The late Anthony Fanshawe started researching Wonersh in 1966 the year before he and his wife Valerie moved to the village.  He interviewed people living in the village, people who had moved away, visited the Public Records Office and spent twenty four years altogether collecting a vast amount of material on Wonersh. After his sudden death in 1991 Valerie contacted Fraser Scott who came to see Anthony’s collection.  Fraser decided there and then that a history society should be formed and every house in the village had a leaflet through the door.  Doug Sudbury came to see Valerie and suggested that Jean Paul Marix Evans of Great Tangley would probably be interested.  Doug visited Jean Paul, he hadn’t had a leaflet and Jean Paul came to the inaugural meeting.

 Ninety people attended and those willing to serve on the committee were asked to stay behind.

The first committee meeting was held at Woodyers Fraser’s home a few evenings later and at the meeting Fraser asked Jean Paul to be Chairman.  Later Jean Paul negotiated the supply of a free room for storing the archives at the Seminary.  Fraser and Jean Paul cleared Anthony’s study and departed with both their cars loaded with books, pictures, maps and papers.  A few years later the Seminary authorities asked the Society to move the archive.  A permanent home has now been found the collection is being indexed which will hopefully available to members later in 2011

 The first History Society Committee consisted of:

Valerie Fanshawe, Margaret Garrett, Jake Howard, Cathune Cape (bulletin), Graham Oliver (who wrote the constitution)

Doug and Valerie remain on the committee to this day