The Freedom of Thame!

THE PATRIOT

Quarterly Newsletter of The John Hampden Society No. 19 - Summer/Autumn 1997 The Freedom of Thame!

Hampden’s Greencoats salute their hero as the climax to John Hampden Week

The tramp of marching feet, the beat of drums and the shouts of Sale or return Free delivery Also in this special 12-page issue: soldiery were heard again in Thame area AGM report this year when Col. John Hampden's Free glass Advice and Regiment of Foot of the English loan suggestions Hon. Secretary resigns Civil War Society, led by their Visit to Broughton Castle Commanding Officer, Major Derek The Hampden Wine Company Lester (above), marched through the Fifth Anniversary lunch town at the head of the Carnival Notley Farm The new Hampden biography procession as the climax to the Long Crendon, Bucks HP18 9ER Thame Festival in June. Telephone (01844) 201641 Civil War course (For a full report, see ‘Thame Diary’ on INDEPENDENT WINE MERCHANT Help wanted page 3) QUALITY AND VALUE FOR MONEY BROUGHTON VISIT ANNIVERSARY LUNCH All members (and many other interested The visit to Broughton Castle on Sunday bottom of the stairs, it was totally secure parties) will have received an invitation to 27 April was attended by more than 30 in the days before electronic eavesdrop- the Society’s Fifth Anniversary Lunch, members, and was voted an outstanding ping. which will be held at Hampden House, success. It was a warm, sunny day, and In the middle of the room was a small Great Hampden on Saturday 11 October, the Castle and grounds were looking at table on which were several small Civil by kind permission of Tim Oliver. their best War cannon balls. Lord Saye told an This has been organised by Mrs Gillian amusing story of a Goodall, and we can now reveal that the small boy who asked speaker will be our Patron, The Earl of what they were. Lord Buckinghamshire. Saye told him and Despite the announced deadline of 14 handed him one. The September, there are still a few vacancies boy looked at it in for this not-to-be-missed occasion. There horror, and said, will probably be a guided tour of the “Has it gone off House after lunch, and it will be possible yet?” to visit the church if there is no wedding Practically everyone that afternoon. in the party made their way up the stairs to look at this RESIGNATION historic room. The The Hon. Secretary has announced his presence of a number intention to stand down at the next of strong men in the Annual General Meeting. party meant that Mrs Speaking at this year’s AGM at Hamp- Gillian Goodall’s den House, Mr Bailey said that he A number of the participants lunched wheelchair was carried wherever she wished to put down a marker to members beforehand at The Saye and Sele Arms, well ahead of time. He pointed out that, wished to go, so she not only visited the by April 1998, he will have been just outside the Castle gates, and we were Council Chamber but joined the rest of Secretary of the Society for 5½ years and all welcomed in the Great Hall by Lord the party on the Castle battlements, where he felt that it was time for a change. and Lady Saye. we were able to enjoy the views of the “My work load has increased immensely Lord Saye spent some time describing park and the surrounding countryside. in the past year or two, and I am the history of the family and their home, After visiting the Great Parlour and beginning to make mistakes, which an- which dates from about 1300, and went viewing the cup given by John Hampden noys me”, he said. “I have therefore been on to point out some of the armour and to John Feinnes and the miniature purport- following a policy of (for want of a better weapons that adorned the walls. This led ing to be Hampden (see ‘The Patriot’ Nos word) delegating as much as possible, and to a demonstration by Derek Lester of 7 & 8), the party spent some time walking this has been successful. Mrs Gillian the way that the armour was worn, and around the gardens before returning to the Goodall has taken on fundraising; Dennis several members who tried on the helmets Great Hall, where the Hon. Secretary Hargreaves is in charge of all products; commented on how heavy they were. thanked Lord and Lady Saye on behalf of Graham Barfield has masterminded the The party then split into two groups and the Society. book reprint far better than I could ever toured the Castle. We have done; and Liz Morris is a candidate were shown the former at this meeting for Membership Secre- kitchens, the private tary”. chapel, and the various Mr Bailey went on to point out that bedrooms which had about 100 of the Society’s 133 members been slept in by Roy- lived in or close to the Great Hampden- alty. The most fascinat- Thame-Aylesbury triangle, and he was sure there was someone who could fill the ing part was, of course, post of Secretary just as well. He hoped the Council Chamber, that the Society would consider instituting the ‘room that hath no the additional post of Press or Public ears’, right at the top of Relations Officer next year, which he the Castle at the rear. would enjoy doing and to which he could This was the room bring a considerable amount of experi- (indicated right) where ence. John Hampden met with the first Lord Saye and Sele and other members HELP WANTED of the opposition to Charles I. It is actually the top of one of Tea was then taken in the tearoom in the Derek Lester is in great need of professional old stable block. advice in connection with the plans for Chal- two staircase towers on the south side of grove battlefield. If there are experts out there the Castle, so that it has three exterior It was a thoroughly enjoyable visit, much who are prepared to assist the Society in such walls, and it is reached by a steep little enlivened by Lord Saye’s wit and hu- matters as land conveyancing or property law, staircase. With a loyal guard posted at the mour. or who can give advice on planning and taxa- tion matters, or who are experienced in writing a business plan, Mr Lester would like to hear CORRECTION from them. On receipt of a complimentary copy of ‘The In the next issue: His address is: Patriot’, our new friend Robert Schadewald of 8 Margaret Close Minnesota rightly pointed out that this is a John Hampden in America? WALTHAM ABBEY newsletter, not a journal. Essex EN9 1PZ Point taken and correction made. The Society at The King's Head Tel: 01992 701304

