The Swan Pub, Stewkley

The Swan Pub was one of the very first places that my dad and I found.  We arrived in Stewkley from London in record time.  We decided to explore the nearby market town of Leighton Buzzard.  There were several grocery stores, home stores, and a train station.  The narrow roads and driving on the opposite side was a bit unsettling for me.  My dad didn't seem to be bothered by it, as he had been to Scotland for Electric Boat several times in his career.  As it was getting close to lunch, we decided to head back to Stewkley to grab a bite to eat before meeting Jill at Dormer Cottage.  The Swan Pub caught our eye.  It later became a familiar place to us during our stay in England.  The locals were so welcoming and helpful.  One gentleman, Frank was curious about our trip to England.  We had a great conversation as we explained our family's roots in the local area.  He later walked back to his house to retrieve a map that would become more helpful as we navigated through the local roads and roundabouts.  The bartender and waitress were bantering back and forth, creating very humorous entertainment.  I was amazed at how friendly everyone was.  We made plans to head back to the pub for Easter roast the following day.  The locals made The Swan a regular stop.  My dad and I both commented on how we wished that we had this kind of community experience back in the states.  The Swan was a definite highlight on this remarkable trip.  I can't wait to make my way back there on a return trip.

Jonathan Wheeler

Jonathan Wheeler was my grandfather, back 8 generations. He was born Feb. 7, 1708 in Stonington, Ct. His parents were Richard Wheeler and Prudence Payson. Richard Wheeler died when Jonathan was only 4 years old. Jonathan then went to live with his uncle Issac Wheeler and his wife Mary Shepard Wheeler. Issac's home that he built on the Wheeler Rd. in Stonington was later known as the "Jonathan Wheeler Homestead". The house had been in our family since 1687. The east half of the house was built for Jonathan by his uncle Issac in 1720. Sadly, the Jonathan Wheeler Homestead burned to the ground during the 1970's. (My father told me that in the 1960's, My grandfather, John Wheeler, was contacted at his home in Old Saybrook about the farm. The current owner, a Wheeler family member, was moving out of state and offered to sell the house and farm, which included 100 acres to my grandfather. He was asking $30,000. My grandfather simply refused and hung up. My father learned about the conversation much later in life. He shared his frustration in that the house and farm could have still been in the Wheeler family if my grandfather had shared the information with other family members.) Mary Wheeler kept the store near the Frink Tavern. Jonathan was taught this business and the cooper's trade. He later built a store and shop southeast of the Jonathan Wheeler Homestead. In the shop he made casks, butter firkins, keelers(to put milk in), barrels, and hogsheads. He sold his goods to his Aunt Mary for use in her store and to Mr. John Denison. In 1730, Jonathan built a barn to the east of the house. It was used for a wheat barn and stood upon a stone foundation. During the summer in those times, when the barn was empty, a school was kept there. Jonathan married Esther Denison on March 1, 1732. He died October 8, 1790. He was the first one to be buried in the Jonathan Wheeler Cemetery. The Jonathan Wheeler Cemetery was designated as a final resting place for Wheeler family members by Jonathan Wheeler prior to his death. This small 100 square yards of space is all that is left of the historic Jonathan Wheeler farm and house.

Cranfield, England, 2009

Since we had an evening flight into London, we decided to stay over night in a hotel before driving into the country side in search of Dormer Cottage.  The next morning, we picked up our rental car and were headed to Aylesbury, then Stewkley.  We were expecting to get lost, but with my father's extremely accurate directions, we made it to Stewkley in less than an hour.  After exploring the area, we made our way to a pub for lunch(Story to follow later) then off to meet Jill at Dormer Cottage.   She gave us precise directions to Cranfield.  We decided to find our way there first.  Our intention was to attend Easter services there the following day and did not want to get lost or encounter any unexpected detours.  Thanks to Jill's directions, we successfully navigated through numerous roundabouts and narrow roadways to Cranfield.  The home of our ancestor, Thomas Wheeler and his family.  We met Hugh Thompson, the minister at the St. Peter and Paul Church.  He was more than happy to give us a tour and information about the Wheeler history in Cranfield.  His hospitality was generous and welcoming.  We greatly appreciated his help and were pleased to have met him.  The church was stunning.  We were standing in the actual building that our ancestors had been baptized and married in!! The feelings were emotional and hard to explain.  We made arrangements to return on the following day for Easter service.  I can't wait to return to the church with my son and share the experience with him as I shared with my own father on that April day.

