St Andrew's Church Organ

Thought this set of photos showing the dismantling of the old organ may be of interest.

https://picasaweb.google.com/107560330293436102358/FenitonOrgan#

Had a email from a chap researching organs and he passed on this.

http://www.ohta.org.au/confs/Qld/Bulimba.html

Many thanks to Mr Geoffrey Cox for permission to share this with you.

Feniton History Group 26th Meeting

This was a good get together to confirm arrangements for the year ahead.

It was decided that the East Devon AONB request for help in an Orchard Survey was far too detailed and too complicated for our small group to undertake.

The meeting  gave full support  to the possibility of a Craft  and Hobbies Weekend  in the Church, but  felt it was not in our remit to organize.

.

The Group will be attending the Devon Record Office Open Day on 17^th March 2012. Brenda, Geoff, Maggie and myself will attend, taking down one of our display boards, with each of us bringing items of our own Feniton research to display. The farm history, the Station, the Nog Inn, the pew ends, the War MIs etc.

The details of the Arts Fund Event in June was also confirmed.

It was thought to try and arrange an evening in the Church with John-Michael Kennaway talking about Escot, a date will need to be fixed for this.

David mentioned that an Organ Concert will be held in the Church on 24 Feb 2012.

It was decided to adjourn the meetings in Honiton Museum until the opening for the new season.

The business having been dealt with Brenda told us about her research into the History of the Greyhound Hotel at Fenny Bridges, the naming coming from the badge worn by the King’s Messengers, dating back to the reign of Charles II. It is said that the Inn is mentioned in the Domesday Book, but I have not found this in the online editions!

A discussion of drawing up family trees in the 21^st C ensued, and how difficult this would be with the modern family groups we have today. Also how some children, although born in a marriage was not accepted by the vicar, who baptised them as base born due to the widowed father marrying his dead wife’s sister. I gave an example of this in one my own families on the Isle of Wight, and I can confirm that folk who are born and bred on the Island are “Caulkheads”. In the same way as “Devonshire Dumplings” and “Hampshire Hogs”.

David told us about the book he is reading “A Devonshire Gentleman”, relating to the Carew family, one of whom married into the Feniton Kirkham family. 

The next meeting will be in the Nog Inn on Thurs. 9^th Feb 2012.

Devon Record Office Open Day

Saturday, 17 March 2012
The Feniton History Group will be in attendance at this event.

The Open Day at the Devon Record Office at Great Moor House in Sowton, Exeter.  This is being held on Saturday, 17 March 2012, and will run from 10 am until 4 pm.   There will be lectures, tours of the strong-rooms, a family history advisory service and tables are being provided to local groups to display their activities.  The Open Day will be open to the public.  There will be no admission charge to the public nor to groups for their tables.  We expect that many hundreds of local people will attend the day.  There will be hot drinks, cakes and sandwiches available for sale.  Free parking is immediately outside the building.

Feniton History Group 25th Meeting

Feniton History Group held the 25th meeting at the Nog Inn on the 10^th Nov. 2011

 Brenda  kindly took these notes due to my absence.

We had a lot of chatter on all sorts of topics, including some history of the Nog Inn. Frances said the name changed about 1953, when she & John were licensees The brewery decided on the name.

I reminded everyone to look at the WW1 WW2 display in Church. Bill showed us a lovely carved depiction of the Church & Lych gate he has made from lime wood, which he will be offering to the Church.

Some memories exchanged about Feniton in war time, such as when the Nog was hit, and the Spitfire in the Powell's garden.

Looking ahead to next year's Diamond Jubilee we tried to get Alan & Frances to recall what took events if any took place here in Coronation year. They remembered the 1937 Coronation better!

Next meeting booked for January 12th 8.00pm

We are at the Museum on the Tue. 22^nd November 10:00 to 1:00pm and again on Tue. 6^th December

Brenda attended this meeting: 14^th Nov 2011

 Just been to the East Devon Local History Workshop in Honiton & my head is buzzing! It was very interesting and everyone friendly.

There were 25 people from 12 History societies/ organisations. Some were from towns like Beer and Colyton. We all gave an account of what we do etc, and It was fascinating to hear how many members they have and what they do. How I envy Whimple who have 150 members (population about 400 less than Feniton!).

First we had a talk from Chris Woodfuff of AONB about a new project to create a Historic Environment Action Plan. This is to record all areas of historic interest in parishes such as ancient fields, sites etc. The information could be used by Parish Councils and in Parish Plans in respect of planning applications etc.

Next we heard about the on-going work  'In the Footsteps of Peter Orlando Hutchinson', a Victorian man who sketched and wrote about his geological and other finds in East Devon. The project has been recording the scenes he described as they are now and also looking for 'silcrete' standing stones that he had found, which occur in places like Salcombe Regis and on the commons around Farway and Northleigh. (Read all about it on AONB web site)

The Group will meet again next year. It is hoped to have a joint project, to give a purpose to the Group. One suggestion is the recording of orchards throughout our area.