2 THAME DIARY John Hampden Week as seen by Roy Bailey - Honorary Secretary

Fridav 13 June John Hampden Week really started here, with the setting up of the Soci- ety’s exhibition in the Primary School in Thame. Headmaster Alan Haigh had kindly agreed to lend the Society the school’s brand new display stand, which comprised a dozen 3 ft x 2 ft panels in a most suitable shade of green, and it had been agreed to erect this in the corridor, which doubled as a small library, next to the main hall.

I arrived in the early afternoon to find The Society’s exhibition in the school hall Barry Keating and Brian Nicholls rar- Roy Bailey ing to go, and we were soon joined by Dennis Hargreaves. The display stand High Wycombe) where Headmaster each year, but Derek Lester had sug- was swiftly erected, and we comman- Andrew MacTavish had invited me to gested that we make it and official So- deered the small room just inside the give an illustrated talk on the Patriot to ciety ceremony this year, as part of entrance to layout all the material. the Parents and Teachers Association. John Hampden Week. Consequently Just before I left Maurice Kirtland Gill had been asked to organise the Once the relevant photos and cuttings production of a larger wreath on behalf arrived with a supply of the newly- had been selected from our ever- of the Society and to find someone to reprinted biography of Hampden by Dr increasing collection, the Three Wise conduct a suitable service. Our Patron, Frank Hansford-Miller, which Graham Men got down to the task of cutting The Earl of Buckinghamshire, had Barfield had delivered to Maurice a small pieces of Velcro from a large roll agreed to give a short address, and and sticking them to the back of each few days earlier. This had been re-titled John Hampden of Buckinghamshire - Derek had undertaken to bring along item, which I then arranged on the fab- some of Col. John Hampden’s Regi- The People’s Hero, and sported a smart ric-covered panels. ment from their camp at Thame. laminated cover. All present agreed The display was completed with the that the results looked very good in- When I arrived at the Monument that addition of the wreath which was laid at deed, and it was hoped that they would the former Greyhound Inn in 1993 and evening, there was a small family group command a ready sale at High Wy- looking at the USAF memorial which the brass plaque presented to us in combe. Hampden (Maine) in 1994. These had was unveiled in 1993. Thinking that been collected by Dennis from They did, thanks to the efforts of Liz they might have come for the wreath- Hampden House, where they were be- Morris, who had offered to help me laying, I engaged them in conversation, ing looked after by Tim Oliver. with the talk and who took charge of and found that they were tourists who the books, postcards and leaflets had just happened to turn up at that While not quite of the calibre of some- which we had available. A number moment. thing you would see at Earls Court or were sold, and we made sure that the the National Exhibition Centre, it was Grammar School had plenty of infor- I explained what we were doing, agreed that the display would be inter- mation about the events at the Primary pointed out Lord Buckinghamshire, esting and informative to the visit-ing School in Thame during the coming who had arrived first, and invited them school parties, who would be coming to week. to participate in the ceremony - an idea see the Living History. This was also Wednesday 18 June. that they seemed to find attractive. I scheduled to start on Monday and was therefore considerably surprised to would occupy the school playing field. The world in general knows this day see their car disappear towards the Halfway through the afternoon, Julia as Waterloo Day, but we of the John main road at a high rate of knots a few Lester arrived in a Transit van full of Hampden Society prefer to call it Chal- minutes later. I still haven’t discovered pikes to start setting up. grove Day, the anniversary of the battle whether it was my sales pitch, the pres- in 1643. In her capacity as Clerk to I had to leave Thame at about 5.30 in ence of a Peer of the Realm, or the arri- Chalgrove Parish Council, Gill Black- val of Derek and his troops which order to get to the other John Hampden shaw had taken to laying a small scared them off! School (the large Grammar one in wreath at the Monument on this day 3

