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The Bristol and Gloucestershire

Archaeological Society

Established 21 April 1876 www.bgas.org.uk

Registered Charity No. 202014

Newsletter No. 67 August

2010

COTSWOLD ARCHAEOLOGY has discovered a previously unknown Anglo-Saxon settlement in the Hesters Way district of Cheltenham. Monitoring of groundworks during the construction of the new All Saints’ Academy, part of the Government‟s Building Schools for the Future programme, led to the discovery of a pit containing large pieces of Anglo-Saxon pottery which date to the period between the 5

th and 8

th centuries AD.

Further work in the area revealed Saxon ditches, and most spectacularly a large timber hall built from substantial posts. The hall was 11m long by 6m wide and would have been used for communal events including feasts. Outside of the hall were two probable sunken-featured buildings (SFBs), a type of house which is typical of Anglo-Saxon settlements in Britain. Their main characteristic is a sunken cellar, presumably used for the storage of foodstuffs and other items. The cellar would have been boarded over, with the living space at ground level. Because the subsoil on the site was sand, the edges of the cellar must have been pretty unstable and susceptible to erosion. Consequently, when the cellars were excavated they had an irregular outline.

Two human burials were also found. Saxon burials usually consist of extended bodies accompanied by a variety of grave gods, as in the period before the 7

th century AD the

Anglo-Saxons had largely pagan beliefs. It was unusual therefore to find that the two burials at Cheltenham were buried in a crouched position within shallow pits. While they could be Anglo-Saxons, it is just possible that the burials are of somewhat earlier date (Roman or prehistoric). Radiocarbon dating will be used to determine the exact age of the bodies in due course.

Steve Sheldon, who is directing the excavation, said that it was one of the best finds of his career. “To be honest I didn‟t really expect to find too much when we started work on the site.” The settlement probably dates to the 6

th to 8

th century AD, and is of significance as it lies only a short distance from

Gloucester. It is generally thought that the area around Gloucester never succumbed to Saxon control in this period, and remained a largely independent British kingdom. Cliff Bateman, Project Manager at Cotswold Archaeology, said, “It would now appear that there were more pockets of Anglo-Saxon control in the Severn Valley than we previously thought. Anglo-Saxon burials have been found in Bishop‟s Cleeve and Tewkesbury, but this discovery shows Saxon influence right on the very doorstep of Gloucester. Rather than a simple picture of distinct areas of Saxon and British control, our new discovery suggests a much more complicated picture with the different cultural groupings living and ruling over adjacent estates”. All Saints‟ Academy lies close to the river Chelt, which may have been called the Arle stream in Saxon times (the river was not called the Chelt until the 16

th century). Significantly, Arle is the earliest recorded place name in Cheltenham; it was first

recorded in a Saxon document of around AD 680. One possibility is that the new settlement was the centre of an estate which took its name from the nearby Arle stream. Until now it has always been assumed that the Saxon origins of Cheltenham would be found around the Lower High Street, 1.5 miles to the east, as it is known that there was a church on the site of the present parish church in later Saxon times. The new discoveries therefore require a reassessment of previously held views about the early history of Cheltenham. Now that the site investigation has been completed, Cotswold Archaeology is keen to work with sponsors and stakeholders of the new All Saints‟ Academy to ensure that the legacy of the discoveries is incorporated into the Academy, and that they provide learning opportunities for the students. In particular, there are a number of scientific analyses which will be able to shed more light on the date, origins and ethnic links of the two burials, such as DNA and Isotope analysis. The painstaking work of studying all the site records and artefacts is now beginning, and it is likely to take a couple of years to complete the final report on the excavations. Once completed the finds will be donated to Cheltenham Museum.

Neil Holbrook 26th July 2010

The Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society No. 67 August 2010

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Anglo-Saxon hall found in Cheltenham

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Society News: AGM 27th March 2010 Presentation to Gerard Leighton

Profile of the President Meetings of Council & Committees

Research Fund Grants 2010 Transactions; Record Series The Library Reports from Representatives Nominations for Election to Council Member in the Spotlight New Series: Notes and Queries New Project: Land Survey 1911-15 Obituary County Societies Symposium 1/5/10

The

Spring Meeting: Bridgwater & Cothay Manor Overseas Meeting: June 2010 South Bohemia Programme of Society’s Field

Meetings & Lectures 2010-11 Recent Discovery at Rendcomb Forthcoming Events Feature: Two years on the

banks of Purton New Publications Editorial; Next Newsletter

2, 4 2 3 4 - 6 4 5 5, 6 5, 6 6 6 7 7 8 16 8, 9 10, 11 9, 11, & 12

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13 14, 15

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CONTENTS

SOCIETY NEWS

Annual General Meeting held 27th March 2010

[A full report of this Meeting will be published in Transactions Volume 128 to be distributed to members in 2011.]

Elections:

Dr Martin J Crossley Evans MBE, JP, BA, PhD, FSA, FGS was elected President for 2010-2011 [see profile opposite]. Dr John Juřica BA, PhD, FAS and David Bartlett FRICS were elected Vice-Presidents of the Society. Dr John Juřica is also to be congratulated for having recently been elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. Dr Simon Draper and Ms Jan Wills were elected as new members of Council for Gloucester. Burton Sweet, Bristol were duly elected as independent examiners of the Society‟s accounts for 2010. Mr E G Price MBE, JP, FSA of Frocester Court, a member of the Society for 45 years, was elected as an Honorary Member of the Society. Mr Price was sadly too ill to attend the AGM and best wishes were extended to him from those present.

Presentation to Gerard Leighton MA, FSA

A book of Essays, written by members of the Society in his honour and edited by Martin J. Crossley Evans, entitled „A Grand City‟ – „Life, Movement and Work‟: Bristol in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries was presented to Gerard Leighton in recognition of his 40 years service to the Society as Treasurer, and almost 60 years of membership. 2010 also marks the centenary of the connection of the Leighton family with the Society; his father, Wilfrid Leighton JP, FSA, (1886-1967) became a member of the Society in 1910 and served as Chairman of Council, Honorary Treasurer, Chairman of the Records Section and Archaeological Trust, and President of the Society.

The President, Dr Martin Crossley Evans subsequently held a Reception 24

th May 2010 in Bristol to celebrate the launch

of the collection of Essays in Gerard‟s honour, the work of the Society, and the University of Bristol as a guardian of the City‟s heritage. Thanks have been expressed to Dr Crossley Evans for his work on the special publication for Gerard.

Transactions FREE to good home!

David Aldred would like to dispose of his copies

of Transactions 1972-2005.

If someone would like them they would need to be collected from the Cheltenham area.

