Local History News Number 94 Winter 2010

LOCAL HISTORY NEWS - ARTICLE ACTIONS

IN PRAISE OF GILBERT WHITE
 

During the snows of January I was reading Gilbert White's The Natural History of Selborne, looking particularly at the weather descriptions from the 1770s and 1780s (those really were cold winters, when the contents of chamberpots froze under the beds). It is a familiar book: first published in 1788, it has been continuously in print ever since and, according to Richard Mabey, is the fourth most published book in the English language. But it is of course read mainly for its natural history rather than for its considerable relevance to local history.

 
Gilbert White (1720-1793) was born and spent much of his life  - as much as he possibly could  - in the Hampshire village of Selborne, where he was four times curate. The book is the result of a lifetime's careful observation of natural history, full of detailed descriptions of the appearance, behaviour and sheer wonder of flora and fauna, and with a wealth of evidence for weather and climate. But though White did not set out to describe landscape for its own sake, his text, in the epistolary form much loved in the later-eighteenth century, is interwoven with evocative glimpses and insights into the landscapes of East Hampshire and places further afield where he journeyed.
 
'In a district so diversified as this, so full of hollow vales and hanging woods, it is no wonder that echoes should abound. Many we have discovered that return the cry of a pack of dogs, the notes of a hunting-horn, a tumble ring of bells, or the melody of birds, very agreeably'. The sense of the silence of the countryside and the clarity of sound, unconfused by the cars on the distant A3 or the planes heading for Heathrow, is exquisitely expressed. Natural events fascinated him: Letter 45 gives a detailed account of a great landslip at nearby Hawkley in the first week of March 1764, after extremely heavy rain and 'great melting snows'. An area 23 yards high and 250 yards long slid down the almost precipitous wooded hangar above the village, destroying two houses and damaging others, and ravaging 50 acres of farmland.
 
There is a good deal on the agricultural economy, the ways of farming, and rural life including folklore and custom: 'In a farmyard near the middle of this village stands … a row of pollard ashes, which … manifestly show that in former times they have been cleft asunder. These trees, when young and flexible, were severed and held open by wedges, while ruptured children, stripped naked, were pushed through the apertures, under a persuasion that [they'>more... would be cured of their infirmity … We have several persons now living in the village, who, in their childhood, were supposed to have been healed by this superstitious ceremony'.
 
Explaining that 'We have two gangs of hordes of gypsies [which'>more... come round in their circuit two or three times in the year', White speculates about their origins and language (is it derived from Greek?) and admires their toughness and resilience, telling how in September 1775, the wettest month he could recall, 'a young gypsy girl [did'>more... lie-in in the midst of one of our hop-gardens, on the cold ground, within nothing over her but a piece of blanket extended on a few hazel-rods bent hoop-fashion, and stuck into the earth at each end, in circumstances too trying for a cow in the same condition'. As though to show that (like the best local historians) while he looked at the parish he was not parochial in his perspective, he noted that Mr. Bell, returned from Peking, had encountered a gang of gypsies on the borders of China: 'Europe itself, it seems, cannot set bounds to the rovings of these vagabonds'.
 
These are sometimes incidental anecdotes, sometimes the subject of an entire letter. Thus, the whole of letter 26, written in November 1775, is a superbly detailed and uniquely informative account of how the country people made rush-lights and tallow dips, complete with his own meticulous calculations of cost: a poor family could have 5½ hours of light for a farthing. And he adds that an elderly neighbour assured him that 'one pound and a half of rushes completely supplies his family the year round, since working people burn no candle in the long days, because they rise and go to bed by daylight'. The variety is great, the language delightful. For a gentle, lyrical and lovingly-composed account of rural life in the later eighteenth century, Gilbert White on Selborne is a must.

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BALH AWARD WINNER - JOAN SCHWITZER
 

Joan Schwitzer 1925 - 2009

 
It was with great sadness that we heard of the death of Dr Joan Schwitzer, just a few months after being delighted that she had come to receive her award in person on Local History Day in June. Despite this difficult time for her family, Joan's husband Mat has been most helpful in preparing the profile, and I have probably learnt more about her than this remarkable but modest lady would have willingly permitted.
 
Joan was born in the Thames valley and spent her youth in the Home Counties, attending Guildford Grammar School for Girls before reading history at Bedford College, London University. Evacuated to Cambridge, which Joan enjoyed hugely, the college returned to London before she graduated in 1945 with the highest marks in history for the whole university. She married Mat in 1947, became assistant lecturer in modern history at Bedford College, and worked on her PhD 'The British Attitude towards French Colonisation 1875-1887' which she presented in July 1954, a few days after the birth of her second child. Motherhood and family life took over from what could have been an outstanding academic career. Mat and Joan were married for 62 years, and had four children and six grandchildren. They were way ahead of their time in urban composting, and recycling, and Joan’s favourite method of transport was her bicycle.
 
We all gained immensely from her change of direction to local history . Joan Schwitzer was a founder member of Hornsey Historical Society which was inaugurated in 1971. She served as chairman from 1974 to 1985 during which time she used her abilities, enthusiasm and energy to make the society an active force in the borough and in local history circles. As one of her referees has written, Joan had the vision to see that in order for the Society to play a significant role it needed to have both a regular publication and its own premises. Another comment labels the latter as 'her greatest achievement'. In the face of considerable opposition, she used her negotiating skills and her diplomacy to seize the opportunity to lease (at a peppercorn rent) from the local council a small redundant nineteenth century school building, then serving as a bus shelter. After organising and encouraging other members to fund-raise and volunteer in other ways, the Old Schoolhouse in Tottenham Lane has become a centre for the Society, for housing exhibitions, archives, publications storage, a shop, local history evening classes and oral history sessions.
 
In the very early days of oral history as a technique Joan Schwitzer was a pioneer, leading reminiscence sessions in her area and building a considerable bank of recorded interviews that form a valuable resource for historians today. It is part of the society's archive collection at the Old Schoolhouse, another innovation from Joan that is widely used by others.
Joan headed the Society's publications committee for many years; she was instrumental in putting their annualBulletin on a firm footing, and in encouraging others to undertake research and to publish their findings. She set high standards, and her academic training and experience helped other people to achievements they would not otherwise have considered possible. Joan's own work resulted in scholarly articles, booklets, edited books, and numerous other publications. Of particular note, as it brings together her interests in local history and in education, is Model for London, Victorian Farm School to Modern Primary (2002) written to mark the 150th anniversary of St Michael's School, Highgate, and in the process examining the development of English education over two centuries.
 
She led by example, and shared her enthusiasms, never imposing her opinions, though her determination was put to good use when necessary. Joan served as President of Hornsey Historical Society from 1992 to 2002, and although poor health precluded her taking such an active role in recent years, it is a tribute to her that the society continues to flourish and that so many people have come to enjoy local history as a result of her contributions. 
 
With thanks to Mat Schwitzer, William Schwitzer, Ken Gay, Bridget Cherry, and Peter Barber

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BALH AWARD WINNER - JOHN HARGREAVES
 

Historian of Halifax: John Hargreaves

 
John Hargreaves is a native of Burnley and recalls his first personal involvement with local history at the age of four when he rode, face smeared with soot and holding a brush, on the back of a coal wagon in a tableau depicting the evils of industrialisation in Lancashire.[i'>more... His working life was as a secondary history teacher, and he took every opportunity to escape from the constraints of the formal curriculum to introduce his students to the fascination of local material and issues, and local facets of national and international history. An early product developed with a like-minded colleague was an archive teaching unit on the Luddites of West Yorkshire based on contemporary newspaper accounts, facsimiles and transcripts from local record collections; this has since been reissued in a second edition and is still in use in local schools. At the same time as his teaching career progressed, John developed his own local history research interests in Luddism and Methodism by studying part-time for first an MA and then a PhD at the University of Huddersfield, where he is currently a visiting research fellow. He has now retired from full-time teaching, but is still actively involved in school history with activities such a examining and in adult education as a WEA tutor.
 
