Thank you to Brenda for writing up the meeting notes.
A very Happy Christmas and New Year to all our friends and members.
Feniton History Group held their 95th Meeting in the Nog Inn
Thank you to Brenda for writing up the meeting notes.
A very Happy Christmas and New Year to all our friends and members.
Feniton History Group held their 94th meeting in The Nog Inn
We
put the arrangements on place for the WW1 coffee morning in the church on Sat.
10th at 10:30 am. We meet to set up about 9:30 am. Cakes etc would
be most welcome, thank you. The funds raised will be on behalf of the Poppy
Appeal.
You are welcome to come over to the farm on Thursday
8th at 2:30pm to put our display on the boards.
Bob
told us about an Australia medal for the injured, when collecting medals, you must
be aware of the fakes put out for sell. The discussion moved to the fake art
and antique markets, some medals are sold with the wrong ribbons.
Hugh
continues with his work on the History of Plymouth Argyle, the memorabilia is
getting
memorable
pricy, this was followed by some football rivalry!! He is working on the social
history around the football league in the 1880s, the northern teams paid their
players, these were often factory teams, but not in the south, football was
much more dominate in the North. The Thames Ironworks supported the “Hammers”,
West Ham. The local church also was involved in some teams.
During
the war there were women’s teams from the shell factories, but in December 1921
the FA cited strong opinions about football's unsuitability for females. It
called on clubs belonging to the associations "to refuse the use of their
grounds for such matches". The ban changed the course of the women's game
forever.
Jackie
has loaned her families’ war medals to the school. The school is making a brilliant effort in
commemorating the WW1 100 years.
Sam
has War memories from his family, there is a sweet heart photo of a dead soldier,
name unknown, the lady remained single, lived in India and worked as a post mistress.
Val
mentioned Frank’s fathers war medals and asked how to preserve a war time
telegram
Geoff
advised that she persevere the telegram in acid proof paper.
Geoff
told us about archiving in the Record Office by tell us what’s not allowed in
the record office, pens, metal staples, metal treasury tags and Sellotape.
Paper is never folded but rolled and stored in linen bags.
He
is recording a collection of Theatre programs with staples left which will be
left in. The Theatre fire’s listing of an auction catalogue of contents. The
Savoy Cinema was in London Inn
square where Waterstones now stands in
Exeter. . In some cases the Sellotape can be removed and replaced with
preservation tape. The Touring Players
theatre programs were often just single sheets due to paper shortages of 1951.
Beware
old wax seals can explode!!! Jenny has some large velum parchments which could
be framed to preserve them, the wax seals could be placed in a container.
Geoff
met Jo Davey, she is nee Broadhurst and is related to Geoff. Nice coincidence.
Alan
found some notes on the Clapperentale Mill in the current Tale Valley Trust
Newsletter, there are some ideas of getting it back to working order. It was
worked from a leat taking water from the River Tale. The article notes is was a
powerful mill, used for farm tasks, animal feed etc and a sawmill.
Brenda
mentioned that the railways enable the followers offootball to travel futher to matches. In 1895 Bolton Wanders
on a Monday drew huge 8,000 crowd.
In
1908 played Exeter v Plymouth for the first time.
Jenny
Elizabeth Thoroughgood, a keen costume historian, has given her some costumes
to stage some living history Tudor times talks for a display at the 2019 Fun
Day, along with some Bunting. Jenny and George went to a talk hosted by Todd
Gray with Professor Mark Stoyle about the history of the underground passages
and life in Exeter in Medieval times.
David
mentioned that his son Charles cleared a house. The solicitor arrived with a Tesco’s
bag, and in the bag was hand grenade, this was shut it in safe, and the
authorities were called, many Blue lights, along with the bomb squad, TV camera
crews all turned up to Southernhay. The bomb expert checked the bag and
declared the grenade to be safe as it had be used!!
Thank
you all for a meeting full of interest and poignant memories of the war.
We
next meet in the Nog Inn on Thursday 6th December at 8 pm.
RBL Coffee Morning
On behalf of Feniton History Group
I would like thank everyone
for supporting our coffee morning 10th Nov.
We raised £164.20 for the RBL Poppy Appleal
Coffee Morning
Feniton History Group
invite
you to join them for a
Coffee Morning to commemorate
the Remembrance Weekend
in St Andrew’s Church
on Saturday 10th November 2018
10:30 am to 12:30
There will be a display of our
War History relating to
the village.