Please contact David on 01242 672533 or email: [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


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PROFILE OF THE PRESIDENT 2010-2011

Dr Martin J. Crossley Evans, MBE, JP, BA, PhD, FSA, FGS

Martin Crossley Evans became a member of the Bristol and

Gloucestershire Archaeological Society in 1978, the year he graduated in Archaeology and Geology at Bristol University. He was encouraged to do so by a former President of the Society, Dr Basil Cottle, who had taught him Middle English and also Irish and Anglo Saxon art and architecture. At 21, he was the youngest member to attend outings at the time. In the 1970s he worked on the excavations at St Bartholomew‟s Hospital, the Moravian Chapel Lower Maudlin Street, and at a Roman farmstead in Stoke Gifford, amongst other places, but his first love was Prehistory and the period up to and including the Iron Age – particularly enjoying drawing flints and capturing the distinctive features of re-touching. In 1977 he was engaged in the geological mapping in the Murlough peninsula, Co Down where he was fascinated by the settlement patterns and artefacts found in the Dunes. It is a place he has not visited since 1982 but one he longs to return to.

In those early years with the Society he was an active participant at field meetings, visiting Caister by Yarmouth in 1979 and to some of the Prehistoric sites in Anglesey in 1980. He remembers happy evenings spent in the company of Dean and Mrs Thurlow, Miss Sylvia Coppen Gardner and many others. He benefited from the tutelage of the then meetings secretary, Dr Basil Cottle and his assistant Mrs Campbell, the friendship of the late Vivian Mildren, Mrs Joyce Morris, Canon Brian Carne, Mr Bob & Mrs Rosemary Knapp and of course Miss Elisabeth and Miss Jeannette Ralph, to name but a few.

Martin found himself catapulted [his words!] into the Bristol secretaryship for about five years following the illness of Mr Len Prior, Bob Knapp‟s successor. He edited the Society‟s Newsletter for about 12 years, receiving huge support from a faithful and committed team of „envelope stuffers‟ organised by Mrs Campbell and has contributed articles to the Society‟s Transactions. Martin says that as he looks back over his 30 years of membership he is reminded of one of Martial‟s Epigrams: „It is as good as a second life to look back upon the happy times which we have shared‟.

As a school boy and well into his twenties Martin felt the call to serve the Church of England as a minister, a call which he did not pursue. His career of almost 27 years as Warden of Manor Hall [a student hall of residence at the University of Bristol] has given him, he believes, many of the joys and the challenges of a parson through his pastoral work without some of the difficulties he may otherwise have encountered. He is the third longest serving Warden in the history of the University.

In 2001, Martin was awarded the MBE for „services to higher education‟ and in July 2006, the Convocation Medal of the University of Bristol, awarded to those „who have conferred outstanding benefit upon Convocation by their service‟. In March 2008, he was given Honorary Life Membership of the Union, conferred by the Student Council of the University of Bristol Union, „in recognition of outstanding and long service to students in halls, student welfare and Union societies‟.

His loves are varied and include walking and enjoying nature, music and the arts, and of course his favourite tipple, a good cider! To say Martin likes to write is perhaps an understatement. The list of his various writings, both published and unpublished, runs to six pages in his Curriculum vitae!

Martin is also an avid family historian and the stories he relates of his family are fascinating in themselves. In case anyone is wondering, „Crossley‟ is a family name. Martin‟s great-grandfather John Crossley (1860-1936) was a fruit and produce importer and broker in Liverpool who had apple auction rooms in New York in the 1890s. In 1893 he moved to Willaston in Wirral, where Martin was born.

The Annual General Meeting 2011 will be held on Saturday 2nd

April

2011 at the Apostle Room, Clifton Cathedral starting at 2.15pm.


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Society News Cont‟d

Presidential address by outgoing President Alan Saville BA, FSA, MIFA

Members attending the AGM enjoyed a fascinating illustrated lecture by Alan entitled, ‘Anatomizing an archaeological project: Hazleton re-visited’ which traced the history of excavation on this site from the late 1970s to date and discussed how this and other similar sites should be preserved for future generations. Note: A full transcript of this lecture will be published in Transactions Volume 128.

COUNCIL AND COMMITTEES Meetings held: 17

th February 2010 - Gloucester

19th

April 2010 - Bristol 27

th July 2010 - Gloucester

In February Council was advised of David Walker’s letter of resignation. David Bartlett thanked all members who had attended meetings and supported him in his time as Meetings Secretary. Note: The position of Meetings Secretary remains vacant. Sincere thanks are due to those members who have helped with the organization of trips this year to enable them to go ahead. Angela Newcombe, Secretary for Gloucestershire reported that due to the increased costs of room hire at Gloucestershire Archives, the Newsletter „stuffing‟ will in future take place at St John the Evangelist church hall, Churchdown. Dr Anthea Jones circulated a report with details of the project to be undertaken by members of the Society relating to the Lloyd George ‘Domesday’ Survey of land ownership which will include a report for the Transactions. A Grant was subsequently awarded for this project. [see Research Grants opposite and also Anthea‟s appeal for volunteers to help with this project on page 7]

The Victoria County History for Gloucestershire has had funding withdrawn by the University of Gloucestershire. Council has given support for the formation of a Trust to finance future volumes and community history projects. [see page 13]

At the April Meeting Robert Jones was re-elected Chairman of Council and Dr Steven Blake as Vice-Chairman. The deaths were reported of members, Mrs Middleton, Michael Addis, Alan D McWhirr & Mr R H J Lapidge. Sadly, we also have to report the sudden death on 7

th

July of Tom Fenton. [see obituary on page 8]

Finance and General Purposes Committee:

The Society’s accounts have been filed with the Charity Commission. Income has been depressed owing to the current economic situation but is financially sound. Gerard Leighton was thanked by Council for all his hard work as Treasurer which it was felt would stand the Society in good stead in the future. It was reported that the late Mr Nicholas Deas had bequeathed £20,000 for research purposes.

A proposed grant of £500 for publication of The Berkeley Estate in the 14

th century by Bridget

Wells-Furby was recommended. The purchase of a digital projector and laptop for the Society at a cost of £1007.07 was agreed.

Research Grants Four research grants totalling £2,800 have been awarded for 2010:

The Concealed life of the English Urban Family in the 17

th century

Dr Andrew Makarov will be analysing the concealed life of English Urban Families of Gloucestershire market towns in the 17

th century; their feelings, interfamily

relationships, leisure time, etc. The grant will enable him to research unpublished and published records in Gloucestershire Archives including letters, diaries, journals, wills, inventories, marriage agreements and other material. This will be complemented by a comparative study of Welsh Urban Families of the border regions of Wales.

Small Elite Houses in Gloucestershire and around Bristol

Stephen Hague will seek to explore the social status and social boundary between the „middling sort‟ and the lesser landed gentry between 1680 and 1760 by examining the architecture, landscapes and furnishings of over eighty small elite houses in Gloucestershire and around Bristol.

