Clophill is a small village located in central Bedfordshire (click for a map). A Church of St. Mary the Virgin has existed here since the Middle Ages, but it has undergone periods of inactivity and rebirth, together with rebuildings and restorations of the building itself right up to modern times. The parish records here date back to the mid-1500s, but due to missing and damaged pages of the registers, many records prior to the 1650s have been lost. We know of no records for members of the Hare / Haire family until the Oct. 28, 1659 marriage of "Thos Hare, carpenter to Elizabeth Linford," and the subsequent Sept. 16, 1660 baptism record for "Mary daughter of Thos Hare." More entries with the surname of Hare or Haire follow, many associated with a carpenter by the name of Thomas Hare or Thomas Haire, until the Sept. 2, 1691 marriage of "Edw Hare, carpenter to Mary Ellis", and the Feb. 22, 1691/1692 baptism of "Ed, son of Ed Hare." These are the first mentions in the registers of anyone named Edward Hare, but these two Edwards are almost certainly relatives of the aforementioned Thomas. The lineage below begins with the younger of the two Edwards.
Edward Hare (c.1692-1760), the son of the aforementioned Edward Hare, carpenter, and Mary Ellis, was probably born in or near the village of Clophill, Bedfordshire, as he was baptized there on Feb. 22, 1691/1692 in the parish church. He married Jane Fitzrichards (d. 1767) on Sept. 20, 1723 in Clophill, and when their eldest child was born that same year, Edward's occupation is given as carpenter. Two of his sons subsequently became carpenters as well, and the other two became shoemakers. Edward was buried on Nov. 11, 1760 in Clophill, and his wife Jane was buried there on June 21, 1767, which makes it likely that their final resting place is some unknown part of the local church graveyard. The parish register lists the names of their four sons who follow, but no names of daughters are recorded there.
children - HARE
Thomas Hare (c.1723-1752) was baptized on March 1, 1723/1724 in Clophill, and married there on April 11, 1748 to Jane Findel. He was buried on Nov. 12, 1752 in the same parish, when his occupation is given as carpenter.
Edward Hare (c.1726-1750) was baptized on April 10, 1726 in Clophill, and married there on Oct. 2, 1749 to Sarah Jons / Johns. He was buried on Oct. 12, 1760 in the same parish, when his occupation is given as shoemaker.
Isaac Hare (c.1732-?) was baptized on May 30, 1732 in Clophill, and married to Martha Godfrey on July 23, 1754 in the adjoining parish of Flitton with Silsoe. His occupation in the marriage record is given as shoemaker. It is not when nor where he was buried.
Henry Hare (c.1729-1753), the son of Edward Hare and Jane Fitzrichards, was probably born about 1729 in or near the village of Clophill, Bedfordshire, as he was baptized there on Feb. 15, 1729 in the local parish church. He married Martha Hins on Sept. 27, 1751 in Clophill, and their first and only child, a son they named Thomas, was born a few months later. Tragically Henry died less than nine months after the birth of Thomas, and was buried on Nov. 4, 1753 in Clophill, with his occupation given as carpenter.
Martha, the widow of Henry, appears to have remained in Clophill, and raised her son Thomas there alone. When Thomas was about 17 or 18 years old his mother Martha married a widower named George Chapman on April 13, 1771 in Clophill, with both bride and groom identified in the marriage register as widows. They subsequently had a daughter named Jemima Chapman born on Sept. 27, 1778 in Clophill. Martha was buried on June 28, 1797 in Clophill, where the register identifies her as the widow of George. It is not known what became of her second husband, but their daughter Jemima (c.1778-1851) married twice and settled with her second husband George Chandler in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire.
children - HARE
Thomas Hare (c.1753-1818) was baptized on April 20, 1753 in Clophill. He is believed to be the same Thomas Hare who later appears in Upper Gravenhurst, and who is shown in the Lineage 2 that follows as the patriarch of the Hare family associated with that parish.
Lineage 2 - The Hare Family of Upper Gravenhurst
Although it is only a guess, the Hare family of Upper Gravenhurst in Bedfordshire may be closely related to a "Joseph Hare, Gentleman of Shitlington" (today called Shillington), Bedfordshire, who was likely born in the late 1500s to early 1600s somewhere in the county (click for a map). He left a will that is available in the National Archives, and which was proven April 25, 1652, but we have yet to see a transcription of this document. Moreover, there are records that we have seen extending back to the 1650s for a family of carpenters and shoemakers with the surname of Hare / Haire who lived in the nearby village of Clophill, and there is a strong possibilty that this Clophill family are ancestors of the Thomas Hare who is Generation I in the Lineage 2 shown below. The Hare Family of Clophill is covered in more detail in the preceding Lineage 1.
Thomas Hare (c.1753-1818) of Upper Gravenhurst, the patriarch of the Hare family associated with that village, was probably born somewhere in Bedfordshire, England in the second half of the 18th century. We strongly suspect that he is to be identified with a Thomas Hare who was baptized on April 20, 1753 to parents Henry and Martha Hare in the nearby village of Clophill, his baptism being the only evidence in the parish register for a child of these parents. The Clophill register also records the marriage on Sept. 27, 1751 of Henry Hare to Martha Hins, then the burial on Nov. 4, 1753 of Henry Hare, carpenter, and the subsequent marriage on April 13, 1771 of a widow named Martha Hare to George Chapman, who was also a widow. The logical conclusion from these records is that our Thomas Hare was the only child of Henry and Martha Hare of Clophill, and that he lost his father while still an infant. His mother subsequently raised him alone, until she was able to remarry some 18 years after the death of her first husband.
It is likely that our Thomas Hare is the one who married Mary Fowler on Dec. 26, 1776 in Meppershall, which is a village adjacent to both Clophill and Upper Gravenhurst. This Thomas and Mary then had a child born in Meppershall the following year, afterwhich they appear to have removed to Upper Gravenhurst, where all of their subsequent children were baptized. The reason for their move to Upper Gravenhurst is unknown, but we know that Thomas is ultimately listed as a freeman, and a land holder in the parish, which indicates that he somehow acquired either through inheritance or fortuitous events enough wealth to acquire a farm.
When Thomas Hare died he left a will, which was proven on March 4, 1819 and is also available in the National Archives. This will identifies Thomas as a "Yeoman (free land holder) of Upper Gravenhurst, Bedfordshire" and mentions several of his children, who also appear in the Meppershall and Campton baptism registers. This will is the key document that identifies Thomas as the patriarch of the Hare Family of Upper Gravenhurst. Furthermore, we can assume that he is probably the Thomas Hare who was buried on Nov. 21, 1818 at the age of 65 in the churchyard cemetery of St. Giles of Upper Gravenhurst. Because there is no mention in Thomas Hare's will of his wife, she must have predeceased him.