All funds raised go to
The Poppy Appeal
Feniton History Group held the 93rd Meeting in the Nog Inn
To
mark the 100 years since the end of WW1 we will arrange a coffee morning in aid
of the Poppy Appeal on Saturday 10th Nov. 10:30 onwards. The display boards will go up on Friday 9th
with our war research. Will sort out a meeting at the farm to sort the display
at the next meeting. We will need cakes etc to offer our guests.
David
has been working on transcribing Brenda’s details of the Feniton men’s club.
The members used the Parr Rooms. David read us some snippets from the records.
It
was open to members in the winter months, the secretary to buy faggot wood and
a battery for the light over the snooker table. There was a gift of a cabinet
gramophone. In 1945, the Agricultural Unions meeting caused a problem for the rooms as no political meetings to be held. The
Home Guard also used the rooms. Mr Granger of Fenny Bridges garage supplies the
battery at 30/- in 1945.
The
costs of the running of the club is detailed, the lighting was paid for by the Aclands
1947
playing with the large balls the small balls being damaged. It was noted that
there was not
enough water in the river for the power. In 1951 the Selways band played. A letter of complaint was received from Mrs Acland saying that the
toilets provided were not being used!!
Geoff
told us all the papers of the 6th Earl Fortescue have survived. He born at Castle Hill in North Devon. During
the war General Sir Redvers Buller’s daughter pestered him for the war effort.
Pike
Ward was fishing in Iceland 1903. He was from Teignmouth. He lived a very basic
life on Iceland.
Brenda’
s brother now has an interest in the family history and took her to visit family gravestones.
This is the Cayzer family known for the Clan shipping line from Bombay to Glasgow.
The graves had slate headstones with very good legible carving.
Alan
tells a steam train in Southampton in 1930 was called Clan Line:
George
had us talking about spelling through the years.
Alan
mentioned the WW2 incidence when the newspaper
train from Waterloo 4:30am going through Feniton was shot up at Fenny Bridges. The enemy
aircraft killed the fireman and disabled the train. The papers were holed by
machine guns 1940s.
Jenny
is busy sorting out the battle filming and documenting the event.
Bob
told us about the badges issued to workers in reserved occupations in dock
yards to prevent them being plagued by people giving out white feathers as a
sign of cowardice.
You
have to be careful when looking to buy medals as they may have the wrong
ribbons on.
Thank
you all for another interesting evening. We meet in the Nog Inn on Thurs. 1st
Nov.
Feniton History Group held the 92nd meeting in the Nog Inn
It
was lovely to see so many join us for the evening. Thank you.
It was confirmed that we will put up our WW1 and WW2
display in the church for the commemoration of the 100 years since the end of
WW1 over the weekend of 11th Nov. 2018. We would like to follow the
service with a coffee morning or on the Saturday, this will depend on what the
Church would like us to do.
Progress is being made with
replacement of the boundary stone. I have submitted the quote from A. Real to
Feniton PC, we await news of the DCC funding application. It is not permitted to replace the stone on the
actual boundary line. It will be put by the FPC Oak Tree and plaque between
Tool Gate Corner and Campfield Gate. I will investigate obtaining a QR code to
be put on the stone, this will enable folk with smart phones to scan the code,
this will take them to a website where the history of the boundary can be set
out and read. I will also ask if the history file can be put up on the FPC
website.
Something
that slipped my mind at the meeting, the plans to hold a “Heritage Weekend”
following the publishing of the idea on Facebook and in the parish magazine,
sadly, not one response has been received, very disappointing. We may get some
interest at the next meeting, I hope.
Brenda
related about the Payhembury mole catcher, he was called “Gas Lamp”, this came
about as he had a carbide lamp on his
bike!!Someone remembers putting carbide in the inkwells on the school desk!! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbide_lamp.
The
village have taken part in the filming of the 1549 battle for a production
company, the producer Stefano has been
working the villagers, led by Jenny. Jenny brought along the still photos from
the filming day, our villagers seem to all enjoy a good fight, hanging and
drawing and quartering!! There were
murders behind the trees, the banner was magnificent, cutting of throats and a charge
to the rout. Filming took place in
Ottery church in the lady chapel.
