Pair of semi-detached houses across field at the end of the village

History of semi-detached houses

Dora Tack writes about these houses in Whispering Elms. They are numbered on her diagram ’19’ and ’20’.

Left-hand side:

Brick walls, slate roof, five rooms

1936 – 1940

Edward Cooper

Dora Tack includes Edward’s reminiscences of life in Papworth St Agnes. He recalls the bombing of 20th November 1940. The Germans dropped eight bombs, seven small ones and one was very big. It made a crater so large you could get two houses in the crater. The gault and shrapnel came through the roof but nobody was hurt.

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1942

James Hamerton (Jim), retired

Mrs Hamerton (Nan)

Emily Blackaby, daughter

Barbara Blackaby, daughter of Emily

Miss Sylvia Jenkins, from Brixton, lodger, shop assistant. She met Frank Margot and they were married in 1946.

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Right-hand side

Built of brick walls, slate roof; attractive windows, five rooms.

Occupants in 1942

Ernest Topham (Ern) – gamekeeper for Arthur Sperling

Ida née Sanderson, wife. She had worked as a domestic at The Rectory, Graveley where she net Ernest Topham

Ernest Hugh, craftsman REME armoured troops workshop. Died 1993.

Stanley (Stan or Deany), agricultural worker reserved occupation

Joseph Topham (Joe)

Miss Brenda Moreland, niece of Mrs Topham, post office clerk at Papworth Everard.