Although the will of Thomas Hare names him as a landholder, the baptism records of several of his children identify him as a butcher who from at least 1783 to 1794 lived in the village of Shefford, which is adjacent to Campton parish. Furthermore, the 1779 marriage record from nearby Meppershall of one Simon Lucas, a minor and a butcher of Meppershall, to Martha Perrot records that Thomas Hare, butcher of Shefford, gave surety to Simon, which basically means that if Simon failed to marry Martha, Thomas would have to pay some agreed upon amount Marthas's family. Thomas must have done well as a butcher, or came upon a sizeable inheritance, as he obviously acquired land at some point in Upper Gravenhurst. Also, because we find him listed in the 1807 and 1820 (posthumously) poll books for the parish, we know that by those dates he not only was a free land holder but had sufficient assets to be eligible to vote for Members of Parliament when they stood for election.
children - HARE
Martha Hare (b. c.1777) was probably born in Meppershall, Bedfordshire, as she was baptized there on June 28, 1777 in the parish church.
Mary Hare (c.1778-1842) was probably born in Campton, Bedfordshire, as she was baptized there on Aug. 29, 1778 in the parish church. She is identifed in her father's will as "Mary Mann, wife of James Mann of Upper Gravenhurst". Thus, she must be the same Mary Hare who married James Mann on Oct. 2, 1805 at St. Giles Church in Upper Gravenhurst. Also, she is most likely the same Mary Mann who was buried on April 7, 1842 at the age of 63 in the churchyard cemetery of St. Giles, Upper Gravenhurst.
Thomas Hare (b. c.1779) was probably born in Campton, Bedfordshire, as he was baptized there on Sept. 11, 1779 in the parish church. He probably died before the 1790 birth of the second Thomas Hare of this same family.
Sarah Hare (b. c.1781) was probably born in Campton, Bedfordshire, as she was baptized there on Nov. 15, 1781 in the parish church. She might be the Sarah Hare who married William Poulter on Oct. 22, 1818 in Shillington, Bedfordshire, but this needs to be confirmed, as we did not find mention of her in her father's will.
Rebecca Hare (b. c.1783) was probably born in Campton, Bedfordshire, as she was baptized there on March 21, 1783 in the parish church.
John Hare (b. c.1784) was probably born in Campton, Bedfordshire, as he was baptized there on Oct. 28, 1784 in the parish church.
William Hare (b. c.1786) was probably born in Campton, Bedfordshire, as he was baptized there on March 9, 1786 in the parish church. He is mentioned in his father's will.
Ann Hare (b. c.1788) was probably born in Campton, Bedfordshire, as she was baptized there on April 2, 1788 in the parish church. She is identifed in her father's will as "Ann Dear, wife of John Dear of Shillington", whom she married on Feb. 17, 1814 in Shillington, Bedfordshire with her brother Henry and her sister Elizabeth as witnesses.
Thomas Hare (b. c.1790) , second child of the same name, was probably born in Campton, Bedfordshire, as he was baptized there on Feb. 5, 1790 in the parish church. He is mentioned in his father's will. He might be the Thomas Hare who married Mary Arnold on April 8, 1815 at St. Giles Church in Upper Gravenhurst, but this is not certain and needs to be confirmed. Likewise, he might be the Thomas Hare who married Ann Millard on Feb. 9, 1819 at St. Giles Church in Upper Gravenhurst, but again this is not certain and needs to be confirmed.
Enoch Hare (c.1793-1819) was probably born in Campton, Bedfordshire, as he was baptized there on Oct. 3, 1793 in the parish church. He is mentioned in his father's will. He was buried on May 30, 1819 at the age of 26 in the churchyard cemetery of St. Giles of Upper Gravenhurst.
Elizabeth Hare (c.1794-1867) was probably born in Campton, Bedfordshire, as she was baptized there on Nov. 20, 1794 in the parish church. She is identifed in her father's will as "Elizabeth Flint, wife of Lewis Flint of Shillington". Thus, she must be the same Elizabeth Hare who married Lewis Flint (1792-1868) of Shitlington (Shillington) on May 30, 1816 at St. Giles Church in Upper Gravenhurst. Also, she is probably the Elizabeth Flint who died in 1867 at the age of 73 in the Shillington registration district of Bedfordshire.
Henry Hare (c.1791-1846), the son of Thomas and Mary Hare, was born about 1791 (according to his tombstone) in Bedfordshire. Various online genealogies identify him as the Henry Hare who was baptized July 27, 1800 at Toddington, Bedfordshire to William and Sarah. However, we believe this is highly unlikely, as he almost certainly is the Henry Hare of Upper Gravenhurst who is identifed in an 1819 will of his father as the son and primary heir of Thomas Hare, butcher from Upper Gravenhurst. If true, this makes him the Henry Hare, who is one of the sons of Thomas and Mary Hare, and who was baptized on Dec. 29, 1791 in Campton, Bedfordshire.
The Henry Hare we seek was a farmer and land holder who married Elizabeth Burley (c.1792-1873) on Dec. 24, 1818 at St. Giles Church in Upper Gravenhurst. His bride Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry's neighbors Thomas Burley and Elizabeth Whinwright (Wainwight), and she was probably born in nearby Shillington, as she was baptized there on Dec. 17, 1792 in the parish church. Although Henry's primary occupation is listed as a farmer on the baptism records of all but one of his children, he calls himself a publican (tavern keeper) on the 1833 record for the baptism of his son John. Also, the Bedfordshire Register of Alehouse Licenses shows that Henry Hare by 1822, the earliest date for which those records survive, held a license to sell beer at the Bell Tavern, an inn on High Street in Upper Gravenhurst. This raises the interesting possibility that he may have had business dealings early on with another innkeeper in nearby Campton named James Bunyan, whose daughter Ann would one day marry Henry and Elizabeth's son Henry Hare, Jr.
