OXFORDSHIRE LOCAL HISTORY NEWS
The Newsletter of the Oxfordshire Local History Association
Issue 128 Spring 2014
ISSN 1465-469
Chairman’s Musings gaining not only On the night of 31 March 1974, the inhabitants of the Henley but also south north-western part of the Royal County of Berkshire Buckinghamshire, went to bed as usual. When they awoke the following including High morning, which happened to be April Fools’ Day, they Wycombe, Marlow found themselves in Oxfordshire. It was no joke and, and Slough. forty years later, ‘occupied North Berkshire’ is still firmly part of Oxfordshire. The Royal Commission’s report Today, many of the people who live there have was soon followed by probably forgotten that it was ever part of Berkshire. a Labour government Those under forty years of age, or who moved in after white paper. This the changes, may never have known this. Most broadly accepted the probably don’t care either. But to local historians it is, recommendations of course, important to know about boundaries and apart from deferring a decision on provincial councils. how they have changed and developed. But in the 1970 general election, the Conservatives were elected. Prime Minister Edward Heath appointed The manner in which the 1974 county boundary Peter Walker as the minister responsible for sorting the changes came about is little known but rather matter out. He produced another but very different interesting. Reform of local government had been on white paper. It also deferred a decision on provincial the political agenda since the end of World War II. In councils but ditched unitary authorities in favour of a 1966, The Royal Commission on Local Government in two-tier system. By this time, only the Labour party England was established. Better known as the and a minority of local authorities supported the Redcliffe-Maud Commission after its chairman, Lord unitary concept. Redcliffe-Maud, it published its recommendations in 1969. There was a lengthy dissenting report by Derek Bruce Wood points out in his book The Process of Senior but the majority recommendation was that town Local Government Reform, 1966-74 (George Allen & and country should no longer be separately governed, Unwin, London, 1976) that there were clear party as they are interdependent. Moreover, planning, political advantages to be gained by the Conservatives transport, education, social services, health and from a two-tier reform. The first of these was that housing should, wherever possible, be provided by a traditional party strongholds would welcome the single unitary authority. emphasis on county government, which was certainly the case in Oxfordshire. Secondly, many large cities Apart from three metropolitan areas, Redcliffe-Maud that had long been controlled by Labour, would lose recommended that 58 unitary authorities be established their independence, becoming instead subordinate to and that there should be eight provincial councils. Conservative county councils. Finally, the rapid Oxfordshire would have been in a massive south-east implementation of the two-tier reform would hamstring province, including Northamptonshire, Essex, Kent, the Labour party, who would probably be unable to Hampshire and everywhere in between, apart from a make further major reforms for at least a generation. London metropolitan district. Thus in 1971, with amazing alacrity, the Heath Redcliffe-Maud would have left Oxfordshire roughly government introduced a Local Government Bill. A the same size as before, but with adjustments to its Local Government Act was passed the following year. north-east and south-east boundaries. It would have In 1973, the new administrations shadowed the old gained Brackley and its hinterland from ones and the changeover came about on 1 April 1974. Northamptonshire and ceded Henley-on-Thames and Northamptonshire kept Brackley, Oxfordshire retained its environs to Berkshire. Berkshire, on the other hand, Henley and the only bit of Buckinghamshire ceded to was to have been considerably increased in size, Berkshire was Slough – hardly compensation for the
Oxford Local History Association Newsletter Issue 128 -- Spring 2014
(Cont from p1) loss of the Vale of White Horse, A noteworthy aspect of the 1974 changes was how Faringdon, Wantage, Didcot, Wallingford and the politicians of all hues and the various professional former county town of Abingdon. Wantage Rural bodies involved did their best to ensure that the public District Council, which covered a surprisingly large were given little or no say in the outcome. Two years area of northern and western Berkshire, was sliced in after the boundary changes, Lord Redcliffe-Maud two, with the southern portion staying in Berkshire and wrote that, if public votes had been required, there the northern part ceded to Oxfordshire. Berkshire’s loss would probably have been ‘no substantial changes was certainly Oxfordshire’s gain. The much shrunken anywhere in the local government structure of the ceremonial county of Berkshire continues to exist and 1960s’. He added, ‘Fortunately local government remains the only English county with the prefix Royal. reformers in Britain do not yet have to win local But Berkshire County Council was abolished in 1998, referenda.’ to be replaced by six unitary authorities. Tony Hadland, OLHA Chairman ______
The Floods, 2014 Oxford featured regularly in news items in January this year as the world's media visited communities along the Thames river banks who were suffering the misery of consistently wet weather and prolonged periods of inundation by flood water. Some commentators were interested in how people had responded to flooding in the past. Tony Hadland was given a 10 minute spot in Radio Oxford's local history hour on 8 January, to talk to the presenter, Kat Orman, on behalf of OLHA on how our ancestors coped with flooding. Climate change has become an important issue in public debate and Oxford University's 'Meteorological Observer' was frequently called upon to comment on the occurrence of periods of very wet weather through history because the Radcliffe Meteorological Station at the University has the longest series of temperature and rainfall records for any one site in Britain. The records are continuous from January 1815, with irregular observations of rainfall, cloud and temperature from 1767. On the basis of these records, weather observers at the University confirmed that January 2014 was the wettest ever of any of the three winter months (December to February) since their records began, beating the previous high of December 1914 by a considerable margin. The most recent December and January combined total of 244.6mm of rainfall was also higher than for any other December–January period ever recorded by the Observatory.
The flooding this year was obviously directly related to the heavy rainfall but changes in the water table, control of river levels and the types of land use on the river plain all contribute to it. Research by local historians on riverside settlements has much to offer to policy makers who are concerned with the management of flood plains. Neglect of ditch clearance was a serious public offence in previous centuries but had become commonplace by the 20th century. The wisdom of building houses on higher ground and preserving the flood plains for hay meadows has been forgotten in the land-hungry post-war years when agriculture is no longer a priority. The lower reaches of the River Thames and its tributaries hsve always flooded, but whereas at the time of Doomsday one could have walked from Cricklade in the west to the River Cherwell in the east without straying from a flood meadow, today these ancient habitats which benefitted from regular watering by the river are only preserved at the designated Special Areas of Conservation, such as Port Meadow and Wolvercote, and the Cherwell Meadows SSII. The ancient 'lot ceremony' when the hay was shared out to those with rights to it by the use of cherry wood balls inscribed with their names was last held in a pub in 1968. Alison McDonald has posted a fascinating essay on-line on her research into the Oxford hay meadows at www.floodplainmeadows.org.uk.
Oxfordshire Local History Association Oxfordshire Local History News ‐ Issue 128
Officers and Committee Contents Page Chairman’s Musings …………………..…....…..... 1 Tony Hadland : Chairman News from the Shires ………..……….....….…...... 3 Oxfordshire History Centre ...…….…...... 3 Norma Aubertin-Potter: Secretary Berkshire Record Office Update …….….……... 3 Liz Woolley: Treasurer and MembershipSec Victoria County History Update………...………4 Spotlight on Local History Societies ...... 5 Chris Hall: Journal Editor Goring and Streatley....………………...…..……5 .Littlemore History Society …………...... ….… 6 Vicky Jordan: Study Day Organiser Spotlight on Archives and Museums...... 8 Simon Townley (Victoria County History) Vale and Downland Museum....………………....8 Thame Museum ...... ……………..………...... 8 Malcolm Graham (ex Centre for Oxon Studies) WWI Centenary….……………………………...9 OUDCE...... 12 Kathryn Davies (English Heritage) Obituaries ……...……………………………….. .12 Email Contact: Publications and Research ...... 14 Library Acquisitions .…..……..………….….... 13 Chairman: [email protected] Quaker Clockmakers ...... 14 Membership: [email protected] Local Author, Richard O Smith...... ….….…...... 15 Journal: [email protected] The Visit of the Alllied Sovereigns...……....… .16 Newsletter: [email protected] Events ...... 18 Study Day: [email protected] OLHA Study Day and OxPast ...... 17 Diary of Talks and Meetings .....……….…… .19 Website: www olha org uk List of Local Societies ...... 23
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NEWS FROM THE SHIRES ______
Oxfordshire History Centre Update mobile phone and recent visitors to the OHC website Over the past year, two members of the OLHA will have seen that broadband problems are affecting committee, Tony Hadland and Malcolm Graham access to all their on-line recourses as well as email (sometimes augmented by Chris Hall), have had and phone connections. Access to digital mapping regular liaison meetings with the OHC staff. These records at the Centre was hampered because its display meetings have provided a valuable opportunity for screen was broken beyond repair with no spare funds them to hear, on behalf of the local history community, in the budget to replace it. OHS is most grateful to about some of the work going on behind the scenes at OLHA for a donation of £2,100 to purchase a the Centre, and also to offer support and appreciation replacement 52-inch screen. to the staff who work there under difficult financial and space constraints. Digitising, labelling and cataloguing the collection of archive material continues in order to make it Keeping abreast of technology is always an issue. One accessible to the public. Some of this work is being concern, for example, is that the valuable resources done by volunteers: Alf Carpenter's son, Chris, is available on Heritage Search (http://publicapps. labelling Alf's important collection of photographic oxfordshire.gov.uk/wps/portal/publicapps/applications/ negatives so that they can join the other 400,000 heritage) are not currently accessible by table and images currently in the archive.
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Berkshire Record Office Update
A Guide to North Berkshire Schools
Visitors to the BRO or our website may be aware that we have been creating area-based guides to the school records that we hold. We started off with 'modern' Berkshire areas, but are pleased to say that we have now completed a guide for schools in the old North Berkshire area.