The service was a simple one. The remembering their 17th century Sergeant-Major General Des Thomas, Chairman of Greencoats with their two standards - namesakes. one regimental; the other bearing the The Roundhead Association Hampden motto ‘Vestigia Nulla Ret- Mrs Blackshaw then invited the So- ciety’s Patron to give the address and rorsum’ - formed a guard of honour in front of the Monument. Following lay the wreath. a short introduction by Gill Black- “This is an important week in the shaw, in which she honoured those remembrance of John Hampden”, other brave men who died or were said Lord Buckinghamshire, “as we mortally wounded in the battle, lay recall the Battle of Chalgrove Field preacher Robert Heath-Whyte spoke (where we stand now), his wounding, of the horrors of that time. and subsequent death in Thame”. Roy Bailey tyrannical and despotic rule. He was a fine example of the Hampden family motto ‘No Step Backward’.” “I now lay this wreath on your behalf for John Hampden, the Father of the People; John Hampden the Pa- triot. He is to be well remembered and honoured. We are the richer for his life”. Lord Buckinghamshire then laid the wreath against the railings outside the Monument, while the Guard of Hon- our again lowered their colours. The ceremony concluded with prayers for The Queen, her Parliament, and the Lord and Lady Buckinghamshire at the Memorial Service Church. Trevor Trevor Cox “Let us bring to mind the tragedy of “As we stand here tonight, we families and communities torn apart should give thanks for all those who by the rivalry of civil war; of the pri- have fought, suffered and died in the vations visited on the defenceless; cause of freedom. In particular, we and of the fear and savagery of hand- remember those men and women of to-hand combat with musket, pike the US Army Air Force, the US Air and sword”, he said. “But let us re- Force, and the US paratroopers who member also the comradeship, the were stationed here during the Sec- valour and the sacrifice made by ond World War”. those who fought here on this day “John Hampden is remembered by 354 years ago”. each of us in different ways. I remem-

He then prayed for all those who ber him for his loyalty and steadfast Trevor Cox fought on the field of Chalgrove, support for his friends in times of Before departing it was decided that while the Greencoats stood with adversity, and his principled struggle the wreath would be better on the heads bowed and colours lowered, for the freedom of our people from Monument than outside, so some time was spent lifting it over the railings on the end of a sword and plac- ing it on the plinth (above). Needless to say, it kept falling over, but success was finally achieved. Sadly, the event was poorly attended. There were only 6 members of the Society present - Lord and Lady Buckinghamshire, Gill Black- shaw, Derek Lester, John Potter and myself - plus a few residents of Chal- grove. It was hoped that Saturday

The Guard of Honour lowering the Colours would produce a better response. John John Potter 4

Fridav 20 June.

And so to Thame again, as Samuel Pepys might have said. My pleas in ‘The Patriot’ for a large Winnebago had remained unanswered, so I had abandoned the idea of having a Soci- ety office in Thame during the week, but we had managed to borrow a modest caravan for the weekend. Having filled this with all the neces- sities and decked out the windows with big green John Hampden Society Load! Fire! John Potter deafens the children at the Living History posters, I towed this over to the Pri- mary School, where Alan Haigh had agreed we could park it. My wife Annabel and daughter Alice would join me later in time for the talk. When I arrived just after lunch to start arranging the hall for Dr John Adair’s talk, I was pleased to see that the Living History was still occupy- ing the school playing field. I took a walk around, and was impressed by what I saw. The dozens of schoolchildren who had attended during that week must have seen much to interest and inform them, for there were cannons and stands of muskets, together with tents containing armourers, cooks, leather workers, carpenters, spinners and weavers, and all the parapherna- lia of 17th century camp life.

The children learn about the gentler side of 17th century life

All thispictures on page Theby Bucks Herald

bers of the school staff, and our Patron and Lady Buckinghamshire.