Henry Hare, Sr. died on Dec. 12, 1846 in Upper Gravenhurst, afterwhich the beer license for the Bell Tavern had passed by 1847 to an Ann Hare, who presumably was a close relative. One interesting possibility is that this Ann Hare is actually the Ann Bunyan who married Henry Hare, Jr. This Ann no doubt knew something about running a tavern, as she was the daughter of neighboring innkeeper James Bunyan. Then the license in 1853 was owned by Ann's husband Henry Hare, Jr. Elizabeth, the wife of the elder Henry, survived him by many years, and died at the age of 82 on Aug. 15, 1873 in Upper Gravenhurst. She was buried with her husband in St. Mary's Churchyard in Lower Gravenhurst, where their tombstones stand next to those of their son Henry Hare, Jr. and his wife Ann.
children - HARE
Henry Burley Hare (1819-1819) was born in 1819, probably in Upper Gravenhurst, as he was baptized there on Oct. 17, 1819 in the parish church. He died two months later and was buried Dec. 2, 1819 in St. Giles Churchyard in Upper Gravenhurst.
Mary Hare (c.1821-?) was probably born about 1821 in Upper Gravenhurst, as she was baptized there on June 10, 1821 in the parish church. She was a member of Henry Hare's household during the 1841 U.K. Census, and she is almost certainly the Mary Hare who married a Scotsman named John Nichol (b. c.1816) on March 2, 1845 in Upper Gravenhurst. This couple then appears during the 1851 U.K. Census in the market town of Luton, Bedfordshire with two small children. They next appear with several more children in the 1861 to 1891 Census returns in the Scottish Highlands at the Invernoaden Farm House in Strachur, Argyll. Presumably, this is where Mary died, sometime after the 1891 census.
Elizabeth Hare (1822-1891) was born on April 7, 1822 (according to her tombstone), most likely in Upper Gravenhurst, as she was baptized there on April 10, 1823 in the parish church. She was probably a few months older than her sister Ann Hare, who was baptized on the same date. Although her sister died young, Elizabeth survived and was a member of Henry Hare's household during the 1841 U.K. Census. She married Samuel Hood (1820-1897) of Kent on Nov. 17, 1848 in Upper Gravenhurst, and they immigrated about 1854 with three children first to Long Island, New York in the United States, where a fourth child was born, and then to Springfield, Illinois, where another child was born. Elizabeth died on Dec. 27, 1891 in Springfield, and she is buried there with Samuel in the Oak Ridge Cemetery
Ann Hare (1823-1824) was born in 1823, probably in Upper Gravenhurst, as she was baptized there on April 10, 1823 in the parish church. She was only a few months younger than her sister Elizabeth Hare, who was baptised on the same date. Ann died when she was only 13 months old, and was buried April 28, 1824 at St. Giles Churchyard in Upper Gravenhurst.
Anne Hare (1826-1903), the second child of this name, was born on March 20, 1826, probably in Upper Gravenhurst, as she was baptized there on Sept. 3, 1826 in the parish church. She married George Kempson (c.1826-1893) on Jan. 6, 1848 in Upper Gravenhurst, and they removed to Shillington, where they had several children. She appears to have moved to London, where her daughter lived, after her husbands death, and she died there in 1903 in the Acton District of West London.
Charles Hare (1829-1880?) was born on May 10, 1829, probably in Upper Gravenhurst, as he was baptized there on April 25, 1830 in the parish church. He became a butcher and married Fanny Randall Brown (c.1831-1870?) in 1850 in Upper Gravenhurst (Bigglewade registration district), where they had two children - Sarah Ann Hare (b. 1854) and Arthur Charles Hare (b. 1858). They are believed to have emigrated about 1859 to the United States, where Charles continued his trade as a butcher. If this is accurate, then they probably settled in Avon in Livingston County, New York and had at least four more children. There is an online genealogy that gives an 1870 death date for Fanny, and an 1880 death date for Charles. However, no evidence is provided, so these dates must be considered speculative.
John Hare (1833-1834) was born in 1833, probably in Upper Gravenhurst, as he was baptized there on July 28, 1833 in the parish church. He died when he was only 14 months old, and was buried on Sept. 8, 1834 in St. Giles Churchyard in Upper Gravenhurst.
John Hare (1836-1891), the second child of this name, was born in 1836, probably in Upper Gravenhurst, as he was baptized there Dec. 25, 1836 in the parish church. He was a member of Henry Hare's household during the 1841 U.K. Census, but subsequently sought his fortune as a farmer in Scotland. He married Margaret Laidlaw (c.1836-1904) on January 25, 1859 in Strachur and Stralachlan, in Argyll in the Highlands of Scotland, where they worked a farm for several years. They next moved to Whittonstall, Northumberland, England by the U.K. census of 1881, where they took on another farm. John died on April 24, 1891 in Whittonstall, where he is buried in St. Phillip and St. James Churchyard. and Margaret died in 1904 in Hexham, Northumberland. There is no evidence that they had any children.
Left: An 1851 land map of Upper Gravenhurst from the Bedfordshire Archives and Records website. It shows lands owned by Henry Hare and the Earl de Grey. Note that north is in the upper left corner, and not at the top of the map. A blue arrow shows the location of the Bell Inn that was owned from at least 1822 to 1869 by the Hare family. Right: A postcard view of the village from the turn of the century that looks down High Street from the east side of the village. The parish church is visible in the center of the photo, but the Bell Inn cannot be seen, as it is on the other side of the church.
Henry Hare
Henry Hare (1824-1892), the son of Henry Hare and Elizabeth Burley, was born in Upper Gravenhurst, Bedfordshire, and baptized there on July 18, 1824 in the parish church. He married Ann Bunyan (1827-1903) on Feb. 15, 1849 in Upper Gravenhurst at the same church, Ann being the daughter of James Bunyan (c.1803-1875) who ran an inn located in neighboring Campton. Although Henry's occupation was a farmer, he also held a license from 1853 or earlier until 1869 or so to sell beer at the Bell Inn on High Street in Upper Gravenhurst, his father having been the previous license holder for many years.
Henry and Ann had a large farm, and we know from an 1851 map for Upper Gravenhurst that Henry, together with Thomas Robinson (1781-1859), who was better known as the Earl de Grey, owned most of the village lands at the time the map was made. This meant that Henry was one of the more important people in town. In fact, his granddaughter Dorothy Bunce (who was also born in Upper Gravenhurst) told us in the 1970s that her grandfather served as the equivalent of both the Mayor and Treasurer of the village. He was also the enumerator (census taker) in 1861, 1871, 1881 and 1891 when census data for the village was collected. When he finalized the results for the 1861 census, he gave his address as the Bell Inn, and the size of his farm as 180 acres. Then, when he turned in the results for the 1871 census, he showed that the village was about 900 acres in size with around 650 arable acres, and a population of 401 people. He also listed his own household at 14 family members and one female servant, and his farm at 183 acres, with 7 men and 3 boys working as employees.