The guide is a summary of key sources such as log books, governors' minutes, architectural plans and admissions registers, as well as other things bits and pieces that reflect school life. It also includes those school records for North Berkshire that have been deposited in the Oxfordshire History Centre. There are records for over 150 North Berkshire schools, so please Seal of Southampton on deed of sale of a tenement in do take a look. Abingdon, September 1447 (Berkshire Record Office)
seals from Wallingford Priory and the St Valery family Small Objects of Power: Medieval Seals who gave their name to Hinton Waldrist, and a Papal Bull granting relief from penance to benefactors of St Our in-house display over the spring and summer will Helen's church in Abingdon. celebrate the beauty of these tiny examples of medieval art. Seals were used to authenticate many legal The display opened on 2 April and will continue until documents and they are a permanent reminder of the the end of August. many powerful people and institutions that held sway during England in the middle ages. Berkshire Record Office, 9 Coley Avenue, Reading, RG1 6AF. Tel 0118 937 5162. The display will include our recently acquired seal of the town of Southampton, which appears on a Mark Stevens Sunningwell charity deed of 1447. It also includes Senior Archivist, Berkshire Record Office
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Victoria County History Update
Since the last issue, three more draft parish histories Catholic recusants, who maintained a private chapel in have been added to the VCH Oxfordshire website. Two the manor house. (Chalgrove and Warpsgrove) are earmarked for our forthcoming Ewelme Hundred volume, which will be These latest draft histories form part of a coherent plan completed next year and published in 2016. Idbury to complete the VCH’s coverage of Oxfordshire. parish will appear in Volume 19 on the Wychwood Eleven of the 14 parishes earmarked for Volume 18 are area, on which work has just begun. now available, with just Benson, Berrick Salome and Newington to follow. Once this appears, work will Chalgrove may be known to OLHA members for its focus on the dozen places included in our Wychwood timber-framed medieval manor house, the superb 14th- volume, which will leave just four volumes to go (three century wall paintings in the church, or its Civil War in west Oxfordshire and one in the Chilterns). This battle, at which the leading Parliamentarian John remains a major challenge but a realistic one, providing Hampden was mortally wounded. More recently it has that current partnerships and current levels of been associated with the important Martin-Baker fundraising for this unique project can be maintained. Aircraft Company, which has been developing ejector Meanwhile, all but the two most recently published seats there since 1946. Historically the village has volumes are also available free online (see below). always been one of the largest in the area, benefiting from good communications and supporting a relatively Simon Townley (VCH Oxfordshire County Editor) wide range of crafts and trades. At the time of Domesday Book it had no fewer than 5 mills, VCH websites: presumably serving the surrounding area. www.victoriacountyhistory.ac.uk/Oxfordshire www.british-history.ac.uk (published volumes online) As always the VCH is largely concerned with VCH research: [email protected] ‘ordinary’ villagers, but the parish’s medieval Trust fundraising: Liam Tiller (Treasurer), East inhabitants included some high-status families such as House, Roke, Wallingford OX10 6JB; 01491 839618; the Barentins, who occupied a moated manor house [email protected] excavated in the 1970s, and who probably commissioned the church wall paintings. In the mid 15th century, they moved to Little Haseley (also available online). Enclosure came late, in 1843, depriving poorer inhabitants of part of their livelihood and apparently fuelling an increase in pauperism.
The neighbouring parish of Warpsgrove could not be more different, and at 335 acres was among the smallest in Oxfordshire. In the 13th century it included a hamlet of a dozen houses with its own church and manor house, but by the 1450s it was apparently deserted, and in the early 17th century there was probably only a shepherd employed by the non- Chalgrove village green and war memorial cross resident landowner. It was partially repopulated only ______during the early 18th century, when new farms were established. Saving the VCH Project: Before Christmas, Dr Kate Tiller, alerted OLHA to threats to Oxfordshire County Idbury, by contrast, lies at the opposite end of the Council's funding for Oxfordshire VCH and to the county adjoining the Gloucestershire border. In the local campaign to stave them off. Dr Tiller has now 12th and 13th centuries it was technically included in written to say: "I am delighted to report that, following Wychwood Forest, but in fact had relatively little a mix of lobbying and slightly more generous than woodland, and was in most respects a typical midland expected central government funding to OCC, the village with its own open fields. Its name (Ida’s burh or proposed cuts have been withdrawn. A pretty good fort) recalls a nearby Iron-Age hill fort, which was result and security for at least two more years! clearly a prominent landmark in the Anglo-Saxon However local government cuts are set to continue, so period when the place name was first coined. Resident we may have to face renewed threats further ahead." 16th- and 17th-century gentry included several Roman
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NEWS FROM LOCAL HISTORY GROUPS AND MUSEUMS IN OXFORDSHIRE ______
SPOTLIGHT on Oxfordshire’s Local History Societies
Goring and Streatley Local History Society the river, but Streatley was controlled by members of the Oxford brewing Morrell family and is relatively Situated on either side of the undeveloped to this day. Goring grew again in the Thames, the villages of Goring and 1950s and 60s with the building of several housing Streatley have much to interest the estates. local historian. The settlements grew up beside an ancient crossing place of the river; Streatley is in West Berkshire whilst Goring is in Oxfordshire. The Thames was an important transport route for agricultural produce and timber. There were wharves here and three mills to grind cereals for bread and animal feed. Although most of the houses and the churches are close to the river, both parishes are very large, with extensive arable fields and woods. Sheep were also farmed on the Berkshire Downs.
Goring bridge, Henry Taunt 1880 Two locks were constructed on the river in the late (Oxfordshire County Council Photographic Archive) 18th century, but the ferry between Goring and Streatley was not replaced by a bridge until 1837, just Founded in 1966, the Society has no shortage of topics before the Great Western Railway was built through to research. It has a good collection of historical Goring. Until then Streatley, on the turnpike road from material in its archives and has published several booklets together with an annual journal. We are a lively group, with about 180 members, and have the usual programme of talks, outings and social events, hold occasional exhibitions and a regular advice ‘drop in’ session at our local library. We have an active oral history project to record the memories of local people. The Transport History Group has a monthly outing to events or museums linked with boats, trains or planes and it issues a regular newsletter. In 2013 we were successful in obtaining a Blue Plaque for Sam Saunders, a local boat builder, as described in the last Reading to Wantage and Oxford, had been the more OLHA Newsletter. important place. Both villages became a significant tourist destination as a result of the good transport links and the Victorian boating boom. Goring was an ‘open’ Janet Hurst, Secretary, Goring and Streatley Local village and soon many large villas were erected along History Society
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A 100th Birthday in Dorchester
It was with great pleasure that the Dorchester Mary Tame first came to the Historical Society were able to celebrate the 100th village in 1936 to teach at the Birthday of one of their Honorary Presidents, Mrs Dorchester Senior School. In Mary Tame M.B.E., in February. Family, friends and 1944 she was appointed village societies combined together for a special Head Mistress of the Primary Birthday Concert in Dorchester Abbey. School in Marsh Baldon and remained there for 30 years until she retired in 1974.
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(Cont from p5) Her lively mind and interest never cease to amaze us On returning to all. Dorchester, Mary has played an 2010 saw the publication of the book ‘Lessons from active role in the History: 350 years of education in a small Oxfordshire life of the village village’ by Mary Tame and published by the ever since. Her Dorchester on Thames Historical Society. Copies are keen interest in still available from either Dorchester Museum or Gail the history of Thomas (01865 341977). Dorchester has been shown in In the New Year Honours of 2010 Mary Tame was many ways. The awarded the MBE ‘for services to heritage and the Museum and the community of Dorchester-on-Thames in Oxfordshire’. Historical Society have been close to her heart and the wealth of information she has gathered over the years Image courtesy of Oxford Mail: Mary Tame being taken for a on the history of Dorchester has not surprisingly meant motor cycle ride on her 100th birthday that ‘ask Mary’ is a frequent response to questions. Over the years Mary has regularly written articles for the Dorchester News and is still contributing today! Gail Thomas, Chairman, Dorchester Historical Society
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Littlemore History Society included tours of north Littlemore and the cataloguing of inscriptions on gravestones in the parish churchyard. Littlemore Local History Society (LLHS) was revived The 2014 programme is already under way and talks only a few years ago but now has an active and growing membership. As well as holding regular meetings the Society participates in a number of local community-based events, such as the Community Centre Fun Day, and these occasions give members the opportunity to broadcast LLHS activities to the local population.
Littlemore is known for its hospital, founded in 1846 as the County Lunatic Asylum and still present today, albeit in much changed form; and its connection with John Henry Newman, leader of the Oxford Movement who converted to Catholicism in the mid-nineteenth century. Before his conversion Newman played a major part in the founding of the local parish church. have been given on the development of Littlemore Hospital and on local place names in Iffley and In 2013 the Society heard talks on the pre-NHS Littlemore. The Society welcomes new members and medical services of Oxford; the archaeological findings guests who only want to come to particular talks. at Minchery; the development of the neighbouring Details of the LLHS programme can be found on the village of Sandford; Roman pottery in Oxfordshire; OHLA website. and the development of east Oxford. Society members also paid a visit to Newman College where they were John Stewart, Chairman, Littlemore History Society kindly guided round by Sister Kristien. A number of Newman’s possessions are on show, including his desk Image: Recent visit by the Littlemore History Society to and his books. Village walks and outdoor research are Newman College (Sister Kristien, the tour guide, is second from right) another form of Society activity and in 2013 these
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Oxfordshire Local History Needs Volunteers Historical Societies in Cuddington, Launton and Wroxton which were group members of OLHA 12 months ago have all withdrawn in the past year and Chadlington Society has just announced it has folded because no-one could be found in the village to replace the officer who moved away from the area. Regular readers of the Newsletter will have seen the plea from the Wychwoods LHS in the last issue for more volunteers to help with their digitisation project. Would you be interested in volunteering to help run a society that is in danger of closing down, or are you looking for volunteers to help with a local history research project? Watch out for a new space on the OLHA website where people who are interested in becoming involved in finding out more about their area and learning more about its history can offer their services and where groups can advertise opportunities to work voluntarily on projects!
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The History of our Villages A Blue Plaque for Larcum Kendall
Book Launch The ceremony to unveil a blue plaque in honour of the 18th Century watch- and clock-maker, Larcum Land is the common theme of two new books Kendall, will take place at 11.30 am on Saturday 3rd from Radley History Club May in Market Street, Charlbury. Born in the town, Larcum Kendall pursued his trade in London and, The Changing Boundaries of Radley and along with John Harrison, was one of the key figures in Sunningwell Parishes the development of the highly accurate marine Stanley Baker and Peter McWhirter draw on their chronometers that allowed sailors to determine studies of old maps and documents to describe the longitude precisely for the first time. evolution over the centuries of the boundaries of these two neighbouring villages. The principal speaker at the unveiling will be Jonathan Betts MBE, Senior Curator of Horology at the Royal Early Modern Radley: People, Land and Observatory, Greenwich, and the current Master of the Buildings 1547-1768 Worshipful Company of Clockmakers. While the Richard Dudding tells the story of the emergence original building in which Larcum Kendall is and disappearance of Radley’s yeoman farmers and understood to have lived was demolished some 50 gives a detailed picture of the village over two years ago, the plaque will be installed on the front of centuries, based on his analysis of records, estate the Post Office, which now stands on that site. surveys and evidence from surviving buildings.