Dr Adair kindly answered a number of questions, and everyone agreed that it had been an excellent evening. Denise Waiters and some of her help- ers served coffee and delicious cakes both before and after the talk, and the exhibition stand attracted a lot of interest. So, too, did our products table, where Liz Morris did a roaring trade in John Hampden of Buckinghamshire and other publications. John Adair also sold a number of copies of Roundhead General, and was thanked by Lord Buckinghamshire for his splendid talk.

Bucks Bucks Herald We would see John again the follow- Cannon Master Peter Kaminski demonstrates his cooking skills ing evening. The Society’s contribution was not move the exhibition stand from its Saturday 21 June being ignored either. When I went position outside and place it against into the school, I found a group of the wallbars, where everyone could This was the big day! As our cara- enthralled children sitting crossed- see it. This proved to be a good van was conveniently parked in the legged in front of the exhibition, ask- move, as a number of people spent school playground near the hall, we ing questions of a lady in 17th century some time studying it after the talk. were about early, dismantling the ex- costume. hibition stand and restoring the hall to The whole evening went with normal. Although the Living History I was immediately called upon to scarcely a hitch. True, when I had had been scheduled to finish the pre- supply a translation of the motto on loaded all the 70 slides into their two vious day, there were still a number the wreath. I think I got 10 out of 10! trays, one shot out of the projector of troops around tidying up, but most and deposited the contents on the One of the problems Alan Haigh and of them had moved out to the Chin- floor, so I had to start again! True, I had identified some weeks earlier nor Rugby Club ground on the out- was the high level of daylight in the when he arrived John Adair spent skirts of the town. hall, which would make it difficult to some time wandering around the see the slides properly. This had been school grounds looking for the hall, Mrs Sarah Barrington had kindly partly cured by fitting blackout mate- but he found it eventually, and agreed that the itinerant Hon. Sec. rial over the skylights around the top brought with him several copies of and his family could park their cara- of the walls and ensuring that the cur- Roundhead General, his biography of van in the overflow car park of the tains were tightly drawn. Sir William Waller. Spread Eagle for the second night, so Fine for the slides, but not so good we upped sticks and moved there. for seeing Dr Adair, so Marion Wier- ‘Overflow’ was the correct word, szycki had organised a pair of spot- because just when we got the caravan lights which had been fitted onto the into its new position, the heavens wall bars in order to illuminate our opened and the car park quickly re- President. sembled an ornamental lake! That As well as Marion, a number of the turned out to be the pattern for the Society’s other stalwarts turned up rest of the weekend - warm sunshine and buckled down to work. Our pre- interspersed with showers. partions involved positioning the lec- tern, aligning the spotlights, setting up The march through the town by Col. John Hampden’s Regiment had ex- the projector (kindly loaned by Terry Bucks Free Press the caretaker), and laying out the panded from its original idea. There products table, which would, of As usual, our President (above) were a number of other English Civil course, have a supply of the newly- amazed and impressed everyone by War Society units taking part, includ- printed biography. his ability to talk fluently about John ing Col. John Bright’s and the Royal- Hampden for over an hour without ist regiments of Sir Thomas Black- We also had to put out some 100 any notes, as he had done just 4 years chairs; a task made easier when one of well and Sir Thomas Lunsford, and earlier at Hampden House. The talk the town’s Annual Carnival parade the teachers pressganged some boys was well attended by about 60 peo- who were playing with computers into had been moved from its normal date ple, including a number of Col. John and amalgamated with the march . helping. One final refinement was to Hampden ‘s Regiment, several mem-

The ECWS units marched from their camp site at the Rugby Club ground, along Kingsey Road and Queens Road, and met the Carnival procession, which had started from Dormer Road, on the Chinnor Road. There was a great shout of delight from all the schoolchildren gathered there at the unexpected arrival of a large body of Cavaliers and Roundheads.

In fact, they were fortunate that the soldiers were on time, or even there at all. A little earlier, a lorry on the North-Eastern Distributor Road had shed a drum of chemical which had come to rest in the patch of waste ground at the entrance to the sports ground. Just as the troops were form- ing up to leave, they found themselves surrounded by fire engines and fire- fighters wearing breathing apparatus and protective clothing. Hampden’s, of course, were resplen- dent in their dark green, with the two standards that had been at the Chal- grove ceremony bravely flying, and with the drummers (below) under the leadership of Michael Pfeil keeping up a steady and insistent beat.