Terry
told us about WW1 bomb factory explosion at Attenborough. This link gives more detail: http://www.attenboroughchurch.org.uk/explosion.html
Sam
is working on the archaeology of Fingle Bridge Mill. The dig has
found the working floor. The mill was burnt
down. The mill stones are of a rough ugly stone from France.
The NT website: https://finglewoods.org.uk/2018/02/21/fingle-mill-revealed/
Geoff
is working on a model of the farm mentioned in Flora Thompson’s book, “Larkrise
to Candleford”. He is looking to find a set of steam ploughing engines at work.
The next ploughing match I know of where steam ploughing will take place is the
National Ploughing Match
Peter
then rounded the evening of with his memories of life during the Second World
War.
His
full name is Ernest Wilhelm Peters, but his Mother called him Peter. He was born in Stettin in East Germany, now
Szczecin in Poland. He arrived in the UK as a prisoner of war in 1946 from
Belgium.
Peter
tells us he had a good childhood with street fights, he enjoyed the parades and marched after the band. When Hitter
came to power the school teachers disappeared, they were Jewish.
His father was a red, Peter brought
up to be a socialist, Germany was wonderful with the new changes. He was 12
years old when the Kristallnacht and the Progrom against the Jews, the Synagogue
was burnt. Children were part of the Hitler Youth with indoctrination of laws
and crafts, tree identification, military skills etc. aged 14 Peter moved on to
youth branch of the air sea signals motor branch, he was riding a BMW motorbike.
When
in 1939 war was declared the children were sent home to hear Hitler talk on radio for a 2 hour
program on the invasion of Poland. Peter
was placed in the Engineering School for sea submarine be a teacher. He wore a
uniform.
He
was with the Battery of air craft guns, the teachers had to assemble the guns.
He taught how to use search light on the
battery.
Volunteer
for the forces were called up to labour service. Peter was told to report t to the
infantry gunner, he arrived late and was sent up to the sergeant major. The training
was hard, he also had to help control
riots and shootings in his own town.
He
was with the army at the River Elbe. Soviet and American troops met here, near
Torgau in Germany. In a prank Peter stole some chocolate, but it turned out to
be shaving soap!!
There
were four zones in Germany, Peter made it back to Cologne and became a switch board
operator. He was then posted as a medical orderly. Fuel was very scarce. He was then
sent back to POW camp for discharge on
to a Belgium war camp, no work, no food, then sent to Scotland. The camp had no
wire good time playing football. Peter went to see “White Horse Inn “ the men chased after the “girl” actors, only to find
them to be men!! Following this he was sent out to work on local farms.
Thank
you all for a very interesting evening, I hope my notes are a good copy!!
Possible Feniton Heritage Event
Would you be interested in being
a part of this? We will need a
co-ordinator to take the lead on this.
Please join us in the Nog Inn at 8pm on Thursday 4th October.
Feniton History Group held the 91st meeting in the Nog Inn
Lovely
to see you all. Pam has suggested we look at putting on a Heritage Weekend, it
was back in September 2008 the last one was staged. It was decided to put a
note in the parish magazine to see what response we get.
We
confirmed we will hold an afternoon tea to commemorate the 100 years since the
end of WW1. The Group will put up our display of the men from Feniton to mark
both wars. Suggested
date: Sunday 11th November,
unless we incorporate it into the Remembrance Day Service, having it before or
afterwards?
Jenny’s
contact Nigel and other like-minded people now believe the site of the 1549
Battle is in the area around Bloomfield and Skinners Ash Farm, could the name
be derived from Bloodfield? We are
hoping Nigel will came and talk to us about the metal finds from that area. Smashed
farm tools, bits of chain mail, Tudor buttons and a sword at found at
Buckerell.
Alan
mentioned that on old maps the river was bridged down by Greyhound Inn? Over the years rivers would change course
naturally, or man made diversions.
Peter
recalled that boundaries in 1944 in Germany meant that there was better food in
the hotel on one side of the border than the other.
Jenny
tells us the work on the preparation for the Battle filming is going well. A
decision is to be made on where to store the banner being made by Rosemarie’s
team of needlewomen. This has taken some 300 hours of work. It would a great
loss if it was not placed somewhere safe and have its purpose celebrated. The
Honiton Museum is though to be an ideal location, along with a display featuring
the battle. The Catholic Church don’t like the Protestant view in Jenny books!!
The reason for the Battle in 1549 still rankles!
