I hope you all enjoyed our ad hoc evening! I know I did.
We discussed the vexation of the
1991 census population being just for the "new village", so of no use
to man nor beast.
WW1. The research is ongoing for
more on the Home Front.
I have made a list of the men
killed and will ask Rev. Cate to read
his name on the Sunday nearest the death 100 years later. The name and short biography can be put on
the blog and in the parish magazine, if Brenda and Val agree.
The Parish Council discussed have a
Belgian refugee family, but it is not recorded if this actually took place.
October 23rd 1914 Several ladies have started a movement to
house a Belgian family in the village. It was proposed by Dr Hart that a
‘family of not more than 5, of the agricultural class, be brought and
entertained as long as the war lasts’.
Brenda told us how she read the
Parish Council Minutes Books and made notes of interesting items before they were placed in the Devon
Record Office. It seems the ones from the late 1950s are missing. May have been
lost or in the home of the parish clerk of the time. My late father in law was
the clerk at that time, and sadly I have not seen books in the papers here.
Alan and Brenda told about the
plans for a bridge over the rail crossing, the parish council had received so
many complaints about the delays with the gates, one plan was to raise a bridge
from Sherwood across to the Talaton Road, but as we know nothing came of this.
David has taken on the task of
finding out about a stone marker for the Feniton Ottery Boundary. Rogation
Sunday is 10th May 2015.
We had a natter about the early
days of research in the Record Office, looking and the census films and even
the original parish registers, Brenda would nip in there during her lunch break
at work. I went in most Tuesdays with Mum in Law and we ploughed through these
for days before we could draw up the family tree, now you, if your luck whizz
through a few generations in a matter of hours.
I asked the group to consider what
projects we would like to carry out, George and I would like to make more
regular visits to Honiton Museum, the village book is something we need to put
in hand, and the Pulman's weekly paper which is in Taunton Record Office, any
idea for public events would be welcome.
Tony aided a discussion on language
and names how did the early Devon tribes know they were the Dumnonii, and also
words like Avon which is taken to mean river. Ton being town. Wikipedia has
more on this.
Jenny showed us the poster she has
designed for the Deer Park Hotel,
relating the Battle of Fenny Bridges. It is wonderful to see this little know
event documented and recognised.
Tony told how the Exeter Football
WW1 play went, it was a shame it was highlighted as football when really it was
more about Exeter's history of the time. He also told us how useful the WEA
course in Bradninch House Exeter is, free admission.
Jenny asked about computer software
for recording family research, so I will plan a session here once harvest is
done.
David and Roger have located a
document mentioning the village in the National Archives. It gives the village
on two lines, when I would think it should be one:
Fenyton, Gilbert Collyns dep. for John Pringe.
Maleherbe, Gilbert Collyns dep. for John Pringe.
We must thank Roger for all his
tenacity in searching online for the village. It is wonderful to add to our
notes and expand on events. I will share these with you when you come to the
house.
One of the snippets Roger gleaned
relates to a footbridge at Fenny Bridges 1856, Sir John Kennaway mentions the dispute as to who is liable for
it's repair, but it was the County's and repair was ordered.
Thank you all, it was a good
evening.