Forward, Hampden’s! John Potter leads the Regiment across Nelson Street Roy Roy Bailey

Oblivious to all this drama, the start Major Derek Lester and their Ser- time of 1 o’clock found the three Bai- geant of Muskets John Potter. leys ensconced in The Abingdon They halted briefly at North Street to Arms, right opposite Thame Town John Potter Hall, busy consuming beer and sand- make a mock attack on the crowd, wiches and keeping an ear open for which caused screams of what one The troops had caught the mood of the sound of marching soldiers. It assumes were delight, and it was here the occasion and were either singing came at last, and I was forced to dash that I loosed off my one frame of or chanting religious slogans. Follow- out of the pub and make my way film. From then on I was busy with ing on were the other regiments and through the crowd of spectators to- the camcorder. the camp followers (of course!), and wards the Tourist Information Office, It is a long time since I have seen behind them the vehicles of the carni- heavily laden with Liz Morris’s video such a splendid and impressive sight val parade. camera and my own SLR. as these 17th century regiments Some of the participants of this were The approaching troops had already marching through the crowded streets on foot, including the members of reached the War Memorial at the east- of Thame. If you ignored some of the Thame Historical Society, who were ern end of Upper High Street, and as newer buildings and the modern street all dressed as 17th century townspeo- they came nearer it could be seen that furniture, you could almost imagine ple. Naturally, most of this group, led the Greencoats were the vanguard, be- yourself back in 1643, when the town by Maurice Kirtland, were also John ing led by their Commanding Officer, was the Earl of Essex’s headquarters. Hampden Society members.

Derek halted the head of the parade I wondered if some of the rain had The Annual Dinner was scheduled· to opposite Hampden House (the former also affected Derek Lester’s radio mi- commence at 8 pm, with the diners Greyhound Inn), where the Greencoats crophone, which he was using to ex- gathering at 7.30. As our caravan was a faced the building and fired a volley plain over the P A system the various fairly small one, I changed early and and gave three cheers in honour of drill movements. When it worked you wandered into the front bar of The John Hampden (below). could hear him all over the town, but it Spread Eagle at about 7, to see if any- kept cutting out, producing a most dis- one had arrived. concerting effect. Was this what he had I had earlier been in e-mail contact meant by a drill display ‘with a differ- with our two new American membcrs. ence’? Drs Maija Jansson and Paul Wandering around the rather damp Bushkovitz, and had offered them a lift fair, I met Bishop Dick Watson, who from Haddenham Parkway station. but was pleased to learn that the Historical as I had heard nothing I wondered if Society, of which he is President, had they had made it from London. won first prize for the best carnival The only other occupant of the bar Gill Blackshaw entry in the walking section. was a fair-haired lady with an Ameri- While they were stationary, I told When I learned that he would be at the can accent, who was apparently staying John Potter that I intended to kneel in Annual Dinner that evening, I quickly at the hotel, and investigation proved the middle of the road ahead of the persuaded him to say Grace - a task that this to be Maija Jansson herself procession with my camera, and asked would otherwise have fallen upon me She was soon joined by her husband him if he could get the files of troops to in the unavoidable absence of our Paul, and we started chatting, but be- march either side of me. This worked Chairman, The Hon. Ian Hope-Morley. fore very long the bar began to fill up splendidly, and I got some really im- Who better than a professional to do with the rest of the diners, and intro- pressive footage, but unfortunately the job! ductions were made. John’s instructions didn’t filter very far down the line. To my horror, when the rear of Hamp- den’s had cleared my view, I saw that the next regiment was being led by a huge officer in buffcoat and helmet - who was marching backwards! I was just resigning myself to being flattened, and Liz’s camera with me, when he brushed past my left shoulder. The rest of my filming was done from the pave- ment, where I contrived to obstruct the John John Potter photographic efforts of a mob-capped

Gill Blackshaw! From the recreation ground the regi-

The parade turned down Southern ments returned to their camp site by (Below) The Thame Historical Society/ Road to the recreation ground, where way of Southern Road, past the back of JHS members who took part in the Carnival the drill display was due to take place. The Spread Eagle, up Nelson Street to (left to right) Anne Kirtland, Anne Peck, Maurice Kirtland, Marion Wierszycki, There was also a fair on the site, but Upper High Street (above), and back Terence Gibson and Rosalie Gibson the afternoon was rather spoiled by the along Kingsey Road. variable weather .