Brenda
loves looking through the old newspapers on line and came across the mention of
a fire in Apr 1859. The railway workers lived in huts near the Honiton tunnel.
The fire was caused by a candle catching
the curtain alight. Did they show they had their wives with them. Surely men
living on their own would not hang drapes?
In Jan 1859 there was an article about casting an iron beam of eleven tons successfully effected by Mr. Kerslake's
foundry in the Bonhay Road on Wednesday afternoon. The casting will form a
portion of the bridge, which will span the Yeovil Railway line in Longbrooke
Street.
We
had an interesting natter with Sam about his work with South West Archaeology.
He
kindly
printed out some reports relating to the village. The depth of soil over the years varies
depending on use of the land.
Rosemary
asked about the Mill at Fenny Bridges. Val showed some wonderful old maps found
in a relative’s effects.
Hugh
is off to the Walsall football match to see Plymouth Argyll play.
Jenny
brought along some trinkets, war time pieces,
a sweet heart hanky and a little finger bible carried in the glove, dagger brooch and an engraved 5/-
silver coin.
Thank
you all for such an interesting evening. Next meeting in the Nog Inn on
Thursday 6th September at 8pm
Feniton History Group held the 90th meeting in the Nog Inn
Feniton
History Group held the 90th meeting in the Nog Inn
Attending:
George, Bob, Rose, Viv, Alan, Pam, Jenny, Jackie, Brenda, Geoff, Sharon, Hugh and
Bob
Francis
Pyle spoke to me about Long Park, it cost £22,000 to build. It was built by Mr
Vincent Frank Pyle bought it off him for
£2,000. George Vincent died in Exmouth in 1902.
Boundary
stone: Following this being damaged by the grass cutters, Jenny and I attended
the July meeting of the parish council. East Devon District Councillor Phil
Twiss has given us a budget of £200 for it’s replacement. Cllr Susie Bond is
meeting with EDDC as to the re siting of the stone. So very positive outcome.
Hugh
has been helping George research a footballer of that name, I found this link
about him: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Roulson
Geoff
has been busy helping with Exeter theatre old newspapers in the Heritage Centre,
he admitted to reading them, rather than sorting and filing!
Bob
raised the question about cottages and the difference between houses and cottages,
found
this “story” based on some fact to describe the history of the cottage:
I found out that a cottager was a labourer who worked a
small piece of land [for himself] which could be owned by him or rented or
leased. The building on the land was called a cottage. I'm wondering if the
piece of land was called a 'Cott' but can't find out via Google as there is an
American firm called Cott and several thousand hits on their name come up
first! There are a few places locally called --- Cott [ie Tytherleigh Cott]. I told Bob when he came to clean by windows last
week.
Also while working last week I came across a 'Guide Book
of Recording Descriptions for Archaeologists' and Cottage does not appear in
the list of descriptions for buildings - so I don't think it describes a
particular type of building.
Pam
told us she has an ancestor who was a prize bare knuckle fighter.
Alan
went to see the WW1 commemoration in Northenhay, said to be the oldest town park
The
Shrouds depict the enormity of loss of life in the Somme, each man a son or father,
very sobering to try and take in the facts.
During
the discussion that followed Bob mentioned the saying about Trench Warfare “Lions
lead by donkeys”.
Many
lads lied about their age when enlisting, the boy soldiers. Victor Silvester
was one of these. He was born in 1900. He ran away from Ardingly College and
was fighting on the Western Front at fifteen. Victor's parents suspected he had
joined the army and informed the authorities in 1914 but it was not until he
was wounded in 1917 that he was discovered and brought home to England.
Brenda
is researching a family in 1860s, sadly their daughter died of TB and there is
also mention of bigamy, they married in Feniton!
TB
or as it was known, Consumption, saw sufferers being brought to The Royal Hotel
in Sidmouth for the sea air. The afore
mentioned James Ross’s brother Robert died from TB
Jenny
reported on the Battle film saying it is going well. In relation to the film
George and Viv modelled their costumes. They look fantastic. We welcome our new
members Luke and Viv.
Next
meeting in the Nog Inn on 2 August 2018. At this meeting we need to plan the
following:
WW1
100 Years in November
Pam
has suggested a Heritage Event
A
talk or “Conversation with Peter”
Remembering William Arbery died 17th July 1918
ARBERY,
William Henry
Born : Talaton (Honiton Q4/1896)
Baptised :
Parents : Henry and Ada Arbery of Grays,
Colestocks.
