Hello, I’m Archie James Whitear and I will be 7 this year.
I go to East Meon School. I’m in Oak class. My teacher is Mrs Nineham. I like Maths, Art and Craft and playing football at playtime. I hope you have enjoyed reading some things about my family.
For a Meon Matters article about John Whitear, and the family, click here.
Walter (Shep) Whitear
This is my Great-great-grandad, Walter. He was born Kilmeston in 1865. I don’t know where he went to school. He later lived at Bordean Cross and Coombe Bottom, working as a shepherd. You can see he quite liked catching rabbits as well!
Alfred (Jack) Whitear
This is my Great Grandad Alfred who was born in 1903. Everybody called him ‘Jack’. He didn’t start school luntil he was 8 and had to walk there and back (about 6 miles) from his house in Coombe. He left school at 12 and went straight to work as a shepherd boy. He worked for Sam Hardy at Lower Farm (you can see him in the photo working with the horses), then for the Berrys at Oxenbourne and the Jones at Hillhampton Farm.
One day, during school dinner time, Jack and his friends decided to climb Park Hill and follow the Hunt. They returned to school a ‘little’ late and when asked the reason, the Headmaster told them that he would be their ‘whipper in’ and caned each of them as they entered the school.
Harold (Nobby) Whitear
This is my Grandad, Harold. Everyone calls him ‘Nobby’. He was born in 1948 and went to the ‘Old School’ on the Hill. He remembers that his headmistress Mrs Hayes kept her hanky tucked into her knicker leg. Everyone took turns to be dinner monitors, and when the milk was delivered in the morning, it was kept warm by the stove until first break.
“We played outside in the coal dust or slid down the vineyard on our knees, Football was played UP and DOWN the hill, cricket ACROSS.
Later, we had part of the cricket grounds for games but we had to watch out for the cow pats.
We walked to school in all weathers. The toilets were disgusting; I remember no paper and nowhere to wash our hands.
When the village was flooded (1954), Mr. John Tosdevine took a lot of us to school in his tractor and trailer.
This is my dad Justin. He was born in 1969 and went to the same school as I do now. He liked P.E. and gardening on Wednesdays. His Headteacher’s name was Mr Lewis.”
Justin Whitear
After my Dad left Agricultural college, he worked at South Farm. He now works at Duncombe Farm. My dad says he likes Farming because he likes working outside and driving big tractors and machines.