Henry died on May 22, 1892 in the same town where he was born, and his estate was settled in probate, with his son John Bunyan Hare named as heir, even though the oldest son George Henry Hare was still living. However, granddaughter Dorothy Bunce also told us that George Henry Hare was something of a "near do well", and circumstances imply that he and his father were estranged. Although John Bunyan Hare was named heir, part of the estate was settled to the benfit of a certain George Simkins (1837-1905) of Shillington, farmer and butcher, which leads us to suspect that debts existed against the estate that had to to be settled during probate.
Henry's wife Ann survived him by eleven years and died on April 23, 1903, probably in Campton, where she had been living in 1901 with her daughters Jane and Marianne. Although Campton had been a separate village when Ann was born there 76 years earlier, it had become a rual suburb of Shefford when she died. Both Henry and Ann are buried with at least two of their children - James and Rosina - and with both her and Henry's parents in St. Mary's Churchyard in Lower Gravenhurst.
Henry Hare and Ann Bunyan had the several children who follow. All were born in Upper Gravenurst, but the official records give Ampthill as their birthplace, as that was the seat for the registration district. Some of their birth dates given below are from public record, others are from the personal papers of Margaret Lucy Hare, and most are from the Dew Family Birthday Book, which in almost all instances seems to be a reliable source.
children - HARE
George Henry Hare (1850-1899) was born on May 4, 1850 in Upper Gravenhurst, and baptized there on June 5, 1850 in the parish church. He does not appear to have married. He began working as a young man in 1872 or 1873 at the Campton Mill, which is near Upper Gravenhurst, and appears to have been used for grinding corn. Initially, he must have done well there, as by the time of the 1881 U.K. Census he had 2 or 3 men under his employ. The last mention we have of him there is in the 1887 Electoral Register for Bedfordshire. His niece Dorothy Bunce told us many years ago that George was something of a "near-do-well", which leads us to suspect that he is the same George Henry Hare who was found guilty and paid a fine on June 22, 1881 at the Biggleswade town hall on a charge of being drunk at some sort of licensed drinking establishment, and then refusing to quit" when the proprietor asked him either to leave or abstain. If George had a history of such behavior, then this may have eventually led to his ouster from the mill. We later find him many miles away during the 1891 U.K. Census living alone in West Ham, Essex (East London), where he was working as a dock laborer. Interestingly, when his father died in 1892, George was not part of the estate settlement. George died on Feb. 10, 1899 at the Leytonstone Union Workhouse (West Ham District), where he was a laborer at Canning Town, which is in East London at the docks near where the River Lea joins the Thames. He was buried on Feb. 14, 1899 at the nearby West Ham Cemetery in Newham, London in a communal grave that he shares with 14 other adults.
James Hare (1852-1880) was born on July 4, 1852 in Upper Gravenhurst, and baptized there on Nov. 24, 1852 in the parish church. He died when he was just 27 years old on Feb. 3, 1880, probably in Upper Gravenhurst, which is in the Ampthill Registration District. He is buried with his parents and grandparents in the St. Mary's Churchyard in Lower Gravenhurst.
Jane "Jennie" Elizabeth Hare (1854-1942) was born on Nov. 29, 1854 in Upper Gravenhurst and baptized there on Dec. 19, 1854 in the parish church. Although there is a transcript of a list of Hare family birth dates that gives 1856 as the year of Jennie's birth, this is inconsistant with her baptism date and other records. She was still a member of her father Henry Hare's household during the 1891 U.K. Census, and she was present when he died in 1892 in Upper Gravenhurst. The family properties were sold off after he died, probably to pay debts, afterwhich Jennie is found at various addresses in London and in Flitwick, Bedfordshire. She then enlisted during WWI on July 8, 1918 in the Women's Royal Air Force, and and served until the war ended as a "clerical assistant at an aerodrome". She gave Park Lane in Henlow as her home address on her 1918 enlistment papers, and it is shown in the 1920s variously as the Back Lane, Park Lane, or Park View of Sunderland Farm in Henlow. However, these all appear to refer to the same address, which by the 1930s evolved into Number 23 Park Lane. She died a spinster on Dec. 5, 1942 at her home in Henlow. Although we do not know this certain, Jennie is probably buried with her sister Hephzibah (d. 1935), near their parents and grandparents, in St. Mary's Churchyard in Lower Gravenhurst. However, the sisters may also be buried nearby at St. Mary Henlow.
Rosina Mary Hare (1856-1905) was born on May 20, 1856 in Upper Gravenhurst and baptized there on July 9, 1856 in the parish church. She was the twin of her sister Hephziba, and went by the name of Rosa. She married Lewis Quenby (c.1834-1902) on July 16, 1891 in Upper Gravenhurst, having previously worked for him as his housekeeper. Given that he was more than 20 years her senior, and she was 44-years old when they married, they probably never had children. Interestingly, just after Rosa Hare in 1891 became Rosa Quenby, her brother John Bunyan Hare in 1893 married Rosa Payne, and his new wife's married name became Rosa Hare, which is a cause for some confusion. Rosa Quenby (neé Hare) died on Jan. 21, 1905, three years after her husband, in Bedford, Bedfordshire. They are buried together in St. Mary's Churchyard in Lower Gravenhurst.
Hephzibah Ann Hare (1856-1935) was born on May 20, 1856 in Upper Gravenhurst, and baptized there on July 9, 1856 in the parish church. She was the twin sister of Rosina Hare. She died a spinster on Feb. 8, 1935 at the Great North Road House, which was a former Union Workhouse in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire that had been recently converted to an elder care facility. However, her address is listed as 23 Park Lane in Henlow, which was actually where her sister Jennie lived. Although we do not know this certain, Hephziba is probably buried with her sister Jennie (d. 1942), near their parents, grandparents and twin sister Rosina, in St. Mary's Churchyard in Lower Gravenhurst. However, Hephziba and Jennie may also be buried nearby at St. Mary Henlow.
Alice Amelia Hare (1859-1936) was born on Sept. 6, 1859 in Upper Gravenhurst, and baptized there on Dec. 26, 1859 in the parish church. She was known to her niece Dorothy Bunce as "Aunt Milly". She married Alfred Bouch on August 16, 1896 at St. Matthews Church in Brixton, London, with possibly a second ceremony conducted in Upper Gravenhurst. They lived initially in London, but came in 1905 to the United States, departing from Southampton on the SS St. Louis, and arriving on May 14, 1905 in New York, after their planned departure a month earlier was postponed. Their ultimate destination was Douglas in Cochise County, Arizona, which is located near the border with Mexico. However, Alfred and Milly where only there for a short time, and they relocated by the time of the 1910 U.S. Census to Pasadena, California. Milly died on March 4, 1936 in Pasadena, where she is buried in the Mountain View Cemetery, with other members of her family. Alfred died on March 2, 1940, and he is buried next to Milly. Five of the pallbearers at his funeral were the sons of his sister Margaret Bunce - Guy, Wary, Harold, Jack, and Reg. Another nephew, Edward Purnell the son of her sister Marianne, was probably the sixth pallbearer. Alfred and Milly did not have any children of their own.