Died : Peronne, France 7th July
1918
Buried : Peronne Communal Cemetery Extension
(See notes below)..
1901 Census : Larkbeare Dairy Farm, Talaton
1911 Census : Larkbeare Dairy Farm, Talaton
Occupations : Farm worker
Address on enlisting : 11 Chestnut Avenue, Dartmouth.
Regiment : 19th Army Cyclist Corp.
Formerly Wessex Division Cyclist Corp
Rank : Private
Service Number : 18950 (formerly 213 with Wessex Div)
Service Dates : 19th November 1914 to 7th
July 1918
CWGC listing : Yes
Soldiers Died Listing : Yes
Devon Roll of Honour : Yes under Talaton
National Roll of the Great War : Yes
Medal Card (NA WO372) : WO372/1/30850
Service Record (NA WO363) : Yes
War Memorial : Talaton
1919 Absent Voters List :
Newspaper Listings :
Notes : He is listed in ‘Soldiers Died’. He was
a Territorial in the Wessex Division Cyclist Corp (number 213) and signed his
attestation papers to serve anywhere for the duration of the war on 19th
November 1914. He was enlisted into the Army Cyclist Corp, 58th
Divisional Cyclist Company on the same day taking service number 18950. He
joined the 19th Cyclist Battalion on 1st February 1917
was posted to France on the 15th March 1917 with the battalion. He
was posted as missing on 5th April 1918 during the German spring
offensive. His father is later informed via the Red Cross that he was a
prisoner of the Germans – he writes to the War Office regarding this on 7th
May 1918. In January 1919 the Germans report that he died from pneumonia in a
field hospital on 7th July 1918 while he was a POW and that he was
buried in Peronne Communal Cemetery Extension. An official record is received
at Hanwell Cyclists Corp HQ 11th May 1919 confirming this. A further
note is received there on 18th March 1920 saying the body has been
exhumed and reburied. It appears he was reburied in the same cemetery as there
is correspondence in the records regarding it being unnecessary to inform the
next of kin.
Remembering John Melluish died 13th July 1918
MELLUISH, John
Born : Ottery St Mary c1878
Baptised :
Parents : William and Susan Melluish
Married : Mary Grace Baragwanath 28th
January 1910 at Crowan, Cornwall.
Died : 13th July 1918
Buried : No known grave – listed on Karachi
1914-1918 War Memorial
1881 Census :
1891 Census :
1901 Census : Feniton – aged 22.
1911 Census : Rutts, Feniton – aged 32.
Occupations : Farm worker (1911) Publican (1915)
Address on enlisting : Alphington Inn – enlisted in Axminster
Regiment : Devonshire Regiment later 1st
FS Garrison Battalion, Prince Albert’s Somerset Light Infantry
Rank : Corporal
Service Number : 5526 (DR) 275153 (SLI)
Service Dates : 15th June 1915 to 13th
July 1918
CWGC listing : Yes
Soldiers Died Listing : Yes
Devon Roll of Honour :
National Roll of the Great War :
Medal Card (NA WO372) : WO372/13/207987
Service Record (NA WO363) :
War Memorial : Alphington
Newspaper Listings : Western Times, July 26th
1918.
Notes : He was the landlord of the Alphington
Inn and had previously lived in Feniton at Rutts. He was 6’1” tall. He died
from heat stroke while serving in India. He was a serjeant in the Devon
Volunteers until 1912 having served 13 years. The SLI battalion was formed in
Plymouth in January 1917 and sailed for India in February 1917. He initially
signed up for home service only with the Devonshire Regiment. He had two
children William Henry and Annie.
Feniton History Group held the 89th meeting in the Nog Inn.
At
the meeting in June Jenny began by updating us on progress on the work being
done for the forth-coming film about the Battle of Fenny Bridges. She has a
group of enthusiastic workers making a banner, hats and costumes.
Peter told about the problems he encounters in
researching his German ancestors, such as reading Old German on documents.
David
had been reading about old parsonages and wondering where they were as we only
see and know about Georgian and Victorian residences for clergy. Where did the
priests live?
Hugh
is continuing to enjoy perusing old newspapers for items about Plymouth Argyle!