John's association with the Halifax Antiquarian Society began in the 1980s; he has served as Honorary Secretary, and as President, and is now a Vice President. Alongside the many tasks required of a secretary, he initiated their annual Day School that has become a major event in the Society's calendar, creating, as he has put it 'a dialogue between academic debate and the grassroots study of local history'. The first was in 1988 marking the twenty-fifth anniversary of E P Thompson'sThe Making of the English Working Class which was written whilst the author was a resident of Halifax and made extensive use of local sources. Edward Thompson provided a retrospective view of his celebrated book, and other speakers on the programme were Dorothy Thompson, Edward Royle, and John Munsey Turner.
 
Since 1992 John Hargreaves has been editor of theTransactions of the Halifax Antiquarian Society which has evolved under his guidance to become a widely respected journal setting an example of what can be achieved by a largely amateur publication. Most of the articles are the work of local researchers and the Society's own members, and under John's editorial leadership increasing numbers of people have submitted papers, and reached impressive standards of research, style and presentation.
 
A founder member of the Huddersfield Local History Society, John is also actively involved in other local organisations including the Halifax Civic Trust, the Halifax Urban Renaissance Town Team, and the West Yorkshire branch of the Historical Association.
 
John's own contributions to local history have also included a full-length history of Halifax, numerous articles and tourist guidebooks. He has made special studies of photographs, manorial court rolls and maps as source materials, scripted several video histories, contributed to TV and radio documentaries and prepared texts for exhibitions. His contributions to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography now number 35.
 
One of John's particular methodological specialisms is in oral history. Since 2006 he has been co-ordinator for oral history for the Methodist Church, with responsibility for building up the archive of interviews with relevant people throughout the country. His interest and involvement in the history of Methodism is long-lived and extensive, and his standing in the denomination has been recognised by his appointment as General Secretary of the Wesley Historical Society.
 
John Hargreaves has spent a lifetime going beyond the call of duty in support of local history and history in the community, as lecturer, author, mentor and stalwart member of local organisations. He has opened the subject to many people with encouragement and support which has been widely appreciated.
 
John's many and diverse commitments meant he was unable to join us at the award ceremony on Local History Day last summer. His wife kindly stepped in to represent him on that occasion, and we were pleased to arrange for our President David Hey to give John his scroll in person at the 'Local History After Hoskins' conference at Leicester University in July.
 
With thanks to John Hargreaves, Edward Royle, Alan Betteridge, Gordon Terry

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VCH COUNTY SOCIETIES SYMPOSIUM
 

County Societies Symposium

The Victoria County History is convening a symposium at the Institute of Historical Research on 1 May 2010 (10.30 –-4.30) to which county societies (archaeological, historical, antiquarian, natural history and records) are invited to discuss matters of mutual interest.
Although BALH acts as an umbrella organisation for the many town and village local history societies which have been founded since the Second World War, no similar forum exists for the county societies, and the county record societies, many of which date from the Victorian period.
The growth of towns from the later eighteenth century was matched by social change in which the middle classes came to identify together in clubs and associations, and to engage in an associational world. The first provincial learned society to be devoted exclusively to the study of antiquities was the Newcastle Society, founded in 1813. Subsequently societies were founded in many counties, initially for the study of archaeology, and they normally met in the county town. Early societies included the Sussex Archaeological Society (1846), the Buckinghamshire Archaeological Society (1847), the Norfolk and Norwich Archaeological Society (1847), and the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society (1855). By 1900 most counties had a society and (either separately or as part of the main society) a record society.
The earliest printing, or record societies were the Surtees Society in Durham founded in 1834, the Camden Society in 1838, the Chetham Society, founded in Manchester to serve Lancashire and Cheshire in 1843, and the Sussex Archaeological Collections in 1848. In some cases county archaeological societies took on the business of printing records: the Norfolk and Norwich Archaeological Society (1847) published historical source material from its foundation, both in its transactions and in separate occasional volumes.
Professor John Beckett, the Director of the VCH, is also the chair of the Thoroton Society, the Nottinghamshire historical and archaeological society founded in 1897. He is convening this symposium because he is not aware of any serious attempt to put the societies into contact with each other on either a regular or irregular basis. The symposium is designed to offer a forum that may throw up matters of common interest, and to share best practice.
All county societies, and county record societies, are being invited to attend this symposium, and a full programme is being prepared. Societies are invited to nominate up to two representatives, who are asked to bring with them sample literature including copies of journals, recruitment material and so forth. A laptop computer is being made available to showcase websites.
The symposium will include sessions on membership, recruitment and gift aid, and on the present and future shape of local history publishing. Part of the symposium will be devoted to presentations by individual societies about their work.
The symposium is being convened by the Victoria County History, but its active supporters include BALH, together with the Historical Association, the Royal Historical Society, and the Centre for English Local History at the University of Leicester.
Details are being circulated to all County societies and additional information is being posted on the VCH website at www.victoriacountyhistory.ac.uk
Marc Fitch Lecture
The annual VCH lecture sponsored by the Marc Fitch Fund on behalf of the Victoria County History will take place in the Institute of Historical Research on 28 June 2010 at 6 p.m. This year the lecture will be given by Professor Steve Hindle (University of Warwick). His title is ‘The Economic Worlds of Sir Richard Newdigate: Tenants, Servants, Labourers and Craftsmen in a Warwickshire Parish, c.1670-1710’. Professor Hindle is editor of the Economic History Review and also convenor of the Warwick University ‘Network for Parish Research for the study of British and European parishes, c.1300-1800’. For further details see the VCH website above

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A REVIVED COUNTY VCH
 

Since September 2008 a Steering Group has been meeting in Kendal to discuss ways of restarting the Victoria County History in Cumbria. All that survives of work before 1939 are two general volumes for Cumberland; and Lancashire Volume VIII: for Westmorland nothing has so far been published.

 
The Steering Group was convened and chaired by Dr Angus Winchester of Lancaster University, and included the President of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society (Dr Richard Newman), the chairs of the Cumbria Local History Federation (myself) and the Friends of Cumbria Archives (Dr John Thorley), and representatives of Cumbria County Council, the National Trust, the Lake District National Park Authority, the University of Cumbria, and the Diocese of Carlisle. Also present at most meetings was Professor John Beckett, director of VCH Central Office.
 
The following decisions have been taken: (1) to prepare the project as a partnership between VCH Central Office, Lancaster University as the Centre of Excellence, and a newly created charitable trust to be called Cumbria County History Trust (CCHT); (2) to prepare and approve a Governing Document for CCHT, allowing for 9 foundation trustees nominated by the 9 bodies represented on the Steering Group plus further trustees to be elected by the membership (who will also elect the officers); (3) to prepare a Project Plan, for formal adoption after the public launch of CCHT, including (a) provision for a small professional leadership intended to be Angus Winchester and a full-time county editor; (b) a research plan based on division of the County into 15 territories, the bulk of the research to be done by approved volunteers working to the VCH template with professional support, training and scrutiny; (c) the establishment of controlled website(s) for the storage of completed and approved work; (d) a short-term objective of completing one territory within 5 years; and (e) a budget of £60K-£70K per annum.
 
It will be the task of the CCHT to raise the funds. At the time of writing 7 out of 9 foundation trustees have been nominated and the first meeting of trustees, to prepare the public launch, was held on 18th December (myself as acting chair, and Rob Matthews as acting treasurer). An application for start up funding will shortly be made, and an application for charitable registration. CWAAS have offered £10K per year for 5 years, subject to matching funding being raised from other societies and individuals (equal to 100 X £100 per year). If all goes according to plan the public launch will be in the Spring of 2010, and will be followed by a bid for the balance of the funds required, leading (we hope) to the appointment of County Editor before the end of 2010. Any readers of this magazine who would like to become a member of CCHT, contribute to the matching funding, or join the research team, are invited to contact me, Richard Brockington, Acting Chair CCHT             [richard.brockington@mypostoffice.co.uk'>more...

