J F S ‘Marcus’ Stone worked at the Chemical Warfare Defence Experimental Station (Porton Down) from 1925 to 1957. His nickname derived from a well-known artist who illustrated many Dickens novels.

He was one of the many clergymen who transcribed and published parish records in a movement promoted nationally by the genealogical editor and publisher, William P.W. Phillimore (1853-1913). The imprint has been owned, and mothballed, for more than 10 years by The History Press, but ‘with consent’ local history is still published by an independent…

Telford Varley was, from 1897 to 1926, the first headmaster of Peter Symonds School, Winchester.  During his tenure he wrote and contributed to two popular local histories – and was ordained as a priest (1908).

Thomas was born in Leominster, Herefordshire. He undertook his higher education at St John’s College, Oxford, graduating with a second class BA in 1853. Taking holy orders in 1854,  there followed a succession of curacies at Ross (1854-56); Bishopstone, Herefordshire (1859-62); Millbrook, Southampton (1862-65); and Cusop, Herefordshire (1865-67). He then served as rector of Otterhampton…

John was born in Brixton where his father, Matthew, had been ‘perpetual curate’ of St John’s Church since 1853. In 1864 the family moved to Finchingfield in Essex following the appointment of his father as vicar. John was educated at Felstead School and subsequently Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, from where he graduated in 1876. He…

Born at Norwich, Woodward worked as a teacher and heraldic draftsman, before becoming a congregationalist, graduating BA, and being appointed congregational minister of Wortley Harleston (Norfolk) in 1843-8.

Like many early writers on local history, he was in the classic mould of clergyman-historian, though unlike many of them he also had journalistic instincts. In fact, he probably thought of himself as a man of letters who wrote about local subjects because that is what was around him. He is one of the few…

Born in Otterbourne, where she lived all her life, Charlotte M Yonge was a famous and successful authoress of the 19th century. Her best-selling work, which brought her world-wide fame and fortune, was The Heir of Redclyffe. But this was only one of well over a hundred books which she published in her lifetime as…

Frank Warren was the second son of William Thorn Warren, an established Winchester printer and newspaper proprietor.  Educated at Westfields Preparatory School in the city, he won a scholarship to Sherborne.  By 1896, however, he had joined the family business and was soon put in charge of the newspaper section, becoming editor of the Hampshire…

William Thorn Warren was born in Winchester, the second son of Nathaniel Warren and his wife Mary Ann.  He was educated at Trafalgar House School and learned to become a practical printer in the business established by his father.