Paynter’s Green Is Winning Name for Stoughton’s ‘Little Park’

Published on: 10 Feb, 2013
Updated on: 11 Feb, 2013

A boy from Stoughton has won first prize in a competition to give a park near his home a real name.

Competition winning Dougal xxx is presented with a certificate and prizes by Raineee Waornham (left) and Jan Cook.

Competition winner Dougal Chudley is presented with a certificate and prizes by Raineee Wornham (left) and Jan Cook.

Dougal Chudley, aged 10, from Grange Road, chose Paynter’s Green, which the judges of the competition unanimously agreed upon. The name is in honour of the late Julia Paynter, who, with her husband the Rev’d Francis Payner, did so much for people in Stoughton and Guildford, some 100 years ago.

On Saturday morning (February 9) Dougal was presented with a certificate and a bag of goodies at Paynter’s Green. On hand to present the prizes were Stoughton Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator Jan Cook and Raineee Wornham from the Carols on the Green committee. Both are well know locally as community stalwarts.

The competition was Jan’s idea, and she and Raineee, along with Philip O’Dwyer of Guildford Borough Council, David Rose of The Guildford Dragon NEWS, and Tony Green of the Surrey Advertiser, were the judges.

Dougal xx with members of his family and others with close connections to the Stoughton community.

Dougal Chudley with members of his family and others who have close connections with the community in Stoughton.

Dougal was accompanied by members of his family. And the gathering was made complete with the Rev’d Asif Das from Stoughton Methodist Church, PC Janet Ville, PCSO Holly Ayres, Paul Cook and Charley the dog.

Jan Cook said: “Well done to Dougal for winning the competition and a huge thank you to WH Smith for their very generous bag of goodies which they donated as a prize. We also thank all those who did not win, but who took part.”

The competition was open for children aged between five and 12 years old.

The open space in Stoughton Road, on the corner with Grange and Manor Roads, has no official name. Some call it ‘Stoughton Green’, while others who have lived in the area for many years know it simply as ‘the little park’.

Although the name Paynter’s Green will not be officially adopted at the moment, it is hoped that it will pass into common usage when referring to the open space. It is the venue for the annual Carols on the Green concert that will be taking place for the third time this December. Perhaps that will now be retitled Carols on Paynter’s Green!

David Rose (with his local history hat) on adds some details about Julia ‘Fanny’ Paynter.

Julia ‘Fanny’ Paynter. She died just before her 100th birthday in 1939.

Julia ‘Fanny’ Paynter was married to the Rev’d Francis Payner, who was a rector of St John’s Church in Stoke Road for many years during the second half of the 19th century.

They lived at Stoke Hill House and owned much of the land that today is Bellfields and Stoke Hill. She acquired the name Fanny from the practice of calling a wife by her husband’s first name.

They did many good things for Guildford including the building of several Guildford churches, including Christ Church, St Saviour’s and Emmanuel Stoughton.

The first council houses in Bellfields were in Paynter’s Close, off Stoughton Road. However, when the rest of Bellfields was built, several years after, the roads were given names of trees and therefore Payner’s Close was renamed Cypress Road.

But the Paynters are a family that should be more well known. The family grave plot is in the churchyard in Stoke Road. Fanny Paynter outlived her husband by some 30 years. She died aged 99 in 1939.

She was buried in a cane-covered coffin – with, it is reputed, a key and a candle inside – so as to help her on her way in the afterlife.

Her funeral was attended by a number of local schoolchildren whom she had always been very kind to.

As her wicker casket was brought into the church for the funeral service and then laid down, it creaked a bit. Some of the children became scared, wondering whether she was really dead and had not yet gone to Heaven!

Responses to Paynter’s Green Is Winning Name for Stoughton’s ‘Little Park’

Chris Townsend Reply

February 12, 2013 at 12:15 pm

Mrs Paynter was a benefactor of another church outside the parish of Stoke. I have a children’s book with a printed bookplate: “Guildford Park Evangelistic Mission Sunday School. PRIZE Given and Presented by MRS.PAYNTER, Stoke Hill, Guildford. Superintendent – Mr. RICHARD MILLER.”
It’s dated 1925.
My grandmother and both her children (baptised at St John’s, Stoke) attended “The Mission”, close to their home, preferring it to St. Nicolas, their parish church, and its own mission church in Ludlow Road.
The original corrugated iron “Mission” has been re-built and is now Guildford Park Church, on Guildford Park Road.
My mother recalled Sunday School “bun-fights” held at Stoke Hill. A highlight was when a servant would row children in a boat across the pond (the Moggy Pond?) in the field below the mansion.
Lindsey Doyle Reply

March 26, 2015 at 4:44 pm

My mum was a child of one of the poor families housed at ‘the Mansion’ (or Stoke Hill House) back in I believe the 40s/50s. She has many stories to tell about her time there.

I would love to find others who remember this old house or who have pictures or memories of it. My mum is 76 now. It would mean the world to her.

[David Rose: I have a number of photos of Stoke Hill House in my collection and will be emailing some of them to Lindsey.]
- linda Mahoney Reply
  
  June 17, 2018 at 10:58 am
  
  I have just found out that our mum, brother aged three and an aunt were also housed at Stoke Hill in 1939.
  
  A great surprise to us. As we didn’t know any of this. Do you know where we can find out more information on this please?
  
  [David Rose replies: I have written about Stoke Hill House in some of my books. Guildford Remember When (co-written with Bernard Parke) is available on-line (Amazon, etc), and contains details of the house when it was occupied by squatters after the war. If you are local, come along to the Stoke Community Fun Day on the green in Bellfields on Saturday afternoon, July 7. The Bellfields Remembered project will have a stand with lots of vintage photos and history details of the area.]
- Gillian Farrell Reply
  
  February 5, 2020 at 8:12 pm
  
  I have just discovered that my father was at Stoke Hill House aged 16 in 1939.
  
  It was described as a reform school.
  
  He was from London. Any information of this place or photos please?
  
  David Rose replies: For those of us interested in Bellfields history, the former Stoke Hill House being used a reform school in new to us. Its last occupant, Julia Paynter, died in 1939. Therefore, it seems unlikely it was used as a school so soon after. However, after the Second World War during the severe housing shortage, the then empty house was occupied by several families who squatted there for a few years before it was pulled down. I’d also be interested to hear if anyone can recall it definitely being used as a reform school.
L Mahoney Reply

June 28, 2018 at 8:09 pm

Do you have any photos of Stoke Hill House as it was in 1939, please?

[David Rose replies: Sorry, I have never seen any photos of the house at that date. The Guildford Institute has pictures of it from about 1900.]
John Lomas Reply

July 1, 2018 at 9:03 am

Is this one of the C.1900 pictures David Rose mentioned?

https://guildford-dragon.com/2017/09/20/david-roses-local-history-talk-stoughton-walk-focusing-bellfields-weekend/