Meet the authors and buy your copy The blue plaque for Larcum Kendall has been Saturday 17th May, 10 am - 12.30 pm sponsored by The Charlbury Society, and supported by financial donations from Charlbury Town Council, Radley Village Hall Charlbury Motor Fire Brigade Fund and Charlbury & Gooseacre, off Foxborough Road, Radley, Overseas Projects Ltd (Charlbury Beer Festival). OX14 3BL For more information, please contact Simon Walker, Chairman, The Charlbury Society on 01608 811414 or More details at www.radleyhistoryclub.org.uk [email protected]
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Larcum Kendall's Watch
Image: Kendall's K1 watch, now in the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
In 1714, the British Government offered, by Act of Parliament, a prize of £20,000 for a solution which could provide longitude to within half-a-degree (2 minutes of time). Before quslifying for the prize, the solutions proposed would be tested on a ship, sailing "...over the ocean, from Great Britain to any such Port in the West Indies as those Commisioners choose... without losing their longitude beyond the limits before mentioned" and should prove to be "...tried and found practicable and useful at sea". A body known as the Board of Longitude was set up to administer and judge the longitude prize. They received so many applications for the prize that the phrase 'finding the longitude' became a sort of catchphrase for the pursuits of fools and lunatics. The longitude problem was eventually solved by John Harrison, a working class joiner from Lincolnshire with little formal education but it took him many years, five versions of his portable marine chronometer, the H1 to 5, and the intervention of the king himself, George III, before he could convince the Board of Longitude in 1773 that his chronometer would work at sea and that he deserved the prize. The K1 watch, a copy of John Harrison's first 'sea watch'', the H4, was commissioned from Kendall by the Board of Longitude in 1769 to make sure that the mechanism could be reproduced by other craftsmen and to test it at sea. James Cook took the watch on his second voyage to the southern hemisphere in HMS Resolution which left Plymouth on 13 July 1772 before the Harrison case had been determined. This was the first ship to cross the Antarctic Circle and Cook sailed further south in this voyage than any previous mariner. His log is full of praise for the watch and the charts of the southern Pacific Ocean he made with its use are remarkably accurate. The daily deviation of K1 never exceeded 8 seconds (corresponding to a distance of 2 nautical miles at the equator) during the entire voyage and Cook referred to the watch as "...our faithful guide through all the vicissitudes of climates". It is not known for certain whether Harrison knew of this success, but Cook's voyage proved beyond doubt that longitude could be measured from a watch The K1 watch was also taken by Cook on his third and final voyage in 1776 and also went with Captain Arthur Phillip on the "First Fleet" voyage that began the British colonisation of Australia in 1788. (See more on Oxfordshire clockmakers on p 15).
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SPOTLIGHT on Oxfordshire’s Museums and Archive Collections ______
Vale and Downland Museum, to examine objects Wantage from the mus- eum’s handling Tucked away behind Wantage collection. We Market Square, you’ll find the hope to see you town’s main tourist attraction, The soon! Vale and Downland Museum. From the outside, this 17th century cloth The museum merchant’s house and former galleries and café are open Monday to Saturday, doctor’s surgery looks unassuming. 10.00am to 4.00 pm However, once inside, you’ll discover the space opens out into a large foyer area Ruth Howard, Curator, Vale and Downland Museum with a gift shop, coffee shop and art gallery and bright ______contemporary signage leading to the main galleries. Thame Museum Here, you’ll find everything from fossils to a Formula One racing car. Telling the story of the local people The museum, which opened in 2007 is an independent and landscape, the collectiozzn has objects to fascinate museum staffed entirely by volunteers. It is housed in all ages, family trails and dressing up clothes galore. the old Court House, where it provides a variety of display panels, artefacts and oral histories telling the story of this historic town and its people. In addition to the permanent galleries, the museum has a programme of entertaining and informative exhibitions and talks. Facilities for local history and family history research are also available.
Why not come along and find out about the buried treasure found on the river bank and the Elizabethan Wall Paintings discovered hidden in a building in the Upper High Street and meet Tom Harris and Jacob.
The museum is free to visitors and is open on Gallery highlights include an Anglo-Saxon skeleton, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10-4pm the remains of the medieval market cross and a bronze and on Sundays from 12 noon to 4pm. Further details, bust by Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm of Robert Lloyd including winter opening times, can be found on the Lindsay, Lord Wantage, one of the founders of the museum website at www.thamemuseum.org. British Red Cross. Jenny Dodds, Collections Manager, Thame Museum For the local historian, the main attraction will undoubtedly be the resource room housed in the recent extension. Here you will discover a treasure trove of local history books and research documents and the chance to browse through the museum’s extensive collection of old photographs. Thanks to the work of museum volunteers, the research records have recently been reorganised making access and searching easier. Anyone wanting to use these facilities will need to book an appointment by emailing curator@wantage- museum.com.
It’s worth consulting the website for a list of the many events on offer: http://wantagemuseum.com/events/. Apart from regular community activities, you can Images: Left and top right: Vale and Downland Museum enjoy talks and teas on specific aspects of the town’s front (bottom) and gallery (top); Above: Thame Museum history, a World War 1 related exhibition and a chance gallery.
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Oxford Aspire programme:
History in the Making
The Oxfordshire Museum Service, has commissioned Sharon Woodward, an independent filmmaker, to about the production of a replica Anglo-Saxon pattern- produce three films as part of their History in the welded sword is currently being produced. Making project – a three-year project scoped to engage Oxfordshire communities with collections from their All of the films will be featuring in exhibitions at the local area, funded by Arts Council England as part of Oxfordshire Museum, where they will provide an extra the Oxford Aspire programme. (Oxford Aspire is a layer of interpretation to help people engage with the consortium of the four Oxford University museums objects on display. The Oar Makers film has been and the Oxfordshire Museums Service.) The aim of screened on the Community Channel and there are now the films has been to tell the story of how different plans to deliver events in the county promoting the objects in the county collection were made, while films. The films can all be seen online on the Oxford showcasing traditional crafts still practised Aspire web site. inOxfordshire and documenting some of the research and community engagement that has happened Morris centenary throughout the project. The Oxford Aspire programme has also recorded a The Oxfordshire Oar Makers film follows two blog on its web site summarising the year of volunteers who were curious about a locally-made oar reminiscing events to celebrate the Morris motors in the collection. The Alchester Project film follows a centenary in 2013. group of army cadets as they learn about a Roman http://www.oxfordaspiremuseums.org/aspire/blog/incre soldier’s tombstone and work with a sculptor to design dible-journey-story-morris-motors-centenary- and produce their own war memorial. A third film reminiscence-project
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Oxfordshire Museums and Local History Groups commemorate the centenary of the start of the First World War ‐ 1914‐2014
Thame Remembers: Commemorating World The start of World War I in 1914 will be commemorated by Thame Museum in an exhibition War I rd th commencing on May 3 and running until August 20 Thame Remembers is a project in which the this year. The exhibition will concentrate mainly on the community of Thame will commemorate the centenary stories of individuals as told in letters from the front, of World War I. Thame Museum, Thame Town medals, photographs, memorabilia and diaries. The Council, St. Mary’s Church and local groups will people of Thame have loaned many family objects and collaborate in remembering those from Thame and its shared their family stories and memories to make this locality who, both served and died in the Great War. display possible.
A huge research project is under way and it is proposed In this exhibition you will be able to discover the heart- that each grave or memorial be identified and a cross ache suffered by many and also the joy of welcoming placed on each resting place, wherever in the world home those lucky enough to survive. Discover why that might be. The project will begin on the evening of Polly’s trousseau was never worn, and why Uncle Ern August 3rd this year when crosses will be placed on the emigrated to Canada, only to return two years later to graves or memorials in the churchyard and inside the do his duty for king and country. church. Subsequently, the aim is to visit all other known graves and memorials throughout the world will The exhibition will be accompanied by a talk by the be visited and the placing of a cross recorded as a three volunteers who are curating the exhibition, lasting memorial. featuring the story of a returning soldier, a local hero and the people who saved lives at the front. The talk nd In this way, it is hoped that the people of the town will will take place on Thursday May 22 at 7.30pm and be made aware of the huge number of men and women, tickets at £3 and £5 are available from the museum or who lost their lives, and how important it is that we by telephoning 01844 212801. never forget the sacrifice they made for our country. Jenny Dodds, Collections Manager, Thame Museum
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Henley Remembers: Lest we forget ‐ each one was some mother's son village and on Thiepval Memorial to the Missing on the Somme, in northern France. This made Mike Ten years ago, Mike Willoughby started investigating realise that there are many soldiers on local memorials the WWI casualties in his home village of Knowl Hill, whose identities are unknown and he has now near Maidenhead. Having discovered that his great identified 70 men from Henley who are not recorded uncle died and was buried locally in an unmarked on any of the town's 9 war memorials. grave after returning from the war, he collected the necessary documentation together and applied Mike's research has led to the 'Lest we Forget' project successfully to the Commonwealth War Graves in Henley which is committed to identifying and Commission for a headstone to be provided and for his researching every 'mother's son' from the area who died inclusion in the CWGC records. In 2006, he traced in the War and to create a lasting memory of the part another uncle who died in the battle of the Somme to a they played in the community and the gaps they left simple name carved on the war memorial in his local behind them. Details of the project can be seen on the website: http://henley-lestweforget.co.uk/. ______
THE 20TH ANNUAL EXHIBITION FEATURING THE LOCKINGE ESTATE PAST AND PRESENT March 2014 From the Home Front to the Front Line
Families in Ardington & Lockinge in the First World War
World War I commemorative events, exhibitions and projects in Charlbury (left), Ardington & Lockinge (centre) and Henley (right). ______
Wallingford and War
The main special exhibition at Wallingford from the digging of trenches in the Kinecroft Museum for 2014 is 'Siege and Strife: for training soldiers, to the arrival of dozens Wallingford and War’ looking at the impact of evacuees (including the actress, Sheila war has had on the town and its people Hancock) who needed homes and special throughout the centuries. You can find out school arrangements. Then there's the role of how the townspeople were affected by our modern soldiers and airmen - The Rifles marauding Vikings, the Norman army of and RAF Benson who have the Freedom of William the Conqueror in 1066 and the the Town and are on active service right desperate sieges of civil wars in the 12th now. It's a story of lives and people over the and 17th centuries. Two 20th century World centuries that is both fascinating and Wars affected many families in the town – moving. Wars affected many families in the town –
10 Oxford Local History Association Newsletter Issue 128 -- Spring 2014
The Frontline Walk
The Ancestry.co.uk Frontline Walk takes place on 15th–19th October 2014. The walk will take place over five days, visiting many famous battle sites such as Thiepval, Vimy, the German Cemetery at Neuiville Saint Vaast, and Notre-Dame de Lorette. The challenge ends with a moving visit to Ypres and the ceremony of the last-post, on the 18th October 2014, exactly 100 years on from the start of the Battle of Ypres.
