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The name Hayes derives from the Anglo-Saxon “hǣse” which means brushwood. In the 17th century, the area was known as Hessee. For 700 years, this UB3 area was one of the estates owned by the Bishop of Canterbury. In 1546, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer had to give the land to King Henry VIII. The king gave Hayes to Edward North, 1st Baron North. The Minet and Shackle families have owned the estate for the longest time. John Wesley and Charles Wesley, two of the founders of the evangelical Methodism, preached in this area on several occasions. There was a Salvation Army barracks in Hayes towards the end of the 19th century.
Several private boarding schools were established in Hayes in the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1820, the manor house on Church Road housed Radnor House Academy. Grove Cottage on Wood End was established in 1830. The present-day St Mary’s Convent was Belle House School for Boys. The Norman Leddy Memorial Gardens stands on the site of what used to be Wood End House School for Young Ladies. Before being converted into a school, Wood End House was an asylum. Famous psychiatrist John Conolly is associated with this mental facility. In 1961, the building was taken down. Hayes war memorial at Cherry Lane Cemetery honors the 37 people killed by a V-1 flying bomb during World War II. The monument is Grade II listed.
Writer George Orwell taught at the Hawthorns High School in Hayes. Composer William Byrd, who is considered the father of English music, is a historical figure associated with the area. Guitarist and founding member of the Deep Purple band, Nick Simper, lived here. Professional golfer Barry Lane was born in the area. There’s another place in London with the name of Hayes. This one is in the North West London area while the other one is in South West.