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SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED
 

The completion of the anxious and occasionally fraught process of buying our house in 1990 was marked by a visit by to our solicitor's office. After my wife and I had signed the deed the solicitor pealed a red spot from a roll and pressed it firmly with his thumb over a blank circle on the document. At the time feelings of relief put all other thoughts from my mind, but later on reflection I realised we had witnessed the death throes of a custom of sealing deeds which had its origins in the early Middle Ages but which the innate conservatism of the legal system was apparently unable to give up, condemning it to this vestigial parody. 

The practice of attaching a piece of wax bearing the impression of a metal matrix of the parties, effectively validated the deed at time when the most people were illiterate. It indicated the source of the document and demonstrated authenticity. The wax, a mixture of beeswax, resin and a colouring, was softened and kneaded in the hand and pressed into the matrix, which might be made of lead, copper alloy, silver or ivory. Then the parchment tag was threaded through a slit at the bottom of the document, was placed across the wax and covered by more wax. The seal hardened leaving the impression of the matrix on one side and, intriguingly, a finger or thumb print on the other.
Originally used by kings, nobles, bishops and abbots they were adopted by throughout the social scale, by men and women, as the conveying of property and rights increased in volume and complexity. Designs varied from coats of arms with helms and other types of armour, to merchant's marks and tradesmen's tools, such as scissors for tailors or a cleaver for a butcher. Words around the edge, usually recorded the owner of the seal. From the late 13th century increasing invention and variety is found. Animals, such as hawks, dogs, boars and hares, frequently appear as subjects. Particularly popular were squirrels often eating nuts, with variants of the words 'I Crak Notis'. Emblems punning the owners name or even pictograms appear. William Gore of Alderton was represented by a bull's head between his initials: William Coventre of Devizes by the letters of the first part of his name on either side of a tree. A sense of playfulness, or even enigma, was prevalent. The seal of Walter de Grendon on a deed of 1335 in The National Archives shows the man in the moon with his dog and a bundle of thorns, with the words (in Latin) 'Why I carry thorns in the moon, Walter, I will teach you'. The image probably derives from the legend of the man caught collecting sticks with his dog on Sabbath who was banished to the Moon by Moses. It re- emerged in the character of Moonshine in Shakespeare's play A Midsummer’s Night Dream.
Ecclesiastical seals, like those of women, were usually lozenge-shaped, and often illustrate a religious scene against a backdrop of tracery and gables of a church or cathedral. Saints were represented with their emblems; St Catherine with the wheel on which she was martyred; St Peter with the keys of the kingdom of Heaven, and St Andrew with the saltire cross. The seal of the Dominican friars of Ilchester on a document dated five years before Columbus made his epic voyage, shows Christ in judgement with a spherical world at his feet: Evidence to refute the myth that the belief that the Earth was flat was widely held in the Middle Ages.
These examples of dress, architecture, custom, belief and humour provide wonderful insight into medieval life. Today many visit churches, cathedrals and museums to appreciate medieval craftsmanship but seals also offer a visual and accessible record which demands our attention and interest. As a result of the destruction of so much medieval metalwork they are an important source of what TA Heslop has described as the  'the artistic achievements of small scale sculpture'.
Although by the end of the 16th century in an increasingly literate society the signatures of parties and witnesses become the principal means of validation, seals remained in use and could be a useful means of displaying prestige and authority. The second great seal of Elizabeth 1 is an example of royal propaganda. It was designed in 1586 by Nicholas Hilliard, the renowned painter of miniatures. On the obverse Elizabeth is shown in majesty with sceptre and orb, symbols of royal power; heavenly rays indicate her divine status. On the reverse she is on horseback across a field of flowers representing hope and prosperity, her femininity and strength.
A seals played a part in my discovery and love of history that was implanted by an inspirational teacher, Edgar Silcocks, at Preston Plucknett Primary School, near Yeovil. Just over fifty years ago I was among his class to which he related the story of the quick tempered Sir Alan de Plucknett who ignored his mother's wishes to be buried in Sherborne abbey. The Bishop of Bath and Wells sent the rural dean to deliver an order for him to correct his action. Sir Alan seized him by the throat and forced him to eat the parchment document and wax seal. An eight year old, with a mind as impressionable as a piece of wax in this educational matrix, I was gripped by the story which remained with me. Thirty years later, when I was an archivist in Somerset, I found the printed source to this and then the original entry from 1315 in the register of Bishop John Droxford, TS Eliot's words 'In my end is my beginning' seemed to be relevant to my chosen career at that point. 
Mr Silcocks organised a school trips into Dorset with a strong historical bias. I still have the cyclostyled programme, entitled 'Down Dorset Way', from a journey in 1959 that took in the hill forts of Eggardon and Maiden Castle, the Roman town of Dorchester, the medieval Corfe Castle, and the village of the Tolpuddle Martyrs, for which he wrote brief but informative historical notes. The previous year the trip included the valley of the river Frome. The coach had slowed down to a snail's pace at his request as we passed through Cerne Abbas below the chalk figure of the priapic giant. With hindsight I think that his desire to pass on his love of the past was balanced by a wish to tease our headmistress, Miss Gilbert. If so he was successful on both counts; Miss Gilbert rushed to the front of the bus and ordered the driver to speed up, and I was hooked. 
 

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Enhancing your digital images with powerful but free software
 
Background
 
Some 15 years ago I set up the Kingston Local History Project based at Kingston University in Surrey. This project digitally recorded 19th century census returns and parish registers for the town of Kingston into a database and then collated and linked the records to produce life histories for the many thousands of citizens. This has been extended to five smaller communities in mid Surrey including the area where I live. I currently have strong links with a nearby University of the Third Age (U3A) local history group and we are making use of digital photographs to extend the scope of the database. I will describe how we utilise some powerful but free software to manipulate these digital images.
 
Software
 
The software used is called Picasa and is available from Google for use on Windows XP or later. On the Google browser website identify the toolbar that starts Web, Images, Videos etc. Click "more" then "even more" and you will see Picasa available as a download. After downloading, install it and follow the on screen instructions. It will scan your PC and identify files held in a digital format (the most common ones are those suffixed with jpg). These will be shown as an album of thumbnails. Double click any thumbnail and the image itself is available for manipulation.
N.B. Picasa does not hold any data itself, it merely accesses the images which are already held on your hard disk (or added later). Any changes you make, whilst retained, do not change the original unless you specifically save the changes. Even then, a copy of the original will be made and stored in a subfolder of your original folder.
 
There are three types of images where we use Picasa, namely maps, documents and photographs.
 
Maps
We were able to buy from Surrey History Centre at a very reasonable price a set of CDs containing jpg images of the early 25 inches to the mile Ordnance Survey maps for the whole county and which are reasonably complete from 1867 to 1934. These are high resolution resulting in excellent quality images even when zoomed in to a high level. Using Picasa we are able to zoom in on individual buildings or features which if required can then be cropped to produce new images. It is also feasible to look at change over time by printing images from different date maps on to OHP transparencies and overlaying later maps of an area over earlier versions.
 
Documents
We discovered that the local school was still in possession of the hand written log books from around 1900. They were persuaded to donate them to the Surrey History Centre but only after we had photographed them using a modern digital camera. The resulting images have been annotated using the text feature of Picasa to underline any child’s name. Additional copies are taken when there are multiple names. These images are then linked to the database records for that individual so enhancing the life histories.
 
Three members of our group have recently spent several hours photographing admission and discharge record books for the local workhouse. We have some 8,000 pages which will be keyed in to create database records which can be matched for in and out so allowing varying analyses showing such things as average length of stay or frequency of admission for any individual. Relevant records will also be added to the life history database. For data entry we will be using Picasa on a split screen so avoiding the necessity of printing 8,000 pages. The keyboarder will be able to zoom in on any area of the page, adjusting for contrast, brightness etc. as required for legibility. Data entry will probably be on Excel or its equivalent free version (Open Office)
 
Photographs
Group photographs will be edited before linking to the database by the addition of a circle around the head of the individual being linked. The technique I use is to add the letter O as text which is then enlarged and moved into place.
 