One of the major aims of the walk is to encourage participants and the general public to discover more seek sponsorship in support of their chosen charity. about the role their local area played in the War and The Soldiers Charity exists to help any soldier, veteran understand some of the sacrifices made by the heroes or their families who find themselves today in a in their own family. The Soldiers Charity is looking for terrifying No Man’s Land. at least one walker to represent each of the 200+ regiments of the British Army that fought between Further details: http://www.soldierscharity.org/ 1914-1918. Participants could represent their Fathers, events/event-item/ancestry.co.uk-frontline-walk. Grandfathers, Great-grandfathers or local regiment – or indeed, any regiment they feel an affinity with! Amy Kenyon, Events Assistant, ABF The Soldiers’ Walkers pay a £150 registration fee and are asked to Charity ______
Extracts of his never‐seen‐before diary will be on show. A wonderful artefact that forms part of the exhibition will be an original propeller from a Sopwith Camel.
The Long Library became a convalescent hospital
during the war. The exhibition will use medical WW1 Exhibition ‘A Great Estate at War – Land, equipment from the time, kindly donated by the Sea and Air’ st Red Cross, to recreate a small section of this 15th February – 21 April 2014 hospital.
To commemorate the First World War centenary year Blenheim Palace will open with a fascinating WWI exhibition ‘A Great Estate at War – Land, Sea and Air’ exploring the stories behind the family members and workers on the Blenheim Estate. The exhibition will be held in the recently renovated Gallery Room in the Stables Courtyard, along with tasters in the Palace, from 15th February to 21st April 2014.
Step back to a time fraught with conflict and hear stories of outstanding bravery from the front line, and how morale was kept high in times of darkness. Read fascinating accounts of the ‘flying Soldiers convalescing at Blenheim in World War I cousins’, relations of The Marlborough family who served in the Royal Flying Corps in France, flying over the trenches and behind enemy lines. See A detailed family tree will show that men from photos of the cousins, models of the aircraft they every branch of the family were either fighting in would have flown, and the clothing they would the air, in the trenches or at sea. The exhibition have worn to keep them warm whilst flying. Oscar will also include a snapshot of Winston Churchill’s th Guest, who was cousin to the 9 Duke flew on service in the front line and show how the many reconnaissance and combat missions over formidable ladies of Blenheim made a remarkable no‐man’s land and behind the German lines. contribution to the war effort. The war of course 11 Oxford Local History Association Newsletter Issue 128 -- Spring 2014
(Cont from p11) affected everyone who lived and worked on the Estate and the exhibition will give The stories of the war across land, sea and air will an insight into the changes brought about by war, be brought to life with a fascinating display of the heroism of the local people and the joy when original props, scale models, life sized trench, they came home. costumed characters, children’s entertainment, merchandise, video, and an incredible display of To bring the subject of war full circle to the present original paintings. It will bring to light a time in day and to honour the men and women who so which many ordinary people did outstandingly bravely fight for our country today, Blenheim courageous things, and will provide an incredible Palace have partnered with Help for Heroes and insight into life at war for all to enjoy. the Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal. A dedicated collection for these two charities will take place A Palace, Park and Gardens ticket is required for entry during the exhibition to raise vital funds. We will to the exhibition. share the story of Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe, who worked for Blenheim Palace For more details, please visit the website between the age of 17 and 18 and whose mother has www.blenheimpalace.com. worked for Blenheim Place for many years. Rupert was tragically killed in action in Helmand Province Stephanie Hendley, Head of Marketing, Blenheim in 2009. Estate Office
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Exploring the 'Great War' at Oxford University Department of Continuing Education
Since 2014 marks the anniversary of the 'Great War', the Department is pleased to offer a range of courses during the year in History, History of Art, Literature and Archaeology for those who wish to explore this pivotal events of the twentieth century through study. It is also offering an online course: The First World War in Perspective, 14th May to 25th July 2014. ______
Other courses of interest to Local Historians at OUDCE in 2014‐2015 include:
The Medieval Merchant - 3rd May Full details at www.conted.ox.ac.uk under Day and Weekend Events Gardens and the Enlightenment - 6th to 8th June Also: English Medieval Cathedrals - Lecture Series - Workers' Homes - 26th to 28th September 30th October to 4th December
Places of Worship in Britain and Ireland, 1689-1840 Advanced Diploma in Local History via the Internet - - 30th January to 1st February 2015 details at www.conted.ox.ac.uk/pp9
Anniversary of Roger Bannister's 4‐minute Mile
Were you there when Roger Bannister ran the mile in 3.59.4 minutes at the Iffley Road track in Oxford on 6th May 1954? BBC Radio Oxford is hoping to record memories of the day and incorporate them into a half hour documentary they are making to mark the 60th anniversary. They only have two possible contacts at the moment. One is a newspaper man called Payton Fenton who was there to write the report; the other is the lady who is the daughter of the photographer who took the photo of Bannister crossing the finish line. If you can provide some memories of the event, please contact Will Wilkin, [email protected]
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OBITUARIES ______
OLHA has heard that two well-known Oxfordshire local historians have sadly died: Pamela Horn in September 2013 and Patricia Preece in March 2014. Tributes to Pamela Horn and Patricia Preece will appear in the next issue of the OLHA Newsletter. 12 Oxford Local History Association Newsletter Issue 128 -- Spring 2014
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LOCAL HISTORY PUBLICATIONS & RESEARCH ______
Recent Library Acquisitions
Recent additions to Oxfordshire Libraries’ collection which may be of interest to Local Historians: further details can be found on the library catalogue at www.libcat.oxfordshire.gov.uk.
Bicester through Time, Bicester Local History illustrating some of the changes in the suburbs of Society, 2013. A selection of photographs tracing some Oxford over the last century. of the ways in which Bicester has changed over the last century. Oxford’s Working Past: walking tours of Victorianand Edwardian industrial buildings, Liz Black Oxford: the untold stories of Oxford Woolley, First published 2012, reprinted with University’s black scholars, Pamela Roberts, 2013. A amendments 2013 Guided walks around the city centre, selection of biographies of African, African Caribbean St Thomas’s, Jericho, Osney and South Oxford. and African American students at Oxford University who have made a significant contribution in politics, Perceptions of Place: 21st century interpretations of law, education or literature since the late 19th Century. English place-name studies, Jayne Carroll (editor), English Place-Name Society, 2013. A collection of Counting People: a DIY manual for local and family essays drawing on place-name research over many historians, John S. Moore, 2013. A guide to using years on topics such as Scandinavian place-names in numerical data (statistics) to illustrate research into England; English place names in Scotland, Wales and local population history and other topics of interest to Ireland; reflections on place-names and early English local historians. Written for students and amateur society; English place-names and landscape historians, from the perspective of 40 years’ terminology; settlement archaeology and place-names. questioning by students, WEA and other extra-mural classes, local history societies, etc. Quaker Clockmakers of North Oxfordshire, Tim Marshall, 2013. A detailed, authoritative and Dodos and Dark Lanterns: highlights of the extensively-illustrated publication which is likely to be Ashmolean Museum, David A. Berry, 2013. An of interest to local and social historians as well as illustrated and very readable overview of the Quakers, clock collectors and horologists (see more on development of the Ashmolean from a cabinet of this publication on the next page). curiosities to renowned museum. Reading Tudor and Stuart Handwriting, Lionel "I’ll Take that One": wartime evacuees tell their Mumby et al, 2nd edn, 2002 (not a new publication but stories, Brian Davis, 2013. First-person stories of the a copy has recently been added to Oxford Central experiences of 250 wartime evacuees. Library’s Local Studies Reference collection). Descriptions of Secretary Hand and Court Hand, with John Radcliffe and his Legacy to Oxford, David notes and guidance for transcribers and 16 sample Cranston, 2013. An overview of Radcliffe’s life, times documents with transcriptions and notes. and career, beautifully illustrated by Valerie Petts with watercolours of some of the key Oxford landmarks The History of Oxford University Press, Vol 1 – associated with Radcliffe. Beginnings to 1780, Vol 2 – 1780-1896, Vol 3 – 1896- 1970, Simon Eliot (editor), 2013. The definitive history Making Cars at Cowley: from Morris to Mini, Gilliam of OUP (note: available at Oxford Central Library for Bardsley and Stephen Laing, Morris centenary edition, reference only). 2013 (previous editions 1999 and 2006). The new edition includes an additional chapter, “A car named Vale of the White Horse through Time, Stanley C. Morris, 1913-84”. Jenkins, 2013. A selection of photographs, old and new, of sites around the Vale; many of the scenes are Oxford Suburbs and Villages through Time, Stanley directly comparable. C. Jenkins, 2013. A selection of photographs
Stella Wentworth, Librarian, Reader and Information Services: Local and Family History Oxford Central Library, Westgate, Oxford OX1 1DJ. Tel: 01865 815409, E-mail: [email protected]
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Quaker Clockmakers of North Oxfordshire, Tim Marshall, (2013), published by the Museum of the History of Science, Oxford
This new book on the Quaker Clockmakers of North Oxfordshire takes its inspiration from a famous collection of locally-made clocks, the Beeson Collection, formed by Dr Cyril Beeson, a clock enthusiast and local historian (founding editor of Cake & Cockhorse, the journal of the Banbury Historical Society), who died in 1975. The collection, preserved in the Museum of the History of Science, Oxford, includes clocks made by Quaker craftsmen in north and west Oxfordshire in the 18th century, many of them showing distinctive technical and design features. These features include a hoop and two spikes at the back of the movement, and a ring-and-zigzag pattern on the face, which has come to be known as the Quaker dial.
