The photo captioned 'tar gang', which prompted Jim Cook's response. His father, Jack Cook, is in the centre, smoking a pipe.
C 1950, Court of Meon Valley Ancient Order of Foresters, George, (Shaver), Cook, (my Fathers Brother), is front row with the lighter coloured Coat. My father, Jack Cook, is looking over his brothers right shoulder. Extreme right, Jack Appleby. Back row in front of School, Fred Gibbs and Jack Porter. Herbie Goddard, back row to the left.
Coronation procession, 1953. Jack Pollard leading, Stuart Pollard on the Donkey, front row Jack Appleby, Herbie Goddard, Fred Gibbs; Jack Cook near back, wearing cap
Bill issued to John Cook by Thomas Adams in 1889 when he moved to Oxenbourne.
John Cook's gravestone in All Saints cemetery.
The inscription on John Cook's gravestone
John Cook, shepherd to Henry Berry, probably c 1900, on road to South Farm.
Certificate awarded by the Hampshire Down SheepBreeders Association to Shepherd Alfred Merritt, Shepherd to Henry Berry & Son. 1923.
Flock record 1922 of Henry Berry, Oxenbourne Farm
The Shepherd's Hut which had been owned by John Cook
Side view of Shepherds Hut which Jim Cook is restoring
Inscription uncovered on Shepherd's Hut 'Le Roy Lewis Esq' - the owner of Westbury
Inscription 'T'Treble'. Westbury agent in the 1890s
Jim's grandfather John Cook inscribed his name in the shepherd's hut
His christian name appears, very faintly, as well.
Financial Return, 1893, of the Court 'Meon Valley' of the Ancient Order of Foresters Friendly Society
Balance Sheet of 1893 Financial Report
Proof of Accounts, and Record of Sick Members (including Luke Merritt, Alan Blackman, Joseph Tribe, C. Lambert, H.J. Norgate)
Back page, Sick and Funeral Fund (donation Mrs Forbes), Management fund (Surgeon Dr Batten), Proof of Accouns (auditors John Cook, Walter Dennis) Secretary H.Leach. Recipients of Sick Allowances include H. Budd and A.C.Budd, T.Adams
In April 2014, Jim Cook posted to the website, querying our use of the phrase ‘tar gang’ to describe the group of men laying tarmac in the early 1930s. They were, he said, ‘not a tar gang, they were the gardeners at Leydene House, seen in the picture constructing the driveway at the House, Jack Cook, near front with shovel and smoking a pipe, was my Father.’ (We agreed that, if not regular road-builders, they were on this occasion working with asphalt …) Jim also helped us identify some of the marchers in our photograph of the Coronation procession in East Meon, as ‘members of the local lodge of Ancient Order of Foresters’. He was also in possession of the original bill from Thomas Adams, to his grandfather John Cook when he moved to Oxenbourne in 1889. The correspondence is attached as a PDF.
Later in the correspondence, Jim sent us pictures of the Shepherd’s Hut he was restoring, in which he found an inscription by John Cook, his grandfather, and others of Colonel Le Roy Lewis, owner of Westbury Park, and of T Treble, the Westbury agent. He also sent us an account book, for 1893, of the East Meon Court of the Ancient Order of Foresters. This includes several names of families featured elsewhere in this archive (see tags).
Page last edited
27/07/2026
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