Cheltenham’s role in the Pied Piper Scheme At the beginning of WWII an evacuation scheme known as Pied Piper was introduced to evacuate children from cities under threat of bombing. Virginia Adsett is researching Cheltenham‟s role as an evacuation centre using existing archive material, newspaper reports and oral evidence.

Lloyd George ‘Domesday’ Survey Dr Anthea Jones is heading this project to transcribe the information for Gloucestershire into a database listing owners, occupiers, amount of land and its value, to enable analysis and comparisons of land holding patterns. [see Anthea‟s appeal for volunteers on page 7]


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Publications Committee:

Transactions The redesigned website is up and running and the six outstanding volumes of Transactions have been scanned ready to be put on line. Dr James Lee, Editor of the Transactions from 2010 reported that Volume 128 is ready for publication in March 2011. Jan Wills and Dr Steven Blake will continue to produce the „Archaeological Review’ and ‘Society Notes’. The possibility of a „new look‟ to the Transactions with perhaps a more attractive cover is to be discussed further. It has been agreed to incorporate the new „Notes and Queries‟ publication within the Transactions as a permanent feature from Volume 129. [see separate report on page 7] Gloucestershire Record Series Volume 24 – to be published October 2010

Cheltenham Manor Court books 1692 – 1803 edited by James Hodsdon

xxxviii + 620 pages ISBN 978 0 900197 76 5 £30 in the UK (+£6 postage for overseas orders)

For over three centuries, Cheltenham Manor was held by the Duttons of Sherborne. They were well served by their stewards, notably John Prinn, whose antiquarian leanings contributed to the preservation of many Cheltenham and Charlton Kings records. Thanks to him, there is a continuous run of early modern manor court records from 1692, the starting point for this edition, which is the first extended treatment of any Gloucestershire manorial records. The records presented here are mostly of courts baron, relating to the inheritance or sale of copyhold properties in Cheltenham (tithings of Alstone, Arle, Cheltenham, and Westal, Naunton and Sandford), and to the east, the tithings of Bafford and Charlton Kings (all parts not within the manor of Ashley). In the early years, there are also records of court leet business, dealing with local administration within Cheltenham hundred, thus adding Leckhampton and Swindon Village to the preceding tithings. The court leet records touch on the use of the open fields, the upkeep of highways, boundaries and watercourses, the appointment of local officials, and occasionally matters of local justice. The finishing point of 1803 brings the account up to the era of the Cheltenham Inclosure Award. Nearly 4,000 events are abstracted, allowing the descent of properties and the fortunes of families to be followed through the 18

th century. In the absence of any general

system of land registry, and in Cheltenham‟s case, only minor newspaper coverage, the material will be valuable to local, family, and economic historians, as well as students of toponyms. A full introduction gives the context for the manor records, and analyses topics such as the frequency of mortgages, and the changing origins of Cheltenham property owners and developers. There are extensive indexes of personal names, places of origin, field and other local place-names, occupations and general matters.

Library Committee: The future direction of the library has been the subject of discussion in view of recent cuts in courses at the University resulting in reduced usage of the library by staff and students. Members are encouraged to use this facility. [see report by the Assistant Librarian on page 6]

Reports from representatives on other bodies:

Committee for Archaeology in Gloucestershire (CAG)

Jan Wills and Martin Ecclestone, Chairman and Secretary both expressed a wish to resign and successors are being sought. The role of the Committee is to be discussed later this year. Although well focused on Gloucestershire the aim to cover South Gloucestershire and Bristol has not succeeded. It has been suggested that meetings might be held in different venues to attract new members. Following the very successful Symposium held on 13

th

March 2010 in Stroud, entitled ‘What‟s New in Archaeology in Gloucestershire?‟ the Committee has decided to continue with conferences in the spring rather than the traditional time in the autumn. Watch out for news of the next conference probably in March 2011 by checking with the Society‟s website www.bgas.org.uk

Local archaeology news updates

It was reported that in Gloucester evaluation trenches have been dug both at Blackfriars Priory, where it is planned to build a language centre, and in the Greyfriars area where residential building is planned.

In Gloucester Museum the archaeology collection will be redisplayed for a reopening in 2011.

At the Dean Heritage Museum a fire damaged packaging of the archaeology collection but the paper archive remains intact.

At Thrupp Mill near Stroud a mill railway has been found during repairs to a path near the canal. Also near Stroud, the Lillyhorn Roman villa has been located by geophysics.

A hoard of 15,000 3rd

century coins from Gloucester Cross, found in 1960, is to be published by the British Museum.

Friends of Tewkesbury Abbey

Dr Anthea Jones reported on the restoration work on Tewkesbury Abbey tower. The first summer‟s work was successfully completed on the west side of the tower. During restoration of the west face of the north transept, high up on the wall what appears to be a tympanum was discovered set into the wall, consisting of two major pieces of stone or panels, at one time carved. There has been much speculation as to what the carvings represent and why they were so positioned.


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Council for Preservation of Ancient Bristol (CPAB) Due to the proposed merger of the Theatre Royal Trust and the Old Vic Trust, CPAB will no longer appoint trustees and is concerned about the theatre building which is owned by the Theatre Royal Trust. The Society will write to the new Trust expressing continued interest in the historic building and asking how the Society could assist in its preservation. Cotswold Museums Charitable Trust Mary Bliss reported a 10% increase in visitor numbers and a 5% rise in income. Family tickets offering 10% discount on admission charges are to be available at the Corinium Museum. Friends of the Corinium Museum are contributing £5,000 towards the preservation of a font and £2,500 for upgrading to lighting in some display cases.

News from The Society’s Library

Richard Valance is making progress with the cataloguing backlog of Library stock. More items are now available to search on the University‟s online ca t a l ogu e – t o ac c es s v i s i t www.glos.ac.uk/archives and click on the BGAS library page. Robin Thornett, a volunteer working in the University Learning Centre at Francis Close Hall, is currently undertaking an audit of the periodicals held within the Library. When complete, we should be able to fill any gaps in our holdings.

We encourage members to visit us and become Library members, enabling them to borrow material from our extensive holdings

.

Recent acquisitions of books include:

Cotswold Barns by Tim Jordan (Tempus Publishing Ltd, Stroud, 2006) Frocester – A Romano-British Settlement, its Antecedents and Successors by Eddie Price Vol.4 The Village (Gloucester and District Archaeological Research Group, 2007) Glevensis –Gloucester and District Archaeological Research Group Review No. 42 (2009)

Southern History – A Review of the History of Southern England Vol.31 (2009, printed 2010) The University of Bristol: A History by Sarah Whittingham (University of Bristol, 2009) University of the West of England – A Family History by William Evans (Redcliffe Press, Bristol, 2009) Wiltshire Studies – The Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine Vol. 103 (2010)

Please contact us if you would like to make a purchase suggestion.