Old photographs often appear very dark, losing much of the detail. After scanning, these can often be tweaked by Picasa using the fill light feature revealing detail previously hidden.
 
Conclusion
I hope I may have encouraged some local historians to investigate the merits of Picasa. I will be happy to answer by email any queries you may have. Email address is MidSurreyLocalHistory@idnet.com.
 
Peter Tilley is an amateur local historian with a keen interest in computers.
 

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4 Kings Row Cottages
 
The first view of my new house in Epping Green as I arrived in the lorry containing all of my worldly goods was slightly marred by the site of a very elderly, very thin and very inquisitive lady hovering around the front windows.
The previous incumbents had left and all I now could detect was that 'Aunt Daisy' as the rest of the village affectionately knew her was checking that everything was in order for the new owner…me.
 
Aunt Daisy was approaching her centenary and soon made herself known with her constant suggestions with regards to the state of my garden, how to prevent cattle from destroying my hedge, access to the open land behind and even what to do to the paths should it snow. To some this level of intrusion could be quite a challenge, but in return for such sage advice I could tap her vast memory relating to previous owners of my house and indeed the history of the village in general.
I diligently took notes that I still have to this day. Some of the information had to be treated with caution, a fact that I had allowed for, given her poor hearing and the passing of countless decades.
 
My house, it would appear, belonged to the local wheelwright, his workshop standing on the green opposite, now occupied by the bus shelter. He died in 1934 and it subsequently became the village post office. In fact, it would appear that at some time or the other, nearly all of the houses in Epping Green had served their time as the village Post Office!
Over the years I 'interviewed' other elderly members of the community, swapping tea and biscuits for insights into village life. I found it fascinating how their memories of my house varied with their ages. Some recalled it as a wartime post office, some went there as children to buy their sweets after school remembering older ladies, sitting outside the bay window, gossiping, catching the last of the summer sun. Everyone was willing to loan me their photographs so that I could make copies.
 
One elderly allotment holder said that when he was a boy he would play darts with his friends in my kitchen, which then was the Post Offices store room. He knew the address of a Reg Webb who carried out conversions during 1960. Would I be interested in seeing him?
A 200 mile round trip brought me face to face with the man who put in many of the alterations, but more importantly was able to describe in detail and draw a plan of how it looked before the conversions took place. He also owned numerous photos taken by the architect at the time of the work.
Now 'fast forward' 25 years, to the age of the computer and easy access to the census. By researching all of the village inhabitants from 1841 through to 1911 I was able to produce a time line showing the movements in and out of the former wheelwrights cottage. In fact, surprisingly, there were very few. James Cook and his family arrived from nearby Waltham Abbey in about 1855 and his sons continued the business through to 1942. Trade directories reinforced the rumour that he diversified into coach building during the latter part of his career.
Later, Essex records office provided a copy of the Tithe Award map along with its schedule containing details of the various owners and occupiers for 1836 and I was able to 'plot' another period of its history.
 
I’ve even managed, using a graphics package on the computer to overlay all available maps from 1740 to a present day aerial photo to show in true 'flicker book' style the various developments that have occurred.
But wait…. what’s this on the 1901 census? A niece, 'Dulcie', one year old, born in South Africa, living with the wheelwright and his wife. Fascinating stuff, I needed to know more. Back to the computer and a quick study of the passenger lists for any likely looking arrivals from that region and there they are. Beeche her mother, Gwendolyn her sister and Dulcie, all arriving from Natal in 1899 on the 'Tintagel Castle'. But why? Sadly no one in the village remembers them and even more intriguing is why Dulcie lived with the Wheelwrights family whilst her mother and sister stayed on a farm 200 yards away. A situation that continued for a further 10 years.
Unbeknown to me, a lady not too far away has lived here all her life and she's nearly 90. Perhaps she can shed some light on the mystery of Dulcie, who apparently inherited my house from the Wheelwright after he died in 1934. I've already asked a mutual friend if she can help…I see more tea and biscuits approaching.
 
I'm sure you are all aware of the famous quote that we don't actually own our house, but just look after it for a while.
I consider that I've been there some time. Why I'm practically no longer considered an outsider. Edwin Cook however was using that very same garden path for over 80 years and Mary Carter the postmistress for a further 30. Reg converted it and lived there for another 25 years with his family and that's 'only' from 1855.
What of its history from the early 18th century when it was built? Why is there a weather boarded gable end of a building, long gone behind the plasterboard of the front bedroom? What's the purpose of that original window only 12" square? Why is the brickwork at the back in English bond and the front in Flemish bond? What's the point of that funny hook fixed to the wall under the eaves?
I'm sure that to many of the previous owners it would have been obvious….
 
Ian West draws the regular cartoons that illustrate Alan Crosby's endpieces in Local History News
 

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PETER NORTHEAST FSA 1930 - 2009
 

Peter Northeast, who died after a long illness in August 2009, was a remarkable and unusual local historian. By profession a primary-school teacher and head, he had a particular interest from boyhood in natural history, particularly botany. However in the early 1960s, when headteacher at the Berkshire village of Blewbury, he caught the local history bug. At the time he and his wife lived in a handsome Queen Anne schoolhouse, about which he simply wanted to know more. This led to research in the Berkshire Record Office and the Bodleian Library, and subsequently to the writing of a parish history which is still being updated over 40 years later.

When he returned to Suffolk as the head of Rattlesden school, he devoted his leisure to historical studies, displaying characteristic energy and an amazing memory for detail. He collected and transcribed original sources, and was generous (sometimes too generous) in making them available to others. In adult education he became a highly successful extra-mural and WEA tutor, bouncing around the county from Newmarket's downs in the west to the North Sea in the east, and was famous for the amount of original research he undertook in preparation for his classes. In addition he helped beginners to get started, and corresponded with scores of friends and contacts all over the country (for example, about obscure references and difficult bits of Latin). Furthermore he worked tirelessly as a member and officer of the county's various historical and archaeological societies.
Although he collected sources of almost every kind (including innumerable nineteenth-century parliamentary papers which he quarried and xeroxed from Cambridge University Library), his principal love was Suffolk's remarkable legacy of late-medieval wills (from the late fourteenth century up to c.1540), which he used in his teaching to throw light on the social, economic and religious life of the county in its heyday. His grammar-school Latin was soon re-honed to great effect, and his translations and transcriptions became a byword for accuracy and careful editing; they were acknowledged by academic specialists of the late-medieval period who beat a path to his door in their search for evidence. By the time of his death he had read and translated some 15,000 local wills, which form the major part of the 'Northeast Collection' destined for the Suffolk Record Office. The last task he undertook before illness overwhelmed him was to assemble and summarise, in a dozen or so files, all his references to the fabric and furnishings of Suffolk's churches. His principal publications are Boxford Churchwardens' Accounts 1530-61 (Suffolk Records Society, 1982), which is constantly mentioned by scholars of the English Reformation, and the Wills of the Archdeaconry of Sudbury, 1439-1474: I (2001). Part II of the latter, recently completed by Heather Falvey, will appear under their joint names in 2010.
Peter Northeast will be remembered as a knowledgeable and meticulous scholar, modest, friendly and always cheerful. He was elected FSA in 1980. The cause of local history would be enormously benefited if we had more stalwarts like him, able to bridge the gap between academic and amateur, historian and antiquary.

