Hans & Peggy Jourdan

The years before coming to Lacey Green were researched by Laurence Rostron. Click Laurence & Linda Rostron for more about Laurence.

The years from 1946 researched by Joan West

click Families for other local families

click Jourdan for others in this family

Charles Henry 'Hans' Jourdan was the son of German family His father became a naturised citizen of the UK in 1912.

Phllis Maud Parker was the granddaughter of Frederick Parker the founder of the company that later became"Parker Knoll", which later moved to Frogmoor, High Wycombe, before much later moving to the Cotswolds.

Hans and Peggy married in 1936 at Rickmansworth

Hans and Peggy had two children as follows :-

Martin Jourdan born ? married Valery ? in ? click Martin & Val Jourdan for their life story.

Thomas 'Tom' Jourdan born ?

In 1937 and 1938 the Electoral Registers show the new Mr & Mrs Jourdan living in Earls Court

During the war, Hans Jourdan worked in the milk industry, becoming Assistant Plant Manager at a canning factory in Dumfries and then Production Manager at the CWS milk canning factory near Circencester.

In 1946 they moved to High Wycombe to oversee production at Parker Knoll, living in a tiny 17^th century cottage at 23 Frogmoor.

In late 1946 Hans Jourdan was appointed Joint Managing Director with the considerable task of rebuilding the business after the ravages of the war.

November 1949. Peggy Jourdan purchased Gracefield, Main Road, Lacey Green

Hans and Peggy Jourdan moved into “Gracefield” in November 1949.   Peggy bought the house and less than an acre of land from the executors of Eliza Bayman Carter, (click Harold Edward & Eliza Carter for more about the Carters.

In 1952 Peggy was able to purchase most of the rest of the estate, apart from Grace Cottage and its garden, which Hans bought in 1964.

Hans and Peggy lived at Gracefield 26 years

The public pond number 7, containing thirteen perches with a private road thereto of the breadth of twenty feet and a public footway thereto, was privately purchased by Hans and Peggy Jourdan in the mid nineteen hundreds also the road to it. This pond is now in the garden of Gracefield.

In 1955 Hans became Chairman of Parker Knoll’s “up – market” furniture factory in High Wycombe

In the 1960's a second factory was opened in Chipping Norton.

1970. The factory in High Wycombe was burnt down and a new one built. Hans said that deeds of Gracefield were lost in the fire.

In 1973-1974 Hans was Master of the Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers.

Hans retired in 1976

Hans died in 1989

Peggy died in 2005 aged 95 at their home in the Cotswolds.