Frank & Maud Claydon

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click Claydon for others in this family

Leonard Frank (known as Frank) Claydon born 1905 was the son of William & Lily Ruth Claydon

Maud Elizabeth Ward born in 1904 was the daughter of ?

Frank and Maud married in 1937. They had no children. For others in this family click Claydon

1879. Frank Claydon obituary (in Hallmark). Frank Claydon, of "Highwood", Kiln Lane, died somewhat unexpectedly; a life-long member of the Methodist Church, will and in fact already has been greatly missed in his capacity as Sunday School teacher (over 50 years), Church Steward and Class Leader.

Among the many tasks he undertook with such unfailing regularity that one automatically knew they would be done, were winding the clock (and repairing it when necessary) putting up the hymn numbers, distributing hymn books, cutting hedges, weeding the paving stones, and other tasks too numerous to mention.

His second love was his garden, which was, although he would deny it, a model of neatness and efficiency, growing some particularly fine strawberries and sweet peas.

Research note. The following article was published in Hallmark in 1976: -- For the WI project '"Tell Me About When You Were Young" notes were made after talking to various local personalities and extracts were sent to the Bucks Federation of Womens Institutes. We will be printing them in Hallmark as a record of earlier life in Loosley Row and Lacey Green.

Research was done on the life of Frank Claydon by Madeline Cleaver. see Bill & Madeline Cleaver for the life of Madeline.

Mr Frank Claydon was born in Kiln Cottages in Kiln Lane and, apart from being in hospital or going away on holiday, has lived in Lacey Green all his life, as he did not do military service in the war, being a farm worker. He was educated at Lacey Green School when there were only three teachers there, including Miss Janes and Miss Hawes. See Mabel Janes and Nancy Hawes

Although Frank's grandfather worked as a gardener for the Vicar and attended the Church, his children went to the Methodist Chapel, Lacey Green in accordance with his wish and their children continued to do so.

Vine Cottage, which may once have been a public house, was the home of his grandparents and after the death of his grandfather at the age of 29, his grandmother continued to live there and took in washing for a living, as there were children to bring up. It was their job to collect the dirty linen and return it clean, borrowing the donkey and cart from Mr George Hawes at the back of The Black Horse for the longer journeys such as the Rectory at Saunderton.

Water for washing and indeed all uses was taken from the "drinking ponds" in the village, the nearest being Deep Pit Pond in Kiln Lane, which was probably dug for use in brickmaking, as their was a brick kiln thereabouts earlier. In fact Frank remembers Mr Peter Floyd (Harry's grandfather) telling him about collecting bricks from there years before and the office being somewhere about where Mrs Janes' bungalow is now. It is hard for us to imagine using pond water now, but it was periodically cleaned out by the Council and once a month lime added to purify it, while it was always boiled before being used for drinking. Frank can remember people coming to the pond with yolks and buckets and walking along the little platform to dip in their pails.

Further up Kiln Lane, hardly seen now, is what was called "Whitewashing Pond", the site of the Saw Pit originally, which was used by animals, whereas water had to be taken from Deep Pit Pond in tubs if it was for cattle. The water drained from ditches into these ponds and when the first motor car that Frank can remember came to the village, brought by a friend of Mr Clarke at Gracefield House where Mrs Claydon was in service, it was kept in the coach house at Idle Corner opposite The Black Horse and oil from it found its way into the water and eventually fouled the ponds. Frank's mother had a ride in this new-fangled transport, but the oil caused problems. Other ponds were Black Pit which was in Church Lane and has been filled in, Clay Pit at the back of Gracefield and "Nanny Cooper's Pond" on Stocken Farm where, before Frank's time, a lady of that name is said to have drowned herself.

Mr. Forrest at Grymsdyke (click John & Evelyn Forrest)had a well, but other folk used the ponds and most cottages had tanks dug out and cemented, to take the water from the roofs, many being still in use if only for watering the garden. It was when cement was in use first that railings were put in front of the Deep Pit Pond. Frank can remember almost falling in when going down the bank to retrieve his cap from where his brother had thrown it. It took his grandmother and mother with a line prop to get him out. It was so deep that even in 1921 when there was a very dry summer, it did not dry out, although much used by farmers for their animals, and it still had water in the bottom when October and the first rains came.

Research Note. The following refers to land, part of Stocken Farm, which John Forrest owned at that time, on the west side of the Main Road between the two entrances to Church Lane. Frank Claydon mentioned when interviewed that most people in those days kept a pig and grew potatoes etc., these being the mainstay of the winter and when people wanted to grow more, they talked of having allotments. Mr Forrest, as far as Frank can remember, asked if he should plough up the land between the two ends of Church Lane. The people agreed and he had it ploughed, divided and rented out in plots. Later when the allotments were used less and less he grew corn there and eventually the land was sold by a subsequent owner of Grymsdyke as building land.

During the first World War soldiers were billeted in the village wherever folk had room. They used the second classroom in the school while the stables and outbuildings at Stocken Farm were utilised for their horses. When Frank went to school in the morning he would see the men and horses line up at the side of the road and they would proceed into the field at the back of the school for exercising . Somewhere about this time one of the first aeroplanes ever seen in the area came over and landed in a field at the back of the school. Special Constables had to guard it while the pilot went to Grymsdyke to stay. The weather was really bad and it may have been this which brought the 'plane down and kept it here a week or more. Snow and wind prevented it taking off and eventually it was dismantled and removed by wagon.

In those days pubic houses were open all day and Frank remembers that Eli Dormer kept the one in Woodway, with its bacon rack up near the ceiling and the joints hanging from it. He was told by Eli that a piece of bacon was missed one day and Eli had no idea who had taken it, but he asked his wife never to mention it to anyone and they would try and see who was responsible for the theft. Six months went by and a man called in for a drink. As he sat there with his pint he asked Eli if he had ever found out who had taken the bacon. Eli confirmed quietly with his wife that she had not mentioned it to anyone and then he turned back and said "No we didn't find out until just now!"

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