Celebrating Hampshire Historians

Sawyer, Kenneth Frederick

20 June 1910 - 4 October 2000

Ken Sawyer was born in Enfield, the eldest child of Albert Frederick and Ada Elizabeth Sawyer; his father worked in banking in the city. Sawyer’s life before Milford-on-Sea is rather a closed book, other than the 1939 Register which recorded him in Merton working in the gas industry and in Civil Defence. His wife, Margaret, was in Suffolk with his parents, his father now listed as a farmer.

The Sawyers retired to Milford around 1970 and Ken was persuaded to attend a meeting on 12 April 1972, which had been called to breathe fresh life into Milford-on-Sea Historical Record Society (MOSHRS) after a period of limited activity. Fifty-four attended and the minutes indicate that, after the formation of a committee, Ken was one of six people proposed to form a Research Team (the minutes note him as ‘research physicist for the Civil Service’; the only nominated person with occupation recorded, perhaps an indication of his recent arrival).

By the time of the society’s first lecture meeting at the beginning of July, he had been elevated to the committee and made Research Member; positions he held until September 1991 when he stood down. He was subsequently designated Honorary Consultant to the Committee, a title he appears to have held until his death. During his time, he was instrumental in the staging of two society exhibitions in 1974 and 1983.

The Sawyers were members of the local Baptist Church, Margaret being their organist. She died in 1990.

Sources

• Milford-on-Sea Historical Record Society Archives

• Ancestry.co.uk

Portrait

Ken Sawyer, 1974

Contribution to county’s history

Ken carried out research throughout his time in Milford, perhaps most notably, his meticulous analysis of the Churchwardens’ Accounts and Poor Law Rate books. These produced invaluable details of principal buildings, and resulted in his conclusion that the demise of salt production in the parish was not due to cheap rock salt from Cheshire, but by inundations by the sea following breaches of Hurst Spit during storms.  

Locally, his reputation was so respected that collections of property documents were loaned for his analysis, comment and precis. Although he only published one full-length article, he left a trove of unpublished papers, research notes, transcripts, analyses and hand-drawn maps, now catalogued in MOSHRS collection, which provides an invaluable resource for further research. His contribution to MOSHRS archives, both while a member and donated by his family after his death, is the largest by any one person.

Relevant published works

• New Light on Milford’s Salterns, Milford-on-Sea Historical Record Society Occasional Magazine Volume 1 (New Series) No. 2 (August 1982). MHR.000348

• Memento, Milford on Sea Historical Record Society Newsletter, January 1995 [Milford Bridge and the removal of the inscription during World War 2]. MHR.000091

• Keighaven, Milford on Sea Historical Record Society Newsletter, August 1996 [about the Manor of Keighaven]. MHR.000375, MHR.002245 and MHR.002246

• A Customised Wedding, Milford on Sea Historical Record Society Newsletter, August 1996. MHR.000375

• Unpublished work in MOSHRS archives:

• Analysis, precis and notes relating to property documents and wills of their owners, School Lane, Milford on Sea, 1806-1982. MHR.000964 to MHR.000977

• Analysis, precis and notes relating to property documents, The Red Lion and adjacent properties, Milford on Sea, 1787-1975. MHR.000978 to MHR.000995

• History of Milford on Sea Historical Record Society. Lecture paper. (1996). MHR.001711

• The Solent Valley. (1974). MHR.002525

• Coast Erosion, Shorelines 1720-1970. MHR.002526

• Fishers Mead, Keyhaven: History from Churchwardens’ Accounts and Poor Law Rate Books, 1778-1880. MHR.003525

• Milford and its Mills. Text of a talk. (1988). MHR.003649

• History from Milford House Deeds, 1763-1867. MHR.003666 to MHR.003668

• The Medieval Manors: A Resume and Chronology of Owners. MHR.005169 and MHR.005170

• The Rickman Family 1611-1766. MHR.005172

• Some Aspects of Georgian Milford; with emphasis on the Hicks family, 1710-1840. MHR.005173

• Milford: A Potted History. MHR.005174

• The Conqueror’s Milford. Milford’s entry in Domesday. MHR.005175

• Milford’s High Street and Environs: A Recap. 1800-1900. MHR.005176

• Milford’s Rate Books. Text of a talk to Lymington Historical Society. (1981). MHR.005177

Critical Comments

Other Comments

It is unfortunate that, during his association with the area, Milford-on-Sea Historical Record Society only produced two slim volumes of its Occasional Magazine, otherwise more of his research would have appeared in print.

Contributor

21 March, 2025, Bob Braid

Key Words

Sawyer, Milford-on-Sea, Salt, Salterns

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