THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE

THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — these Findon Chronicles are created by Valerie Martin and contain scenes from her home village of Findon,
West Sussex, U.K. Everyday stories about real people.

THE MYSTERY OF THE SHEPHERD'S NAME —

Edward Aldridge of Nepcote to the Manor Born

click on all images to enlarge

The above photograph is of a good old bearded shepherd of yesterday with his crook and bob tailed collie..... and a good amount of sheep..... but where is he?

The date is around 1912 and the answer is, of course, just south of Findon.... the trees on the topmost of the downland on the right are growing West Hill.

Here's another of the same good man...

Could this conceivably be the same shepherd do you think..... looks like him to me? Same dog, same man, same date.

Here's the same familiar figure. Same shepherd, same lovely old dog, same date. He is on the West Hill looking down towards Rogers Farm below. He is obviously a Findon shepherd who frequented the Sheep Fair on Nepcote Green in years gone by.

I'd love to know his name. If I could ask Tom Rusbridge (who worked at Findon Park Farm) or Tom Humphreys (the shepherd of Tolmare Farm), they would know for sure, but I cannot. I thought the information appeared to be lost forever until Gary Aldridge emailed to me on New Year's Eve 2008....

Hi Valerie ...The Mystery of the Shepherd's name.....In your article with the photos of the mystery Shepherd I believe he could be Edward Aldridge my great grandfather.

On the 1901 census he was recorded as living at Nepcote and my uncle recalls visiting him when he lived on the top floor of the Wattle House.

He was born in 1846 at the work house in Thakeham after his mother Ellen Aldridge became pregnant, I have been told, by William Westbrook Richardson.

Until this date his family lived at Rodgers Farm and when they all lost jobs and home they had to move to the Pest House in Findon. Happy New Year ! Regards Gary Aldridge

As Gary has been the only person to come forward with a name for my mysterious shepherd, I will think of him from now on as being Edward Aldridge...... until someone disputes the fact. I have asked Gary in the meantime if he by any chance had any photographs of his great grandfather.

Ellen Aldridge (born c. 1826) did live at Rogers Farm in the 1840s with her parents and brothers and sisters.

This looks as though there is the possibility that Squire William Westbrook Richardson just a stone's throw away at the nearby Manor of Findon could have fathered the child (the shepherd in my photographs!)

To read about this Lord of the Manor, click on ........
Squire William Westbrooke Richardson (b.1788) and Hunting

Later Gary emailed...."Hi Valerie......This is the only picture I have which was taken when he was a younger man. Gary"

click to enlarge

My reply was..."That's super, Gary...... better than I could have hoped for. He really looks as if he could have been to the manor born!"

Continue if you would like to read about the Sheep Fair of the 1920s in Yesteryear's Sheep Fair.

Back to Great Findon Sheep Fair Index

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THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created by Valerie Martin exclusively for documenting life in Findon.

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Do let me know of anything you hear about Findon - not too controversial. Please note that opinions expressed in the Findon Chronicles are not necessarily reflective of my own thoughts.... but sometimes they are!