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- I am trying to trace the history of the land before our flats were built. We were built on "The Coal Yard" that was at the side of The Old Gosport Station, that is now being developed. Has anyone any pictures or the name of the yard or prior history of the land. The block of flats called Pearce Court, built  in 1983/4 that backs onto the footpath that runs down beside the New houses that  they are building on the station. could it be A & C Barnes coal  merchants?(from a poster on an old bus) but I can find no more than  that. Anne(Added 16th Feb 10)

- I have come across a map dated 1894 (in the draft St Vincent History Club Railway book) The Coal Yard at that time was further down the line. there is gap on the map where your flats are, but at the Forton Rd edge opposite it is ch[apston} & Mop{ats} (not sure) Stables - so earlier stables, perhaps just storage after that. Ian Jeffery ( 6th March 2010)  

- Anna Tait nee Harris & I was born at Blake Maternity Home in  1965, but i can't seem to get a photo of it from 1965. Could you or some one else help me  please. (Added 16th Feb 2010)

- My Great Great Aunts were Sarah & Amy Johns from  Forton. The family were involved in St Johns Church, their father was Charles Edwin  Johns he was a sidesman at St Johns Church. Sarah became headmistress of St Johns Girls School Forton from 1902 -  1939. Amy became headmistress of Grove Road Infants School from 1912 -  1939. One of their brothers Henry (Harry) Johns also became a teacher, but  whilst still a pupil at St Johns in 1902 he earned the school a half day holiday  he was top out of 700 candidates in England for religious studies.

I have a copy of  Mrs Turners book where the sisters are mentioned,  but I find that that people write about St Johns Boys School & the  headmaster Mr Ray, but no one seems to write about the girls. I am desperate for more information & photos of the sisters, but  alas I have none. I do not know a lot about this side of the family only what I have found in  the minute books at Portsmouth Records Office, I have been in touch with St  Johns Church but without success. I wonder if you or any of your contributors can help?Sian Porter (Added 18th Feb 2010

- My name is Michael Kenyon, my  Grandmother was Bessie Hawken whos father was John Hawken who married Emma  Amelia Jones who was born at Gosport Barracks in 1869. We do not know who her  mother and father was but it is likely that her father served at the Barracks. Are there any records of the soldiers/sailors based  at the Barracks in 1869 named Jones and had a daughter called Emma  Amelia? Can you help or point me in the right direction to  find such records. (Added 18th Feb 2010)

- I am Keith Percival from Leesland Park. I wonder if you can help by asking on your site.  What I wanted to know was, how did Leesland get it's name. Hope you can help. Keith (Added 6th March 2010)

- In Philip Eley’s ‘The Place Names of Gosport’ says ‘Leesland. 1860s. A name also seen in Lees Lane. Presumably Lee was a landowner, but there are no obvious candidates in surviving records’. The deeds of my house in Harcourt Rd show the land was owned by the Whitworth Estate to 4th April 1888. Ian Jeffery (6th March 2010) 

- I wonder if you would mind asking on your site if  anyone can remember the Church that used to be in Melville Road.  Gosport. I can remember it being there in the 1950's and  have found it marked on a 1937 OS map in the library. It may have been a 'tin'  type church.

This is for no particular reason but can anyone  remember it and if so, what was the name of the Church?.

It was eventually demolished and I think there are  a pair of semi detached houses on the site now. These houses lay back further  off the road than the rest of the houses. Thanks for a great site.  Lesley.

I wondered if it was the one to the end of Grove Rd, and looked down Melville Rd, I am wondering if the Church you were looking at was the St Francis, daughter Church of St John Forton. The one in Grove Rd, was I think a Baptist Church then it was part of the LOGOS Fellowship and now a Gosport Family Church. (Added 14th March 2010)

- My name is Michael Kenyon. My Grandma's mother Emma  Amelia Jones was born in Gosport barracks. They lived at 35 Upper South  Street in 1868. Daughter of a soldier John Jones of the 115th or 105th Regt  (hard to read on birth cert) and mother Mary Ann Jones nee Thatcher. There doesn't seem to be a street called Upper  South Street now. Do you know if the once was such a street or was South street  divided to lower South Street and Upper South St at the time? John Jones disappeared from the census in 1870 and  Emma Amelia went to live with her mothers side Grandad and Grandma in  Wolverhampton. Is there any way of tracing what happened to him in any military records in the town of Gosport? We do not know  what happened to Mary Ann either. Perhaps he was killed in the Second Opium war  (Arrow war) or by an accident. It may make an interesting story for your site too  - the short life of a soldier in 1868 if you can solve the mystery of the  disappearance. I hope you can help! (11th March 2010)

- I have been able to confirm from a map of the 60's that before the South Relief Road cut through Walpole Park and the other roads to the West. The Upper South St part was the part that curves up between South St and Walpole Rd on the new map as Creek Rd. Ian Jeffery

- I have been seeking information on the death of my mother’s brother June 25^th 1951 in an aircraft accident (helicopter I believe) at or very near Gosport, Portsmouth. He was Lt Mansfield Barrymore Allan Brown, age 28. An unnamed British cadet pilot, who was a passenger, also died.

I have obtained his British death certificate some of which is not readable; the location as best I can make out states died at “Cano Bay, within Portchester” but I have not been able to Google this.  The death certificate also refers to an inquiry on 25^th July 1951, which found the incident was an accident, but I have not yet been able to obtain a copy of this.

I have also obtained a short article on the accident from the front page of the newspaper, The Advertiser from his home city Adelaide, South Australia, June 27, 1951. This cites a Reuter news article.  It says at the time of the accident he was a helicopter pilot attached to the Royal Navy.  It mentions Gosport and Portsmouth.  The article also mentions he was in the RAAF, a Mosquito pilot (Flight Lt) in Britain during part of WW2, and subsequently transferred to the Australian Fleet Air Arm when this was created. Part of the reasons for his transfers was because of back problems and the pain landings caused. He broke his back in a car accident in 1948, in which his father died.

I am seeking further information on the accident (i.e. what happened)  my memory from now deceased family and relatives was that the helicopter rotor came off. I would also be interested to know the name of the other person that died in the accident. Finally, I know he was buried in England and am trying to find the cemetery probably near by and one with military graves. Steven Clarke (Added 17th May 2010)

There is a Steven Clarke seeking info of his uncle who crashed in a helicopter in June 25 1951,and is buried around here. If he does a search for war graves Gosport on his computer, this will put him on Den BUDDEN'S site, which is on your web page, this has most of the war graves around this area. John