Feniton History Group held the 72nd meeting in the Nog Inn

Well what can I say? Another wide ranging and interesting evening. Thank you all.

Sadly Jim is unable to join us with his Ottery WW1 book in November, so we will try to book him sometime next year.

Below are the links to the mapping project, I think it will be interesting to take part and with the local knowledge we have with Alan, Brenda, David and Jo, it will be worthwhile to take part.

GB1900 Project website: http://www.gb1900.org/
Further information: http://www.nls.uk/news/press/2016/09/place-names-volunteers  

Jenny related her fascinating work on “The Mystery of Prince James Lodge”, copies for sale in the Church. I can’t imagine what it would have been like to have all the troops descend on the village  in  1640 and require food for the horses and 2000 men!

Geoff who volunteers in the Record Office has been helping with three van loads of material, the contents of a loft from a business premises in Exeter. Details relating to Shell Mex Garages etc.

Geoff also mentioned maps on parchment / linen for the Red Cross parcel system in Scotland. Also the sinking of the HMS Royal Oak, WW2, there is an Iron Cross medal 2nd class in Honiton Museum.

David is studying Church Graffiti relating to St. Andrew’s here.  Some marks are mason’s working marks, others are witches marks to ward off evil. Feniton has a sun dial scratched into the stone. Names are found, James Russel 1673 or 5, Charles and Minnie in the Belfry! Graffiti was the only way the poor had of making their marl, etched with the point of their shears, sometimes used to sharpen arrows.

Jackie has been to a talk on making of mosaic and found it very interesting, and still done today as a craft or hobby.

Brenda came in with a grin from ear to ear after making a wonderful breakthrough in her family tree research, her five times grandmother from North Devon is related to the family whose descendants were the founders of the Union Castle Line, ship owners. She has found wills and inventories.

George, along with Jenny have been looking at the Quaker Meeting in Uffculm and the 39 Articles of Faith. This links to the Cadbury and Fy families, of chocolate fame!

Bill who has been digging drains in his neighbour’s back garden has found large pieces of shoddy brick work, that must have been rejected by the builders in the 1970s when the bungalows were built.

Will came over to show us an amazing ring from the 2nd or 3^rd century a Edward the 6^th Shilling and a touch coin from the 1400s. He told us about his visit to Dorset where a hoard of Roman coins found in a pot 6 inches across.

Alan rounded the evening off for us with more of his Devon dialect and local sayings, much to our amusement.  The use of nicknames. The direction of travel, over to, down to, up to.