Dr Beeson drew attention to this interesting group of clocks over fifty years ago, and Tim Marshall has now followed up Beeson’s original studies by deeper research into local records. He has also looked at numerous examples in private ownership, some of them heirlooms and some recently acquired, as they are now very collectable. Combined with his intimate technical understanding of the clocks, a much fuller picture emerges of “The Quaker Clockmakers of North in detail, put together what scraps of information there Oxfordshire”. If it sounds like a rather limiting title, are about Nethercott’s life, and concludes that it’s the Tim’s book is nothing of the kind; it sets them against earliest known example of the Quaker-pattern dial. their background in local history, Quaker history and genealogy, and clock history, together with all the Thomas Gilkes, blacksmith and clockmaker in the technical information that the collector and curator nearby village of Sibford, is rightly regarded as the need to know about these distinctive antiques. founder of the clockmaking craft among Oxfordshire
Quakers. His are the first fully typical Quaker clocks, Everyone will warm to the chapter about the eccentric with hoop-and-spike frame, and it was he who passed hermit clock-repairer Theodore Lamb*, who brings the the tradition on by training his sons and apprentices, story down to living memory. At the opposite end of but he evidently originally learned some of his skills the time-line, an important new revelation relates to and style features from John Nethercott. By the middle John Nethercott, a clockmaker in Long Compton at the of the 18th century, Richard Gilkes of Adderbury was end of the 17th century – even though he takes us the most prolific maker of the second generation of across the wiggly county boundary. Part of the reason makers, and is the best known today because so many why such collections are preserved is so that they can of his well-made but simple clocks survive – and are be studied and re- often still ticking away. evaluated as
knowledge inc- Tim’s lavishly-illustrated 256-page hardback book reases. His clock sells for £48 and can be purchased at the Museum of by Nethercott was the History of Science, Oxford, or from the author Tim regarded as run- Marshall
who dated it to Tony Simcock, Archivist, Museum of the History of about 1750. But Science Tim has studied it ______
*If you are intrigued by the mention of Theodore Lamb, you can read more about him in the 'sibipedia' on the Sibfords Society website http://thesibfords.org.uk/sibipedia/theodore-lamb. As can be seen from this photograph, although he was indeed a skilled watch and clock repairer, he was certainly eccentric: he made his own clothing from sacking, refused to have his hair cut, and local shopkeepers asked him to stand outside while they served him.
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Local Author: Richard O. Smith through the nine centuries of Oxford University’s existence and demonstrating that however poorly students may behave today, it is nothing to how they behaved in the thirteenth century. Rioting used to be a common occurrence and students seem regularly to have bludgeoned each other to death or to have been suspended from butchers’ hooks by angry townspeople. The author’s interest is not limited to the student population and this well researched little volume also considers the lunacy which prevailed in the University’s own regulations right up until 1854. Archbishop Laud, a seventeenth century Chancellor of Oxford University wrote the (modestly titled) Laudian Code, which the combined towering intellects of the University appear not to have questioned for over two hundred years. The author has included some select quotations and points out that, were the Code still in Richard O. Smith lives in Rose Hill and works as an force, today’s students would be whipped in public for author and scriptwriter for several TV, film and BBC going to Sainsbury’s, not to mention ‘the absurd Radio 4 comedies (The Now Show, News Quiz).. He practice of walking publicly in boots’." also writes regularly for several TV stars, including Dara O’Briain, Hugh Dennis, Rob Brydon, Dr Phil For his latest book, Hammond, Sandi Toksvig and Henning Wehn, and has Richard says it was his recently co-written the screenplay of The Unbeatables interest in Oxford’s (starring Rupert Grint and Rob Brydon) due for release history which led to an this sumer. He is well known locally as a popular tour increasing fascination guide and lecturer. He says he prefers the talks to the with James Sadler who tours "as they offer the benefit of something a walking was born in Oxford and tour in the English weather doesn’t: namely, a roof"! was a great celebrity for His humourous history talk has been described by Dr over 50 years but is now Lucy Worsley as “a jam-packed jamboree of jollity almost forgotten. Sadler packed with sex and violence.” Richard can be started life as an contacted about giving a talk - or an 'Oxford uneducated Oxford Eccentrics' walk (good weather not included) - at pastry cook but managed [email protected] to become one of the greatest chemists, Richard's most recent book, The Man With His Head in inventors, engineers and pilots in history. He achieved the Clouds (Signal Books), about James Sadler, fame as the first English aeronaut. He was the second Britain's first aeronaut will be published at the end of person to make a balloon ascent in England shortly May. His last book, As Thick As Thieves – after the first ascent was achieved by an Italian in documenting 400 true dumb criminal stories – was an September 1784. Sadler's first ascent took place on 4 Amazon number 1 best-seller and his 2010 book, October 1784 from Christ Church Meadow, Oxford. Oxford Student Pranks – A History of Mischief & The balloon rose to about 3,600 feet and landed near Mayhem is still widely available in Oxford bookshops. Woodeaton. His second ascent on 12 November in a hydrogen-filled balloon reached Aylesbury after a A review in 'Daily twenty-minute flight. In 1796 Sadler was appointed Information' in Chemist at the newly created Naval Works in 1796 and 2010 described is also credited with the invention of the table steam Oxford Student engine which was much cheaper than earlier models Pranks as "written and easier to instal. Sadler is buried in the churchyard with wit and a keen of St Peter-in-the-East in Oxford (now the library of St sense of the Edmund Hall). Richard's book is part-autobiography: ridiculous; it is woven into the narrative is an account of his own life- both scholarly and long fear of heights and the book culminates in his entertaining, trac- attempt to replicate Sadler's historic first balloon flight. ing the history of student mischief ______Images: Above: Sadler’s balloon ascending from Merton Field; Left: Plaque on the wall of Merton College in Deadman’s Walk (on the north side of Christ Church) (see p 24)
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The Visit of the Allied Sovereigns to Oxford
In April 1814, following defeat by the allied armies of city of Oxford was ‘illuminated’ (with public Russia, Prussia, Austria, Britain and others, Napoleon buildings, shops and private homes aglow with Bonaparte was forced to abdicate as Emperor of France lanterns, back-lit ‘transparencies’ and mottos spelt out and was sent into exile on the Mediterranean island of in oil lamps). Elba. Louis XVIII (brother of the executed King Louis XVI) had been living in exile at Hartwell House near The following morning, the degree ceremony was held Aylesbury but now returned to France as a in the Sheldonian Theatre. The guests then proceeded constitutional monarch. Europe was at peace after to the Town Hall where they were presented with gold years of war and over the summer there was rejoicing boxes and the Freedom of the City of Oxford. throughout the United Kingdom. Alexander I and the Grand Duchess of Oldenburg then visited Woodstock and Blenheim Palace while others The heads of state of enjoyed a tea-dance those nations who had in All Souls. been instrumental in securing peace were Various souvenir invited to Britain to publications were join in the festivities; issued to mark these this visit of the Allied events and formal Sovereigns took place portraits were pre- in June 1814. Tsar sented to the Alexander I Emperor University by the of Russia, King most illustrious Frederick William III visitors to commem- of Prussia, William orate their visit. the Hereditary Prince These can be seen in of Orange and their the Examination entourages and Schools. The generals (including Ashmolean’s collec- Field Marshal Prince tion includes George Blücher and Prince Jones’s sketch for his Platoff, Hetman of the major painting ‘The Don Cossacks) Allied Sovereigns departed from France on 6 June 1814. (Emperor Visit to Oxford’, exhibited at the Royal Academy in Francis I of Austria did not attend as he was preparing 1815 (and now owned by Magdalen College), and a for the Congress of Vienna). Over the next fortnight further sketch by Jones entitled “The Conferment of the dignitaries were thronged at the numerous cele- Honorary Degrees on the Allied Sovereigns in the brations arranged for them. It was decided that one of Sheldonian Theatre”. the highest accolades which Great Britain could bestow was an honorary doctorate from the country’s highest A formal Proclamation of Peace was made throughout seat of learning and so, on 14 June, the Allied the country on 27 June. Oxford, still revelling in the Sovereigns travelled to Oxford via Henley-on-Thames. glory of the visit from the Allied Sovereigns, ensured Alexander I and his sister the Grand Duchess of that this event was remembered with inscriptions Oldenburg lodged in apartments at Merton College; the carved in stone on a lamp-post base at St Clement's and King of Prussia and his sons were hosted by Corpus another on the Carfax Tower stating that “PEACE was Christi and the Prince Regent stayed at Christ Church, proclaimed in the City of OXFORD JUNE 27 1814”. which also accommodated the heroic Field Marshal Blücher. After a reception in All Souls College the Image: The Conferment of Honorary Degrees on the Allied illustrious guests crossed an especially carpeted Catte Sovereigns in the Sheldonian Theatre, sketch by George Street to dine in the Radcliffe Library. That night the Jones, 1814 (The Ashmolean Museum)
Alexander Rich, Co-curator of “Peace Breaks Out! London and Paris in the Summer of 1814” an exhibition at Sir John Soane's Museum from 20 June to 13 September 2014.
Alexander Rich will be delivering a lecture entitled “1814:1914 (The Glorious Peace: The Great War)” at the Ashmolean Museum on 16 July 2014
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EVENTS
OLHA Study Days 2014
Looking for the Anglo‐Saxons in Oxfordshire 17th May at Wantage Civic Hall It is harder to find than for the Romans, but there has nevertheless been a great deal of work to produce evidence of Anglo-Saxon occupation in the area now known as Oxfordshire. Much of this work has been documented by our first speaker, Anne Dodd of Oxford Archaeology, who will give an overview of the topic. Our second speaker, Stephen Mileson, will then report on his new research on landscape and social values with reference to Anglo-Saxon
perceptions.
