Ernest William Sprott and Dr Barbara Sprott
From Lacey Green History
1918 The Sprat closed as a public house and became a private residence.
1924 Kelly’s Directory. Ernest William Sprott and Dr Barbara Sprott
1939 Register (census). The Sprat. Ernest William Sprott, director of a national acetylene gas company and Dr Barbara Sprott, anaesthetist.
BACKGROUND HISTORY by Joan West researched on 'Ancestry.com'
In 1912 Ernest William Sprott married Barbara Broster at St George, Hanover Square, London
In May 1917 Dr. Barbara Sprott, nee Broster, born 30th May 1882 in Grassdale, Lancashire, qualified with honours, to become a Dr at the London Royal Free Hospital, School of Medicine for Women, She specialised to become an anaesthetist.
In 1934, aged 52, Barbara Sprott qualified to be a pilot at the Airwork School of Flying. She acquired a plane which she landed and parked on “The Grubbin”. Harold Weller told of how he and other local boys hearing the plane arriving would go to help her secure it down.
Comment
A very few commuters were going to London by train by this time. A number of prominent people stayed in London all week, returning home here for the weekend.
This intrepid woman commuted to work quite regularly by plane.
The 1939 Register (census) shows Mr and Dr Sprott were living at The Sprat in Loosley Row. He was a director of a national acetylene gas company and she was an anaesthetist.
Ernest William Sprott died at The Sprat in 1943, leaving £10,534.19s.10d to Barbara. Dr Barbara Sprott died in a nursing home in Woburn Green in 1982, aged 100
Rita Probert filled me in with more local knowledge In 1924 (Kelly’s Directory) they were living at The Sprat, which had become a private house in 1918.
An Extra House for Guests. Local knowledge tells that they entertained many friends at weekend parties, to the extent that they needed extra accommodation for them. They either bought or rented “The Upper House”, sometimes called “The Other House”, in Loosley Row for this purpose.