Brenda, also reading old newspapers, is
piecing together the story behind a bigamist marriage that took place in
Feniton Church in 1862 between two strangers to the village, the bride, a
Sidmouth girl, and she found in a 1855 newspaper the tale of a cook in the
household of the Rector of Thorverton who was taken ill, thought to have
cholera but by the time the doctor arrived had given birth to a baby.
We
heard that the boundary stone in Ottery Road, so carefully planned and
ceremoniously installed had been demolished by the Council worker cutting the
grass.
The
next meeting will be on July 5th in the Nog Inn at 8.00pm
Remembering Frederick Stiling a WW1 fallen soldier killed 6 Jun 1918
His father William, was Landlord of the Greyhound and also served during the war.
Born : Plymtree c1894
Baptised :
Parents : William and Anna Stiling
Died : 6th June 1918
Buried : Aulnoye Communal Cemetery – Grave
I.A.38.
1871 Census :
1881 Census :
1891 Census :
1901 Census : Motts Lane, Plymtree – aged 7
1911 Census : Lower Tale – aged 17
Occupations : Farm Worker
Address on enlisting : Fenny Bridges. Enlisted in Exeter
Regiment : D Battery, 83rd Brigade,
Royal Field Artillery
Rank : Gunner
Service Number : 130441
Service Dates :
CWGC listing :
Soldiers Died Listing : Yes
Devon Roll of Honour :
National Roll of the Great War :
Medal Card (NA WO372) : WO372/19/60568
Service Record (NA WO363) :
War Memorial : Ottery St Mary
Newspaper Listings :
Notes : Posted as missing.
Feniton History Group held the 88th Meeting in the Nog Inn
It
is lovely to see so many attending this month’s meeting.
David
introduced Peter, a speaker we have booked for an evening in the Church, date
to be confirmed.
Peter has a wonderful sense of humour!
Alan
gave us a very interesting talk on the railway life of the Powell family and
incidents that took place. A lost suit case, and cleaning out the livestock
pens. His worse day on the railway was when the late train from Salisbury
failed at the station, it was not meant to stop! The signals were clear for it
to pass through, there was a long wait for the phone! The train was stopped for
some three hours, this was 1966. He also remembers helping guide Colesworthy
sheep along so they did not on the line.
Rosemarie
remembers traveling through on the train, not knowing she would live here one
day!
Bob
also worked on the railway for the North
Eastern at Leeds in the signal box. Being the “Youth” he was not allowed to do
certain tasks, but when his boss sneaked off to play cards he was left in
“charge”
Jenny
told us about her progress with the filming of the Fenny Bridges Battle, the
ladies of Rosemarie’s sewing group are helping with the making of a banner,
this will be a wonderful heirloom to keep in the village.
Another
interesting point made by Jenny is that the site of the Fenny Bridges may well
be on or near the Old Fenny Bridges Hotel, or Bloomfield House as it was once
known, this would have been on Skinner’s Ash Farm. It has always been a mystery
as to why no battle left overs have been found in Fenny
Mead.
Hugh
told us he was gutted as Plymouth Argyle were not doing very well!!
Thank
you all for a lively evening,
Next
meeting on Thurs. 7th Jun 8:00 in the Nog. Many thanks to Mike and
Rosemarie for hosting us.
The 87th Meeting of The Feniton History Group was held in the Nog Inn
Thrilled
to see so many here, and I must record that the March meeting was cancelled due
to Snow! What a strange Spring this is.
I
have extracted the relevant pages of the 1939 Registration for the village, available
on the Find My Past website, subscription required. This was recorded to issue ration books for
WW2.
Geoff,
a volunteer at South West Heritage Trust, formerly the Devon Record Office, has been collating Theatre records and the
Papers of Lord Sidmouth more detail here from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viscount_Sidmouth
Geoff
also mentioned the wonderful archive of the photographer James Ravilious, amounting to some 78 thousand
photos of Devon, its landscape and the working people on their farms and in the
villages.
David
shared with us his research into the Transi Tomb:
Fenton’s Transi is likely to have
been carved from an emaciated live model, possibly a male prostitute and not a
cadaver
If we are right in the assumption
that our transi is that of the last William Malherbe (b1446- d1493) what
influence could a Bishop of Winchester have had on the choice of a Malherbe
tomb? Up to the time shortly before William Malherbe’s death the Bishop of
Winchester was Peter Courtenay (1486-1492/3) who, prior to that was Bishop of
Exeter from 1478 to1486/7. If the
Malherbe’s moved in high circles there could have been a chance they were known
to each other and that Peter Courtenay, the Bishop of Exeter and subsequently
the Bishop of Winchester had that influence and recommended a Southwark
sculptor. Both the Malherbe and the Courtenay families stemmed from Brittany,
France being the country where transi tombs were the vogue.
