History of our town, Westbury

[Andy]

Then there was a Russian cannon, captured in the Crimean War.  I think that went for scrap in World War Two.

That is why the terrace of houses on the All Saints Church side of the Market Place are named 'Cannon Green'. I learnt that from a photo hanging on the wall in The Crown.

[King Smurf!]

I just spoke to a mate of mine and she said that the Trading Esate used to be the armys barrets in the ww2, is this true?

[Slow Joe]

I thought West Wilts Trading Estate was a prisoner of war camp in WW2 (think I learnt this from one of Michelle Slade's excellent Ghost Walks - something about a ghost from there who haunts a house in Westbury now, but can't remember exact details)

[thatmanfez]

Yes. The trading estate area used to be an internment cap during the war and there was a second in the town. I’ve done a little research that hopefully will be included in a page I’m doing about the war memorial… Don’t hold your breath for the new page though – I’m currently finding information about one of the men on the memorial who died at Gallipoli but it’s a long process and I’m running out of time before I deploy in June!

[memento mori]

I think the trading estate was used to hold German and Italian prisoners. I recall a story of a German who was held there returning years after the war. He wanted to find a woman who lived around hawkeridge ; she had invited him into the house for a cuppa when the war had finished.

Unfortunately she had died by time he had returned.

The story went along those lines but is not completely accurate. Can anyone else recall the story?

[thatmanfez]

Many of the soldiers held here during the war were allowed out into the town in the later years of the war… they were even employed in local homes and businesses. I know of one gentleman who chose to make Westbury his home after the war, retaking a job he had held as a POW. He may be the same man; I can re-contact him and ask if he minds my passing his details on to you if you’d like.

[Steve]

I heard recently with the 70th anniversary of the spitfire that trowbridge/westbury were used to manufacture spitfires / spitfire parts.  Pretty cool I reckon.

[pucouajio]

I don't suppose those German and Italian POWs thought the Spitfire manufacture so cool though!

[lawsielass]

Isnt that cannon near the All saints church somewhere?  In a garden of one of those houses around there?  or am i thinking the wrong thing???

Strangley enough I researched some of my family history a few years ago.  Both my parents were born and brought up in London (MUms family were from Ireland and Dads were from ZUMERzet).  I discovered that great great great grand parents of mine lived in Westbury and farmed on the land beneath the white horse.  My great great great grandfather started off life as a farm labourer eventually becoming a farm bailiff and moving over to Fonthill Bishop.  The other side of the family used to work at the cloth mill (there is an interesing book at the Heritage Centre I once saw to do with the Lavertons)....

So it just seems fitting for my parents to have chosen to move to Westbury all those years ago without knowing that thats where my dads side came from in the first place......

[Steve]

Are you sure you are not a salmon?

[memento mori]

I think the history of the Laverton family is interesting. We have the Lavertons to thank for the swimming pool, the houses in Prospect Square (which were built for 200 pounds each) and the Laverton building on Bratton Road.

Other interesting facts:

Westbury Swimming pool is the oldest in the UK.

Westbury has the third largest peal of bells in the UK (I have heard 3rd largest in Europe)

The large building in Eden Vale used to be a workhouse.

[pucouajio]

You could say that because of Laverton our democracy is protected by having a secret ballot.

In 1868, Abraham Laverton stood for election to Parliament against J.L. Phipps (from Leighton House, now the RCB).  Laverton lost by 27 votes, but claimed that J.L. Phipps along with a few others had intimidated the people who worked for them that they would lose their jobs (and the homes that went with them) if they voted for Laverton.  Voting then was by show of hands, so it would have been easy to see who had voted which way.   Laverton won a case against Phipps which was tried at the Town Hall (the one on the market place).  J.L. Phipps was ousted so there had to be another election, but this time Laverton lost against C.P. Phipps, J.L. Phipps' brother.  The legal case resulted in the Ballot Act of 1872, which meant that elections would then be held by secret ballot.

source: An article in a newsletter I was given 11 years ago based on notes supplied by the late Dr Harry Ross.  The author might have been John Rendell, but it is not clear whether this is so.

[John GL]

I've read that story, too.  Another fact is that Laverton built Prospect Square partly to house the tenants evicted by Phipps and his supporters.

The clash was a classic instance of the Tory squire versus the Liberal industrialist - typical of its time.

[memento mori]

I think the Lavertons owned all of the Mills in Westbury and the Iron Works? Does anyone know when these mills stopped operating?

[pucouajio]

According to the article CC linked to at the beginning of this thread, much of the industry stopped mid 19thC, but Angel Mill and Bitham Mill continued operation until 1969.