Note

The Library will be closed to all enquirers, including Library card holders, Monday 6

th ± Friday

10th

December 2010 inclusive for the University Archives and Special Collections annual stock take.

July 2010

Any two ordinary fully paid-up members may nominate a member as a candidate for election to Council at the Annual General Meeting. Such nomination, accompanied by the written consent of the member, must reach the Hon. General Secretary, John Loosley, Stonehatch, Oakridge Lynch, Stroud GL6 7NR by 1st December 2010.

Nominations of Members for election to Council

Note: Next Meeting of Council: Friday 22nd October at Bristol

Member in the Spotlight!

Professor Timothy Darvill, OBE

We are delighted to announce that Professor Tim Darvill, a member of this Society since 1975, has been awarded the OBE for services to archaeology.

Tim, a founder trustee and Chairman of Cotswold Archaeology since 1992, is Professor of Archaeology at Bournemouth University. Widely published, his works include Prehistoric Britain from the air [Cambridge University Press, 1996] and The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology [Oxford University Press, 2002]. As well as co-directing one of the first excavations on Stonehenge in over 40 years, Tim is currently researching archaeological resource management. He has also recently been working on the Wiggold project just outside Cirencester. Congratulations Tim!

Tim Darvill cutting the cake presented to him by his fellow trustees at Cotswold Archaeology in recognition of his achievement June 2010 .

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Society Publications - New Series

Bristol & Gloucestershire Notes and Queries

It is not without pleasure and perchance it may not be without use that we rescue some quaint old document from the dust of ages and arrest the floating memories of man and things, as they pass down the stream of time toward the ocean of oblivion.”

These words are the description of the objectives of the first series of Gloucestershire Notes and Queries by the Revd. B H. Blacker, editor from 1876 to 1890. The series continued until the completion of the 10th Volume in 1914. As reported, the Publications Committee has decided to start a New Series, to include Bristol as well as Gloucester-shire, which will appear as a separate section in the annual Transactions indexed therewith. The first issue will be edited by Gerard Leighton who suggested the project and David Smith has agreed to edit subsequent issues. The aim is to encourage contributions from members of the Society of limited length recording interesting or curious observations or studies without being a full scale article for which they may not have the time, inclination and facilities for research that such entails. It will be possible to include illustrations. It is intended that contributions should cover topography and history and include biography, genealogy, heraldry and associated topics. A series of contributions from different members will be welcomed. Examples of this in similar publications are date stones on buildings (in Cumbria, Natural England has joined in the enterprise), suicide graves or other happenings indicated by a place name or that of a pub, such as the Trouble House Inn near Tetbury and in the 1880 series there were notes on longevity in Gloucester, the use of alias in the 16th and 17th centuries and a sermon preached at a funeral in 1670. A query about Henry V‟s cradle recorded in Rudder‟s History of Gloucestershire as in the possession of the vicar of Newland remains to be answered.

Somerset and Dorset Notes and Queries has run for over a hundred years and never failed for want of material. Devon and Cornwall has a similar publication while in other counties this type of material may be included in the Transactions or Newsletter of the local archaeological society.

The Committee hopes members will support the project, which, to use a current phrase, is aimed at inter-active participation as well as adding to antiquarian and archaeological knowledge.

The first issue will be in 2012. Contributions should be sent to Gerard Leighton, FSA, Hassage Manor, Faulkland, Nr Bath BA3 5XG, by 31st March 2011. Editor‟s Note: I have in my collection copies of Volumes I-IV (1881-1890), originally purchased by the New Club in Cheltenham for its Library, and would add that having now looked more closely at these volumes, I find them absolutely fascinating in their content and can only applaud Gerard for his determination to resurrect this Series. In the preface to Volume III the editor, Beaver Blacker writes that he feels assured that the Notes and Queries will prove to be, “not a mere temporary vehicle of amusement, but a permanent storehouse of authentic information, to which reference may hereafter be confidently made.”

HELP WANTED PLEASE with new project!

A survey of the county 1911-1915

The background to the survey is all too familiar to us in 2010. Lloyd-George, Chancellor of the Exchequer in a Liberal government led by Herbert H Asquith, had introduced the first ever old age pensions in 1908. The UK was also involved in a naval building programme to rival Germany‟s. Where could Lloyd-George find the extra money needed? His answer in the 1909 People’s Budget, was to impose a tax on increments in the value of land. When coal was discovered under the surface, or building in prospect above it, the value of land rose dramatically. Land had been the principal source of wealth for centuries; income tax was relatively new. The House of Lords rejected the Budget in 1909, but gave way in 1910. Before the tax could be implemented, a base line of land values had to be established. All land, whether covered in buildings, or used for gardens or agriculture was to be surveyed. Both the owners and occupiers of land were listed on a series of forms devised for the purpose of the survey, with their home addresses. The tax was to be paid by owners, and this influenced the form of some of the records which survive. Many properties were in the process of being bought and sold while the survey was underway, some had a number of owners – eg husband and wife or siblings, some were in the hands of executors if owners had recently died, and some were held by trustees for all sorts of charitable or beneficial purposes. The various financial details entered on the forms were intended to be the basis for future taxation. It was a huge and complex task to administer. After the First World War, the hope of ever collecting the tax was abandoned, and most of the provisions of the act were abolished in 1920. Thereafter the forms and books remained in offices throughout the country, and in the National Archives. Much was destroyed. The inspector in the Gloucestershire Inland Revenue, however, apparently decided that the tax might return, and until the Second World War details of sales and purchases of property were entered at the bottom of one set of forms. For places where these survive, the development of new roads of houses can be traced in detail, together with the names of purchasers and the amounts paid for the properties. This information offers an unusual insight into the growth of a place and is of considerable interest to both genealogists and local historians. The Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society is supporting a project to enter all the information from the records of the land values survey in Gloucestershire Archives onto computer, and make this available across the county. Volunteers are wanted to help transcribe and enter this data. All contributions will be gratefully received – just a few forms, part of a parish, or a whole place. John Loosley and Anthea Jones are leading the project and will be available to give advice and help. Charlton Kings Local History Society has done a pilot project with great results and Wendy Snarey has done Tewkesbury, so the project is off to a good start.

Please contact John on [email protected] or Anthea on [email protected] or leave your details with Vicky Thorpe at Gloucestershire Archives. They will be delighted to hear from you and make arrangements to get started.


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OBITUARY Thomas James Fenton (1948 – 2010)

It is with great sadness we report the untimely death of Tom Fenton, seen here in this photograph taken at the Society‟s AGM in March this year. Tom was a member of the Society for more than 20 years but it is in his capacity of squire of Highnam, a village so intimately connected with generations of his family, that he will be remembered. Tom died suddenly on July 7

th after collapsing near to his home, the Old Rectory at Highnam.

