Leicestershire VCH News I S S U E 1 0 P a G E 3 Public Health in Loughborough
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Leicestershire Victoria County Leicestershire History Trust VCH News I s s u e 1 0 September 2019 I n s i d e t h i s i s s u e Marking 120 years of the VCH The Victoria County A Red Book for 2 Leicester Archaeological History project, to Loughborough Services and Leicestershire research and publish a County Council Museum history of every parish in Collections for letting us England, began life in Charnwood 2 photograph these), a 1899. It derives its name Roots Databank postcard of the 1936–9 from the then monarch, excavation of the Jewry Queen Victoria, who gave Wall, a piece of Potters Public Health in 3 the work its title, and Marston ware, a copy of the Loughborough accepted its dedication. order of service when King Although still incomplete, Richard III’s body was Our Next Book 4 the project is in good received into the Cathedral, and its Cover heart. Work is underway in a piece of Swithland slate, a Story 23 English counties, Leicestershire’s History wooden cleave for splitting thanks to the efforts of in a Red Box osiers (lent by Delia Ellistown 5 many people who donate Richards), some soot from cash and time towards the the Glenfield tunnel Colliery those unfamiliar with the production of further (provided by Chris county’s history. parish histories. Hossack), a box for a Sugar, Spice and 6 We are very grateful for all Melton Mowbray Pork Pie, To mark this year’s All Things Nice the suggestions we received, a last for a child’s shoe, anniversary, counties were (and Arsenic and only sorry that we could needles from a Griswold tasked with filling a ‘big too) not include every one. We are knitting machine (lent by red box’ with objects which also immensely grateful to Mary Hawkins), a Ladybird tell the history of their 200 Club 7 those who lent objects to us. book, knitted fabric county. The contents of Winners We eventually settled on 14 swatches by Stibbe (with each box will become part items, stretching in time thanks to Natalie Hayton of an online exhibition, from prehistory to the 21st and De Montfort University Find us online 8 and will be on display at, century. These are shown Special Collections), a and after, an event to be above, with the box, and are postage stamp celebrating held in London on 20 being described individually the invention of the jet November. within a series of posts on engine (developed in We wanted to include our Twitter and Facebook Lutterworth) and a piece of objects that represented accounts which will run twice sari fabric, representing the different parts of the -weekly until mid-October. place of modern multi- county, several periods cultural Leicester in the Our 14 items are: a and various themes within county’s history. Items photograph of a ‘cheddar the county’s history. where no acknowledgment point’ and a broken scraper is given above were lent by We appealed for ideas on fashioned from flint c.14,500 members of our committee. social media and by email, years ago at Bradgate—yes, and aimed to take up the we know there was no such We have enjoyed filling our suggestion to include thing as Leicestershire then, box, and look forward to something quirky, or but they are connected to our seeing what the other which might surprise local landscape (we thank counties have put in their Lynden Cooper, University of boxes. P a g e 2 A Red Book for Loughborough Loughborough was one of the Loughborough in May to 35 towns and villages studied help us formulate our There was as part of the Charnwood research plans. This was Roots project, funded by the open to anyone with an broad Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) interest in the town’s agreement between 2013 and 2017. It history. Chris Dyer, Pam that we should was always our aim to write Fisher and David Holmes produce a up and publish this research outlined in broad terms as separate parish histories the topics which are ‘Red Book’, in three or four large ‘Red included in every VCH and also a Book’ volumes. That said, we volume, and showed The groups debate topics to be paperback knew before the project got attendees copies of both included in the book history, underway that the HLF the traditional VCH ‘Big would not fund the writing Red Books’ and also the ‘Red Book’, and also a perhaps as an and publication costs, and shorter paperback series, in paperback history, perhaps interim because the Charnwood which we have published as an interim measure. All measure. Roots research was only histories of Castle Donington accepted that not everything following four themes, that and Buckminster and could be included in a there would be further Sewstern. paperback, but there was research to do to produce insufficient time to agree Those present then formed the parish histories. which aspects of the town’s themselves into three groups, history it should contain. We started fundraising for to flesh out the bare bones of A new the first of these Red Books the topics outlined, and tell Several people thought the volunteer in 2018. This first volume us what they thought was topic of Public Health would group has now will focus on the town of important or distinctive be interesting to research begun to Loughborough. The date of about Loughborough, or had and was important to the research publication will depend on been omitted from our growth of the town in the how soon we can raise the outline. 19th century. A new Public Health £80,000 required. volunteer group has now There was broad agreement improvements begun to research this topic We held a meeting in that we should produce a (see next page). Charnwood Roots Databank All the research produced by which were gathered by Some technical work also our Charnwood Roots volunteers but not included needs to be done, as the volunteers was intended to within the database before search facility is not working be uploaded into a computer the project ended. correctly. We do not wish to database, and made available grant public access to the If there are any former to the public after the project databank until people can Charnwood Roots ended. This has not proved find out what it contains volunteers reading this as straightforward as we had which might interest them. who are familiar with the hoped. database and would be As soon as we have uploaded Initial problems with willing to help by all the remaining data and software incompatibility uploading some of this have fixed the fault with the when the database was information, please let search function, we will make transferred to a new host us know. We would be this research freely available. have largely been resolved. very grateful for any help Please bear with us on this It is now possible to add the you could give. while we work to get this many pieces of information resolved. Leicestershire VCH News I s s u e 1 0 P a g e 3 Public Health in Loughborough Our first piece of new research by the General Board of Health to and the exhibition in the library) towards our Loughborough parish inspect the town and make is also being considered. history (see previous page) is on recommendations. The different strands of this public health improvements in the To modern eyes, Lee’s report research will examine the town between 1840 and 1930. makes grim reading. It also provision of piped water and We are delighted to welcome provides us with several vignettes drainage, the opening of the Paige Emerick to our team, who which could form the basis for the Nanpantan and Blackbrook will be leading and supporting a exhibition, as well as the reservoirs and the fountain. Public group of volunteers as they contextual background for the health improvements were research this topic over a period of improvements which followed. controversial in the 19th century, 10 weeks. Paige is a currently His recommendations were for and generated debate about the researching for a PhD at the piped water, sewerage, the cost, who should pay, and how. University of Leicester. Our new replacement of privies with water- We shall therefore also be looking volunteer group met with Paige closets and the sale of liquid at local elections, and the views of for the first time in Loughborough manure to local farmers. the different candidates. library on 10 September. It is a timely project. Next year Other public health topics, such as The aim of this project is to marks the 150th anniversary of river pollution, cemeteries, produce a set of research notes the opening of the Nanpantan housing standards, the location of from a wide range of sources. reservoir, which provided a source the livestock market and These will be used to write up our of clean water for the town, and vaccination will be examined at a Loughborough book, and more the completion of the Fearon later date. immediately in an exhibition fountain in Loughborough’s which will be held in the local Market Place, which was provided studies library in Loughborough by Loughborough’s then rector, in July and August 2020. Revd Henry Fearon. Public health can be defined as Our work will be feeding into the the steps taken by a government plans that are being made locally or community to prevent disease to mark this anniversary. This and prolong life. It became a will involve collaboration with the government concern in England Loughborough Local Studies from 1837, when the introduction Library volunteers, who are of a national system to register skilled at both research and at births, marriages and deaths drew putting together exhibitions in the attention to widely differing library, with Loughborough mortality rates across the country.