Feniton History Group 24th Meeting

Lady Dionne Palmer addressed the Group to ask for help in staging an Art Fund Event in the village on the 13/14 June 2012. She has asked us to put up a display of the history of Court Barton Farmhouse, the village and a short presentation on the Prayer Book Rebellion. David is also involved doing a talk on the church.

The Group have accepted the challenge! Money raised by the Art Fund enables art work to be purchased so that it can stay in the UK. The fund has purchased Honiton Lace for the Honiton Museum and this will be on display. Over the coming months we will need to put our thinking caps on, George has kindly offered to help with an oral talk, should we need someone used to public speaking. Brenda suggested a guided tour around the old village.

The work of Cotswold Archaeology  on Camp Field was discussed. We have been given custody of a box of horse bones, some flint tools and a metal shoe, some think it could be from an Oxen. Our appreciation of this goes to Val Stringer for arranging the donation of this to the Group.  This link gives details of shoes found by metal detectorists;

http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?t=47522

The one on the left in from Camp Field, the other being from my own bits and bobs.

Cliff has also found a flint tool on his walks and that is also in our collection. Thank you Cliff.

David has found a reference to there being a Church House in Feniton, and the Yates papers also confirm this. This website gives more on the subject and some illustrations of  this type of building.

http://www.buildinghistory.org/buildings/churchhouses.shtml,  thank you Brenda for finding this.

David has also been able to confirm that the cadaver tomb was moved around the church. It was in its current position. by 1877.

Remembrance Sunday on 13^th Nov. will see the dedication of the WW1 roll of honour, carved by Bill. To mark the occasion we will put up a display of what we know of the men who lost their lives and incorporate this with the RBL Poppy Appeal. 

I will set this up on Monday the 31^st Oct. at 2:30 pm.

I did offer my resignation should anyone else want the coordinator’s post, but there were no takers!!!!

Alan closed the meeting with more of his lovely Devon Dialect says, “well us all be preddy vitty”. Thank you  Alan.

Then a general rant about the failing of modern day politics rounded the evening off!!

Remembrance Sunday

Feniton History Group 23rd meeting

On Thursday 15^th Sept. 14 members, plus 2 visitors from Talaton met in the Nog Inn to hear Graeme tell us about his metal detector finds in East Devon. Apologies from Geoff, who is not so well, get well soon m’dear.

Graeme, aided by Ruth, set up a display of his collection on the pool table for us to handle and ask him about.

The talk started with the earliest finds, flint tools, Neolithic, some 4,500 years old. This gives you a picture of folk going about their daily tasks and working hides and taking meat from a kill.

Bronze age finds from around the hut circles found by the A30 when the new road was put through, 3,500 years old.

A gouge or chisel, it would have had a wooden handle.

Fenny Bridges, where the Battle took place in 1549 a sword scabbard chape.

Lead shot. Lead oil ampulas sold at fairs to take as an offering to a sacred site or relic.

This is fascinating and something to research further, the possibility of a site of a trading fair at Fairmile. Graeme has unearthed trading weights and coins covering the period c.1200 to 1500. The name of the hamlet may be a clue? But the local thought of the origin of the name is “A fair mile to Ottery”

Love tokens, bent coins that match, under a tree, where the owner took rest, lost his purse, which had rotted and left the coins, shillings, Charles II, William III, and Queen Anne 1711.

Beautiful Victorian silver thimbles, some damaged, perhaps thrown onto the midden. Buttons, buckles, and many brass fittings from horse harness. A stem from a clay pipe. Pottery shards. Coins.

To bring it up to date, a tray of bangles and rings found on the site at Escot after the “Beautiful Days” music event. Difficult site to work on, lots of can pull rings!!

Graeme explained that it is a back breaking hobby, cold in winter!! You need to know your detector well and learn it’s responses, you don’t want to spend all day digging up nails and horse shoes. As you walk the fields, with the land owner’s permission please, you can attune your eye to the flint tools and pottery. After rain you will find the soil washed off bringing the items to light.  The soil conditions and modern farming, ploughing and fertilizers will all affect old metals laying in the soil, some may rot away, others are preserved.   Like the bearded axe found the other side of Honiton.

Some of the items found are often eight or more inches down, this being due to the build up of soil through decay, erosion and build up through the centuries.

If you would like to see photos please look on YouTube   http://www.youtube.com/user/1973itsme

Items over 300 years old made of precious metals are recognised as Treasure Trove and need to be passed to a Museum who will direct the find to the Coroner. There is a Portable Antiquities Scheme.  http://finds.org.uk/

The Group would like to take this opportunity to thank Graeme and Ruth most sincerely for  giving this insight in to the soil under our feet.