The Greencoats’ float which followed the Regiment Bucks Bucks Herald MauriceKirtland

(left to right) Alan Walker, Maija Jansson, Paul Bushkovitz and Derek Lester listen to Dr John Adair’s talk at the Annual Dinner

It was good to see some new faces at wind and occa- this dinner. As well as our American sional rain. I had arranged to meet Liz Club where, to my dismay, our pitch visitors, Councillor Mrs Beatrice Dobie Morris there at about 10, with all the turned out to be just a numbered peg in of the Town Council (who had been a books, postcards, membership forms, the ground! We commandeered a cou- member briefly in 1993) was there with etc., but at the dinner the previous ple of tables lying at the entrance, and Town Clerk Mrs Pat Kingsnorth. Barry night, Annabel had promised to show laid out the products just before it Keating, who had given so much help Maija Jansson and Paul Bushkovitz started to rain, but it was obvious that on the two Fridays, was there with his some of the parts of Thame connected even covering them with plastic sheets wife, and John Steel-Clark of would prove inadequate, so I Chalgrove, who had done left Alice and Liz Morris and such sterling work taking the went back into the town to photographs for the cover of fetch the caravan to use as an the new biography, was a office and shelter. Annabel guest of the Society. was still showing our two Another newcomer was my American members around former Sealed Knot cavalry Thame, and I wondered what colleague Gerald Bradford, she would think when she with his wife Gladys, and returned and found that her several more staunch mem- little home had disappeared. bers who had not been be- The caravan not only provided fore. shelter for Liz and Alice and a The meal was up to The place to store all the boxes of Spread Eagle’s usual high standard, books, but it also acted as a with John Hampden, such as Hampden thanks to Sarah Barrington, who not windbreak and displayed the large House and the memorial tablet, and the only organised it but participated. In green John Hampden Society posters. I old Grammar School in Church Lane. all, there were over 30 diners, and we returned to The Spread Eagle and As they were not coming to the skir- were all enthralled by John Adair’s talk picked up Annabel, Maija and Paul, mish, and had to catch a train back to on Sir William Waller - again, com- and we went down to Chalgrove. London at about 3 pm, we had also pletely extempore. offered to take them to Chalgrove bat- When he was originally asked to give tlefield. a talk on two consecutive evenings, John had good-humouredly complained While Annabel was thus engaged, that we were grossly overworking a Alice and I drove out to the Rugby veteran of the original Civil Wars, but he rose to the occasions nobly. Our two American guests obviously enjoyed the whole evening, and we had more of interest for them next day. Sunday 22 June. The priority here was to get the products stall set up out at the Rugby Club ground, in the face of what promised to Maija Jansson and Paul Bushkovitz be rather inclement weather - blustery with Annabel Bailey at Chalgrove All thispictures on page by Roy Bailey

We took the road down through Stoke Talmage so that Maija and Paul could see something of the line of Prince Ru-pert’s march and the view of the bat-tlefield. At the Hampden Monu- ment· they were deeply interested in all they saw, especially the memorial to the US airmen. We drove up the lane towards Warpsgrove and, in the absence of the expert Derek Lester, I did my best to describe the course of the battle and pointed out the Great Hedge over which Prince Rupert had leaped. Back at the Monument we described

the ceremony the previous Wednesday, Maurice Kirtland and Maija was concerned to see that the (Connecticut) by the Society. That is We were also selling the colour post- wreath had fallen over again. Being by definitely something to look forward to. cards and the booklet The Hampden far the most lissom of the quartet, she Lectures produced by Hampden plc in squeezed through a gap in the railings At the Rugby Ground all was as well 1993, and had been approached by a and spent some time replacing the as the weather would permit. The skir- local man, Ray Noble, to see if we wreath with the aid of Annabel’ s long mish was well under way, as can be would take some audio cassettes on sale walking stick. seen from the photographs, and had or return. These were of The Ballad of John Hampden, which Mr Noble’s group, The HeartBeats, had recorded specially for Thame Festival Week. Towards the end of the proceedings, when the crash of musket and cannon had ceased, this was played over the P A system - and a very lively ditty it proved to be, too. Finally, John Hampden Week drew to a close and it was time to pack up. For several of us, it ended on a note of low comedy. Halfway through the afternoon Liz and Alice had been joined by the ever-help- ful Marion Wierszycki and, together with Annabel, they were sitting in the Iain FairweatherIain - Thame Photographic front of the caravan counting the tak- We returned the way we had come attracted a large number of people. (I ings. I was trying to hitch the thing to through Stoke Talmage, and naturally later learned that one of our members, my car, and had retracted all the sup- called in at The Red Lion for a refresher Anne Marshall, who lives right opposite ports, but the towbar wheel was jammed and to introduce our guests to fellow the Rugby Ground, refused to brave the I therefore asked the four not insub- member Stephen Wilkins, the landlord. elements .and watched the whole thing stantial ladies to move to the back of the All that remained was to pick up Maija from her bedroom window!) The stalls caravan to distribute the weight, and I and Paul’s luggage from The Spread and other attractions had all been set up, tried bouncing the towbar to free the Eagle and take them to the station at and we were pleased to see Chalgrove wheel. The front shot into the air and Haddenham. It had been a great pleas- Local History Group selling some of there were screams of distress from ure to meet them and a happy chance their products nearby. inside the vehicle as the occupants all- that they should have been in England landed in a heap! Anyone who came to our table was at this time. given one of the Society’s leaflets and As I sat at home that evening with a Before leaving, Maija, who is Director one about Broughton Castle, and a num- glass of John Hampden’s Ale, I thought of the Yale Center for Parliamentary ber of people bought copies of John what a great success John Hampden History, once again mentioned the pos- Hampden of Buckinghamshire. Week had been. sibility of a visit to Hamden 10