Tom was the last of his family to live at Highnam Court, bought by his great-grandfather Thomas Gambier Parry in 1839, which Tom inherited at the age of 18. Tom was a founder member of the Highnam Players and singing was an important part of his life. He was involved with the Three Choirs Festival for many years and was a fully-committed member of the Guides of Gloucester Cathedral.

Highnam Church, where Tom‟s funeral was held, was built by his great-grandfather as a memorial to his late wife and three of his children who died in infancy. Tom loved this church and those of us who attended the AGM in March and were fortunate enough to be shown round the church by Tom will remember his enthusiasm and his obvious pride at having painstakingly restored, virtually inch by inch, this beautiful church which meant so much to him.

Elaine North

SPRING MEETING TO BRIDGWATER AND COTHAY MANOR 15

TH MAY 2010

Twenty-seven members of the Society took advantage of what turned out to be probably the first really warm and

sunny Saturday of the year to enjoy the spring meeting to west Somerset. On the motorway journey to Bridgwater, Michael Pitman, a Bridgwater man by origin, introduced us to the town and spoke most interestingly from his knowledge of north and west Somerset, past and present. The vicar of St Mary‟s, Bridgwater had kindly opened his Church for us. It was from St Mary‟s tower that the Duke of Monmouth surveyed the King‟s army before the battle of Sedgemoor (1685) and some of our more energetic members followed his example by climbing the tower.

© Peter Newley © Geoff North

In St Mary‟s Churchyard, Bridgwater

Those who remained below were ably guided around the Church by Adrian Patten, churchwarden, and Peter Cattermole of the Bridgwater Civic Society. Some then took the opportunity to visit nearby Castle Street, with its Georgian buildings which can vie with Bath, or the Blake Museum, a little further away. The discovery of a quality dairy shop selling delicious sandwiches was a treat for those who had not brought packed lunches.

It would have been nice to spend longer in Bridgwater but we were due at Cothay Manor for our tour of the house and gardens at 2pm and our driver Tony skilfully navigated us through the narrow lanes leading to our destination.


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Cothay Manor

The house was built around 1480 and some (Simon Jenkins included) consider it to be among the best preserved small manors of the late medieval period in England. The interest of the rooms is enhanced by the many and varied curios to be seen there, the ladies of the house, Mesdames Robb and Campbell (mother and daughter), being enthusiastic and discerning collectors. Everyone will have a particular memory: your correspondent was particularly interested to see Mr Gladstone‟s signature on a receipt dating from 1878. A delicious cream tea was followed by a stroll in the manor gardens.The gardens could be said to be as old as the house, the then owner Richard Bluett having planted white and red roses to celebrate the end of the Wars of the Roses (1485). The present gardens were laid out by Colonel Reginald Cooper in the 1920s. He was a friend of Sir Harold Nicholson of Sissinghurst and Cothay has indeed been described as the Sissinghurst of the west country. The present owners Mr & Mrs Robb have renovated the gardens along Colonel Cooper‟s plan, around a framework of yew hedges, and added further features including an arboretum and wild flower garden. After those who wished to had made their purchases in Cothay‟s attractive shop, it was time to board the coach, “tired but happy”, for the return journey.

John Stevens

Editor‟s note: By coincidence, The Telegraph Magazine on 29th May 2010 featured an article on Cothay Manor entitled,

„By still waters‟. Cothay is described as having an „otherworldly charm‟, the house a „quiet self-contemplation‟, the gardens „magical‟, the atmosphere one of „stillness and quiet, as if the rush of the 21

st century is excluded‟. The only

evidence we saw of today‟s technology was the discreet but sadly necessary surveillance camera to deter the unwelcome visitor seeking to take away more than just happy memories. My own lasting memory is of the delightful 7-year old granddaughter for whom Cothay Manor is home. The Robbs have worked tirelessly to preserve Cothay for the future and for their family. I feel privileged to have visited Cothay and would recommend others to do so now that the house and gardens are open to the public [for details tel. 01823 672283].

PROGRAMME OF SOCIETY‟S FIELD MEETINGS 2011

Spring Meeting: Date to be confirmed This will be organised by the Gloucestershire Section and will be to Deerhurst and Tewkesbury. UK Residential Meeting: September Jinx Newley is planning a meeting in North Wales and Anglesey. Further details of both the above meetings and the President‟s Meeting for 2011 which will take place in the autumn will be announced in the February 2011 Newsletter. If you would like to express your interest in any of these meetings and receive booking forms when details are available please email the secretary, John Loosley: [email protected] or write to him at Stonehatch, Oakridge Lynch, Stroud, GL6 7NR Overseas Meeting We are looking for an organiser for an overseas meeting in 2011. If any members have ideas for a meeting please contact the secretary, John Loosley tel. 01285 760460 or email: [email protected]


10

5

We began with a mechanical nativity. In the museum of Jindřichův Hradec a display of hundreds of tiny moving figures animated not only a nativity scene but the people and animals of the Bohemian countryside. The gothic tour of the neighbouring castle introduced us to the five-petalled rose, emblem of the wealthy aristocratic Rožmberk family who dominated the area between 1300 and 1600. The walls of one room in the castle were entirely covered by frescoes of Saint George whose life and death appear to have been far more gory than any of us had imagined. Our Renaissance tour of Třeboň Castle took us through rooms set out in 16

th century style and included a laboratory used by the English

alchemist John Dee. Třeboň is surrounded by man-made fishponds. That sounds unromantic, but they are in fact the most picturesque lakes. A film in the museum showed us how the fishermen, rather unsportingly, drain the ponds to catch the carp. That evening we dined on carp.

Wednesday‟s first visit was to Holašovice, a village placed on the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites because the 19th

century farmhouses around the village green are so uniform in style and beautifully maintained. We took the scenic route to Kratochvile, a hunting lodge, lavishly decorated with scenes of animals both real and mythical, and of course with five-petalled roses.

Prachatice, our next town, was made rich by its position on the salt route and its burgesses were able to afford splendid houses, many with sgraffito decoration (made by painting on two different coloured layers of plaster and scraping off a design in the top layer). As we stood in the town square it unexpectedly began to rain and sales of umbrellas suddenly soared. Our guide stoically continued to interpret the stories depicted on the front of the Town Hall, explaining that the three things necessary for the birth of a town are a church, a school and a town hall. A visit to the Lace Museum allowed us to see inside one of the old houses and the welcoming glass of sparkling Bohemian wine probably increased our appreciation of the intricately worked exhibits. On our way home we went searching in the rain for the only ruins in the itinerary, Kuklov abbey and castle. An early start on Thursday took us to the Cistercian monastery of Zlata Koruná where we shuffled round behind our guide in unbecoming red or blue over-slippers. Then came the highlight of the tour, the visit to Cesky Krumlov.