Oxfordshire’s Experience of the First World war 8th November at the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum, Woodstock. A chance to visit the newly-opened museum. More details to come.
Oxfordshire Past 2014
Saturday 31 May 10.00 a.m. to 4.20 p.m. at Woodstock Community Centre, New Road, Woodstock, OX20 1PB
This is the twentieth OxPast event. OxPast is now well established in the Oxfordshire calendar for all those interested in history and archaeology, and has an extensive programme covering a range of talks from experts in their field. There is some parking near the hall, or at the public car park, Hensington Road (next to the Fire Station). The cost of attendance is £7 and tickets must be booked in advance. The ticket price includes tea/coffee but not lunch. Maximum attendance is 175.
Time Subject Speaker 10.00 Opening Address Chris Day, OAHS 10.05 The VCH in Wychwood and the Chilterns Simon Townley 10.35 Recent archaeological work in the City of Oxford David Radford 11.05 Break 11.20 Oxfordshire Local History Association in 2013/14 Tony Hadland Alison Roberts / The Portable Antiquities Scheme: field walking and stray finds 11.40 Anni Byard 12.10 Abingdon Buildings and People: a town history Manfred Brod 12.30 Lunch and OAHS AGM 13.30 Building Recording in Oxfordshire in 2013/4 David Clark Mystery Man: uncovering the stories behind the recent gift to 14.00 Carol Anderson Oxfordshire Museum of two portraits 14.30 Break 14.45 The Duck Test: some thoughts on the origins of Oxford Alan Crossley 15.15 Reflections on County Archaeology in 2013 Susan Lisk 15.45 Closing address Chris Day, OAHS 16.00 Close of Oxfordshire Past 2014
To book tickets, pay online at the website http://oxfordshirepast.org/ or send a cheque for £7 payable to Oxfordshire Architectural and Historical Society to Shaun Morley, Tithe Corner, 67 Hill Crescent, Finstock, Chipping Norton, OX7 3BT.
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Oxford Canal Heritage Celebration Day New Walking Tour: Oxford during World War I: 28 June and 9 November 2014 Saturday 3 May 2014 Join the tour to hear about life in Oxford Opening of a new Oxford Canal Heritage Trail during the war years Poc ket Park, Hythe Bridge Street www.visitoxfordandoxfordshire.com/tours The opening will be attended by the Deputy Mayor of Oxford, Councillor Tony Brett, and Ron Heritage, Chairman of the Oxfordshire Branch of the Inland Waterways Association (IWA). 10.30am. The Old Fire Station, 40 George Street, Oxford Free events for young and old, showcasing new information sources, talks, short films, videos, presentations, performances, poetry, an art show, children’s activities, community stalls, and items for sale. 11.30am-5.00pm. Free talk on Canal Characters, jointly with canal historian Hugh Compton, author of The Oxford Canal. The talk will provide an insight into some of the individuals who were instrumental in the creation and success of the early Oxford Canal. 3.00pm. Celebration concert: A fun and eclectic evening of music, poetry and dancing inspired by the Canal. Enjoy traditional, choral, and original songs with dance music from some of Oxford's most talented canal-loving performers. Tickets £8 (£5 concessions). 8-10.30pm. Further details: http://www.oxfordcanalheritage.org/
Image left: Oxford Canal looking towards St Barnabas Church, Jericho,Oxford
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Buckinghamshire Railway Centre at Quainton Headington Quarry School 150th Anniversary Sunday 4th & Monday 5th May
A large working model of the Oxford Rewley Road LMS station and swingbridge will be on display in the visitors’ centre at the Railway Centre. The station building depicted on the model is the old Oxford LMS station. Up to 6 locos will be in steam during the weekend. ______Alice in Wonderland 20 May 2014 and 10 June 2014. Christ Church Mad Hatter's Tea Parties
Tea at High Table in the Great Hall, talk on importance of the River Thames as the inspiration for the stories, Headington Quarry School was opened in September and an optional tour. 1864 making 2014 its 150th anniversary. The school /www.chch.ox.ac.uk/conferences/chch-events/teas has always been a very important part of the Quarry community and it is asking local people to come in to Saturday 5 Jul y 2014: Alice's Day Walks to help put together a display of photographs, Underground walk following the course of the Trill documents and memories for display at an open day Mill Stream from Folly Bridge to Oxford Castle. One and to visit the Records Office to research the history hour. Tickets £3. of the school. Pilgrimage walk from Alice's shop, St Aldates. Two Phone: 01865 762345 hours. Tickets £6. Email: [email protected] www.oxfordwaterwalks.eventbrite.co.uk
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DIARY OF TALKS AND MEETINGS
May 2014 16th– Finstock – Tony Cooper “Estate Labourers, th Hay Trussers and Under Carters: Finstock 6 – Henley – Mark Nicholls (Twinings Tea) “The Families in the 1911 Census”. Village Hall, Passage of Tea through Time”. Old King’s 8:00pm. Arms Barn, King’s Road, 7:45pm. th th 17 – Weston – Trip to Nuffield Place, home of 6 – Hook Norton – AGM followed by Carol William Morris, founder of Morris Motor Cars. Anderson “A Curator’s Curiosities”. Baptist th Church Hall, Netting Street, 7:30pm. 19 – Adderbury – Martin Way “The Golden Age of th Coaching”. Methodist Church Schoolroom, 6 – North Leigh – Gillian White “Bess of 7:30pm. Hardwick and Hardwick Hall”. Memorial Hall, th th 7:30pm. 19 – Bicester – Shaun Morley “Emigration from 19 th century Oxfordshire”. Clifton Centre, Ashdene 8 – Didcot – Colin Fox “The Mary Rose and the Road, 7:30pm. New Museum”. Northbourne Centre, Church th Street, 7:30pm. 19 – Kennington – Clare Sargent “Radley College: th The History of the School, Grounds and 9 – Wallingford – Steve Head “A Potted History of Buildings”. Methodist Church, Upper Road, Gardening”. Town Hall, 8:00pm. 7:45pm. th 12 – Chalgrove – Alan Simpson “Family History 19th – Launton – Robert Edwards “Samuel Cooper – a Research: Exploring your Roots”. John lost genius”. Grange Farm Mews, 7:45pm. Hampden Hall, High Street, 7:45pm. th th 19 – Oxfordshire Family History Society – Carl 12 – Chipping Norton – Liz Woolley “Leisure and Boardman “Binsey: a Village through its Long- Entertainment in Victorian & Edwardian lost Register”. Exeter Hall, Oxford Road, Oxford”. Methodist Hall, West Street, 7:30pm. Kidlington, 8:00pm. th 12 – Goring & Streatley – Simon Townley “The 20th– Enstone – Tim May “The history of the History of Ewelme”. Goring Village Hall, Oxfordshire Yeomanry (Queen’s Own 8:00pm. Oxfordshire Hussars)”. Venue tbc, 7:30pm. th 12 –Radley – Richard O Smith “Oxford 20th – Iffley – Timothy Walker “The First 393 Years Eccentricity”. Radley Primary School Hall, of the Oxford Botanic Garden”. Church Hall, 7:00pm for 7:30pm. Church Way, 7:30pm. th 13 – Marcham – Liz Woolley “Leisure and 20th– Witney – Brian Lowe “Odder Oxford”. Entertainment in Victorian and Edwardian Methodist Church, High Street, 7:30pm. Oxford”. Marcham Church, 7:45pm. st th 21 – Bloxham – Robert Evans “The Bliss Mill 13 – Sutton Courtenay – AGM followed by Strike, 1913-14”. Jubilee Park Hall, off Brickle Malcolm Lock “A Victorian of Sutton Lane, 7:30pm. Courtenay Remembers: The Life of Henry st Lock, 1875 – 1963″. All Saints’ Church, 21 – Clanfield and Bampton – Pete Chivers 7:30pm. “Oxfordshire Parks and Gardens”. Bampton Village Hall, 7:30pm. 13th– Thame – Tony Hadland “A Tiger in the st Bathroom and Bullets up the Chimney”. Barns 21 – Littlemore – Open social meeting with display Centre, Church Road, 7:30pm. and refreshments. Littlemore Community Centre, Giles Road, 7:30pm. 14th– Deddington – a volunteer from the National th Trust “Florence Nightingale and Claydon”. 27 – Kidlington – Christine Bloxham “The Windmill Centre, Hempton Road, 7:30pm. Supernatural: Halloween, Fairies, Witchcraft, th the Devil and Ghosts”. St John Ambulance 15 – Longworth – Evening visit to Hinton Waldrist Hall, 7:30pm. Church to hear about the history of bell th ringing and to hear the bells. Time tba. 28 – Dorchester on Thames – Robin Draper “A th History of our County Regiment; Redcoats to 15 – Sibfords – Showing of BBC Film “Away from it Riflemen 1741 through to 1914-2014”. Village All”, filmed in 1956 in the Sibfords. Village Hall, 7:30pm. Hall, Sibford Gower, 8:00pm.
