Tale of a tearful reunion

HISTORIAN and chairman of the Friends of Chicksands Priory, Roger Ward has contacted Memory Lane following our September 16 publication of Trevor Walker’s photographs which feature Trevor’s grandfather Arthur Burnage in the local church choir and as a gardener on the priory estate.

Roger was very interested to see the photographs as he met Trevor’s great aunt and also knows something of the family history. He explains.

“I began my research into the history of Chicksands Priory and the estate in January 1974. One of the first to show me her photographs and to allow me to have copies was Emma Burnage of Campton, who was sister to Arthur Burnage.”

“Emma’s father was employed by Mr Henry John Robert Osborn of Highlands Farm. At that time Henry was heir to the Baronetcy title but died tragically in 1889. He was the older brother of Rev. George Osborn. Henry’s widow gave all of the employees a photograph of Henry Osborn, with his wife Emily and their two children, Laura and Algernon as a keepsake.”

“The photograph of the church choir is interesting as it shows a bearded gentleman on the back row in between the two men mentioned in your write up. His identity is also unknown but he does feature in other photographs that we have in our collection.

“We also have another photograph of the gardeners of Chicksands, taken in front of the Orangery, which includes some of those depicted in the second photograph.

“Emma was one of our guests at the first Friends of Chicksands Priory dinner in May 1977. Our guest of honour was Sir Danvers Osborn, 8th baronet. He was our patron until his death in 1983.

“I remember how Emma had tears in her eyes when Sir Danvers spoke to her, as she had not seen him to talk to since he was a little boy. He too was thrilled that some of Campton residents still had affection for his family. Several generations of the Burnage family were employed by successive Osborn Baronets.”

Roger is now hoping that Trevor will get in touch.