OVERSEAS MEETING 7th

-13th

JUNE 2010 České Budĕjovice,

South Bohemia, Czech Republic

It is a little disconcerting to set out on an itinerary full of totally unpronounceable names, but we were in safe hands. Society member Zoe Brooks answered the appeal in the Newsletter and actually volunteered to organise the overseas meeting. She has a house in South Bohemia and throughout the week shared with us her knowledge of the area and her passion for the place and its people.

Cesky Krumlov

© J

ill

Bar

low

© J

ill

Bar

low

This was the only place where we encountered other coachloads of tourists, but it was easy to see why they had come. We had an excellent tour of the castle, built in the 17

th century by the Rožmberk family and

added to over the years by their successors, but in an hour, we could only see a small part of it. There was a wonderful golden coach and of course plenty of five-petalled roses and huge ceramic stoves, some of which, our guide explained, had shelves for reheating food – a form of medieval microwave. The bears in the moat came as a surprise. They were introduced by an aristocratic family trying to prove they were related to the Orsini, an even more aristocratic Italian family. Our „authentic old Czech cuisine‟ lunch consisted of platters of pheasant and chicken followed by plenty of mead. We were able to admire many of the beautiful Renaissance buildings on our way to the Architectural Museum, where its owner, Jiři Bloch, discussed the problems of conserving the heritage of the town.

Friday morning and we were waiting at the gate of the Budweiser brewery at opening time. An enthusiastic guide showed us the huge scale of the enterprise, which still uses local ingredients, and gave us a sample to taste. Those of us who tackled the rather hot, steep walk to the Ales gallery of Gothic Art were richly rewarded by the sight of so many paintings and sculptures rescued from churches throughout Southern Bohemia. In the afternoon we visited a church near the hotel where we were staying and were then free to explore České Budĕjovice. Most of us had already found the cafes around the beautiful main square, but there were plenty of other things to admire.


11

© J

ill

Bar

low

České Budĕjovice town square from the top of the Black Tower

The weather had been getting progressively hotter and the forecast for Saturday was 35 degrees. We were advised that in the woods, made humid by months of rain, the mosquitos were reaching man-eating proportions. The Industrial Archaeology Trail was therefore abandoned and after seeing the working hammer mill at Buskuv and the exhibition of painted furniture in the manor house of the fortified village of Žumberk, we returned to Cesky Krumlov.

As we left on Sunday it began to rain, but we left with memories of sunshine, beautiful towns, impressive castles, baroque churches, a warm welcome for British tourists, blue lupins growing wild along the roadside, storks on a chimney – and dumplings!

We are most grateful to Zoe for arranging such a wonderful visit and to John Loosley for all the work he did behind the scenes.

Jill Barlow

PROGRAMME OF SOCIETY‟S LECTURES 2010-2011

Bristol Section All meetings will be held in the Apostle Room in the basement of Clifton Cathedral, Pembroke Road, Clifton, Bristol at 7.45pm. Visitors - £1 charged (full-time students free). Enquiries: Robert Jones, Hon Secretary for Bristol tel: 0117 9830719 or email: [email protected]

Monday 27th

September 2010 Archaeology in Lincoln; changing perspectives - Mick Jones, City Archaeologist, Lincoln Dr Jones will give an introduction to the whole gamut of Lincoln‟s archaeology, from prehistoric to modern, but concentrating particularly on Roman, Anglo-Saxon (including Viking) and medieval.

Monday 25th

October 2010 Making the worst of a good job? A new look at the construction of the Floating Harbour, 1804-09 – Peter Malpass, Professor of Housing and Urban Studies at UWE The lecture will start from the position that the design of the Floating Harbour was a technically elegant solution to the engineering challenge of port improvement in Bristol, albeit that it was a year late and nearly 100% over budget. The lecture will look briefly at the process of constructing the Harbour, and the ways in which the design was changed on the course of that process. Overall responsibility lay with the Bristol Dock Company, which rapidly acquired a lasting and poisonous reputation for incompetence and mismanagement. However, it will be argued that the Company was actually making the best of a difficult situation.

Monday 22nd

November 2010 Wings over Filton – Chris Bigg This lecture will chart the history of Bristol aircraft from 1910. It will be concentrating on the first fifty years when it traded under the Bristol name. The lecturer worked in the aviation industry, having been a former aircraft manufacturing engineer for over forty years.

Monday 24th

January 2011 Catholic Emancipation and Bristol, 1828/29 – John R Stevens MA (Cantab) When the Duke of Wellington announced in January 1829 that his government would bring forward a bill to grant equal political and civil rights to Roman Catholics, he unleashed the greatest political storm for a generation. This talk explores the impact of the Catholic Emancipation crisis on Churchmen and Dissenters, Whigs and Tories in the already bitterly divided city of Bristol.

Monday 28th

February 2011 Clifton Hill House: a Palladian Villa in Bristol and its restoration since 1988 – Annie Burnside OM, L ès L, DES, CAPES, MA, Consul Honoraire de France à Bristol Clifton Hill House was built between 1746 and 1750 as a most imposing semi-rural mansion of Palladian inspiration for Paul Fisher, a highly successful linen draper, a very wealthy merchant and ship-owner who participated in the slave trade of the time. In 1851, Clifton Hill House was bought by Dr John Addington Symonds, a well-known Bristol physician who was famous not only for his medical proficiency but also for his gift at entertaining the literary and artistic elite of his time. When Dr Symonds died in 1871, the house passed to his son, John Addington Symonds, the poet, historian, literary and art critic who was a leading participant in the literary culture of his time. Symonds was an early enthusiast of Whitman and a friend of Robert Louis Stevenson, Henry James and Edward Lear. We know that The Owl and the Pussy Cat was written for Symonds‟s eldest daughter Janet. In 1909, Clifton Hill House was opened as a “Women‟s Hostel”, accommodating 15 young ladies. It is now a popular mixed hall of residence, housing a lively community of some 230 students from the University of Bristol.


12

5

Monday 28th

March 2011 The Great Western Railway – Steven Brindle, English Heritage Details of this talk not yet available - Ed.

Gloucestershire Section All meetings will take place at Gloucestershire Archives, Clarence Row, Alvin Street, Gloucester at 7.30pm unless otherwise indicated. Visitors - £1 charged. Enquiries: Angela Newcombe, Hon Secretary for Gloucestershire tel. 01452 859308 or email: [email protected]

Wednesday 20th

October 2010 at 2.30pm in the Laud Room, Gloucester Cathedral Medieval Wall Paintings in Gloucestershire Churches – Dr Steven Blake A discussion about medieval wall paintings using mainly Gloucestershire examples

Wednesday 17th

November 2010 County and Nation: Modern Gloucestershire Lives in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (DNB) – Mr Mark Curthoys, Research Editor Oxford DNB and Member of the Faculty of History, University of Oxford

An exploration of Gloucestershire through the lives of the historically notable figures in the modern period.