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Researching the Local History of Holidays in Britain

A new resource is available for the researching the local history of holidays in Britain at the Heritage Centre, Bryn Corach, Conwy. Bryn Corach was the first holiday centre and head office of the Holiday Fellowship, now HF Holidays. The Holiday Fellowship was formed in 1913 with the support of a predecessor, the Cooperative Holiday Association, whose origins date back to the 1890s. The aim of the Holiday Fellowship was 'to bring our holidays within reach of poorer folk and … to keep the arrangements as simple as possible'. It proposed 'to supply cheap holidays and … to deepen their physical and moral value to those who take part in them'. Although the share prospectus of 1913 made no mention of a religious basis, for many years the Holiday Fellowship was overtly Christian (prayers before breakfast, grace before dinner, no alcohol, etc), an approach now firmly jettisoned. The prospectus envisaged an entirely new type of holiday centre from that of the Cooperative Holiday Association , 'a "tent-house-centre" - approximating to the conditions of a camp and available for both sexes …combining the freedom and camaraderie of camp life with the security and  -dare we say it - the minimum of comfort, convenience and good order needed to make camping enjoyable by women and middle-aged folk'. It succeeded remarkably in its aims, although the founders might be surprised to know that in the 21stcentury women and middle-aged folk (and others) are attracted as much by Tango and Belly-Dancing weekends as traditional walking holidays, the HF staple.
Over the course of the twentieth century, the Holiday Fellowship acquired more than 120 hotels and other forms of accommodation spread across Wales, Scotland, England and Ireland. The Heritage Room at Bryn Corach, set up by Harry Wroe, contains folders of material on all of them, as well as an archive of printed material and photos, runs of early newsletters (Over the Hills), manuscript diaries, Oddments Books, Old Rule Books, original artwork, and artefacts from chamber pots to trophies and oilskins.
Did your area have a tent-house-centre, hotel or children's camp run by HF? Find out with an excellent and extremely good-value illustrated introductory history which maps them all: Harry Wroe, The Story of HF Holidays(HF Holidays, 2007, ISBN: 0-9555139-0-1), price £5. This book, and the new Heritage Centre, open our eyes to one small corner of 20th -century holidaymaking, and the dancing is pretty good too!
Gill Draper, Events and Development Officer,development.balh@btinternet.com
 

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CONSERVATION AREAS
 

For 40 years conservation areas have helped to preserve the special character of places - not only at the heart of historic cities and market towns, but also suburbs, villages, and surrounding landscapes. To mark this anniversary the Autumn 2009 issue (62) of English Heritage's Conservation Bulletin was devoted to tracing the history of conservation areas, examining their importance for 'the cultural heritage of the nation', and looking ahead to their relevance for 'sustaining local identity and distinctiveness' in the 21st century. The authors, mostly English Heritage staff, but also architects, and people working for other bodies such as local authorities, have used a vast array of case studies, in Britain and beyond, to discuss both the past and future of conservation areas.

 
The first piece of legislation to acknowledge the value of whole groups of buildings and to recognise the importance of conserving the character of entire areas was the Civic Amenities Act 1967 which introduced the concept of conservation areas. By the end of that year the first four had been designated; there are now more than 9,300. Conservation Areas are 'areas of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance'.
 
Post-war Britain was changing rapidly under the 1947 Town and Country Planning Act but little notice was taken of the qualities of the existing built environment, apart from the tiny proportion designated as listed buildings or scheduled ancient monuments. Gradually there emerged an increasing realisation that powers, absent from the original legislation, were needed and the Town and Country Amenities Act 1974 brought demolition in conservation areas under meaningful control.
 
Amongst the many sections of this publication of particular interest to local historians is 'Identifying and understanding local heritage' within the chapter Understanding Shared Places, contributed by Mike Brown who describes the 'local list' developed in the London Borough of Enfield. In Sustaining Local Value, Florence Salberter, Heritage Advisor with British Waterways discusses 'managing linear conservation areas'; and Jane Blackburn explains the 'novel approach to character appraisal' taken by Hampstead Garden Suburb. Amongst the contributions in the final section headed Catalysts for the Future, Andy Brown examines 'A Creative future for seaside resorts: Margate, Turner and beyond', and two articles describe dramatic change in contrasting areas of London - King's Cross and Marylebone High Street.
 
Jane Howells

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FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE 1820 -1910
 

Florence Nightingale died on 13 August 1910, so in the course of this year there will be events, exhibitions and publications making this centenary. Naturally there will be a focus of activities in places of significance in her life. The Nightingale family acquired Embley Park near Romsey in 1825 for £125,000, with an estate of approximately 4,000 acres that included the whole of Wellow parish. It was to be their main home until W E Nightingale, Florence's father, died in 1874. St Margaret's parish church in Wellow contains the Nightingale family grave. The house is now an independent school, Hampshire Collegiate School, part of the United Church Schools Trust.

 
A key objective in the planned events here will be to involve young people. Pupils from the senior school will be working with a professional photographer to produce a series of pictures depicting 'Embley now' as part of a new display for the Florence Nightingale Museum in London. Pupils from Wellow Junior School, of which the Nightingales were patrons, will be recreating a mid-nineteenth century tradition of processing to Embley for a picnic on the lawns.
 
Another dimension will be charitable/fund-raising activities. For example the Hampshire Group for the Visually Impaired will be holding one of their Book-readings in Braille here. Two band concerts are being staged in the summer by the army on behalf of the Army Benevolent Fund.
 
Hampshire County Council is planning a portable 'Nightingale Museum' to tour the county during the year, which will find a permanent home in what was the Nightingale Drawing Room at Embley. The Church Schools Trust has already provided funds to assist the renovation of the grounds, the famous 'Wild Gardens' which so appealed to the Nightingale sisters.
 
The school is hosting a major academic conference 14 - 16 July 'Florence Nightingale: influence and inspiration 1820 - 1910'. Papers in the programme will have a broad appeal and cover a variety of themes in Miss Nightingale's career, highlighting the continuing relevance and resonance of her life. There will be visits to local sites, and, it is hoped, a subsequent commemorative publication. For further details seehttp://www.hampshirecs.org.uk or email as below.
 
Dr Russ Foster FRHS is Head of History, Hampshire Collegiate School, Embley Park, Romsey S051 6ZE 01794 512 206 Russ.Foster@church-schools.com

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NEWS FROM IRELAND
 

The Old Dublin Society celebrates 75th anniversary

It's good to see a local history society receiving civic recognition for the part it has played in the life of the community. On 16 September Dublin City Council hosted a civic reception in City Hall for the Old Dublin Society, the oldest local history society in the Dublin area, to mark the 75th anniversary of its formation. Speakers at the reception included Deirdre Ellis King, the City Librarian, who complimented the Society on its work over the years and for its generosity in donating its collection of artefacts to the city. This gift followed the closure a few years ago of the City Assembly House in South William Street, where the Society met from 1934 onwards and where its collections were displayed from time to time. Her sentiments were echoed by Cllr Emer Costello, Lord Mayor of Dublin (2009–2010), who spoke on the vital role that local history societies, and the Old Dublin Society in particular, have played in recording the history of Dublin for future generations. The reply of thanks to the Lord Mayor was given by Rev. D.A. Levistone Cooney, President of the Old Dublin Society, who thanked the City Library Service and the City Council for the great assistance they render the Society and allowing it to meet nowadays at the Dublin City Library and Archive, 138-144 Pearse Street, Dublin 2.
 
On 7 October the celebrations continued with the Society's 'Open Night' at which the Lord Mayor made the traditional visit to present the Society's Medal and herself be presented with Membership Card No 1 for the current year, a custom going back to the days of Alderman Tom Kelly, first President of the Society. The Society was formed after a public meeting on 9 July 1934, when it was decided to establish a local history for the people of Dublin, managed by the people but with contributions from scholars. Before this history societies tended to hold meetings at which scholars and academics addressed each other, with no place for the ordinary local historian. The Lord Mayor unveiled a 14-panel exhibition tracing the past 75 years of the Old Dublin Society. During October special 75th anniversary lectures were presented to members: one, by Sheila Carden, was entitled 'The Legacy of the Alderman Tom Kelly: first President of the Society'. A week later your Irish correspondent spoke on 'Dublin in 1934', a retrospective view of the city 75 years ago, although ironically a newspaper strike from July to October that year means that no press details exist for the inaugural July meeting or the early months of the Society!
 
