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Tony Woodcock and his mother Ruby

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Woodcocks shop on the corner of Sycamore Raod and Woodside Close, now a mobile phone shop (PHO2806)

As the family tree on the George Ward page shows, Tony Woodcock was the son of John and Ruby Woodcock who were married in London in 1923.  Ruby was related to George Ward, the well-known Amersham photographer. Ruby set up Woodcocks, a successful ladies’ dress and haberdashery shop in Sycamore Road.

Anthony was an only child and did not marry and lived with his mother in Woodside Close.  He was a very private man and little is known about him, other than his great love of music and photography.  He graduated from Hertford College, Oxford and worked in London as a patent agent.  (If anyone reading this can add more detail, please do contact us to let us know).  He was a member of the Amersham Society and was one of the Founder Friends of Amersham Museum.  When he died he had no living relations so very generously left all his money to five charities and the largest legacy was to the Museum, for which we are enormously grateful as it allowed us to employ a professional Curator.

 

 

Woodcock 1Woodcock 2He was a keen photographer and two of his photographs taken at Amersham Station are shown here.

His father John was born in 1894 in Hampstead. John’s father was a Draper and John was “assisting his father’s business” in 1911 at which time they were living at “The Sycamores”, Chesham Bois, having moved from Willesden. He served in the 12th London Regt in WW1, and died in 1949.

His mother Ruby was born in 1902 in Amersham and died in High Wycombe in 1994. In 1911 she was living with her grandfather George Ward, a carpenter at a Weller’s brewery, and her widowed mother Rosa (who was acting as housekeeper to George) in The Broadway, Old Amersham. George Ward the carpenter was the father of George Ward the photographer. Ruby’s father was Frank, also an Amersham native, who worked as a Journeyman Carpenter and died young, just before Ruby’s birth.

Anthony’s uncle Cecil William Napier Woodcock was killed in WW1; he is buried in France and commemorated on the Chesham Bois war memorial and the Scouts Roll of Honour. Read about his Death Penny which is in Amersham Museum.

 

Plan Your Visit

Opening hours:

Wednesday to Sunday, and Bank Holiday Mondays, 12noon to 4:30pm

49 High Street
Old Amersham
Buckinghamshire
HP7 0DP

01494 723700
[email protected]

 

“Enjoyed our visit to this wonderful interactive museum where you are positively encouraged to touch things!”

“Visited Amersham museum yesterday – lovely place, provides many details on the history of the place. Plenty of cute cafes, pubs and shops around also… not difficult to find free parking nearby. ”

“A well-run, informative and interesting small museum on the main street. It’s mostly volunteer-run and they do a great job in keeping it and making you feel welcome…Check out the herb garden too.”

“Enjoyable film and television location guided walk around Amersham hosted by Amersham Museum – here are the Sun Houses on Highover Park and further up the hill is High & Over.”

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