Wednesday 19th

January 2011 Medieval Pilgrimages: Diocese of Worcester – Rev Brian Torode In the medieval period the diocese of Worcester included Gloucestershire and this talk will look at pilgrimages in this area, concentrating on Gloucestershire, but also mentioning Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

Wednesday 16th

February 2011 Hospitals in Gloucestershire from 16

th to 20

th centuries – Miss F Stoor

Tracing the variety of health care provided for Gloucestershire folk in the various institutions over the centuries.

Wednesday 16th

March 2011 Excavations on the route of the Wormington to Sapperton Pipeline – Chiz Harward, Senior Project Officer, Cotswold

Archaeology

An examination of the results of the archaeological work performed in conjunction with the laying of the gas pipeline.

RECENT DISCOVERY AT RENDCOMB – CAN YOU HELP?

The stone corbel shown in this photograph was recently discovered stored in St Peter’s Church at Rendcomb. Neither the origin, nor the length of time that the corbel has been in its present location is known, but it is thought likely to have been at Rendcomb for at least forty years. The mystery deepens, for the style of the carving differs from any of the medieval corbels in St Peter‟s which suggests that it may have been brought to Rendcomb from some other location. The angel – which measures about 11″ from wing-tip to wing-tip, and 16″ from the top of the head to the bottom of the figure – has been sawn into two pieces and crudely chopped from its stone support at the back. At some stage in the past, an attempt has been made to re-join the two pieces of the corbel together using a pine dowel and a fine white lime mortar. The upper part of the carving is in one piece, but the lower part is now in several pieces, most of which, fortunately, are still present. The style of carving suggests on balance that it is medieval, and it appears that the attempted repairs were carried out prior to the 19

th century, probably in the 18

th century. The patination of the stone suggests that it

has never been mounted outside.

A possible clue to its origins may be the connection of the Rendcomb estate with the estates at Elmore Court and Highnam – all of which were owned by the Guise family. There seems to have been some exchange of artefacts between the estates – the fine wrought iron gates, as illustrated by Kip at Rendcomb, now grace the entrance to Elmore Court, and the magnificent medieval stone font now at St Peter‟s, Rendcomb was brought from Elmore in the 1820s. The Guises‟ medieval chapel at Highnam was demolished in 1807, and that at Elmore in 1818, and it may be that the corbel originates from one of these locations.

Can any member of the Society help identify where the corbel may have originated from? It would be interesting to know if the style is similar to other corbels extant elsewhere. Were there any other artefacts retained from the sites at Elmore and Highnam that might help us identify the provenance of the corbel? Please contact me with any information.

Jenny Cairns, Rendcomb Tel. 01285 831356 or email: [email protected]


13

Advance Notice:

Cotswold Archaeology Annual Lecture 30th March 2011 7.30pm

at Bingham Hall, Kings Street, Cirencester The Anglo-Saxon Staffordshire Treasure

presented by Kevin Leaky (Portable Antiquities Scheme)

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

FISH AND SHIPS CONFERENCE 10-12 SEPT 2010 Severn Estuary Levels Research Committee celebrates its 20th anniversary with a major conference entitled ‘Fish and Ships’. The event will take place from Friday 10/9/10 to unday 12/09/10 at the Reardon Smith Lecture Theatre, National Museum Cardiff, Cathays Park, Cardiff. The conference focuses on shipping and fishing within the Severn Estuary and beyond and will be held over three days. In addition, the conference will include visits to the Newport Ship Centre, a ride on the Newport transporter bridge, a visit to Goldcliffe fishery and a tour of the fishing collections of the National History Museum St Fagans. Full details available at www.selrc.org.uk

Bristol Threatened History Society

SYMPOSIUM 2010: BRISTOL AND THE CIVIL WAR Saturday 18th September 10am-5pm Tickets £16 at The Pavilion, 1 Hannover Quay, Harbourside, Bristol

Speakers Dr Jonathan Harlow, Dr John Lynch, James Russell and Andy King will cover the historical, economic

and structural evidence for the Civil War and attempt to throw new light on the role the foremost city in the West played in this harrowing conflict. For details/booking form please contact Mike Ponsford (tel. 0117 9858109) or email [email protected]

Saturday 30th & Sunday 31st October 2010: EMPERORS, USURPERS, TYRANTS: THE HISTORY AND

ARCHAEOLOGY OF WESTERN BRITAIN FROM AD350 TO 500 at Cardiff School of History & Archaeology, Cardiff University

A two-day Conference exploring the evidence for Roman continuity in western Britain in the 5

th century - hosted by Cardiff University and the

Monmouthshire Antiquarian Association to celebrate The Roman Society‟s centenary and to commemorate the 1600

th anniversary of the End of Roman

Britain. Neil Holbrook of Cotswold Archaeology is one of many speakers over the two days. Neil‟s talk is entitled „History divided by a Common Border: the Welsh and English sides of the Severn in the 4

th& 5

th

centuries‟. Fee £20 conference, £10 single day only, to include tea & coffee.

See Cardiff University website for programmes and booking form.

Gloucestershire Rural Community Council [GRCC] Annual Local History Afternoon

‘A Fair Day’s Wage for a Fair Day’s Work: the Workers’ Movements in Gloucestershire’

Saturday 2nd

October 2010 2-5pm. (doors open 1.15pm.) at Sir Thomas Rich‟s School, Longlevens, Gloucester. Speakers: Adrian Randall, Professor of English Social History at

Birmingham University - on protests and the workers‟ struggle for a fair wage in the late18

th & 19

th centuries, Rev. Canon John Evans

of Staunton - on Chartists and the Chartist Land Company in Gloucestershire and Jill Chambers – on the Captain Swing Riots of 1830/1.Presentation of the annual Bryan Jerrard Award for the best local history article published in the year. Displays by local societies, bookstalls.

The Victoria County History in Gloucestershire: People, Landscape & Buildings

Saturday 25th

September 2010 9.30am–1pm A mini-conference to be held at Gloucestershire Archives to review aspects of the recent research by current editors and provide details of the Gloucestershire County History Trust*, established to ensure research and publication of the VCH can continue. Speakers will include Nicholas Herbert, John Juřica, John Loosley and Simon Draper. Refreshments & displays by local history societies. Fee £8. Pre-booking required – tel.01452 425295 or email [email protected] * Note: All proceeds of the conference will go to the Trust.

£5 includes tea/coffee

Further information from John Loosley (tel. 01285 760460).