Milly's husband Alfred appears to have been a bit of a character. His great niece Barbara Bunce remembered her Uncle Alfred as being a "very proper Englishman". Another great niece, Jackie Bunce, recalled that he was a poet of sorts, who made up snippets of poetry to entertain family whenever he came to visit. Once, during a trip to Jackie's home in Oakhurst, California, Uncle Alfred observed that Jackie's family had a cow and a dog both name Peggy, and he remarked, "Peggy number one, Peggy number two, we have so many Peggys, we don't know what to do". Alfred also claimed to have known the famous gunfighter Wyatt Earp, who for a time lived in the "Old West" town of Tombstone, Arizona, which is located some 40 or so miles NW of Douglas, where Alfred and Milly lived for a spell. However, this story may have been a tall tale. If Alfred actually did meet Wyatt Earp, the timing is such that it must have been in southern California after Earp had retired there in his later years.
John Bunyan Hare (1863-1943) was born on July 24, 1863 in Upper Gravenhurst and baptized there on July 14, 1864 in the parish church. His niece Dorothy Bunce called him "Uncle Jack". Interestingly he listed his occupation during the 1891 U.K. census as a draper's assistant, the same occupation held during the previous census by his brother-in-law Robert Bunce. The draper's shop where John worked was in Kensington, London and the following year he married Rosa Payne (1868-1941) on Oct. 11, 1893 at St. Helen Church in Kensington. The couple settled in Attleborough, Norfolk, where they operated a drapery shop with Rosa's parents. Sometime before the 1911 U.K. census John and Rosa moved to Saffron Walden in Essex County, where they acquired Freeman's Farm, and John became a farmer. This farm, which is located on Elder Street between the villages of Debden, Saffron Walden and Wimbish, is run today by John's grandson and namesake John Bunyan Hare II (b. 1946), and it still continues to grow produce. The elder John Bunyan Hare died on Jan. 26, 1943 at Saffron Walden, and he is buried nearby in Debden at St. Mary the Virgin and All Saints Churchyard with his wife, and several of their children.
Elea Adine Hare (1894-1926) was born on July 12, 1894 in Saffron Walden, Essex, and baptized there on Aug. 5, 1894 at St. Mary the Virgin Church. She served as a Red Cross nurse during WWI, and there is a family photo dated 1917 that shows her in her uniform. Later, she was employed by the Essex County Council as a milk recorder, when she was fatally injured in an accident involving a collision between a motorcycle she was riding and a car at a street corner near her family's farm. She subsequently died on Aug. 14, 1926 at the hospital in Saffron Walden from complications related to a fractured leg. She is buried with other members of her family in Debden at St. Mary the Virgin and All Saints Churchyard.
Elsie Lena Florence Hare (1896-1971) was born on May 16, 1896 in Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex, and baptized there on June 7, 1896 at St. Mary the Virgin Church. She married Charley John Wright (1893-1979) on Oct. 22, 1921 at the same church, and died in 1971 in Colchester, Essex. She and Charley are buried in Widdington in St. Mary's Churchyard.
Marjorie Phyllis Hare (1899-1959) was born on Dec. 20, 1898 in Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex, and baptized there on March 12, 1899 at St. Mary the Virgin Church. She did not marry and died in 1959 in London. She is buried with other members of her family in Debden at St. Mary the Virgin and All Saints Churchyard.
Donald Bunyan Hare (1905-1967) was born on Dec. 23, 1905 in Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex, and baptized there on Feb. 25, 1906 at St. Mary the Virgin Church. He inherited Freeman's Farm from his father, and started the D.B. Hare & Son Company, which continues to run the farm today and sell produce. Donald married Ruth Maryon Butler (1915-1993) in 1939 in Saffron Walden, and they ran Freeman's Farm for many years. Their son John Bunyan Hare II (b. 1946) continues to run Freeman's Farm today. This John Bunyan is not to be confused with his older cousin (b. 1940) of the same name. As a side note, Donald Hare of Freeman's Farm was one of the family entries in cousin Dorothy Bunce's address book. Donald died on April 13, 1967 at Saffron Walden; and he is buried in Debden with other family members at St. Mary the Virgin and All Saints Churchyard.
Norman Alan Hare (1909-1986) was born on March 7, 1909 in Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex, and baptized there on April 25, 1909 at St. Mary the Virgin Church. He married Gladys May Freeman (1913-1989) on Easter Sunday April 12, 1936 in Saffron Walden, Gladys coming from one of the old families of the region. It seems likely that her family had an association with Freeman's Farm, but we do not know any details. Norman and Gladys had a son John Bunyan Hare (1940-2018) who is not to be confused with their nephew (b. 1943) of the same name. Norman died in 1986 in Cambridge, which is only about 12 miles to the northwest of Saffron Walden, and he is buried with his parents in Debden at St. Mary the Virgin and All Saints Churchyard. Gladys died on Jan. 17, 1989 in Cambridge, and she is buried with her son John in the Saffron Walden Cemetery.
Albert Edward "Ted" Hare (1865-1943) was born on May 25, 1865 in Upper Gravenhurst, and baptized there on July 30, 1866 in the parish church. He is a member of Henry Hare's household during the 1871 U.K. census, afterwhich we find him apprenticed during the 1881 census to an ironmonger named William R. Grigg in Alfreton, Derbyshire. He then moved to Willesdon, a former borough in northwest London, where he is listed as a carpenter in the 1891 census. Next, we find him living with Jessie Mabel Burfield Tilbury (1873-1938) in Harlesden, which is a village in Willesden, then later they are in the adjacent borough of Harrow. Although Jessie is shown in the 1901 U.K. census as Albert's wife, there is no evidence that they were ever legally wed. Nonetheless, they had at least seven children together. They separated sometime prior to the summer of 1907, when Jesse legally married George Coley (1879-1949), with whom she had more children. Albert then appears in the 1911 census as single, and living with his son Henry Edward Hare (1893-1983) in Harlesden. He married his second wife May Drew (1897-1997) in 1928 in Hendon, which is a suburb near Harlesden; and they are found living together in the 1939 register in nearby Harrow. Albert is almost certainly the Albert E. Hare who died at the age of 78 in 1943 in Hendon, which makes it likely that he is the Albert Edward Hare who was buried on May 26, 1943 at the age of 78 in Harrow Cemetery.