From the point of view of Col. John From the point of view of Thame, the ‘The events of the week were impor- Hampden’s Regiment, the Living His- week’s events had attracted a lot of visi- tant to us, as indeed is our involvement tory had fulfilled all its requirements, tors, which must have benefited the in helping to to further and enhance the and had helped to educate a lot of local traders and businesses, and had name of John Hampden’, he said. schoolchildren about 17th century life. provided much to entertain and inform From the point of view of the John local people. The John Hampden Pri- The drill displays and skirmishes had Hampden Society, Thame had once mary School, who had been one of the attracted a lot of attention, and had pro- again been reminded (as if it needed any prime movers behind the week’s events, vided good training, but I don’t sup-pose reminding!) of the part the town had were thrilled at the outcome. anything could surpass that splendid played in the life of one of England’s march through the town. I know that Headmaster Alan Haigh wrote to the greatest statesmen. John Potter was thrilled to see his origi- Society thanking us for our support and We had ensured that many people had nal idea come to fruition in such a bril- efforts, and paid tribute to the enthusi- been informed or reminded of the exis- liant fashion, and the co-operation with asm of the members. tence of a society dedicated to his re- the Carnival Committee made it all the membrance, and - on a purely merce- more successful. nary note - we had sold a good number of publications and gone some way to paying off the cost of the re-print of Frank Hansford-Miller’s book. Thanks must go to all those members, too numerous to list, who played any part in helping to make John Hampden Week so successful. The Regiment, the Society and the Town Council are already talking about something even bigger in the year 2000, so keep up the good work. ∫ ∫ ∫

(This page and page 10) The skirmish at Iain FairweatherIain - Thame Photographic the Rugby Club rounds off the week Kirtland Maurice

As well as all those members who gave their time, the John Hampden Society would like to acknowledge the special assistance of the following, who supplied the photographs for this issue of ‘The Patriot’

John and Janet Potter, Gill Blackshaw, Maurice Kirtland, Trevor Cox, Iain Fairweather - Thame Photographic, Anne Marshall and Barry Keen - Bucks Herald. In each case authorship is acknowledged.

