The History Of The Residents of Southview, 71 Wappenham Road

The History of the Residents of South View
(formerly South Villa), 71 Wappenham Road, Helmdon

An article by Lynn and Chris Gartside

We moved into South View, 71 Wappenham Road, Helmdon in 1984. The house was built in 1907, according to a date stone with the initials C F on the side of the house.

We later found that C F was Charles Fairbrother, who was a member of a well-known local family. He also built the Reading Room and what used to be two cottages next to us at 69 Wappenham Road.

While living here and getting to know Helmdon residents I was given a photo by a lady called Kath Webb (nee Humphrey). The photo is of a gentleman and his maid on the front steps of the house. For a long time I presumed that the gentleman was

Charles Fairbrother, who had built the house. Kath did tell me that the servant was a relative of hers, which is why she had the photo. I was also told that the house did have some connection with the Baptist Chapel (also on Wappenham Road, now a private house) as a residence for the chapel reader/minister. The status of the occupier and the maid is illustrated by the fact that we still have the servants bell display in our kitchen, with some of the bells still working.

At this time the property was still owned by Charles Fairbrother and rented out. I had to wait till the 1911 census was released to look up the records and find out who lived in the house at that time. I now believe that the man in the photo was James Grimsdick Barford, a Northamptonshire man born in Syresham, with ties to a large local farming family. He died in 1918 and his wife died in 1924.

I also found a record of James G Barford in Kelly’s Directory of 1914 as a private resident, Kelly’s Directory of 1924 shows Miss Perridge/Mrs Perridge living in the house.

The next record I found was for Benjamin and Constance Humphrey, this was in the 1939 Register of England and Wales.

The Humphreys were there till 1958 when South View was sold to Lesley Payne. The Paynes sold the house to us in 1984 but I think they had moved from the house between times and rented it to Americans from the base at either Croughton or Upper Heyford.

When we moved into Southview many of the original features were still present, in addition to the servants’ bells. For example cornices, skirting boards and bedroom fireplaces. Others had been modernised, including windows and downstairs fireplaces. Over time we have reinstated these according to the original design, where possible.

2024