Thrale history
Historic Sandridge. The story of a Hertfordshire parish (1952).
The first substantial chronicle of Thrale history, written by R.W. Thrale (1931-2007) & E. Giles. Reproduced in full with consent of the author.
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menagerie and which was loose around the parish worrying the sheep. The incident provided wonderful material for the local press.8 He and his brother William were also famed for their museum which used to be a favourite outing for the villagers during Easter. The museum contained, in the first part, almost every sort of indigenous vermin, from the field mouse up to the big dog fox; the second part consisted of every kind of flower and grass that the farm grew.
One of the bachelor brothers was deadly accurate with a catapult, whilst the other was equally accurate with a bow and arrow both were crack shots with a rifle. Their father Ralph Thrale died in 1852, and the villagers gave him a wonderful burial. The family brick vault was opened, but William Archer the sexton only received four shillings for taking out the earth and clearing it away. The coffin was covered by the best pall. William Paul was the undertaker. The main items of the bill were the coffin, costing seven guineas, and the hire of hearse and coach, five pounds ten shillings. Among other items, Mr. Paul provided nineteen pairs of gloves varying in price from half-a-crown to one shilling a pair, and twenty black armbands. The entire bill came to £24, which in those days would have kept a labourer’s family for seven months. Other members of the Thrale family continued to flourish in the adjoining parish of Wheathampstead, and in St Albans, where they still reside.
The third class of people in Sandridge, after the gentry and farmers, were the artisans, publicans and shopkeepers. They were by no means wealthy, but they had some sort of position to keep up and they could, unlike the labourers, improve their condition by being careful and industrious. It was from this section of the community that the constables were chosen. On the whole, the Sandridge people were reasonably law abiding. The magistrates appointed two constables each year from those nominated. The position gave the men a standing in the village, but it was not well paid, and as these men had large families to support they would be able to spend little lime patrolling the parish. The system was unsatisfactory; the law abiding members of the village felt insecure; especially if they had anything to lose. The matter was brought to a head by the sudden death of Jesse Geeves, a man of thirty-five who left a widow and four young children. The verdict at the inquest was accidental death, but the curate, Mr. Winbolt, had his doubts about this. He at once wrote to the squire of Marshalswick to ask what could be done about a proper policeman for Sandridge. Sir Robert Peel’spolice force had been started in 1830, and by 1856 it was established in every county. Men were not plentiful, however, and if a parish required a policeman, good reasons had to be given. Thus the curate wrote an amazing letter to the Chief Constable of Hertfordshire. He stated the following five points as showing the necessity for a policeman for Sandridge:
- On the farms thefts of wool, sheep, and lambs have occurred without detection.
- The railway through Wheathampstead will be opened next year, so that our parish will be encompassed with railways, thus offering an easy access to the place, and a rapid escape to the plunderers, and a ready means of carrying their booty.
- There are now five public houses and beer shops in the village, an extra one having been opened this year. This, we think, calls for increased vigilance on the part of the police.
- A local policeman might have prevented the death of Jesse Geeves.
- Sandridge contributes to the police rates.
A policeman came the following year. It should, however, be noted that in 1859 it was possible to walk north-west from Sandridge for seventeen miles without crossing a railway line. But in 1660 the Great Northern Railway opened their branch to Luton, a mile and a half of which runs through the parish The Midland main line came seven years later with two tracks, and the company had the foresight to buy land for four tracks and to build the over bridges accordingly, though the actual widening of the line was not accomplished till 1894.
As late as 1872 and 1873 the parish was still spending £900 a year on poor relief in a population of 820. At this period Joseph Arch, a Warwickshire farm worker of exceptional ability tried to improve the lot of his colleagues by forming them into trade unions. A branch of the Agricultural Labourers’ Union was formed in Sandridge and shortly afterwards a strike was declared. The vicar, Dr. Griftth, was largely instrumental in settling this trouble by getting the farmers to see the point of view of the men, and vice-versa.Footnotes
- Herts. Reformer, 30th May 1836. ↩︎
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