Rosina Mary Hare (1892-1940), was born on Sep. 2, 1892 in the Harlesden area of Willesden, London. She married her first husband Oliver Fry (1891-1974) on June 19, 1915 in Lambeth, London, presumably divorced him, and then married her second husband Ernest George Sully (1882-1940) in 1927 in Lambeth. Rosina and Ernest became proprietors of the Lewes Road Inn in the city of Brighton and and Hove, East Sussex, and both were killed in the early days of WWII on September 20, 1940 during a German air raid that completely demolished their inn. A neighbor's dog, a small white terrier named Ruffy, was found unhurt with them in the wreckage of the inn, which has since been rebuilt and today is called the Franklin Tavern (Ref: "The Lewes Road Inn" by Jennifer Drury). Rosina and Ernest are listed as Civilian War Dead, and presumably are buried with the other victims of the air raid in a common grave somewhere in Brighton.
Henry Edward Hare (1893-1983) was born on November 27, 1893 in the Harlesden area of Willesden, London, and baptized with two of his siblings on August 7, 1896 in the All Souls Church of Harlesden. He married Doris Emily Maud Grosse (1900-1965) in 1926 in Lambeth, Surrey, and died on Jan. 1, 1983 in Brighton, East Sussex.
Gladys Gwendolen Hare (1895-1986) was born on February 13, 1895 in the Harlesden area of Willesden, London, and baptized with two of her siblings on August 7, 1896 in the All Souls Church of Harlesden. She married William Joseph Almond (1890-1955) in 1926 in Lambeth, Surrey, and died on March 24, 1986 in Hove, Sussex.
Ethel Berthild Hare (1896-1984) was born on July 4, 1896 in the Harlesden area of Willesden, London, and baptized with two of her siblings on August 7, 1896 in the All Souls Church of Harlesden. She married Hugh Franklin St Clair Clarke (1889-1967) on July 10, 1920 in Lambeth, Surrey, and died on December 26, 1984 in Brighton, Sussex.
Ivy Elizabeth Hare (1898-1899) was born in the spring of 1898 and baptized on July 29, 1898 in London, with her baptism date listed with two different churches. She died the following year at the age of one.
Hubert Baden Hare (1900-1901) was born in the summer of 1900 and baptized on September 16, 1900 in London, with his baptism date listed with three different churches. He died the following year at the age of one.
Mavis Edna Hare (1905-1988) was born on March 7, 1905 in Willesden, London, and baptized there on April 5, 1905 in St. Andrews Church. She does not appear to have married, and died in 1988 in Brighton, Sussex.
Selina (Lena) Mary Hare (1867-1952) was born on Jan. 19, 1867 in Upper Gravenhurst and baptized there on Feb. 17, 1867 in the parish church. She moved to Johannesburg, South Aftica (Transvaal Province), and married William Herbert Harrison (b. 1868) of Lancashire on Feb. 9, 1898 in St. Mary's Church in the Pretoria Province. They had at least two children - Stanley William Hare Harrison (1899-1972?) and Marianne Kathleen Grace Harrison (b. 1903) - both born in Johannesburg in the Transvaal Province. In addition, William also had a daughter named Alice Effie Mary Harrison (1896-1993) from a previous marriage with Scottish-born Alice Bell Ingram (1859-1897).
Lena apparently returned to England during at least part of the Boer War (1899-1902), as we find her listed as Lena Harrison in the 1901 U.K. Census, and living in Campton, Bedfordshire with her mother and her two children, Alice age 4, and Stanley age 2. She is probably the Mrs. Harrison who on Aug. 21, 1915 departed from London bound for Capetown, South Africa on the ship Balmoral Castle with her husband and daughter. If so, then her husband at the time worked for the railroad, possibly as an accountant, which is the occupation listed on one of his marriage licenses. This is the last mention we have found of Selina's husband, but presumably he died somewhere in South Africa in the following years. Selina died on June 12, 1952, presumably in South Africa also, and she is buried with her stepdaughter Alice in the Primrose Cemetery in Germiston, which is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa.
Her son Stanley Harrison has descendants in South Africa that are alive today.
Annie Marie Hare (1869-1938) was born on Jan. 20, 1869 in Upper Gravenhurst and baptized there on June 5, 1876 in the parish church with two of her sisters. She married an iron monger from Huntingdon named James Lewin (1861-1938) in 1895 in the Biggleswade registration district. However, their actual wedding probably took place in Upper Gravenhurst. Next, we find Annie and James in 1900 living in Palmerston, New Zealand, where James listed his trade again as an ironmonger, but by 1911 they were living in Cambridge, in the Waikato district of New Zealand, with James now working as a grocer's assistant. He also served for many years as an Elder for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Cambridge. Frank died on May 12, 1938 in the Waikato district, probably in Cambridge, and Annie died there on May 23, 1938, just a few days later. Both are buried with two of their children in the old part of Leamington Cemetery in Cambridge, New Zealand. Frank and Annie had at least the four children (her cousin Dorothy remembers five), who are listed below.
Francis Henry Lewin (1896-1978) was born on Oct. 7, 1896 in Hendon district of London, and emigrated prior to 1900 with his family to New Zealand. He married Linda Anderson in 1928, probably in the town of Waikato, New Zealand. He died on April 14, 1978 in Cambridge, New Zealand, and Linda died on Nov. 23, 1987, probably in or near Mangere, New Zealand, which in the 1972 electoral roll is listed as their residence. Both are buried in Papatoetoe Cemetery, which is now part of Manukau Memorial Gardens. They had a stillborn child born in 1929, but we have not found record of any other children.
Stanley Lewis Lewin (1897-1948) was born on Dec. 23, 1897 in the Hendon district of London, and emigrated prior to 1900 with his family to New Zealand. He married Muriel Olive Gunn (1903-1989) in 1928 in New Zealand. Stanley and Muriel had at least three children - Allan Stanley Lewin (1929-1997), Dorothy Helena Lewin (1930-1936) and Joyce Marina Lewin. There are active members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, who have the surname Lewin and live in New Zealand today. These may be descendants of Stanley and Muriel. Stanley died on Dec. 5, 1948, and is buried in Leamington Cemetery in Cambridge with his wife and parents. There is also a second Dorothy Helena Lewin (d.1939) at Leamington who may be a fourth child of Stanley and Muriel.
