- Godalming was a major centre, alongside London and the
East Midlands, for the framework knitting industry.
- The old Market House in the High Street, demolished in
1814, was eventually replaced by the building affectionately
nick-named the 'Pepperpot' or 'Pepperbox', a delightful
two storey meeting place, which is shown in our photograph
on the right.
- First place in the World to have public and private electricity
supply - 26 Sept 1881. The current was generated by a large water
turbine. It had been hoped that this oldest example of a Fourneyron
type water turbine would be restored locally, but for several
reasons it was donated to the Ironbridge Museum in Shropshire
at the end of July 2004. Manufactured by Macadam Bros, Belfast,
it was installed at the Catteshall paper mill in 1869. Following
the paper mill's demolition it was moved in 1981 to Westbrook
Mills for storage.
- The town spreads up two hills separated by the River Wey, whose
ancient flood plain is known as the Lammas Lands. After particularly
heavy rains the Lands become a huge lake that we find very picturesque.
- The parish church, of SS. Peter and Paul, pictured right,
overlooks the Lammas Lands. Opposite the church, in Church
Street, there are some of the town's oldest houses. Several
buildings in the High Street are also very old. Tudor architecture
can be seen at first floor level and two particularly lovely
buildings are to be found above a building society and a
booksellers/newsagents.
- The last public executions in Godalming of the infamous
murderers Chalcraft and Chennell followed their trials at
Guildford Assizes. Thousands of people watched the event
on the Lammas Lands in 1818. Their names appear on lists
of those who were held at Newgate Prison in London.
- Peter the Great, Czar of Russia, lodged at the Kings Arms
Inn in 1698. He and his entourage had rather a lot to eat
and drink, according to the records of the feast held in
the Bodleian Library, Oxford.
- General James Oglethorpe, founder of the State of Georgia,
USA, lived at Westbrook House. The townspeople still have
many friends in Georgia. The town is also "twinned"
with Joigny in France and Mayen in Germany.
- Birth place of Julius Caesar, cricketer. Julius was a
member of the highly successful (i.e. unbeaten) English
cricket team who toured Australia in the Winter of 1863/4.
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- "Jack" Phillips, wireless operator on the ill-fated
Titanic, was also born locally. He was last seen "walking
aft". As a crew member, his name does not appear on the ship's
passenger list (though some crew information is now available
online). There is a commemorative garden in his memory near the
church and he is also named on a family grave in the local cemetery.
If you look closely at the photograph of the church above, the
memorial garden's walls can be see just below centre on the right.
The Museum website (see link at bottom) has photographs of the
memorial and headstones.
- "The Rabbit Woman of Godalming". She was so named
because she was reputed to have given birth to 18 rabbits in 1726.
Immortalised in a Hogarth cartoon, she had a spell in prison after
which she bore a normal child as opposed to a mythical rabbit.
- Near our house runs a footpath that dates from Saxon times.
It goes down the hill to the site of a Roman brickfield.
- In the nearby village of Compton are two buildings dedicated
to the memory of George Frederick Watts, the eminent Victorian
artist and portrait painter. Watts' most famous portrait is of
his actress first wife and was painted in 1864. Called Ellen Terry
(Choosing) the young woman, whom he married when she was only
sixteen, is shown with her flowing red hair, smelling camellias.
There are five camellias in her hair and a small bunch of wild
flowers in her left hand. Watts lived in the village for many
years and a great deal of his work is exhibited in the Watts Gallery.
His mausoleum, erected by his second wife, is the Watts Memorial
Chapel and is a fine example of the Arts and Crafts movement.
G.F.W. installed a corner stone on 23 Feb 1903 - his 86th birthday.
- Sir Edwin Lutyens was born at Thursley. Lutyens was one of the
Principal Architects who worked for the Commonwealth War Graves
Commission and he supervised the design of the Etaples Military
Cemetery, nr. Le Touquet, France, where both of Ann's grandfathers
are buried (see our genealogy pages
and Picture Gallery). Gertrude Jekyll,
the famous gardener who collaborated with Lutyens, lived at Munstead.
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Two delightful images of Godalming's riverside walks.
Photographed by and © Peter Tietjen and are reproduced here with his
very kind permisssion. |
Elswhere on this website:
 Picture
Gallery : Surrey - Borough Road and Frith Hill, Godalming, 1915
Picture
Gallery : Surrey - SS. Peter & Paul Parish Church, Godalming,
1910
Picture
Gallery : Surrey - Godalming, High Street, 1910 - an Edwardian postcard
Picture
Gallery : Surrey - Godalming, The Old Forge, Pound Lane, about 1916
Picture
Gallery : Surrey - Godalming, Railway Station, 1908
Information elsewhere on the Internet
Godalming
Town Council
Godalming
Museum
Visit www.godalmingonline.com to view webcams in the High Street
and Church Street
Surrey
History Centre in Woking holds the Godalming parish records
"Jack"
Phillips
Watts
Gallery, Compton
The gallery was featured in BBC2 series of "Restoration Village"
on Friday 28 July 2006; it won the vote for the South East of England
and came second in the national final.
Titanic
Passenger List
Newgate
Prison
The
Bodleian Library, Oxford
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