East Garston

William Kibblewhite Pounds
May 20th 1905 - November 15th 1986

The family name of Kibblewhite Pounds is the oldest known family in East Garston and has been traced back to the 14th century. William (Bill) Pounds was born the 6th child of Francis and Edith Pounds., five more children followed making a total of eleven. (Seven girls and Four boys.

The family home at Lone Barn Front Street, must have bulged at the seams as each new arrival joined this strict but happy Methodist family and, as in many large families in those days, the older children helped to look after the younger ones. Bill went to East Garston school until he was 14 and then joined the family farm at “Jimmies”. The only time he lived away from East Garston was as a young man after an illness he was sent to a farm in Leicestershire as a ‘change of air’ was thought to be a good aid to recovery.

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Text : Dawn Tonge; with the permission of Dawn Tonge and Colin Pounds

Bill at Harvest Time

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However he was worked very hard and not fed too well and after a few months was very pleased when his parents agreed that he could return to East Garston and his Mother on seeing how thin and pale he was proceeded to ‘fatten him up’. He never left East Garston again for longer than a week!!

Bill helped in 1926 with other village men to fetch by horse and cart from Ashdown House the building that is now the Village Hall and for many years, until the day he died he was proud to be a Trustee of that Village Hall. He was also for many years, as was his Father before him, a member of the Parish Council. During the second World War he was an active member of the Home Guard, his eldest brother Frank and youngest brother David served in the army abroad. Sadly David did not return.

He and his brother Worrall - (Laddie) - worked with their Father on the farm and took over as their Father aged. After he died in 1951 they continued in partnership until Laddie retired in 1974. Laddie’s son David and Bill’s son Colin joined the family firm on leaving school. David decided after a few years to leave and pursue another career but Colin stayed until the farm was sold in 1984.

In 1941 Bill married Sylvia Woodley and they had 43 happy years together until Sylvia died in July 1984. Bill survived her by only 28 months and died aged 81 on November 15th 1986. They had 2 children Colin and Dawn (Tonge) who both live in the village.

Bill was a true countryman, he loved the land and nature. He would stand in his garden in his later years and take a breath of air and say “a man could live forever here” and I am sure his spirit is living on there now.

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William Pounds outside the carpenter's shop - Lone Barn, in 1914		William and Sylvia Pounds binding circa 1940