Helena Kate Lewin (1903-1962) was born on March 29, 1903 in Dannevirke, New Zealand. She lived as a young woman in Auckland West, New Zealand, but moved in 1936 or 1937 to Turramurra in New South Wales, Australia, where she served for many years as a volunteer secretary for the Junior Missionary Volunteer Society (JMV) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, an organization that is known today as the Pathfinders. She was an invalid in her later years, under the care of her sister, and she died in 1962 in Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia.
Lena Mary (1905-1977) was born on Jan. 22, 1905 in Pahiatua, Wellington, New Zealand. She graduated from the Sydney Adventist Hospital in 1929 as a nurse, and over the course of her career worked in several hospitals in Australia and New Zealand, including the Sydney Sanitorium, Royal Womens Hospital, Waikato Hospital (New Zealand), and the Three Springs Hospital of Western Australia. She lived in later years in Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia, where she cared for her invalid sister Helena. Lena and her cousin Dorothy Bunce, who was also a nurse, corresponded with each other, but probably never met. Lena died on Sept. 2, 1977 in a hospital in Sydney, Australia, and is buried in the Avondale Adventist Cemetery in Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia.
Frances Grace Adine Hare (1870-1933) was born on Oct. 24, 1870 in Upper Gravenhurst, and baptized there on June 5, 1876 in the parish church with two of her sisters. She went to South Africa as a young woman, probably to spend time with her sister Selina, and subsequently married Morton Iliff Catline (1872-1833) on March 27, 1900 in Eshowe, South Africa. She and Morton returned to England many years later, arriving on May 24, 1912 in London. However, they evidently separated or divorced, as Morton appears to have married or lived for a time with a much younger woman named Mary Jane Byrne (1895-1946). This second relationship also came to an end, and Mary Jane either married or moved in with a man named Polfreman. Frances died on Dec. 13, 1933 in Hampstead, London, with her bother John Bunyan Hare being named her heir. She was cremated on Dec. 18, 1933 at the Golders Green Crematorium in North London. Morton Catline died eight days after Frances on Dec. 21, 1933 in Poole, Dorsetshire, with his estate being settled in probate to the benefit of Mary Polfreman, who is listed as his widow.
Marianne Helena Hare (1873-1950) was born on Nov. 2, 1873 in Upper Gravenhurst and baptized there on June 5, 1876 in the parish church with two of her sisters. She emigrated in about 1905 or so to Arizona, probably to live near her older sister Milly Bouch (Alice Amelia Hare), which would have been shortly after the death of their mother. Marianne married Edward Cornelius Purnelle (1850-1939) on July 13, 1909 in Cochise County, Arizona, and they had at least three sons, all born in Cochise County. Edward, like Marianne, had been born in England, but he came to the United States with his parents in the 1850s as a boy, and grew up in Nehama County, Kansas. Both Marianne and Edward appear in the 1929 city directory for Douglas City, Arizona, and the 1930 U.S. Census shows that by the following year they had moved to Long Beach, California. Edward died on 11 Mar 1939 in Los Angeles County, and Marianne died on Nov. 22, 1950 in the same county. Both are buried in Long Beach at Sunnyside Memorial Park, which is known today as Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Long Beach).
Edward Cecil Purnell (1911-1989) was born on Oct. 27, 1911 in Pirtleville, Arizona; and married Elsie Inez Pearson (1904-1996) on Nov. 6, 1945 somewhere in California (her second marriage). He never had children of his own, but Elsie did have a daughter Barbara Elaine Johnson (1927-2011) from her previous marriage to Verle Leaman Johnson (1902-1986). Edward died on Jan. 7, 1989 in Long Beach, California, where he is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Cypress). Edward was a mortician, and he started a funeral parlor bearing his name that is still in business in Long Beach today. He is easily confused with another Edward Purnell of Long Beach, and the fact that Elsie sometimes gave her birthdate as 1911 adds to the confusion. Edward and Elsie Purnell of Long Beach were one of the family entries in cousin Dorothy Bunce's address book.
Francis Henry Purnell (1913-1913) was born April 16, 1913, and died two months later on June 15 in the Sulphur Springs Valley, which is not far from Douglas City, Arizona.
Henry Bunyan Purnell (1914-1915) was born Dec. 31, 1914 in Douglas City, Cochise County, Arizona, and died on Aug. 19, 1915 in Cochise County.
* * *
There is an interesting connection during the waning years of the "American West" of several members of both Henry Hare's immediate and extended family with the area that in those days was the Arizona Territory of the United States.
The first member of the family to end up in Arizona was Lloyd Payne (1863-1945), the brother-in-law of Alfred and Milly Bouch. Lloyd arrived in 1884 in the U.S. and he appears in 1898 on the Arizona electoral rolls with an address in Clifton in Graham County. Lloyd's older brother Walter Payne (1856-1935), who had arrived in 1885, was also living in Clifton in 1898 with his wife and children, and working there as mill hand. Lloyd subsequently returned to England for his 1901 marriage to Ethel Lothell. Lloyd had been a member of the Hare family since 1893 when his sister Rosa Payne married Milly Bouch's younger brother John Bunyan Hare.
Next, Alfred and Milly Bouch came in 1905 to Cochise County, Arizona, which is the next county to the south of Graham County, where Lloyd Payne had lived. They stayed there until sometime before the 1910 U.S. Census, when they relocated to Pasadena, California.
Also, Marianne, the youngest of Henry Hare's daughters, came around 1905 or so to Cochise County, Arizona, where she was married in 1909 to Englishman Edward Cornelius Purnell (1850-1939). She and Edward remained in Cochise County until 1929 or 1930, when they permanently moved to Long Beach, California.
Photograph of the Hare family taken about 1878 just outside of their home in Upper Gravenhurst, Bedfordshire.
(Back Row, l-r, standing) Amelia, Rosina, James, Hephzibah, Margaret Lucy, John Bunyan;
(middle Row, l-r, chairs) Selina, Jane, Henry Hare (father), Ann Bunyan Hare (mother), George, Annie.
(front Row, l-r, rug) Albert, Marianne Helena, Frances Grace.
Margaret Lucy Bunce (neé Hare)
Margaret Lucy Hare (1861-1945), the daughter of Henry Hare and Ann Bunyan, was born on Aug. 8, 1861 in Upper Gravenhurst, Bedfordshire, and christened there on July 1, 1864 in the parish church. She was probably born in the Bell Inn in Upper Gravenhurst, as this building, just a few months earlier on April 7, 1861, is listed in the UK Census for that year as the residence of her parents.