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May 2014 (cont) July 2014 30th – Bensington – Alan Ross “Hughenden Manor: 5th – Longworth – Visit to Mapledurham Mill, the Home of Benjamin Disraeli”. Benson Parish last working watermill on the Thames. Tickets Hall, 7:30pm, followed by buffet supper. £9.50. 10:00am. 8th – Thame – Roger Askew “Windsor Castle – from June 2014 Medieval Fortress to Royal Palace”. Barns 3rd – Henley – Ann Darracott “A Virtual Tour of Centre, Church Road, 7:30pm. Bisham Abbey”. Old King’s Arms Barn, King’s 14th – Goring & Streatley – AGM and social evening. Road, 7:45pm. Goring Village Hall, 8:00pm. th 9 - Radley – Shaun Morley “Friendly Societies”. 14th – Weston – AGM. Village Hall, Weston on the Radley Primary School Hall, 7:00pm for Green, 7:30pm. 7:30pm. 16th – Littlemore - Village walk (to be arranged). 10th– Marcham – Evening walk “Leisure and Entertainment in Victorian and Edwardian 17th – Sibfords – Evening trip to Swinbrook, talk on Oxford” led by Liz Woolley. “The Mitfords” and visits to Mary’s Church and th the Swan Inn. Contact Diana Hughes, 10 – Thame – Outing to Southwark, London. [email protected], for further details. th 13 – Wallingford - Tony Hadland “Catholic 21st – Adderbury – Hannah Jones “The Journals of Recusancy in Oxfordshire”. Town Hall, Quaker William Jones of Charlbury”. 8:00pm. Methodist Church Schoolroom, 7:30pm. th 14 – Adderbury – Visit to Nuffield Place, home of 21st– Bicester – Keith Crawford “The History of William Morris. Witney Blanket Making”. Clifton Centre, 16th – Bicester – Brian Lowe “Strange Aspects of Ashdene Road, 7:30pm. Oxford’s History”. Clifton Centre, Ashdene 28th – Launton – Pam Chivers “Oxfordshire Folk Life Road, 7:30pm. and Crafts”. Grange Farm Mews, 7:45pm. th 16 – Kennington – Bill King “The River at War: 28th– Oxfordshire Family History Society – Joan Why the Thames was Such an Important Grundy “On Death and Dying – did they really Strategic Feature in the Second World War". Rest in Peace?”. Exeter Hall, Oxford Road, Methodist Church, Upper Road, 7:45pm. Kidlington, 8:00pm. th 19 – Longworth – Eynsham Abbey walk with 29th – Kidlington – Ruth Buckley “The Early History members of the Eynsham History Society. Meet of Oxford – Oxford from the Beginning”. St in car park at St Peter’s Church. 6:30pm (time to John Ambulance Hall, 7:30pm. be confirmed) with pub visit afterwards. 19th – Sibfords – Stratford town walk. Contact Diana August 2014 Hughes, [email protected], for further details. 20th - Littlemore – Ann Spokes Symons “Sir William 20th – Finstock – David Clark will lead a walk round Herschel and the Discovery and Development the village with two or three interesting houses of Fingerprints”. Littlemore Community to visit and examine. Centre, Giles Road, 7:30pm. 23rd – Oxfordshire Family History Society – Wendy Archer “The Parish Register Scanning September 2014 Project”. Exeter Hall, Oxford Road, 8th – Radley – AGM, and John Foreman “Horatio Kidlington, 8:00pm. David”. Radley Primary School Hall, 7:00pm 24th– Enstone – Picnic at Hanwell Castle gardens, for 7:30pm. with Stephen Wass “Uncovering the Enstone 9th – Marcham – Members’ Evening. Marcham Marvels Watergardens”. Hanwell Castle, near Church, 7:45pm. Banbury, 6:00pm. th th 9 – Thame – Liz Woolley “Children’s Experiences 24 – Kidlington – AGM followed by members’ of the Second World War in Oxfordshire”. social. St John Ambulance Hall, 7:30pm. Barns Centre, Church Road, 7:30pm. th 30 – Launton – David Pearse “Restoring Bicester’s 10th– Deddington – Richard O Smith “Oxford’s old Fire Engine”. Grange Farm Mews, 7:45pm. Eccentricity over 900 years”. Windmill Centre, Hempton Road, 7:30pm.
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September, 2014 (cont) 14th– Marcham – AGM followed by Gary Lock th “Hillforts of the Ridgeway – Living with the 12 – Wallingford – Ben Ford (Oxford Archaeology) White Horse”. Marcham Church, 7:45pm. “Winchester: A City in the Making”. Town Hall, 8:00pm. 14th– Thame – Stephen Barker “The Battle of th Cropredy Bridge and the Oxfordshire 15 – Adderbury – Hugh Cockwill “The History of Campaign of 1644”. Barns Centre, Church the Painted Dial”. Methodist Church Road, 7:30pm. Schoolroom, 7:30pm. th th 15 – Littlemore – Hazel Brown “Medical Care for 15 – Bicester – Liz Woolley “Children and War: Paupers”. Littlemore Community Centre, Giles Experiences of WWII in Oxfordshire”. Clifton Road, 7:30pm. Centre, Ashdene Road, 7:30pm. th th 16 – Longworth – Colin Oakes “Plague and Fire: 15 – Goring & Streatley – Shaun Morley “From The Life and Work of Samuel Pepys”. Time Out of Mind: Custom and Ritual in 19th Southmoor Village Hall, 7:30pm. Century Oxfordshire”. Goring Village Hall, 8:00pm. 16th – Sibfords – Emily Medcraft “Compton Verney”. Village Hall, Sibford Gower, 8:00pm. 15th – Kennington – Julie Summers “Jambusters: The WI in Wartime”. Methodist Church, Upper 20th– Adderbury – Martin Greenwood “Country Road, 7:45pm. Carrier”. Methodist Church Schoolroom, 7:30pm. 17th– Littlemore – Wendy Morrison “Roman and Anglo Saxon Digs at Dorchester”. Littlemore 20th – Bicester – Muriel Pilkington “Lost Railways of Community Centre, Giles Road, 7:30pm. Oxfordshire”. Clifton Centre, Ashdene Road, 7:30pm. 18th– Sibfords – Mark Davies “Artists in Wonderland: Alice and the Pre-Raphaelites”. 20th – Kennington – Liz Woolley “The Coming of the Village Hall, Sibford Gower, 8:00pm. Railway to Oxford”. Methodist Church, Upper Road, 7:45pm. 22nd– Oxfordshire Family History Society – Dave Annal “Brick Walls and Lost Ancestors: 22nd– Dorchester on Thames – Katherine Clarke Problem Solving for Family Historians”. “Mists and Monsters: Ancient Perceptions of Exeter Hall, Oxford Road, Kidlington, 8:00pm. the British Isles”. Village Hall, 7:30pm. 23rd– Enstone – Richard Thorpe “My Historical 27th– Launton – Pete Chivers “Bicester Hunt”. Biographical Books, Including the Life of Grange Farm Mews, 7:45pm. Harold Macmillan”. Venue tbc, 7:30pm. 27th– Oxfordshire Family History Society – John 24th– Dorchester on Thames – Edward Metcalfe Frearson “Was your Ancestor a Morris “The Dorchester Allotments: their Changing Dancer?”. Exeter Hall, Oxford Road, Role in the Village over Centuries”. Village Kidlington, 8:00pm. Hall, 7:30pm. 30th– Launton – Rowena Archer “Trying to November 2014 Understand Joan of Arc”. Grange Farm Mews, 4th– Henley – Judy Dewey “The History of 7:45pm. Wallingford”. Old King’s Arms Barn, King’s Road, 7:45pm. October 2014 10th – Goring & Streatley – Liz Woolley “Children’s 6th– Henley – Laura Wortley “Jan Siberecht’s Experiences of World War II in Oxfordshire”. Paintings of Henley”. Town Hall Council Goring Village Hall, 2:30pm. Chamber, 7:45pm. 11th– Marcham – Tony Hadland “Foray to the 8th – Deddington – Roger Rosewell “Painting on Falklands”. Marcham Church, 7:45pm. Light: The History of Stained Glass”. Windmill 11th – Thame – Simon Baynes “‘This Royal Throne Centre, Hempton Road, 7:30pm. of Kings’: Shakespeare and English History”. 9th – Thame – Outing to the Merchant’s House, Barns Centre, Church Road, 7:30pm. Marlborough, and Avebury Manor. th 12 – Deddington – Gareth Richard “The Poor of 10th– Wallingford – Oliver Creighton and Duncan Deddington”. Windmill Centre, Hempton Road, Wright “Castles of the Anarchy (1139-52) - 7:30pm. Wallingford and Crowmarsh in Context”. 14th – Wallingford – Rosey Meara “Recent Cotswold Town Hall, 8:00pm. Archaeology Projects in Oxfordshire”. Town 13th– Goring & Streatley – Mike Willoughby “Lest Hall, 8:00pm. We Forget: Remembering the Fallen in World War I”. Goring Village Hall, 2:30pm.