South goes North 
 
On Saturday 19 September 50 members from the local history societies which are part of the Federation of Local History Societies (the equivalent of BALH, representing the interests of local history societies in the Republic) travelled to Stormont to join with their colleagues from the Federation for Ulster Local History Studies for a joint tour of the Northern Ireland Assembly Building. Assembly staff outlined the history of the building and the estate in which it is located, and then led the group through the old Senate Chamber and into the main debating chamber where the Assembly meets. The party was entertained to lunch in the Members' Dining Room, after which Nelson McCausland, Northern Ireland Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure, launched 2009 edition of Due North, the regular journal of the Federation for Ulster Local Studies. Commenting on the work of both Federations in promoting local history, the Minister said that 'Local studies are a wonderful way of bringing together people from different backgrounds and traditions to learn new skills and build relationships. This type of exchange helps us all to appreciate the rich diversity that exists in our society and supports the development of a greater understanding of our shared heritage. Local history is very much underpinned by the great resources held in our archives, libraries, local and national museums. It is heartening to know that the Federation for Ulster Local Studies has close ties with these bodies, which are funded by DCAL'. Afterwards members of both groups travelled on a short coach tour of Belfast City, visiting some of the historic sites and including a stop at Belfast Castle for a fine view across the city.
 
Recalling the Ulster Plantation
 
Last year was the 400th anniversary of the Plantation of Ulster, the largest of the various Plantations of Ireland which took place in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. In 1609 the colonisation of parts of Northern Ireland began, with settlers drawn from England and Scotland. The process radically changed the Ulster landscape, and completely reshaped its social, political and economic composition with consequences which resonate to this day. The Nine Years War, between England and the chieftains of Ulster, had ended in 1603 when the defeated chiefs received very generous terms from King James I. They received full pardons and were allowed to retain their lands, in exchange for giving up their Irish titles and armies and swearing allegiance to the King. Despite this, mutual distrust remained. The result was 'The Flight of the Earls', when a group of Ulster chiefs sought exile in Spain and there tried to enlist support for a new rebellion. To stave off this threat the Lord Deputy of Ireland, Arthur Chichester, took the opportunity to seize their lands. These were then used for a new Plantation of settlers. In 1609 detailed maps were prepared of the six counties then taken over by the Crown - Armagh, Donegal, Derry, Tyrone, Fermanagh and Cavan. A year later the first settlers, mainly Scots Presbyterians and English Dissenters, arrived. The November/December issue of the popular journal History Ireland (volume 17 no.6) is devoted to the Ulster Plantations with a series of excellent articles looking at these events from the differing perspectives of north and south, east and west, native and coloniser, Crown and people.  

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INTRODUCING THE THORNEY ISLAND SOCIETY
 

The Thorney Island Society (TTIS) which takes its name from the island in the Thames upon which Westminster Abbey was first built is twenty-five years old.This Society was formed as a conservation and amenity group with its (then) objective to save the Library in Great Smith Street, erected in 1893. Within its boundaries are located some of the capital's most historic landmarks: Westminster Abbey, the Palace of Westminster, Tate Britain. In 1994 the area covered by TTIS was extended by its adoption of St James' Park and The Green Park, although the Parks themselves are protected by the Royal Parks Agency.   

 
Today, TTIS' general objectives are: looking after the interests of both residents and businesses by acting as a 'watchdog' on local planning and development issues, and on proposed building programmes in the Westminster and Victoria areas. TTIS has representation on both the Westminster Amenity Societies Forum as well as on the Royal Parks Guild. 
  
The TTIS Archives is located at the junction of St Anne's Lane and Old Pye Street on the site of the Wun Tun Ragged School that stood here from 1879 -  1930 until its incorporation into the Wyndham-Ashley Mission. The school itself used to meet in the Wun Tun Public House situated in nearby Perkins Rents, SW1. As you enter mounted displays of Westminster scenes face you. Next to them is the pavilion that once stood in The Green Park in the late 1700s. Inside drawers four feet by three feet are laid out prints of Whitehall and Westminster, dating back at least one hundred & fifty years old. To the left of these is a glass case containing souvenir mugs and preserved toys. As TTIS' boundaries also cover the River Thames, above head height are displayed a row of barges representing former Worshipful Companies, amongst them the Skinners. Mounted prints illustrate the meanings of street names nearby, for example the original 'Horseferry' was the only means of cross-river transport in existence before the Lambeth and Westminster bridges were built; and George Peabody, after whom the Peabody Estate further along Old Pye Street is named. 
 
TTIS raises funds through dinners, lunches, a Christmas Bazaar, local walks in areas of historical interest, and visits to exhibitions. Talks at its ever-popular lunch at the National Liberal Club have, in the past, included 'John Profumo: Saint or Sinner' A future dinner speaker booked for 2010 is Viscountess Montgomery of Alamein to talk on Daphne Du Maurier's mother, and Ann Priston on New Scotland Yard’s first forensic science laboratory. Next year sees the 500thAnniversary of the Horse Guards, for which a TTIS-led walk is scheduled for December.
 
Lord William Rees-Mogg stands down as President of TTIS after nearly twenty-five years’ service. He is to be succeeded by Mr Justice - also known as Sir Nicholas  - Underhill.
Those who have an interest in becoming members of TTIS are invited to contact the Founder & Chairman on 0207 222 2449 or visit our website atwww.thethorneyislandsociety.co.uk.

To gain access to the Archives, please contact A Dickenson on 0208 647 9254.

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TOLL-HOUSES ... OR NOT?
 

The Toll-houses of South Devon

Tim Jenkinson and Patrick Taylor
Polystar Press 2009 978 1 907 154 01 0 £8.95
 
The Toll-houses of Suffolk
Patrick Taylor
Polystar Press 2009 978 1 907154 00 3 £7.95
 
Toll-houses are a popular subject for local investigation, and publications, and these two with their companion volumes by Patrick Taylor The Toll-houses of Norfolk (Polystar Press 2009) and The Toll-houses of Cornwall (Federation of Old Cornwall Societies 2001), with Toll-houses of North Devon in preparation, add to the ever-spreading coverage of the country. They are a class of building coming from a particular period in Britain's transport history, and are often well-documented because of their association with Turnpike Trusts. In many areas toll-houses seem to have a good survival rate; they were recorded on maps and in census returns; and they are attractive as modern domestic residences. Put toll-house (or a variation) into your search engine and the first entries are from estate agents with such buildings on the market. Whether or not this is a good thing from the point of view of the survival of their special qualities is to be debated, as relatively few are protected by listing.
 
These two books begin in an almost identical manner, with brief sections outlining the general history of the upkeep of roads, the place of parish responsibility and justice trusts before the 18th century, and then the role, and subsequent decline, of turnpike trusts that resulted in the construction of special buildings to house the people who collected tolls. They then diverge, providing a short local history of the turnpike trusts in the area, and the local geology that influenced both road construction and building materials. The major part of both volumes, as is to be expected, consists of a gazetteer of toll-houses, with thoroughly researched details of location, construction, history and current use. Surviving toll-houses have modern photographs presumably taken for the books; some lost toll-houses are also illustrated by suitable images, either old photographs or, particularly in the case of South Devon, prints. Sites of lost toll-houses with only documentary evidence are described in as much detail as possible.
 
Some of us might assume we know what a toll-house should look like, built close to the edge of a major route, and constructed with a projecting octagonal end containing windows that allowed the collector a good view of approaching vehicles. This appears not to have been the norm in Suffolk, and that volume contains an interesting, and surprisingly lengthy, appendix on ‘impostors’. These are buildings that look as if they should be toll-houses, but are not; some are park lodges, others cottage ornées, and some were indeed for collecting tolls, but not on roads.
 
