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********************* Forthcoming Events The
next and future meetings will be held in: Dr Susan Deal “The Portland-Druce Exhumation case” - a story of scandal, insanity and the famous underground tunnels at Welbeck, all surrounding William John Cavendish Scott Bentinck. Monday
Sept 20th 2010 Monday
Nov 15th 2010
NORTH
& SOUTH WHEATLEY LOCAL & FAMILY HISTORY GROUP On Monday 14th June 21 members and guests of the group gathered at the Sun Inn and were literally transported back in time. The mode of transport was built in 1938/9 but because of pressures for military transport was not registered until 1946. Manufactured by Dennis, and originally plying the Dover to London route twice each day, there are now only two of these buses of this vintage in the UK. The body is made of wood and crafted probably by two joiners working without plans, so none of the windows are exactly the same size. There is no exact record of the distance travelled but the calculations suggest it to be in excess of 1,500,000 miles and the engine has been refitted just once. The price when new was a realistic £1,350, whilst many of todays’ luxury coaches would be at least 400 times as much. Our very knowledgeable driver gave us a commentary almost throughout our journey, and stopped at various points on the way. In Retford we learnt of the 1066 charter enabling the town to become a market town and its steady growth from that time. There was the rebuild of Grove Street chapel from 650 seats to hold 1,000 worshippers, but how many attend today? Then we saw the museum, originally home to the Pedlar family who became famous for saving the Flying Scotsman from the scrap yard in the USA and returning it to the UK. The Turks Head that dates from mid 1700’s and just a few doors away the oldest residence in the town centre, dating from 1701 and selling at that time for just 10 guineas. The story of the Clarks family who started with a small dye works in town and expanded to over 100 shops in the north of the UK. When we stopped for a while in the market square we were treated to gory tales of early punishments and the unsanitary conditions as the population grew through the mid 1800’s. 1831 saw the first gas lighting, and the fact that before the police came the inspector of Nuisance who single handily kept the peace in town. He was paid just 10 guineas p.a. Around 1880 ‘night soil’ collections were just not enough to prevent the ‘Great Stench’ of 1884. Little wonder if one considers that the Turk’s Head yard was home to the landlord’s pigs whilst he shared it with an undertaker and had a water bottling business, “Pig Muck – dead bodies – and mineral water” - all in one yard! Grove Street was home to a sheep and horse fair, much of the Market Square dates from 1700 – 1850, the first bank being built in early 1800’s when there were no less than 4 postal deliveries each day. Dick Turpin is said to have assessed the potential wealth of travellers in the White Hart which serviced as many as 19 stage coaches each day with a team of 4 horses, along with smaller vehicles that was probably 100 horses to change each day. We returned to the town of Retford via Ordsall. A fine spread was laid on for us at the Beeches, and all passengers and crew enjoyed the opportunity to socialise for a while. This was a trip that took in so much in such a short space of time and we may have to do it all again around a different part of the North Notts area. These notes are less than a third of those taken on our journey – it’s a pit you missed it!
