Thomas Utton Panchen

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Memories of Christine Mcafee of her Great Grandfather

I am Christine Mcafee, and I live in the New York, town of Highland, about 80 miles North of New York City. My Great Grandfather, Thomas Utton Panchen, built the Park Hotel on Park Rd. He named the road around the corner Alecto Rd after the ship he served on as a young midshipman. He built much of Alecto Rd (left side facing old railway) and 2 houses on Park Rd. Great Grandfather was a remarkable character. It is family lore that his father was a bishop in Kent, but Great Grandfather, ran away to sea as a teenager, serving on HMS Alecto, which I believe was a quite famous ship. I think I have a picture of it in a trial against another ship, HMS Ratttler. I also believe there were Panchens in Alverstoke as early as the 1870's. I have a picture of Great Grandfather, a very handsome man. His wife was Elizabeth Jane, most longsuffering. Both are buried in Anns Hill cemetery.



	Thomas Utton Panchen


				Aunt Henriette

Great Grandfather he always had a very close relationship with his barmaids, and left at least one child to prove it, much to the regret of the rest of the family. It is said he died in the 1930's in the top bedroom of 1 Alecto, in a huge brass bed, surrounded with pictures of the Gaiety Girls. 1A was originally a hand laundry, and Great Grandfather had all his women working for him. I remember a photo of the team at work, in the back room. It was sold by my mother to Alma White in 1960 for £1000 pounds.

I have many memories of Gosport, spent the first 20 years of my life there.I remember the park hotel as a ‘den of vice’ as a small child. I have many memories of it. My Aunt Henriette was killed falling down the stairs at the hotel at age 4. My Grandmother always maintained her spirit lives on, so if you ever come across a small spirit child in the hotel, you now know her name. I lived at 4 St Valerie Rd as a young child (late 40's thru 50's and then at 1 Alecto Rd I also lived in 76 Park Rd, and that’s where I had my one and only ghostly experience. I saw (really!!) a figure of a child in the upstairs front bedroom. The neighbours were called Bailey, the daughter was called Nancy and ran a sweet shop in Stoke Road, and used to let us have sweets even when we had run out of coupons. Coupons existed right up to Coronation Year. There was a cafe that sold wonderful meat pies.

I can go for ever this way, remembrances of Gosport Park, the Common, Alverstoke C of E school, St Marys.... ad nauseam. Yes, would be happy if you post my memories. Christine