Margaret married Robert Bunce on Dec. 27, 1884 in Upper Gravenhurst at the church where she had been baptized. According to their daughter Dorothy, the marriage was arranged. Robert at the time was a draper's assistant, but he did try his hand at farming for a short time around 1890 and 1891 in Hollesley, Suffolk, and he may have also tried farming in Upper Gravenhurst in 1892, about the time of his father-in-law's death. However, Robert was more adept at arranging business deals than working with his hands, or at a trade.
The family moved about 1894 or 1895 to London, where Robert eventually went into business selling mining properties in the Black Hills of South Dakota in the United States. He made many trips back and forth to the States, often staying for years at a time, while the family remained behind in England. Daughter Dorothy remembered good times with lots of money when her father was home in London, but the money would eventually run out when he was away, and there would be hard times until he returned. Robert appears to have been in the United States for the duration of World War I, and there is no evidence that he ever returned to England when the war ended.
After the Atlantic Ocean opened up again for boat travel at the end of World War I, Margaret came to the United States with her son Harold, departing from Southampton on the SS America and arriving on Sept. 22, 1921 in New York. She then coerced her husband to put aside his wheeling and dealing ways in the Dakota gold fields, and made him settle down with her in Pasadena, California, where she eventually collected all of her children around her. She probably chose Pasadena, as her older sister Milly, and Milly's husband Alfred Bouch since 1910, or so, had been living there. Another sister Marianne was in Arizona with her husband Edward Purnelle, and they moved in 1929 or 1930 to Long Beach, California, which is not too far from where Margaret and her family lived.
Margaret's son Jack remembered that his mother ruled her family with a stern hand, and she was not happy when her sons eventually married and left the nest. None of her daughters married, and Madge and Dorothy took care of Margaret in her final years. Margaret's husband Robert died on Oct. 4, 1930 in Pasadena and he is buried there in Mountain View Cemetery. Margaret outlived him by many years, and died on May 26, 1945 at her home at 609 Charter Oak Drive in South Pasadena. She is buried at Mountain View Cemetery beside Robert, and close to daughter Madge, and near Alfred and Milly Bouch. Please see the Bunce Genealogy for the children of Margaret and Robert.
Map of villages and towns in the area of Upper Gravenhurst and Clophill, Bedfordshire.
APPENDIX: The Bell Inn and Chestnut Tree House
The Chestnut Tree House (formerly the Bell Inn) on High Street, as it appeared about 1900 when David Parrish lived there. The village post office at the time was located in a small room of the house.
The Chestnut Tree House at 35A High Street in Upper Gravenhurst is a historic building that for most of its history was a tavern known as the Bell Inn. Today it is a private residence. Although a plaque near the front door of this home has a 1547 date on it, this is probably the first known mention of a tavern on this site, as the building that is there today is probably somewhat younger. It is known to have been in business by at least 1774, when an agreement was drawn up to sell the next-door cottage.
Henry Hare (d. 1846) in 1822 or earlier was the license holder of this tavern, and he either ran it, or was its landlord for many years. Next, a woman named Ann Hare held the license in 1847, which was shortly after Henry died. The website for the Bedfordshire Archives and Records implies that this woman was Henry's wife, but he married Jane Burley, not a woman named Ann. What is more likely is that the Ann Hare in question is actually Henry's daughter-in-law Ann Bunyan, who married Henry's son and heir, Henry Hare, Jr. (d. 1892). Then in 1851 the younger Henry is named as the tavern keeper, and he is then named in 1853 as the license holder. He continued to run the business until 1869 or so, which is the last year that he is known to have had a license to sell beer in the village.
Ann and Henry listed the Bell Inn during the 1861 census as their residence, and there is evidence that they may have also lived here during the previous 1851 census. Possibly, they had lived in the house from the time of their marriage, and they probably continued living there after the place ceased being a tavern. It is also likely that they were still there in 1892 when Henry died, but the name of the house probably would have changed by then, given that by 1892 it had not been a tavern for more than twenty years.
The inn by about 1900 had become known as Chestnut Tree House, and a photo from then identifies it as the village post office. David Parrish (d. 1927) was living there at the time, and he ran the post office from a small room in the house, but David's sister-in-law Adeline Parrish (d. 1952) had taken over the post office by 1901 and moved it to a shop at her house near the church. She and her husband Reuben Parrish later owned Chestnut Tree House, and they rented it out in 1925 at £12 a year. It was described then as having a living room, pantry, kitchen, three bedrooms, and a stable. There was also a "a room not used", which was probably the old post office, and a "very old cottage as store", which may have been the old tavern.
The house was listed in March 1990 by the English Heritage Trust as a Grade II building of special interest. Today, it is a two-story structure with a plain tile roof, above timber framed walls, with brick-infilling that is plastered over. The main house is probably 17th century or earlier, with late 18th- and 19th-century wings that have been added, including a 19th-century, one-story outbuilding that is now connected to the main house on the northwest side. A 1982 to 1985 restoration has added brick facing to lower parts of the outer walls.
Chestnut Tree House (formerly the Bell Inn) as it appears today.
REFERENCES:
The documentation for many of the dates and places listed in this history are found in the Ancestry.com online databases (subscription required).
Interviews with Dorothy Bunce, and Family Papers that were in her possession. Dorothy was the granddaughter of Henry Hare (d. 1892), and she spent the early years of her childhood on the Hare farm in Upper Gravenhurst. She provided much information on the family during several interviews in the 1970s at her apartment in Santa Cruz, California.
The Dew Family Birthday Book was most likely started by Elizabeth Martha Davies (1855-1914), the daughter of Philip and Sarah Dew, and eventually passed down to her daughter Alice Ethel Nelson (1883-1936), who added more dates. Ethel died in 1936, and the book was probably lost or destroyed sometime after the death of her husband John. Fortunately, Ethel's son Geoff Nelson and his wife transcribed the contents of this booklet by hand, and their nephew Geoff Hindmarsh about 2004 made scans of their handwritten transcriptions. A typed version of the Birthday Book also exists that was prepared by Geoff Nelson and his wife, in which they grouped the entries by surname, and re-ordered them by year of birth. Where entires in the Birthday Book can be cross-checked to public records, almost everything seems to be correct.
Grave and burial locations where known are listed with tombstone photos (when available) on
This history is an evolving document.
Despite our best intentions it probably contains mistakes.
Please let us know if you spot any by sending an email to Mike Clark
Genealogy of the Hare Family 
