Lemsford Local History Group – Lemsford Village

Herbert John Brown - Local Historian .

Memories of Herbert John Brown,always known as Jack - Cromer Hyde

The Lemsford Local History Group Website provides access to anyone who has an interest in Lemsford, Cromer Hyde and Stanborough. We have had enquires from local people to Australia, Canada and U.S.A. We had an enquiry from a H.J.Brown, who provided us with many articles about his family in Victorian times. Due to the amount and interesting content we have built him his own website. To View H.J.Brown website Click Here

Jack was born in 1924 at Southwark,London

Herbert John Brown,always known as Jack to family and friends, was born in 1924 at Southwark,London ,where his father was a London policeman. Both parents came from Hertfordshire, his mother ,Emma Brown (nee Adams ) 1881--1974 came from Hertingfordbury, near Hertford. His Father was born at St Pauls Walden, but spent most of his young life at Cromer Hyde, where his father Alfred Henry Brown 1867--1943, was a gamekeeper for Lord Mount Stephen of Brocket

They were married in Lemsford church in 1913

They were married in Lemsford church in 1913 near where Emmas widowed mother, Mary Ann Adams.(nee Childs) 1846-1928 lived in the left hand Lodge gates at Lemsford.They had their reception , such as it was in those days, in the corrugated hut in the school grounds, still there today.

His uncle, Ernest Brown 1891-1956 was publican of the Chequers

His uncle, Ernest Brown 1891-1956 was publican of the Chequers ( now called the Crooked Chimney) form about 1924 to about 1952. Jack and his parents were frequent visitors to the area in this period . This, together with all the family stories gave him a great love of Cromer Hyde and Lemsford.

In Sept 1939 all the school was evacuated

He went to an LCC school and managed to get to a central school. In 1939 when he was 15.he should have left to start work but wanted to stay on another year to take Matriculation. In Sept 1939 all the school was evacuated but the headmaster kept about six pupils on in an empty school until Sept 1940.

Jack went to work in an office in Fleet Street in the winter 40-41

He then took the exam in central London, when the raids were on, he failed and went to work in an office in Fleet Street in the winter 40-41 and then left to be a Youth in Training in the PO Engineering Dept. After the war he was a Technical Officer on exchange maintenance-all Strowger and now old history. In 1954 he switched to the Traffic Division in Long distance Area and finished up in 1983 as a Senior Traffic Superintendent in North Area LTR sort of middle managementHe retired in 1983 after 42 years in Post Office Telephones, including service as a "private Pike" inthe P.O.. Home Guard before being called up for the Navy..Jack and his wife, Eileen, took up Family tree research and this led on, as it often does, to writing about his family and then the stories they used to tell.

"Life in a Victorian Gamekeepers Cottage "

In the 1990s he had an article called "Life in a Victorian Gamekeepers Cottage " published in the Hertfordshire Country Magazine and this encouraged him to do more, so that future generations of his family would know what life had been like in the "old days".He recently got his first PC and this makes research so much easier. When he found the website www.lemsfordhistory.co.uk he resolved to try and get his article included for the interest of readers, they responded by not only including Jack on the website but building him his own website www.hjbrownhistorian.co.uk.

H.J.Brown takes us back to this time with stories of his family

Now that we are in the 21st century, it falls to those of us in our later years to try and remember and record the stories that our parents and grandparents told us about their lives in the days of Queen Victoria, before the turn of the 20th century. Few of these old folks would have dreamt of writing about their experiences, but they loved to talk about the days of their youth. In these notes H.J.Brown takes us back to this time with stories of his family and the life and times they experienced.

Listed below are the articles H.J.Brown has written.

The Chequers - The Memories of The Chequers ( Crooked Chimney) featuring Ernest Brown my Uncle.

Life in a Victorian Gamekeepers Cottage - The story of H.J.Browns grandfather and his life as a Victorian Gamekeeper.

Alfred Henry Brown - The story of H.J.Browns grandfather and his life as a Victorian Gamekeeper.

Herbert Brown - The start of the life & times of Herbert Brown, father of H.J.Brown.

Mary Ann Adams - The story of Mary Ann Childs as told by H.J.Brown.

May Hawkin - Of all my aunts and uncles, and Mum came from a family of six and Dad from a family of eleven, it was my dear Auntie May that I knew the best.

Mary Ann Brown - Mary Ann was the eldest daughter of George and Ann Abbey and was born at St Pauls Walden, Herts.