I have been told that monuments
such as ours would have been carved before the death on the person
commemorated, in which case it would have been in the period that Peter
Courtenay was Bishop of Winchester.
This can only be conjecture but
despite that, an interesting twist on who our transi may commemorate.
Where does Southwark fit into the
story?
The stews, (or brothels), of Southwark’s Bankside were infamous in
the Middle Ages and though banned by Henry VIII in 1546, their notoriety lived
on.
Nevertheless, the women who
worked in The Stews became known as “Winchester Geese” but the “Winchester
Goose” was also used to describe a swelling in the groin caused by venereal
disease.
The regulations which controlled brothels, though they were regularly flaunted, it fell to
the Bishops of Winchester, as Lord of the Manor, through his bailiff, steward
or constables to administer and enforce the 1161 regulations at his Court Leet (a manorial court). Most offences were
punishable by a fine, another source of revenue for the Bishops.
Jenny
is working with a film director on a production relating to
the events of the Battle of Fenny Bridges, 1549. This was followed by a discussion on what
happened to the bodies after the battle. There is thought to be a plague pit under thr north vestry of Ottery St Marcy
Church, perhaps they were burnt? Interesting discussion. The victims of the Woodbury
squirmish were buried on site, so what happened to the Fenny bodies?
Rosemary’s
Sewing group are to make five wounds battle banner for the film.
Brenda
has been looking at the 1918 Flu epidemics, a ww1 military encampment brought it to Europe, then
Scotland and down through the country. East Devon may have eased it congested
lungs. The high mortality did not seem to have raised the burial numbers in
Feniton 1918. The virus killed more than 50 million people, three times the
number that fell in the Great War. Bovril was in short supply for the patients
due to shortage of jars, it was advertised as something to make you influenza
proof!
Alan
has been reading a book written by Asa Briggs, a Social History of England detailing crops and husbandry. A very strong history of
social, economic and political life in the British Isles.
George
and his family, with Jenny’s skills in producing booklets, has set out his
biography, also he told us about a plane crash in Poole Harbour, a note from this website:
Val
told us about the postcards from her
relative while in France during WW1
Hugh
has been researching the heat wave suffered on 30 Sept 1892, the Ref. was suffering
from the heat.
It
was so good to see you all after the winter hiatus. Thank you all for a lovely
evening.
Remembering Tom Marshall
MARSHALL, Tom
Rank: Private
Service No: M2/133381
Date of Death: 12/04/1918
Regiment/Service: Army Service Corps
593rd M.T. Coy. attd. VIII Corps Heavy Artillery.
Grave Reference III. E. 23.
Cemetery YPRES RESERVOIR CEMETERY
In Feniton on the 1911 census, brother of William and
Lillian Marshall born about 1871, farm
worker at Long Park
Friends of St. Andrew's Church
Valerie, who is the Chair of the Friends of St Andrews, has asked me to
forward on to you the Agenda for their AGM
Although you may not be a registered Friend of St Andrews, but as
member of the congregation you give your support to the church in another way,
it would be appreciated if you could find time to attend their AGM and hear
about their plans, finance and the past contribution they make to the church.
I have to say without them the
church would be a poorer place and not in such a good structural state of
repair and we would not have the village plant sale which is an enormous social
event.
You will not be "pressed ganged" into anything but your
presence at the AGM would give encouragement and thanks to them, so please, if
possible, diary today Monday 26th March at 7.30 in church.
Kind regards, David
2018 ANNUAL
GENERAL MEETING
To
be held on
Monday
26th MARCH 2018 at 7.30 in the Church
AGENDA
1. Apologies
2. Minutes of 2017 AGM
3. Matters arising
4. Chairman’s Report
5. Treasurer’s Report
6. Election of Committee
7. Matters arising from 2017/18 season
8. AOB
Followed by general
meeting:
1. Minutes of last meeting
2. Matters arising
3. Treasurers Report - as above
4. Data Protection
5. Update of church maintenance
6. Fundraising event
7. AOB
8. Date of next meeting
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)