19/11/12….Town’s help needed to identify historic birth place

THAME Town Council are considering adding two more Blue Plaques to commemorate people who have lived in the town and achieved great things.

But to find out exactly which house to display a plaque in memory of one of them, is proving to be a challenge since it is unclear exactly where his house was.

Philip Burnard Chenery Ayres CMB, CMG MRCS Eng LRCP Edin. was born in Thame, on July 13, 1840, and later in life as Colonial Surgeon and Inspector of Hospitals, Hong Kong, was responsible for reforming the sanitary conditions of health care in the territory.

The mystery is that research into Ayres’ life, has been unable to pin down exactly where the house in which he was born, is.

Ayres was born at home in Priestend/High Street, Thame, to parents Philip Burnard (a surgeon) and Harriet Ayres and baptised at St Mary’s church, on August 26, 1840.

The Census of 1841 locates the family living in a cottage at Priestend, three houses away from the Six Bells public house, although the Census fails to say in which direction.

If anyone can throw any light on the mystery of where Ayre’s family home was exactly, they are asked to contact David Bretherton, via the museum.

The other Thame luminary being considered worthy of a Blue plaque is Francis Howard Kirby VC CBEDCM RAF, son of a Thame ironmonger, born in 1871. He was mentioned in despatches many times during his distinguished war career and was awarded the DCM for blowing up the Bloemfontein Railway in South Africa in 1900. He is believed to have been born at what is now 18 High Street, now known as Wavertree.

IMAGES: Left – P B C Ayres, Right – F H Kirby