In Suffolk we learn nothing about the people who lived in these buildings, so the additional information in the South Devon volume, provided largely by the work of Ann Jenkinson on census returns, is a delight. It should also serve to widen interest beyond the architectural historians amongst readers. Morwell Down toll-house, for example, built in 1832 to control a new road to Morwellham Quay at the time of a mining boom, demonstrates the importance of the local economy to the success, or otherwise, of particular roads. Census enumerators’ books show how frequently toll-collection was a family occupation, and often provided an income for the wives of less-well paid men, such as labourers, for widows and for elderly people. Sources such as local newspapers, guidebooks and maps, as well as the formal documentation of the trusts, provide many additional details.
 
Both these books have a bibliography of general and local references. There is also a growing quantity of information on the web; try www.turnpikes.org.uk andwww.buildinghistory.org/buildings/tollhouses.shtml. Some areas have local information, for example go to www.Link4Life.org of Rochdale Borough Council, and put Toll Houses in the site's search box. There is not yet a searchable online database of listed buildings, but Heritage Gateway (www.heritagegateway.org.uk) is being developed to link local and national lists, and English Heritage's Images of England site (www.imagesofengland.org.uk) can both be searched for 'toll-house' information and pictures.

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In Sheffield’s fair city …
 
… the maids are so pretty, or certainly the one I married is, for Mrs Crosby is a Sheffielder and rightly proud of it, though my mother-in-law not only insists that she is herself from the West Riding but also that she still lives in the West Riding. Her house is in the area which was wickedly annexed to the Steel City in 1974, and she is an unashamed irredentist in these matters. As though to prove that post-1974 geographies are an illusion, her road atlas predates the motorway era and therefore does not show the M1 soaring over the Don at Tinsley, and snaking up the hillside past Thorpe Hesley on its way to Barnsley. Perhaps fortunately for the rest of us, she has never been able to drive, and therefore the atlas is merely for reference.
 
Sheffield is a fascinating city, not least because of its remarkable topography, the most dramatic of any major English city. Its deeply-cut valleys, high ridges and moorland fringes - more hills by far than Rome - give it a powerful sense of sub-division into distinct communities, each with its own identity. The almost limitless vistas across to the Vale of York and the Humber lowlands, from the ridgetops and hillsides, contrast with the feeling of deep enclosure and containment down in the valley bottoms. It's a city where rivers are powerful presences, not furtive like those of Manchester, or largely absent as in Birmingham. Physical shapes, carved by those rivers, have moulded Sheffield and its character in a way that few other cities can match.
 
And, like many great industrial cities of Northern and Midland England, its history is far more complex and goes much further back than the popular view allows. How many times have I read that places such as Manchester, Birmingham and Sheffield were products of the Industrial Revolution. No! Their ancient origins, their role as major medieval market and ecclesiastical centres, and their particularly interesting sixteenth and seventeenth century development is all too often overlooked. After all, it is an extraordinary fact (I think I may be the first to point this out) that Mary Queen of Scots lived in Sheffield longer than anywhere else except Paris. She was under comfortable house arrest in the castle or the nearby manor house for eleven years of her English exile.
 
This idle musing on aspects of Sheffield history was prompted by my usual Saturday morning read of The Guardian Guide, that worthy paper's weekly entertainments section. It is seemingly written by 20-year olds for 20-year olds, and I can rarely make sense of more than 10 per cent of the contents. However, the issue in question (5 December) had, on the last page, the customary 'One last thing' column, a slightly jokey interview with an entertainment celebrity (in most instances, of course quite unknown to middle-aged out-of-touch me). This one was concerned Richard Hawley, a dyed-in-the-wool Sheffielder who is an icon of the popular music world.
 
As I skim-read the text, a phrase jumped out at me: 'I'm interested in local history'. Then, of course, I took careful notice. It emerged that for his songs and albums Hawley has frequently taken local place-names and used them for themes and titles. His most recent album is called 'Truelove's Gutter' and the interviewer was disbelieving: 'That's not a real place, surely?'. But he was wrong. 'It was what's now Castle Street in Sheffield, between the Boardwalk - once the Black Swan, where the Sex Pistols famously played to three people - and Castle Market. I was looking to move away from that, but when I wasn't looking an album title just appeared. I'm interested in local history and my mate had these 16th- and 17th-century lists of Sheffield street names. Truelove's Gutter was where Thomas Truelove, an inn keeper, charged people a groat to dump waste into the river'.
 
Isn't that wonderful? Can I use this as evidence that local history isn't just the elitist preserve of the elderly middle classes, that charge so often laid against the subject? Do we gain credibility from the fact that a working-class Sheffield musician (who admits that the only other place he'd ever live is Rotherham, but only grudgingly and only if Sheffield was destroyed in an apocalyptic disaster) likes local history? I very much hope so. And in return, Richard, I think I'll have to give your music a go. If you can be enlightened, so should I be!   
 
 

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NEWS FROM ARCHIVES
 

Further to concerns over the recent changes made at The National Archives (see LHN 92 p 10) a meeting was held in late October between the President of the Royal Historical Society, the Director of the Institute of Historical Research, a representative of the Historical Association, and Natalie Ceeney, CEO at The National Archives. It was agreed then to establish twice-yearly meetings between TNA senior management and representatives of the learned societies to provide TNA with an academic and scholarly input into their strategic thinking. The next meeting is scheduled for early in 2010. BALH members will be kept informed of developments.

 
A press release from TNA in January has confirmed that Natalie Ceeney will be leaving her post in mid-March to take up the role of Chief Executive of the Financial Ombudsman Service. Oliver Morley, currently Director of Customer and Business Development, will take over as interim Chief Executive until a permanent appointment is made.
 
Among the paintings, drawings, musical works and advertisements that make up the records series COPY 1 at TNA, are over 100,000 photographs. Friends of the National Archive have now provided online catalogue descriptions of those registered for copyright in 1911. A news article explains what has been found and how to make good use of this access. www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/news/stories.302.htm. If any reader finds something of local interest to them, and maybe makes the link suggested to 1911 census entries, please write to LHN and share your discovery.
 
Beginning in April 2010, the Carlisle Record Office will move to new purpose-built premises at Petteril bank in south Carlisle. The new Cumbria Archives Centre (Carlisle) will provide first-class facilities for researchers from late 2010. While the transfer of millions of unique historical documents from four separate buildings to their new home takes place there will inevitably some disruption and reduction in the service to users. Fifty regular volunteers have been preparing for the move by repackaging archives and making boxes. Regular updates will be placed on the websitewww.Cumbria.gov.uk/archives/newrecoff/CROlatest_news.aspand the service at The Castle, Carlisle will remain open on Mondays to Thursdays for enquiries.
 
Friends of Shropshire Archives are holding 'Discover Shropshire Day' on Saturday 8 May 2010, at Shirehall, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury. The programme includes talks, displays by societies, 'ask the experts', and competitions, as well as light refreshments and free parking.   They are also undertaking a fund-raising campaign to acquire for the archives an important 1835 estate plan of Stanton Lacey. Half the purchase price of £875 has been provided by a successful application to the MLA/V&A Purchase Grant Fund, so the appeal is for £437.50 before the end of the financial year in March.
www.friendsofshropshirearchives.org.uk 01743 255350
  
Cathedral Barn, one of the most significant early buildings inHereford will be removed from the English Heritage 'At Risk' register following conservation work. While the work continues the craftspeople answer questions from visitors, and a viewing platform will allow a closer look. Meanwhile a project team has been collecting memories of the Close in an oral history exercise led by Julia Goldsmith of Catcher Media who is keen to hear from people with photographs, film, memorabilia and recollections of Hereford Cathedral Close. julia@catchermedia.co.uk
 

In 1913 Chester Corporation opened the first hydro-electrical system in Britain using both head and tidal waters. At one time the water turbines in the generating station at the end of the weir provided 40% of Chester's electricity supply, and surplus current was stored in Crane Street. Anyone who remembers working at the station or visiting it in its productive years is asked to contact Mike Kennerley at Chester Community History & Heritage. 01244 402 110 chh@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk

