Marchington, St Thomas A Becket Catholic Church c.1955

Photo ref: M292016

We had several summer holidays in this house as children staying with my great aunt and her spaniels!. I remember lying on the old feather mattresses listening to the pigeons cooing in the mornings. I spent many happy hours in the garden and playing house in the room over the garage until my aunt complained about the dirt falling on her car below. In later years I took my children to visit although my aunt became too elderly to cope with us staying.

My ex-husband's great-grandparents were Thomas Buckley and Mary Cope/Foster, known as Mary Ellen. Mary was the half sister of the Thomas Foster mentioned by the previous member. She was born out of wedlock to Phoebe Cope but they share the same father i.e. John Foster. My mother-in-law, who unfortunately died in May, was always talking about Marchington and the surrounding area.

My grandfather was born in Marchington Woodlands (Thomas Foster) at Knypersley Hall in 1871 which his father John Foster was renting until about 1905 when following 2 years of cattle foot and mouth (no compensation in those days) he had to give up and move to Uttoxeter and take work as a sawyer. It was said to have broken John's heart. I have visited Knypersley Hall some years ago but the original house ...see more