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November 2014 (cont) 11th – Longworth – Christmas Feast accompanied by th Christmas stories from Colin Oakes. Southmoor 17 – Adderbury – Barry Davis “Adderbury at Village Hall, 7:30pm. Leisure”. Methodist Church Schoolroom, 7:30pm. 12th– Wallingford – Susan Ronald “Hildebrand Gurlitt, Nazi Art Looter”. Town Hall, 8:00pm. 17th– Bicester – Martin Way “Barrels, Barley and Beer”. Clifton Centre, Ashdene Road, 7:30pm. 15th – Bicester – Bob Hessian “Bicester Pubs”. Clifton Centre, Ashdene Road, 7:30pm. 17th – Kennington – Mark Davies “Oxford’s Historic Waterways”. Methodist Church, Upper Road, 15th– Kennington – Shaun Morley “Drunk and 7:45pm. Riotous: Oxford’s Friendly Societies”. Methodist Church, Upper Road, 7:45pm. 18th – Enstone – Janet Newson “Beakhead doorways: Design and Mysteries of Romanesque Sculpture in North Oxfordshire”. Venue tbc, January 2015 7:30pm. 19th – Kennington – Richard O Smith “Britain’s Most 19th – Littlemore – Members’ evening – discussion Eccentric Sports”. Methodist Church, Upper of past year, projects and social evening. Road, 7:45pm. Littlemore Community Centre, Giles Road, 26th– Oxfordshire Family History Society – Liz 7:30pm. Woolley “The Parish of St Thomas the Martyr, 20th – Longworth – Tony Hadland “Steam and Steel West Oxford”. Exeter Hall, Oxford Road, in the Vale of White Horse”. Southmoor Kidlington, 8:00pm. Village Hall, 7:30pm. February 2015 20th– Sibfords – Gerald Lesinski “The Crown rd Jewels”. Village Hall, Sibford Gower, 8:00pm. 23 – Oxfordshire Family History Society – Tony Hadland “From Trevithick to Barnes Wallis: th 24 – Launton – AGM. Grange Farm Mews, 7:45pm. Tracing a Family of Cornish Engineers, from 24th– Oxfordshire Family History Society – Shaun Camborne to Brooklands, via the Sewers of Morley “From Time Out of Mind: Custom and London”. Exeter Hall, Oxford Road, Ritual in 19th Century Oxfordshire”. Exeter Kidlington, 8:00pm. Hall, Oxford Road, Kidlington, 8:00pm. March 2015 26th– Dorchester on Thames – Paul Booth “A View from the Train: The Roman Archaeology of 21st– Sibfords – AGM followed by Chris Mason High Speed 1 in Kent”. Village Hall, 7:30pm. “Swift Stories”. Village Hall, Sibford Gower, 8:00pm. December 2014 23rd – Oxfordshire Family History Society – Anthony 2nd – Henley – AGM. Old King’s Arms Barn, King’s Adolph “Joining the Dots and Bringing it all Road, 7:45pm. Together: Connecting up Normal Genealogical Research, Origins of Surnames, and DNA”. nd 2 – Thame – AGM . Barns Centre, Church Road, Exeter Hall, Oxford Road, Kidlington, 8:00pm. 7:30pm. 5th – Bensington – Anthony Church “Tales from an April 2015 Oxfordshire Town Crier”. Benson Parish Hall, 27th – Oxfordshire Family History Society – Mark 7:30pm, followed by buffet supper. Stevens “Fair Mile Revealed: the Victorian 8th – Goring & Streatley – Alan Turton “The Mary Asylum”. Exeter Hall, Oxford Road, Rose”. Goring Village Hall, 2:30pm. Kidlington, 8:00pm. 9th – Marcham – Christmas Social. Marcham Church, 7:45pm. ______Please check details of all events on the website: www.olha.org.uk ______
For further information about any of the events listed in the diary above, please contact the relevant local society ______
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LOCAL HISTORY GROUPS ______Abingdon Area Archaeological & Historical Society, Enstone Local History Society, Mrs Carol Geare, Ms Rachel Everett, [email protected], [email protected], 01608 677246 www.aaahs.org.uk Eynsham History Group, Ms Pamela Richards, Adderbury History Association, Mrs Jill Adams, [email protected], 01865-881396, www.eynsham. [email protected], 01869 340607, org/histgroup.html www.adderbury.org/our-village/a-history/adderbury- Finstock Local History Society, Mr Tony Cooper, history-asociation http://finstocklocalhistory.blogspot.com Ashbury Local History Society, Mrs Marion Turner, Goring & Streatley Local History Society, Mrs Janet [email protected], 01793 710302, Hurst, [email protected]; jhurst@w- www.ashbury.org.uk/livehist.php mark.demon.co.uk, 01491 871022 Asthall Parish Survey Group, Mr Ken Betteridge, Great Haseley Archives (The Haseley Archives), Miss Kay [email protected], 01993 878615 Sentence, [email protected] Aston History Group, Mr Martin Bowley, Hanney History Group, Mr Bill Orson, w.orson@ [email protected], 01993 850440, btopenworld.com, 01235-868859 www.wospweb.com/site/Aston-History-Group/index.htm Henley on Thames Archaeological & Historical Group, Banbury Historical Society, Mr Simon Townsend, Banbury Mr Martin Cresswell, secretary@henley-on- Museum, [email protected], 01295 thamesarchaeologicalandhistoricalgroup.org.uk, 01491 753781, www.cherwell.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=2786 572640, www.henley-on- Bartons History Group, Mrs Christine Edbury, thamesarchaeologicalandhistoricalgroup.org.uk [email protected], 01869 347013, Hook Norton Local History Group, Mr David McGill, www.bartonshistorygroup.org.uk [email protected], 01608 737103, www.hook- Bensington Society, Ms Sue English, sue_english1 norton.org.uk/village-groups/local-history-group.html @hotmail.com, 01491 837907, Iffley History Society, Mr Paul Butler, mpetipa@ntlworld. www.spanglefish.com/thebensingtonsociety com, 01865 777048, www.iffleyhistory.org.uk Bicester Local History Society, Mrs Sally James, Kennington History Society, Mr George Ross, [email protected], 01869 243804, [email protected], 01865 739208, www. www.blhs.org.uk kennington.org/organisations/histsoc/khs.htm Blewbury Local History Group, Mrs Diana Brock, Kidlington & District Historical Society, Mrs Melanie www.blewburyhistory.org.uk Wakefield, [email protected], 01865 Bloxham Village History Club, Mr Ian Myson, 01295 460926, www.communigate.co.uk/oxford/kidhist/ 720951, [email protected], www.bluebellweb. Launton Historical Society, Mr Peter Barrington, co.uk/club/Bloxham_History/htdocs/Welcome.php [email protected], 01869-245009, Chalgrove Local History Group, Mrs Gill Lester, www.launton.org/launton_historical_society.html [email protected], 01865 890451, Littlemore Local History Society, Miss Mary Steele, www.chalgrove-parish.org.uk/HistoryGroup/ [email protected], 01865 712969 CPCHistoryGroup.html Long Wittenham Local History Group, Mrs Janet Haylett, Charlbury Society, Mr Simon Walker, simon.iets@ [email protected], 01865 407382 btinternet.com, 01608 811414, Longworth & District History Society, Mrs Pam www.charlbury.info/community/22 Woodhead, [email protected], info@l-h- Chinnor Historical & Archaeological Society, Mr Ken s.org.uk; [email protected], 01865 820522, www.l-h- Mason, [email protected], 01844 216538. s.org.uk Chipping Norton History Society, Mrs Paula Mitchell, Lower Windrush Historical Society (formerly Standlake 01608 683628, www.chippingnortontown.info/ & District Historical Society), Mr BH Roberts, communitysocial/clubssocietieslisting/LocalHistory [email protected], 01865 300799, Society/tabid/1050/Default.aspx www.standlakepc.org.uk/historysoc.htm Chipping Norton Historical Society, Mrs Paula Mitchell, Marcham Society, Mrs Judith Fontaine, [email protected], 01608-645342 [email protected], 01865 391275, Clanfield & Bampton Historical Society, Mr Alan Smith, www.marchamsociety.org.uk [email protected], 01367 810245 Minster Lovell Historical Society, Mr Geoff Hoar, Cowley Local History Society, Mr Trevor Williams, [email protected], 01993 775086 [email protected], 01865 773014, North Leigh History Group, Mrs Diana Power, www.cowleyhistory.org.uk [email protected], 01993 882301, Cumnor & District History Society, Mrs Pat Hanson, www.wospweb.com/site/North-Leigh-Online/History- [email protected], 01865 863549 Group.htm Deddington & District History Society, Mrs Moira Byast, Oxfordshire Family History Society, Mr Paul Gaskell, [email protected], 01869 338637, [email protected], www.ofhs.org.uk www.deddington.org.uk/clubs/ddhs Otmoor Archaeological & Historical Society, Mr R Dunn, Denchworth Local History Group, Mrs Susan Brandon, 01865 372264, www.otmoor.co.uk [email protected], 01235 868451 Radley History Club, Ms Jenny Lee, Didcot & District Archaeological & Historical Society, [email protected], 01235 799374, Mrs Joyce Hall, 01235 812516, www.ddahs.org.uk www.radleyhistoryclub.org.uk Dorchester Historical Society, Miss Gail Thomas, Sibfords Society, Mrs Diana Hughes, [email protected], [email protected], 01865 341977 01295 780506, www.thesibfords.org.uk/org/sibfords- society
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Soldiers of Oxfordshire Trust (SOFO), Ms Ursula Weston on the Green Society, Mrs Liz Machin, Corcoran, 01993 813832, www.sofo.org.uk [email protected], 01869 350794, Stanford in the Vale & District Local History Society, Mr www.wotg.org.uk/Weston_on_the_Green_Society.htm Philip Morris, 01367 710285, Whitchurch & Goring Heath History Society, Mrs Sue www.stanford-in-the-vale.co.uk/lhs.shtml Matthews, [email protected], 0118 984 4489, Steeple Aston Village Archive Trust, Mr Martin Lipson, www.whitchurchonthames.com/groups/history.html [email protected], 01869 347046, Witney & District Historical & Archaeological Society, www.steepleastonarchive.org.uk Ms Eleonore Bruyere-Cordin, 01993 862779 Standlake & District Historical Society - see Lower Wolvercote Local History Society, Ms Barbara Dennis, Windrush Historical Society [email protected], 01865 554616. Stratton Audley Historical Society, Ms Dorothy Howarth, Wootton, Dry Sandford & District History Society, Mr 01869 277694 Malcolm Kindell, [email protected], Sutton Courtenay Local History Society, Ms Mary 01865 326527, www.wads-village.co.uk/history Thompson, [email protected], 01235 848527, Wychwoods Local History Society, Mrs Pauline http://w2.suttoncourtenay.co.uk/?p=1029 Holdsworth, 01993 822350, www.wychwoodshistory.org Thame Historical Society, Mr Colin Sear, Yarnton with Begbroke History Society, Mrs Susan [email protected], 01844 212336 Ganter, [email protected], 01865 372445, Wallingford Historical & Archaeological Society, Dr www.communigate.co.uk/oxford/yarntonwithbegbrokehi Katharine Keats-Rohan, katharine.keats-rohan storysociety/page1.phtml @history.ox.ac.uk,www.wallingfordmuseum.org.uk/ twhas_home.htm ______
Have you looked at the OLHA website recently? It now includes several new features:
A searcheable list of OLHA journal articles and Details of almost 30 speakers and guides willing to book reviews going back to 1980, with downloadable give talks and guided walks to Oxfordshire local pdfs of articles from 2005 to the present: history societies, on over 150 topics: www.olha.org.uk/?page_id=12 www.olha.org.uk/?page_id=120
The facility to buy or renew membership on-line: An up-to-date list of talks and meetings going on at www.olha.org.uk/?page_id=10 local history societies all over the county, every day of the week: The facility to pay for places on study days on-line: www. olha.org.uk/?page_id=4 www.olha.org.uk/?page_id=40 ______
The Streets of Oxford The illustration on page of the plaque commemorating James Sadler came from a fascinating collection of images on a website created by Stephanie Jenkins, History on the Streets of Oxford. As well as inscriptions, Stephanie recorded wayside stones and parish marks still in situ on the streets of the city, plus post boxes, telephone boxes and war memorials. The website also includes useful advice about researching an urban street. Have you noticed the stones and plaque pictured below when walking around the streets of Oxford? Are they still there? You can find out where these, and others, are situated by looking at the website: http://www.oxfordhistory.org.uk/streets/index.html: answers in the next issue of the Newsletter! Stephanie Jenkins has also recorded a wealth of interesting material about the history of Headington on her Welcome to Headington website, http://www.headington.org.uk/history.
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