago we visited the Huck Family at the Flower Barn. It was my first visit to the UK and we loved Stanford in the Vale. We tryed to contact the Huck family by e-mail, but we have the wrong e-mail address. Can someone give us their e-mail-adress?

My father GEORGE JOHNSON told me that my grandfather WILLIAM and my grandmother EMMA were laid to rest in St Deny's Churchyard (he in 1949 and she in 1952). We understood that there were another 12 children (13 in all - GEORGE being number 9) which means that we have several relatives (Uncles/Aunts/Cousins) of whom we know nothing. As we are all approaching a certain age I would like to at least correspond(via email) with any decendant of my grandparents be they Aunts/Uncles or Cousins.

Update 23rd Jan 2004
Further to my message above, I can now confirm that WILLIAM JOHNSON (my Grandfather, his wife EMMA,his two sons FRANK and WILLIAM HENRY and six daughters ALICE, EDITH, EMMA LOUISE, ELLEN and MARY ANN were all resident in Ormond Square, Stanford in the Vale for the 1901 census.

Another seven children KATIE, GEORGE, LESLIE WALTER, FRANK JAMES, ALBERT EPHRAIM, ROSA ELIZABETH and DORIS were born after this census but one assumes that they were all housed in the same place. My Aunts married George Holloway, Ernest Madden,Cecil Gilbert and Edmond Cox. My Uncles married Edith Clarkson, Daisy Brazier, May Belcher, Edith Wheeler (Surnames may be misspelt as I am working from 'doctors type' notes). Can anyone help?

I lived at Bear House between 1942 and 1947, opposite what was then a woodyard, and on the corner a blacksmith. My best friend was the son of garage owner just across the Faringdon/Wantage Road. The photos on this site are extremely evocative. I really must visit one day.

My great grandfather William KEEN was born in SIV in 1851 and was funded to go to NZ in 1874 by the National Union of Farm Labourers. I would love to get in touch with descendants of any of my ancestors from the area. I've traced back to the 1780's in your village.

I lived at Watchfield and attended Faringdon Secondary School between 1954 - 1959. I had many friends from Stanford and I intend to return soon and wondered if there were any of my friends in or around the village. Robert Wyatt, Dave Whitfield, John Duck, ? Johnson worked for WH Smith at Watchfield, One of the Smith Brothers. Rosalie Lawrence. Janet Lay, Deidre Pearce and a lad called ? Rogers.