11 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING BIOGRAPHY The Fifth Annual General Meeting of the As mentioned in the AGM report, the re- John Hampden Society was held at Hamp- print of Dr Frank Hansford-Miller’s 1972 den House on Saturday 26 April 1997 at ‘Lifelines’ biography of John Hampden was 1997 2pm. successfully completed in time for John Sat 11 Oct. Fifth Anniversary Lunch at The Hon. Secretary reported another success- Hampden Week, and the result is impres- ful year, with the production of the slide pro- sive. Hampden House, Great Hampden, com- gramme, the establishment of a site for the So- The new cover (below) , with a black-and- mencing at 12.30 pm. ciety on the World Wide Web, the printing of white photograph against a pale green back- the colour postcards, and the imminent re-print- ground and the new title, looks very good, and, ing of Dr Frank Hansford-Miller’s biography although Dr Hansford-Miller’s original text of Hampden. This year would see John Hamp- has not been altered, the modifications to the den Week in Thame, in which the Society acknowledgements and bibliography bring the would play its part. work up to date. The addition of suitable adver- Mr Bailey also gave notice of his intention to tisements, which helped to pay for the reprint, stand down as Hon. Secretary in 1998. in no way detract from the tone of the publica- The Hon. Treasurer said that the 1995/6 ac- tion. counts showed a healthy balance of £972.82, which was an increase of £286.87 on the previous year. Subscriptions were up slightly but there was no increase in expenses. The ‘Life- lines’ reprint was expected to finance itself eventually and Mrs Gibson recommended no increase in annual subscriptions. In his capacity as Membership Secretary, Mr Bailey reported that current membership stood at 133, of which 86 renewed by standing order. The following officers and committee mem- ACCOMMODATION, RESTAURANT bers were elected: & BANQUETING Chairman - The Hon. Ian Hope Morley Hon. Secretary - Roy Bailey Hon. Treasurer- Mrs Rosalie Gibson CIVIL WAR COURSE Membership - Miss Elizabeth Morris The Workers’ Educational Association (West Committee: Mrs Anthea Coles, Mrs Gillian Bucks Village Branch) is once more running a Goodall, Dennis Hargreaves, Maurice Kirt- course entitled ‘The Civil War in Oxfordshire land, Derek Lester, Tim Oliver and Mrs and Buckinghamshire’, this winter. Marion Wierszycki. Under the tutelage of Theresa Wilson, who is The visit to Broughton Castle next day and the an experienced teacher with a degree in Mod- programme for John Hampden Week in June ern History from Oxford, the 8 meetings will were discussed, and it was proposed that Tim be held at Haddenham Methodist Church on Oliver should be asked if the Society could Wednesday afternoons from 2 pm to 3.30, com- hold a 5th Anniversary function in Hampden mencing on 1 October. House in October. Maurice Kirtland sug- The course fee is £20, with concessions to the gested that, at some stage, the Society should unwaged, and further details are available from: hold a dinner at John Hampden’s old college, Janet and Paul Warwick Magdalen, Oxford. All credit must go to Graham Barfield who, with the assistance and advice of his son Ni- 15 Carters Lane After further discussion about a number of cholas , steered the whole project through to Long Crendon subjects, the meeting closed, and members took completion. The John Hampden Society would tea. The raffle for the bottle of whisky was won also like to thank Dr Hansford-Miller for al- AYLESBURY by Barry Keating . Attempts to demonstrate the lowing the Society to reprint his work, and to Bucks HP18 9DE Society’s web page were frustrated by some the original publishers, Shire Publications of Tel: 01844 208535 incompatability between the Hon. Secretary’s Princes Risborough, who relinquished all rights computer and Hampden House’s telephone to the Society and gave us the original film of equipment. the text. It is therefore appropriate that Graham Bar- Sadly, owing to ill-health affecting both him field , following his co-option onto the commit- and his wife Gladys, Dennis Hargreaves was tee, has taken on the post of Products Officer. forced to resign from the committee in June, and Graham Barfield was co-opted in his Not only most copies of this book, but also the place. The Society wrote to Mr Hargreaves , stocks of colour postcards, the copies of the thanking him for all his hard work and enthusi- 1993 Hampden Lectures brochure, and the asm, and wishing him and Mrs Hargreaves the Chalgrove prints are now resident in deepest best of health. Derbyshire, and anyone wishing to purchase the The committee also appointed Roy Bailey as same should contact Mr Barfield . His address Vice-Chairman in succession to Tim Oliver , is: Brewers (by appointment) of who had indicated his wish not to continue in 31 The Lanes, Oakerthorpe Road the post. Mrs Anthea Coles was appointed to Bolehill, MATLOCK JOHN HAMPDEN'S ALE the post of Minutes Secretary. and other fine beers Derbyshire DE4 4GP * * * Tel: 01629 822487 (evenings) The Chiltern Brewery Published by: Nash Lee Road Current prices, including postage, are: The John Hampden Society Terrick, Aylesbury The Malt House, Great Shefford John Hampden of Buckinghamshire - £2.50 Buckinghamshire HP17 0TQ HungerfordHungerford,, Berkshire RG17 7ED7ED7ED The Hampden Lectures - £4.50 Tel: 01296 613647 Tel& Fax:Fax : 01488 648441 TelTel & FaxFax : 01488 648441 Postcards - £2.00 for 10 Fax: 01296 612419 E-mail:rbailey252rbailey252@ @@@aol.comaol.com The Battle of Chalgrove Field print - £1.25 Why not visit our brewery shop?