 
Lincoln Record Society is publishing The Correspondence of the Spalding Gentlemen’s Society 1710 - 1761. The society was founded in 1710 by local barrister Maurice Johnson to encourage the growth of 'friendship and knowledge'. It received hundreds of letters from correspondents in Britain and overseas, concerned with matters such as antiquities, natural philosophy, mathematics, literature and the arts. In this volume the letters are fully annotated and indexed, and fifty-four are transcribed in full. www.lincoln-record-society.org.uk
 
 
Women Investors in England and Wales 1870-1930 is a project grant-funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, with a team from King’s College London, the Open University, University of York, and Queen Mary, University of London. The research focuses on wealth, investment and gender in England and Wales between 1970 and 1930 and in particular examines the nature of women's wealth holding and share ownership during these years. Amongst the wide range of sources being used are tow series at TNA, IR 19 (Inland Revenue Residuary Accounts) and IR26 (Death Duty Registers). The data discovered there is available at Appendix to Working Paper 3 in the form of a spreadsheet giving name, address, occupation, marital status, date of death, date of probate, and value of estate for 1446m individuals whose estates were submitted for probate between 1870 and 1902. www.womeninvestors.org.uk

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NEWS FROM MUSEUMS
 

Kids in Museums promotes family-friendly policies and attitudes in museums and galleries. Their 2010 manifesto was recently launched, and urges flexible family tickets, 'don’t say shusshh!', answer questions from children, don't assume to know what they are interested in, remember toddlers and teenagers, and much more. See the list on their website to see if your local museum has signed up as a supporter (and the website has delightful illustrations by Quentin Blake). www.kidsinmuseums.org.uk

Five new outstanding collections have joined the Designated awards scheme for museums, libraries and archives, several with significant local connections. They are Porthcurno Telegraph Museum which contains a core collection of submarine telegraphy objects and historic archives pf key international telegraph cable companies; Kensington Palace's Royal Ceremonial Dress collection, Baring Brothers & Co archive, Unilever's archives, and Bradford Industrial Museum's Worsted collection.www.mla.gov.uk/what/raising_standards/designation www.aim-museums.co.uk
 
The weekend of 14 - 16 May is the date of Museums at Night 2010, organised by Culture24, funded by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council. In 2009 over 150 events took place attracting more than 34,000 people. Some of these were special things like sleepovers, period dances and torchlit tours, and others simply extended their opening hours so visitors could appreciate buildings and collections at a different time of day. Find out what your local museum will be doing this year.http://www.culture24.org.uk/places+to+go/museums+at+night
 
The Transport Trust, a long-standing national charity established to promote and encourage the preservation and restoration of all forms of Britain's transport heritage has started a new award scheme known as the 'Red Wheel'. The first plaque has been unveiled at the National Tramway Museum, Crich in Derbyshire. North East Derbyshire Industrial Archaeology Society Newsletter 36 Nov 2009. www.transportrust.com, www.tramway.co.uk, http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/nedias
 
The National Brewery Centre at Burton-on-Trent is due to open in Spring 2010. Since the closure of the Coors Visitor Centre (formerly the Bass Museum) a local action group has been campaigning to re-establish recognition of this important industry. Planning Solutions Ltd, a British company specialising in visitor attractions, with Molson Coors, and much local support, will retain key elements of the original facilities at the Horninglow Rd site and develop it to provide a modern visitor centre and museum.www.nationalbrewerycentre.co.uk
 
The Lens of Life programme has been organised by the Hunterian Museum as part of the Royal Society's 350th anniversary celebrations in 2010. Events include lunchtime lectures (for example 'Keeping it in the family: the Dollands and microscopy' on 25 March), evening lectures (Joseph Lister, surgeon and microscopist on 28 April) and exhibitions ( Feb – July 'Curious: the craft of microscopy' and June – Sept ' Sir John Tomes: Victorian dental pioneer')www/rcseng.ac.uk/museums
 
 
Amongst the exhibitions at Dulwich Picture Gallery this year is Paul Nash: The Elements which runs from 10 February to 9 May. Nash (1889-1946) is one of the most admired of modern British artists, and this exhibition contains work from the whole of his career, including his time as a war artist, some of his own photographs, interiors and still lifes, as well as the landscapes for which he is best known. www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk

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NEWS FROM LIBRARIES
 

The Literary and Philosophical Society was founded in 1793, a place for the people of Newcastle to meet, talk and learn, and retains its original purpose, as one of the largest independent libraries in the country. It is a library in a building of historical importance with a venue for a rich programme of events, and is a resource that welcomes new members. The collections specialise in history, biography, science, travel, local history and poetry, and there is also a modern lending library. The outstanding music collection is considered one of the best outside London. All this is within one minute's walk from Central Station, Newcastle. www.litandphil.org.uk

 
Local Studies in Slough has reached another milestone. The website www.SloughHistoryOnline.org.uk was launched as an online collection of Slough Observer newspapers dating between 1883 and 1929, and volunteers have been indexing names, subjects and places for stories covering Slough, Windsor, Maidenhead and the surrounding villages. An index of the Births, Marriages and Deaths columns has been completed. December 2009 saw the half-way point, with 24 of the 48 years now searchable.
 
The British Library continues to move 'less-used' stock from London to Boston Spa. Members planning a visit are reminded to check that what they want to see is still available (and not in transit) and to order in advance. www.bl.uk/collectionmoves

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NOTES NEWS ISSUES
 

Message from the Business Manager

A big thank you to all members who renewed their 2010 subscription promptly. The first 100 members to renew their subscription were sent either a copy of Reading Tudor and Stuart Handwriting or Unlocking the Past - Index to The Local Historian in January as a renewal incentive. We have had a fantastic response this year - your continued support of the Association is very much appreciated. If any of you would like a form to set up a Standing Order payment or if you have any other queries relating to subscriptions / membership, I can be contacted direct at amjones-balh@btconnect.com
 
Further to concerns over the recent changes made at The National Archives (see LHN 92 p 10) a meeting was held in late October between the President of the Royal Historical Society, the Director of the Institute of Historical Research, a representative of the Historical Association, and Natalie Ceeney, CEO at The National Archives. It was agreed then to establish twice-yearly meetings between TNA senior management and representatives of the learned societies to provide TNA with an academic and scholarly input into their strategic thinking. The next meeting will take place in mid February 2010. BALH members will be kept informed of developments.
 
Our Chairman, Professor Claire Cross has been representing BALH at meetings of the Historical Association's Public History Committee. On their website there are reports of the meetings, 'public history blogs' and a section called 'how to get involved'. The web address is long, so it is suggested you follow the links on the left-hand side of their home page at www.history.org.uk
 
William Faden's Maps
It was a great pleasure to receive the following from Peter Bailey, Vice-Chairman and Archivist of The Sunbury and Shepperton Local History Society:
'We thought you would be interested to know that the illustration on the front cover of the Autumn 2009 edition of Local History News proved to be the cause of some unexpected research and information for our society. On seeing the map and the article by Dr Andrew McNair, and reading that William Faden's map of London and its Environs extended to 25 miles beyond the capital, I contacted the Treasurer who agreed to check the coverage before ordering a copy of the relevant section for the Society.
Imagine our surprise when Dr McNair replied, saying that he had visited Shepperton and walked down the High Street to St Nicholas Church to see the Faden tablet. We now know that William Faden is buried in the chancel of St Nicholas, and that two of his sisters are also there. His sister Hannah married John Russell R.A., the well-known artist, which meant she was the mother of William Russell, our longest-serving rector from 1817 to 1870. This is obviously the Shepperton connection, and why she is buried in the church. Another sister Jane Faden is also buried with her brother so we have three members of the family. 
Our Treasurer and Journal Editor Bert Brooking, had written an article in the Autumn 2006 edition including the family tree of the Russell family. We knew of the memorials but had not appreciated the significance of the name Faden until now. A copy has been sent to Dr McNair. So your front cover prompted a useful exchange of information, and we have a facsimile map of 1788'.