F.T. Madge, or Canon Madge, as he was usually known later in life, was in a line of Cathedral Librarians that recognized the historical importance of its holdings in the late 19th century. He was the son of Thomas Hellier Madge, rector of Kettering, Northants, whom he followed into the church, He was ordained priest…

Although history was one of Kitchin’s main interests, he was something of a polymath who followed a variety of activities, and in three different centres. Fortunately, during his two periods in Hampshire he left marks that can be readily identified and chronicled.

John Marsh was born in Adderbury, Oxfordshire, the son of George Marsh, a master carpenter, and his wife Catherine. It is unknown how or when he arrived in Hursley, Hampshire a distance of some 80 miles from his home. Nor do we know much about his education – he does not appear to have attended…

One of the greatest British soldiers of the 20th century, Field Marshal Montgomery lived for nearly thirty years at Isington Mill, near Binsted. In the immediate post-war years, he restored what was a dilapidated shell into a luxury home surrounded by lawns and gardens and, following a state funeral, he was buried at the Church…

He came from a family of Winchester brewers and as the eldest son had to the chance to enter the business, but did not take to it and handed the opening over to his brother William (who played a part in saving the city’s muniments by keeping them in a malthouse, HRO, 21M85W/10/1921). In an…

Rose Hamilton Moutray Read was the eldest child of Edith and Lt Col John Moutray Read of the 4th Cheshire Regiment. Her brother, Anketell (b 1885) was killed in France in September 1915, while engaged in a rescue mission for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross. This was a strikingly parallel experience to Dorothy…

Mudie was a Scot, born in Angus. He was largely self-taught. In sequence he was a weaver, soldier, teacher and then a journalist. He became a reporter for the Morning Chronicle and editor of the Sunday Times. In 1838 he moved to Winchester and was commissioned to write his Illustrated History of Hampshire.  Altogether he…

Michael O’Malley was born in Edinburgh to Patrick and Rachel O’Malley.  During the Second World War he enlisted in 1944 and served as a sergeant in Burma.  He was subsequently awarded the Burma Star.  After the war he worked for the Ordnance Survey in the UK and was relocated to Perth, Western Australia from 1964-1968. …

Alfred Oscroft was a place-names authority and polymath. Born in Nottingham, he was awarded a scholarship to the recently founded Nottingham University College, but, instead, trained as a teacher at Saltley College. After a short spell as a teacher, he joined the Royal Engineers in 1891 where he rose to Company Sergeant Major (WOII). He…

William was the fifth of six children of merchant Henry Page and his wife Georgina. Born in Paddington, his education at private schools was cut short by the death of his father in 1875. Subsequently articled to an engineer, between c.1881 and 1884 he was employed in this capacity by the Government of Queensland in…