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Samuel Boddington JP (1850-1936)
The third son of Henry Boddington (b.1819),
a prominent cattle dealer, Samuel established himself as a dealer in woollens
and as a country squire with a fine house, appointed a Justice of the Peace
and was prominent in the local fox hunt.
Samuel lived at Hillfield Hall, Solihull, built in
the 15th century and is a listed building, now converted to apartments,
as is the stable block adjoining. Samuel moved c.1917 to Widney Manor Farm
about two miles up the road, he extended the original cottages here and
named them The Chase. He bred Shire horses and hunting dogs there until
his death in 1936 aged 85. Samuel was a member of the North Warwickshire
Hunt.
The Chase was bought by Captain Oliver Bird MC in
1937, he being of the Bird's Custard family.
Copies of the
fine picture (above) of our illustrious forebear, Samuel Boddington JP,
are held by several members of the family. He was my great grandfather.
The picture is based on a monochrome photograph and the prints were subsequently
tinted to make them into coloured pictures and then framed.
It is a very posed picture - Samuel on his
hunter in his hunting pinks, probably at the meet of the North Warwickshire
Hunt and believed to be in Warwick Park, in front of his car (I haven't
identified that yet, anyone know what it is?).
We believe the picture was taken in 1929. The man at the back of the
car is Hart, Samuel's groom and chauffeur. The man on the right walking
towards the car is said to be Baron
Willoughby de Broke .
However, the then Baron would have been, in 1929, only 33 years of age
and the man in the picture looks rather older than that.
Hart (sorry,
don't know his first name) later retired to a cottage in Saddle Bow Lane,
near Claverdon station, where he died probably in the 1960s. I remember
meeting him there when he was an old man. His son established a motor repair
garage and petrol pump in Claverdon, adjacent to the village green.
See the further history page on Samuel
Boddington's children.
 Samuel Boddington & Sons Ltd
Samuel
Boddington set up this company at 21 Cannon Street in the centre of
Birmingham. The brass office plate (right) and another were rescued by
Simon Boddington when the building was demolished in the 1960s. The one
shown was gifted to his brother's son and daughter in law.
Simon Boddington, Samuel's great grandson, began his
own career at the Cannon Street office and has since continued in the same
industry for many years in California.
Page written by Tim Boddington (Webmaster)
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