High Society comes to Jacobs Well. After the war another remarkable family made its home in Jacobs Well. The Honourable Sir Bede Clifford had distinguished himself in the Colonial Service, as Governor of the Bahamas, Mauritius and finally Trinidad. He was then advised to retire on medical grounds. Possibly because of his family's friendship with the Duke and Duchess of Sutherland he bought Queen Anne Farm, where he designed and helped to build a studio for his wife and talented daughters.

The latter attracted a number of very distinguished bachelors to the locality and there was a great deal of socialising between Queen Anne Farm and Sutton Place. John Julius Cooper Norwich, son of Viscount Norwich and Lady Diana Cooper, courted and married the eldest daughter, Anne. Sir Richard Fairey, of the famous aviation family, married the youngest daughter, Atalanta, and it is said that he used to drop in - quite literally - using a helicopter - or possibly an autogiro - of his own design.

After Sir Bede died in 1969 his American-born wife returned to the U.S.A., but she came back from time to time to visit her daughters, until she died in 1980.

Jacobs Well Cottage. Jacobs Well Farm had become Farm Cottages during the First World War, occupied by two families, the Stillwells who had previously lived in the Old House for many years, and the Greys. Mr Stillwell ran a bus service from Guildford to Sutton Green via Jacobs Well and Mr Grey was a carter. Both families had left by the late '30s and only John Kerrigan was listed as the occupant in the Electoral Roll of 1950. Not long after that Farm Cottages are said to have been virtually derelict. The building was then rescued, restored and modernised, including the addition of an old barn from elsewhere to provide a spacious sitting room, and the property was renamed Jacobs Well Cottage. In 1983 it was reported to have changed hands for £200,000.

Willow Grange. The third Bishop of Guildford, Henry Montgomery-Campbell, was the last one to live at Farnham Castle because it became too expensive to maintain and repair. The Church Commissioners therefore decided to rent Willow Grange to house Bishop Ivor Watkins and his family who lived there from 1956 until 1960. He was succeded first by George Reindorp, 1961-1973, and then by David Brown, 1973-1982. In 1976, during the latter's residence, the house was purchased by the Church Commissioners. At that time the barns and granary which stood between the house and the main road were removed. Bishop Michael Adie and his wife were part of the village community from 1983 and Bishop John Gladwin took up residence in 1996.

Filling in the triangle. As the restrictions of war-time were gradually removed the developers who had purchased the fields of Henry Treeby's estate got out their plans, dusted them off and proceeded to put them into action.

By the mid-1950s Stringers Avenue had been completed and, together with Grangefields Road, Treebys Avenue and Queen Hythe Road, a total of some three hundred new homes and some shops had been provided. We understand that two companies were involved in these developments and that for some time there was actually a physical obstacle, in the form of a trench, hampering passage between the two halves of Stringers Avenue.

Following such an influx of new residents, in June 1960 a public meeting voted for the creation of the Jacobs Well Residents Association. The name had indisputably got its village, and although infilling continued, and still does to this day, our saga has reached its conclusion.

In the following chapters we shall attempt to tell you more about some of the outstanding personalities who have lived in the locality and about major features of the neighbourhood which have affected life in the village.

But first the following may be of interest: The origins of local road names