Hertfordshire Genealogy: Places: Westmill

On my left lies the village of Westmill, two miles from Braughing, said to owe its name to the three mills that stood here beside the Rib in the days of the great Survey. [Domesday Book] ... From the meadow above the village, a meadow honeycombed by innumerable rabbits, I can look down over Westmill, which today is but a cluster of cottages around an old church, looking, I doubt not, much as it looked in the days of Nathaniel Salmon. Salmon, once curate here at Westmill, deserves a passing word. ... He was the author of a History of Hertfordshire which was published in 1728. ... At Westmill, as at Braughing, coins and pottery have been found bearing the hallmarks of the ubiquitous Roman ... The men of Westmill had already forgotten the Roman and all his ways when the Conqueror gave Westmele to Robert de Olgi, a brave Norman who had fought for him to some purpose at Hastings. ...

The manor of Westmill was granted by William the Conqueror to Robert de Olgi. The parish church retains traces of pre-Conquest work with incorporated Roman bricks. The tower has a newel stairway and a bell here, cast six centuries ago, is one of the oldest in the county. The flintwork and other fabric of the church dates from the 12th to the 15th centuries.

If you know of other books, websites, etc, relating to this place, please tell me.

The Manors - Westmill-bury and Masters
The Manors - de Tany, Berkesdon, Wakeley, Alswick and Downhall
The Rectors
Clerk, Choir, Organ, Bells and Plate
Church, Village and Wakeley
Places and Traditions
The Registers
The Tythe-books
Our Fathers have told us
Westmill Place-names

Index

The photograph, taken in about 1895, shows George and Susan Fox of Westmill. He is dressed in a typical farm labourers smock of the period.

The Sword in Hand, Westmill

The following extract, relating to the organists and the organ, give a feel for its approach.

The first organist was a man called Body, who was succeeded in 1832 by James Meredith, the organist referred to above, who used to walk over from his home in Buntingford. He was a stern disciplinarian and kept order among his choir of Sunday scholars with a stick. Tucked away in the deep pocket of his long coat he carried "Bells Weekly News," which he used to read during the sermon, leaving it, for those few in the village who could read, when he walked home iji the evening. It is remembered of him that, before putting a fresh and favourite barrel into the organ, he would say to the children, " Now we're going to have a beauty." He was a relation of some sort to William Prior the parish clerk, who was succeeded as Sexton, but not as Clerk, by " Nickley Barker." The barrel organ was removed, in 1876, to a barn at Vine Farm, where the pipes were melted down by boys for " catty " bullets after it had ceased to yield such disjointed music as they were able to extract from it.
Meredith was succeeded in 1856 by Joe Bunce. The salary attached to the office was Ł3 paid to James Body in 1830 and con tinued to Meredith in 1832. In 1833 Body obtained the post once more, but at the reduced " sallery " of Ł2 as the Churchwardens Book (1829-1889) has it. He did not keep his position long, and Meredith returned.
Originally standing on a Platform in the Church the Organ was placed in the Gallery in 1842, by "Luppino," who received Ł2 12S. 6d. for moving it.

There are web pages for Westmill and Wakeley

See also Locating Books
This book is known to be hard to find second hand

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