General Chat

Hoping to get information generally as to what Harpenden was like in the 1940's. Do you have any memories of school life, particularly St George's school? The orphanage? Local shop keeper? Your neighbours? The street you lived in? The war? etc, etc! I live in Australia & I'm trying to find out as much as I can about the places our ancestors lived & their way of life as much as just finding the names & BMD's of them. I am looking for the christian name of an Irish maid named Carruthers at a private school in Harpenden in the 1940's. Suspect it was St George's school. We are compiling a family history folder for our children & hopefully the generations to come! Any stories you have to add to our folder or any help regarding our missing Carruthers would be reallyappreciated! Thanks. Lisa.

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Hi Lisa I used to live near Harpenden in Herts. I can tell you it it's a very affluent large pretty village. It's shops line the High Street either side. A fair comes every summer on the Harenden common a very big event. It's sandwiched between St Albans a large Market Town and Luton a large Industrial town better known for it's making of Vauxhall cars . Wheathampstead is a small village close by. St Georges school still exists. Here are some useful websites FULL of piccies old and new of Harpenden. www(.)ogemail(.)com/vintage(.)htm www(.)stgeorges(.)herts(.)sch(.)uk/welcome/history2(.)html This website is a diary of a Wren in 1940 - 1945 she lived in Harpenden www(.)rjerrard(.)co.uk/royalnavy/rnbooks/rndoaw(.)htm Although this doesn't help find you your missing Curruthers it will hopefully put some flesh on the place they lived and worked in . Much happiness Debi

Thanks Deb! Just the sort of information I'm after. I've spoken to the historian from the school who says that they unfortunately do not have any records of servants who worked there. I'm hoping that maybe someone on here may have attended St George's or lived in Harpenden who remembers a young Irish girl. She is actually my father in law's birth mother. I have no intention of getting in touch with her if she is still alive but I would like to eventually add the Carruther's branch to our family history folder. My father in law was born in Harpenden & lived there until he was adopted almost two years later. It's interesting to find out about the areas our ancestors came from & helps us to imagine the sort of lives they led. Thanks again Deb.

Hi Lisa, I have lived in Harpenden for the last ten years but I wasn't born untill 1974 so I don't think I can be much help. However if you would like me to look up records or try and find old postcards of the area etc please email me I'd love to help regards Louise

Hi Louise, Thank you so much for your really kind offer! Basically all of the information I have has been put on this message board. I have written to the Archivist at St George's who says that there are no records of domestic staff, only teachers. She says that she will ask the few former students of the school that she knows from that time to see if they remember the name. I have also written to a gentleman here in Australia who runs a board for former students of the school in the hope that he may be able to put me in touch with former residents who may remember her. One thing Louise, if you ever come across any information of events in Harpenden that took place around February/March 1944 that I could look into that would be fantastic! My family history folder really does look very good with events, occupation details etc that surround our ancestors. It's all really very interesting! & please keep an eye out for the name Carruthers in the Harpenden area!!!! Many many thanks for your reply & if I can ever do anything here on the Sunshine Coast, Australia for you, then please do let me know. Best regards, Lisa (pom in oz feeling very cold tonight!)

Hi Lisa There is a Dr Gemma Currthers in St Albans - this came up under a GOOGLE search. Perhaps you could start there maybe? As said before St Albans is right on top of Harpenden 5 mins away. Many People live in Harpenden and worlk in St Albans. Another place you could try is the archives of the local paper for that time St Albans Observer - I'm sure another google search will bring their number and address up. Much happiness Debi

Hi Lisa, I live in Luton, about 6 miles from Harpenden. I've looked up the name Carruthers in our local 'phone book ("Luton and surrounding district") which includes subscribers in Harpenden; this is the current copy -- 2003/2004. There are 6 entries; 2 of which have Harpenden addresses. The others are 1 in Luton, 1 in our neighbouring town of Dunstable; the others a little further afield. I don't think it would be right to give any info. re their addresses, 'phone numbers, etc. on these pages but, if you like I'll contact you direct. Just say so. Regards, Brian

Hi Lisa, I live in St Albans, close to Harpenden. Often go to Harpenden for coffee--it's a very pretty village. Don''t know anything about the school, but I'd be happy to go up and take some photos for you, if you'd like? Let me know. Hello to all the other Herts members!

Hi Deborah, Loise, Brian & Sally! Thank you all for your replies. Debi, I too have found Dr Carruthers in Google & have planned to write to her. I'll give the St Alban's Observer a go & maybe try to put an advertisement in there. Thanks for all your help! Louise, I'll give the Historical Society a go in the hope that they will have some historical books/facts/figures around the time I'm looking at. I've also emailed you direct. Thanks very much for your suggestions! Brian, I have emailed you direct. Thanks for the offer! Sally, I have emailed you direct. Enjoy your coffees!!! Again thanks to evryone for all of your wonderful suggestions! Lisa in Oz.

Hi Judith, Back to my 'phone book ("Luton and surrounding area"), to look for Hartleys. There are 4 Hartleys listed as living in Harpenden (and 14 in other areas in the above book). I've provided Lisa in Oz with a list of Carruthers' via her e-mail address; would you like me to do the same for you? If so, drop me a line direct, by clicking on my address and writing to me. I'll be pleased to do likewise. Alternatively, reply on here and I'll e-mail you. Brian