We had assembled at the Holiday Inn at Heathrow Airport in London for our first meeting and greeting and the day following was our first day of touring to the City of Winchester. Our Daughter Robin, son in law Kyle as well as their two children were tour participants; so in all the Ribble family made up six of the group. Raulin was attending college in Sheffield, UK as an extension from the University of New Mexico; and she was able to join us on the weekends.
Our journey from London was through the port city of Southampton and on to Winchester about 70 miles before stopping at St Andrews Church in Timsbury, Hampshire. The St. Andrews Church being the parish church for many generations of Chandlers.
Allison Shelly, another Chandler cousin, joined us with the Church Warden, Dr. John Glasspool, and both of them related many of our family ties to St Andrews. The Church held a very warm and glowing atmosphere. This was the beginning of many great experiences to come.
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Robin practicing her photographic skills. What, another photographer is the family?
Dr. Glasspool pondering over question. You do know that we 'Yanks' can ask terribly naive questions.
The Doctor's look is priceless! Our first Group photo and say hello to our pretty British cousin, Allison with the red hair and is the second from the left.
Then it was lunch time. Errol arranged for us to lunch at a quaintly styled English Pub, "The Bear and Ragged Staff".
John Knowles telling Rosemary another windy, and she believed him. John is a former Marine, and he knows all the good lines.
We were delighted to be driven by Leigh Lewis, our Escort for the entire trip, and the Arleeen Coach Company provided us with a most comfortable ride. By the way Leigh was masterful negotiating the roads we traversed these 12 days. We were not on interstate highways but on winding rural roads on the beautiful English countryside.
Poor Errol thinking: "OMG What has Claudia gotten me into with this bunch of Yanks"?
Winchester College
Current pupils of Winchester College are known as Wykehamists, in memory of the school's founder, William of Wykeham. It’s name is actually St. Mary's College, but being near Winchester it is commonly just known as "Winchester College". The School has existed for over six hundred years, carrying the reputation of being the longest unbroken history of any school in England. Over the years 37% of its graduates have gone on to either Cambridge or Oxford Universities.
Winchester College was founded in 1382 by William Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester and Chancellor to King Richard II. The first seventy students entered the school in 1394. William Wykeham also founded the "New College" at Oxford about that the same time. Winchester College originated to prepare students to attend Oxford's New College.
Thomas Chaundler, our family thread for this tour, entered Winchester College in 1430 at age 12, studied there until 1435, then on to New College at Oxford. Thomas had been selected to study by the scholarship program established by William Wykeham both at Winchester College and at Oxford.
Our group is gathered at the entrance to the College waiting on Ms. Freda, our guide.
A painting of William Wykeham taken at his Broughton Castle. The founder of Winchester College.
"Manners Makyth Man" was coined by William Wykeham, and this motto was adopted by both Winchester College and New College at Oxford. The Motto of Oxford is today is still "Manners Makyth Man"
Nothing happened in England that did not go through William Wykeham, as he was controller or the Exchequer for 40 years. One must remember that in the 1300's all power and property was owned by three players: The Crown, the Church and the Merchant. Two of these arenas were in the hands of none other than William of Wykeham. His educational system involved our cousin, Thomas Chaundler, as a scholar to Winchester College and then later to New College at Oxford.
We were asked not to photograph students; but as I was taking this photo of the grounds, this student just happen tp across the courtyard......... The Devil made me do it!
Admittedly, this is a poor photograph; but it displays the listing of those students accepted for the fall entrance of 2018. A third are church affiliated, and two thirds from the merchant or gentry of UK.
The Chancellors home and gardens of the College.
That evening Allison sharing her Chandler ancestry with Joan and John Knowles and Louanne Lasdon.
Come on Willie sing us another verse, and we’ll move on down the road to St Mary's Church, the Tide Mill and the Beaulieu Auto Museum.
Norm & Dottie