Our speaker on May 17th
was Lynda Hotchkiss. She said her objective was to go beyond the records such as
Parish Registers and indexes with which members were very familiar and look at
some other sources of information that could aid family historians to ‘put
flesh on the bones’ or confirm previously questionable links. Some researchers
had options for their next step back on their tree and needed to be more
specific, but much depended upon the survival of records, some of which is
patchy. Lynda started with Wills, which
often named individuals and their relationships. She also identified the likely
location of those Wills that had survived, ecclesiastical archives from 1350 in
Lincoln or Nottingham and then maybe York or even Canterbury according to where
land or lands were owned. Then later to Probate registers. There could be many
clues in the wording and terminology used in both wills and inventories. Apprenticeship papers, either for
local trades and even the livery companies. ‘Children’ from 12 years old
were apprenticed either by their families or often by parishes and might be
moved to a different and sometimes distant parish to serve that often 7 year
term. Maintenance papers or ‘Bastardy
Summons’ often enabled one to clarify parentage and tie down illegitimate
children. Then Settlement records, either the printed or handwritten, often
named specific individuals and their children. Workhouse records – from early
parish ‘poor houses’ to the larger and more formal Union workhouses after
1834 all kept detailed records even to what each occupant might expect at each
of 4 daily meals. These often linked closely with the records kept by the parish
‘Overseers of the Poor’ which again provide a wealth of information about
people, their trades, their children and sometimes placement of orphans. Militia records – ballot papers
- covered all males of a parish from 16-60 years of age and why they may be
exempt from serving and the ‘Substitute Oath Roll’ which lists Individuals
who sold their services and so effectively some armies were made up of
mercenaries. Maps sometimes combined with
‘Glebe Terriers’ could enable you to find out exactly where your ancestors
lived. ‘Presentation Deeds’ give details of the appointment of clergy to a
‘living’, and they in turn can be traced often with details of their parents
in the Alumni records of Cambridge or Oxford, as most clergy were M.A. Sales catalogues [often retained
by the Victorians] gave details of leasehold, freehold and copyhold sales along
with the names of tenants and their property. War Diaries of regiments, Alehouse
licences from Quarter sessions, and Large house inventories all enable extra
facts to be added and sometimes conclusive evidence of lineage. Even small vessels on the Trent,
or canal boats, their crews, passengers and journeys have been recorded and some
‘Port’ books are available through the Railway and Canal Society. Lynda gave us all the incentive to
start clarifying some facts and adding information to other areas of our
records. Family history after all is not just about a skeletal ‘tree’ of
names and dates – it is also very much about social history and that ‘Flesh
on the Bones’. Monday
March 15th 2010 was
our Annual General Meeting, when our Chair, Ann Smith reflected on the past
year’s successes and thanked all involved in them. Particular note was made of
the book of photographs published in November last. [copies of the book are
still available at the P.O. or by ringing 01427 880934] Much was also discussed
and plans laid for the future. Watch out for announcements as the year
progresses. Monday 18th Jan
2010 Moving on to
crafts and tools dealing with earth -
red clay was used for bricks, tiles, potting including chimney pots, and
almost all manufacturing craftsmen were paid piecework and so only earned money
just for what they produced. A brick maker could hand make 3-4000 bricks in a
day, but they then had to dry prior to firing, and most were identifiable to the
individual maker by some mark on them. The earth also gave rise to stonemasons
working on larger buildings and churches as well as mudmasons who worked on the
construction of earth walls and buildings which were most common in the south of
the county. Wood gave Rodney
the opportunity to look at crafts that have now almost disappeared such as
coopering, wheelwrights, and basket making. Our locality was the largest willow
growing area in the country and the willow works at Beckingham have been well
researched n by some members of our group. The uses of different woods for each
finished article were explained, like an elm hub, oak spokes and an ash rim
surrounded by iron for wheels and how complicated and skilful the cooper’s job
was making oak barrels for brewers and distilleries. Clogs, chairs, besoms,
cricket bats, charcoal, and specific turning were all well explained and little
anecdotes made the morning very entertaining. Many more crafts, greensmithing
[working with copper rather than iron (blacksmith) or precious metals
(goldsmith)], shoemaking, saddlers, smock makers even beehive making and
thatching as well as others were all covered explained in some detail. For
example smocks could sometimes be identified as made in a location and the
embroidery often denoted the trade of a wearer. Ann Smith thanked Rodney who had
also answered several questions in discussion after his talk. Monday 16th November 2009 Paul’s
knowledge of the Hall and its history were evident throughout his talk, which
covered such a wide range of themes, including the design, rooms and their uses,
development and current uses
of
the buildings. Parts of the present hall were built
between 1460-80, and there has almost certainly been a house on the site for
1000 years. It has been added to and altered. It has received visits from Kings
& Queens, been associated with the Pilgrim Fathers and involved with
different sides of warring factions. Latterly, and evidence is there from the
census it has been home to as many as 12 families, including William Rose,
founder of the engineering business after which Cadbury ‘Roses’ were named. Other
areas covered were ghosts, and the grey lady of the tower, the green oak timber
frame and why it was green oak, the 200 carts and 5000 soldiers that accompanied
Henry VIII, on his visit, in 1541 with his 5th wife. It is the
‘Old’ Hall, not just because of age but it was once replaced by the
‘New’ Hall in another part of town. How the River Trent was once the
division between the ‘north and south’ and the Hall’s strategic
positioning for military involvement. This is a précis of some parts of a very
entertaining and educational talk. We also launched our book, “North & South Wheatley - Photographic
Memories”. This has been well received by those who collected their copies and
joined us for a small celebration. We would like to thank all those who
subscribed in advance and giving their support to this venture. Copies
are now on sale at the Post Office or by calling Dave on 01427 880934.