England, 2009

This past April, My dad and I visited England for the very first time.  This was a dream come true for me in that I have always wanted to visit the area in England where my ancestors were from.  It was an incredible adventure to share with my father.  We had planned the trip, almost a year in advance and knew exactly where and what we wanted to see and do.  Obviously, we planned to visit the quaint village of Cranfield.  Our Wheeler ancestors were all from there.  We also wanted to spend time exploring the surrounding areas and stately homes that grace the countryside.  We originally talked about trying to find hotels to stay in along the way.  Then I had the idea of trying to find a cottage that we could rent that was centrally located near all of our destinations.  After searching the web for possibilities, I came across a place called "Dormer Cottage" in Stewkley.  I can't tell you how wonderful our stay was in this warm and friendly little village.  Our host Jill Scott met us at the door with open arms and generous hospitality.  The cottage itself was built in the early 1600's.  It had two bedrooms, one large bath, a full kitchen, and a sitting room.  I thought I had died and gone to heaven.  You could almost feel the history in the place.   From the exposed beams in the bedrooms to the large fireplace in the sitting room, complete with a bread oven.  We looked forward to our return every afternoon to Dormer Cottage after a day of exploration.  On the day that we arrived, Jill made delicious Easter cookies that were waiting for us in the kitchen.  Our trip to England would not have been the same if we stayed somewhere else.   I plan on a return visit to England next year with my wife and 10 year old son.  I don't need to tell you that I will be staying at Dormer Cottage with Jill Scott for part of that visit.  My return to England will include more family history research and to see more spectacular sites with my family.  But I will also be looking forward to seeing my new friend Jill Scott.    

Myself, Richard Wheeler(my father), Robert Wheeler(my uncle)

My father and I began restoring the Jonathan Wheeler Cemetery in the late 90's. It was during this time that I became addicted to my family history and genealogy. I had always known that the cemetery was in Stonington, but like most young people had interests elsewhere! At the time, the right of way was from Wheeler Road. Which meant that you basically were fighting poison ivy, thorns, vines, and a mess of underbrush. Since then, a new development was put in and now has almost completely surrounded our precious historical burial plot. Progress is a good thing though because the town has deemed a small field in front of the cemetery the new right of way and as open space. Which means that no one can build there. This provided us the perfect opportunity to access the lot and dig in. We began by rebuilding the stone wall and clearing the perimeter. Next, we tackled the clean up of the interior. This meant the removal of about thirty years of oak, maple, and hickory leaves!! We also cleared twigs, branches, and other debris. Later we focused on reseting and cleaning the headstones. Since the original entrance faced Wheeler Road, my father suggested that we move the entrance to face the open field and access area. We shopped for new iron gates(The old ones had long been stolen.) and set two new oak posts to hold them. I then ordered an aluminum sign to re-establish the landmark. It has been a long ten years, but the fruits of our labor were well worth it. Jonathan Wheeler would be proud.

Yes this 100 sq. yards of space is all that is left of the old Jonathan Wheeler Homestead and farm that once stood tall in the Center of Wheeler Road. Jonathan is my grandfather, back 8 generations. He built his house on land given to him by his grandfather. Land that was part of the original 4,000 acres that Thomas Wheeler once owned. Jonathan set aside this burial place for his descendants. When I step into this sacred place, I am surrounded by generations of Wheelers and family. My Great, Great Grandfather, Horace Niles Wheeler was the last person buried there. He died March, 1909.