Whapshares in Laverstock and Harnham

For us it really was the most amazing find, following a tip off from Denis we found these two gravestones in the churchyard at Laverstock. Mary Ann Barrett was married to Charles George Whapshare and from this couple almost all Whapshares with an h are descended. Harriett was the mother of Mary Ann and Sophia was the mother of Harriett. It must have amused Mary Ann to visit her father Thomas with his second wife who was her mother in law.

The lovely house where the family had a bakery is up for sale and it can be viewed from the bridge at the website of Myddleton and Major, the Rose and Crown is to the right off the picture.

Gwen Whapshare

GOOD NEWS

Gwen had been married to a Scottish gentleman earlier in her life but I will protect her identity by not revealing her married name. Next year she will be 100 years old and we have decided to have a lunch party to celebrate her birthday. Her grandparents had lived in a house next to the bridge at West Harnham, just a few doors from the Rose and Crown which is perhaps the best coaching inn in Salisbury. I will make a reservation for a suitable venue for lunch on Sunday 19th July 2009 and I hope that many family members will come along to meet their long lost relations. If you think that you might be able to make it, please send a message.

BAD NEWS

I have just been to visit Gwen who lives alone in a small apartment in Teignmouth, Devon with a magnificent view across the estuary. Somehow a company selling electric wheelchairs managed to get hold of her details as an amputee and following a cold phone call the salesman arrived on her doorstep and talked her into buying the chair. She mistakenly had thought that it was a free service and felt backed into a corner when presented with the purchase order. The next day the chair arrived in great haste together with a demand for money. This was the equivalent of three months of her pension and more than she had in hand but she borrowed some from a neighbour and paid in cash. Two days later the same man came to show her how to use it and drove it round the lounge only allowing Gwen to have a go following protests from the neighbour. When he had left she tried to move the chair and was pitched forward onto a heater lacerating her leg with a 12 inch gash which bled all over the carpet. An ambulance was called and 8 stitches put in the leg which have taken 3 months to heal. The company have denied all responsibility and claim that she was one day over the 28 when she asked them to take it back.
I have been over the apartment with an occupational therapist who concluded that Gwen was totally unsuited to an electric wheelchair and that had one been needed it would have been supplied by the social services. Furthermore it is clear that she was in no way capable of using it safely and it is only by good fortune that she was not pitched down the stairs.
The case will be pursued through Trading Standards and Help the Aged.

Family Party 19 July 2008

It is nice to meet new family but I am not sure about very large group meetings. However to celebrate my aunt's 99th birthday we invited Gwen (nee Whapshare) and her two sisters to our home together with new family members that we had not previously met.
We are now in touch with family of all brothers and sister of my grandfather Edwin Whapshare with the exception of George and I don't think he had children. (I may be wrong). Edwin's father Charles George had a brother James who married Kate Wingrove and we were delighted to meet his g granddaughter. Kate of course then married Harry Box and introduced his daughter to Charles George's son.
The mother of Charles George was Sarah Ann Young who later married Thomas Barrett and had a son. It was also a great pleasure to meet her g grandchildren.

Family in India

In February 2008 I went back to Ooty with my wife and two ladies who are Wapshare family and who met up with me through family research.
We set out from Mysore and drove to the foot of the Nilgiris where we were met in Gudalore by Richard who is the manager of the Compton estate which was the home of Bea Wapshare until she died.
We went to the graveyard at the Helen estate where the graves of Henry Wapshare and his son James are in very good condition. Nearby at the Burnside estate the grave of Edward Wapshare has been recently painted. Richard explained how he had crept out of the estate with Bea one night to fetch the police when the staff were rioting after the death of Edward.
Then we rejoined the road to Naduvattam and stopped to admire the magnificent view at Chinese Hills which has recently changed hands. Richard said that he had buried Bob on the site but we were unable to gain access to see whether the grave was marked.
Then we drove on to Compton where the staff are still in place and the gardens are beautifully kept up. Bea is buried in a well kept grave next to Queenie and we had tea on the lawn.
After spending the night at the Savoy in Ooty, we found the graves of Nellie Hunt and her daughter Dorothy at St Thomas' church and at St Stephens was photographed the plaque to William Henry and found his grave behind the church. Sadly the next grave had collapsed onto William's and we hope that Richard will clear it away.
We left by train to enjoy the scenery.