- Price £8.00
The book will make an ideal Christmas especially for friends or relatives
who may have moved away!
Monday 20th July 2009 Monday June 15th 2009. Up
the hill to see what is believed to be the oldest house, dating from the early
1600’s, which was even before the church tower was built in 1637. We looked at
where the carriage shed had been from where the village produce was transported
to Retford market. The old Bakery was remembered fondly by customers when it was
operational, the hiring triangle, the water ‘tank’ and the ‘other’
public house also had tales to be told about them. The party continued down the
lane to the site of the Reading Room, and then to hear about the only remaining
Chapel from of the four that once existed. We learnt that the bricks for the
current Chapel were made in Walkeringham and transported by canal to Clayworth
and from there by farmer’s horses and carts over the hill to Low Street. Some
of the history of the Forge, the old shop, the Primitive Chapel, the Sun Inn, as
well as the plaster pits and joinery businesses were all covered during a most
enlightening journey. With tired legs the group settled down to a picnic lunch, at the home of Jack & Dee Miles, and more tales of what had happened where and when. The knowledge displayed by Ann , ably added to by other long life long residents of the villages made for a very interesting day out without leaving ‘home’. Monday 18th May 2009 She
started with a letter to Edward Rudolph written around 1917 from a Sister
Tomlinson who ran a ‘Mother & Baby’ home in Pontefract. It was an appeal
to him to find homes for a 7 year old girl and her brother who was just 6.
The children had been reluctantly left at the home by their father who
was a desperate man, as he was in lodgings with them, having lost not only other
children to various illnesses but then his wife at the age of just 28 years. He
had tried all ways of raising them on his own but with a full time job as a
miner in Featherstone [earning just £1-17s-10d per week], the rent, food and
‘child care’ in those hard times was very difficult and the latter was not
working as his landlady was a hard, if not cruel substitute for their mother and
she had asked them to move on. Father volunteered to pay 12/- per week toward
their upkeep and had no option but to walk away and leave them, with Sister
Tomlinson at the home, which in itself was unsuitable for children of their age
and hence the appeal letter. Edward
Rudolph, who was to become the founder of ‘Waifs & Strays Home’ [today
known as the ‘The Children’s Society’], managed to place the girl in York
but the boy had to go first to London and then was moved around the country. The
little girl was Ann’s mother and home soon became a large terraced house in
Leeds which she shared with a Matron, a Sister and 19 other girls. When a new
girl arrived also called Frances, she was called into Matron and told she would
have to then be called ‘Joan’, as they could not have two girls with the
same name, and when another Joan arrived she was renamed again, this time
‘Fanny’. But Frances always insisted her “My name is Frances!” and hence
the title not only of today’s talk but also the book that was written about
her. Ann
kept us enthralled for almost 2 hours with her tales and a series of memories from Frances, as well as the research she
had done to reunite her mother with a number of people from her past. It was
truly an emotional journey for both the speaker and her audience. Members Interests
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