The history of Wonersh Memorial Hall
"A place for them to go"
On 2nd June 1919 a Public Meeting was held at which “It was decided by a large majority to erect a Village Hall - as a memorial to those who have gone from Wonersh and given their lives for their Country – this being the only village in the neighbourhood which has no hall or social meeting place for its inhabitants, and never has the need been felt more than now when the men who have fought are returning to us and there is no place for them to go where they can enjoy the interests and amusements so much appreciated in the temporary buildings in France.”
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The generosity of Wonersh residents
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Having being given a site by the Honourable Mrs Cooper, then residing at Chinthurst Hill, the Committee set its mind to raising the required funds to build one, and an appeal was issued for subscriptions towards the cost of construction. The target was £2,000 which was the estimated cost of a hall about 60 x 24 feet.
The first fundraising event, a Garden fete held in the grounds of Wonersh Park, took place on Monday 4th August 1919, by kind permission of Mr J.J. Sudbury. The minutes of October 7th state ‘A vote of thanks was given to the £500 donor’. Earlier in those minutes was the disconcerting comment that this mysterious donor had raised doubts about the suitability of the site given for the Hall. A committee member was assigned the task of responding and explaining the difficulties of procuring land in Wonersh. The minutes of September 2nd 1920 record that the anonymous donor had viewed and approved the same. During 1921 the minutes of various meetings refer to hopes that the mysterious donor might increase their donation to £1000. The identity of this benefactor is finally revealed in the minutes of August 8th 1922 when Mrs Graham read a letter from Sir Alfred Yarrow enclosing his cheque for £500 but expressing regret that he was unable to give more due to the numerous demands upon him.
The Hall had no endowment to cover future maintenance and a Committee for on-going management was elected, consisting of Messrs. J. Butcher, J.M. Courage, G. Elliott, B. Hammond, S. Herbert, P.A. James and W. Jenkins, together with the Trustees (Rev. A.L. Brown, Messrs. G.A. Ede and S. Simmonds, Mrs. Graham and Miss H.A Marden) ex officio.
The final cost of building the Hall was £1680, to which was added the cost of installing a gas cooker, and the purchase of 200 chairs and 6 trestle tables.
Mr John Courage of Derryswood generously gave a splendid new piano to the Hall and Mrs. Lennox donated a solid oak table.
The self- build extension in 1976
To discover more about the history of Wonersh Memorial Hall, and Wonersh in general visit Wonersh History Society at
As the photograph opposite shows, an extension to provide toilets and a hall was carried by out by enthusiastic villagers. Miss Betty Parsons, secretary of the Hall Trustees, donned a hard hat and put a hand to the mechanical digger.