14

TWO YEARS ON THE BANKS OF PURTON - a personal view of work in progress

Purton is a peaceful hamlet situated along the Gloucester to

Sharpness Canal by the banks of the River Severn, 2kms north east of Sharpness. Following the opening of the canal in 1827 Purton developed into a port with wharves for timber, coal, grain for the mill and stables for the mules used to pull the wooden, cargo carrying vessels along the waterway. Severn trows, wooden ships designed to withstand the tides and sandbanks of the River Severn, small schooners and Stroudwater barges, built for the specifications of the locks along the Stroudwater Navigation, originally used sails, but many were de-masted and fitted with engines or were horse-drawn during the late 19

th and early 20

th centuries.

Eventually, they were replaced by custom built engine propelled barges using timber or steel, and the redundant wooden craft were placed on the bank to create a protective layer of silt between the river and canal.

The River Severn, with the second highest tidal range in the world and a flow speed reaching up to 13 knots, is a constant threat to its banks and the channels are subject to change with little warning. Records in the Gloucestershire Archives indicate that regular maintenance work was required along the section between Sharpness and Purton during the 19

th

century. In 1909 two vessels were deliberately placed, then filled with stone brought from Chepstow, to form a barrier in an area close to the waste weir, as a new channel developed, running towards the river bank. Vessels were then placed along the banks until 1965. The effect of this is evident to all visitors as they look down the flat, now grassy, riverine deposits towards Sharpness Old Dock. People have shown interest in the site and made photographic and written records since the 1930s. The challenge to continue the detailed research into the individual vessels at Purton, using the evidence available, was accepted by Paul Barnett in 1998 and his tireless efforts led to the formation of The Friends of Purton in 2008. The Friends are continuing the research into the remains above and below ground using a wealth of archived evidential material, as well as the human stories told through reminiscences of people who worked on some of the craft, or their relatives. All this reveals a way of life for the seafarers and the hardships they endured, of which there is little concept today. Over the century the remains have deteriorated through natural erosion and human impact and a few people ask why there is a need to find out and care about redundant and abandoned working boats. By the nature of the question it might be argued that such vessels have a lot to offer regarding visible construction patterns, design (eg canoe shaped or flat sterns), or features adapted to suit the work or conditions involved. The anniversary of the D-Day landings last year drew particular interest from visitors in the ferrous concrete barges, which were built by order of the Ministry of War Transport from 1941, to replace vessels lost during the conflict and used, in the main, for grain storage. They were designed by L G Mouchel and Partners who later created the caissons for the Mulberry Harbours.

During two weekends in June and July 2008, The Nautical Archaeology Society (NAS) ran a course for people interested in learning how to survey the remains of some of the hulks at Purton. For the novice there was much to be appreciated as the thick grass covering was gently removed to reveal the upper edge of the sides of Edith, a Bridgwater style trow, which also displayed an engine housing and winch. In the swathes of grass lay hidden sections of timber planks and frames, nails and iron knees. Students learned how to take precise measurements to enable the production of a computer generated plan of all her remains. The only surviving example of a Severn trow is the Spry, which was reconstructed and can be seen in the Blists Hill Museum at Ironbridge.

The Edith viewed from the stern (6th June 2010) The Edith viewed from the

bow. The group seen to the top of the picture are working on the engine housing. (15th June 2008)

STOP PRESS ANNOUNCEMENTS In August the Friends were awarded £400 by the Committee adjudicating for the NAS Joan du Plat Taylor Award 2010.

On Wednesday 22nd

September 2010 Paul Barnett will talk on „The Purton Hulks‟ for GADARG, at Gloucestershire Archives, Alvin St., Kingsholm starting at 7.30pm. Visitors welcome £2.

2010 Sunday afternoon guided tours of the Purton Hulks with Paul Barnett are scheduled for 19th

September 2pm, 17th

October 2pm, 21

st November 1pm, 19

th December 1pm – weather permitting. Meet Purton Lower Bridge. £3.50 charge.


15

Another survey was undertaken for the NAS by Malcolm Holden, on the remains of Dispatch, a schooner built at Garmouth, Speyside, in 1988 by James Geddie. She was fitted with Fells‟ patented knees which are still to be seen on the remains of New Dispatch, as she was re-named after being de-masted c1936, later to work on the Sharpness to Gloucester Canal, before being beached in 1961. The knees worked on the principle that a nut made of hard metal, when manually turned against a softer metal on the body, would form a stronger metallic bond than a conventional nut and threaded bolt configuration. Only three other vessels were fitted with Fells‟ knees.

Remains of the port side of the Briton Ferry (30th August 2008) The Briton Ferry c 1951

© A G Woodward

Following the course, the author carried out a detailed survey of Briton Ferry, which was a floating grab dredging crane brought up the river from Briton Ferry, South Wales, in March 1911, to work on the canal, dredging in awkward places such as around the lock gates, emptying mud hoppers and occasionally unloading cargo. The full report can be seen on the website following links to vessels, Briton Ferry, and survey.

On the weekend of 19th/20

th September 2009, a team of Friends of Purton led by Project Manager, Laurent Coleman,

carried out a limited excavation of Harriett, the only known remaining example of a Kennet barge as built at Honeystreet c1900 and beached at Purton in 1964. In 1991, Stuart Bryan and Judith Hague carried out a survey of the remains and Stuart was taking the opportunity to compare the findings then, with her current condition, by making a photo-mosaic and plan drawings. A trench was dug, port to starboard, to reveal a cross section of the mast step in order to find answers to four questions posed by Stuart. At the time he commented: “Interim results show that she was 5´6″ (1.7m) deep with a keelson 30cm thick. The keelson protection, 4″(100mm) had been replaced with thinner material, c50mm, at some time and is much worn. Both cheeks of the derrick tabernacle are continuous and bolted to the keelson, but so far their obvious height difference is unexplained. The floor timbers and keelson, which are damp all the time, are well preserved but the higher buried timbers, which only become wet on the highest of spring tides, are eroding more than the remaining timbers above ground.” The team experienced the full effect of the high tide on the second day when the trench needed constant bailing, to enable the work to be completed.

During the winter months the decision was made to undertake rapid assessments of the remains of each vessel in order to form a definitive guide as to what currently exists and the condition of all that is visible.

This work was guided by Neil Baker, an archaeologist who also introduced the idea of a probe survey, which led to tantalising thoughts about what might remain below ground. The resulting reports can be viewed on the website and provide a clear indication of which vessels need to be recorded in detail, before they exist no more. The Friends also have Geophysical Survey Reports produced by Stratascan and some 3D image scanning has been undertaken by Vista from Birmingham University, and so the work continues. Perhaps the best news of all is, that on 9

th

June 2010, English Heritage officially recognised Harriett as a Scheduled Ancient Monument, and there is hope that some vessels will be considered for placement on the Register of The National Historic Ships, a fine beginning to the full public appreciation of what the Purton Ships‟ Graveyard has to offer.

For more in-depth information: guided tours (soon to include 2011), events and contacts, visit the website www.friendsofpurton.org.uk

With thanks to the NAS, Paul Barnett, Stuart Bryan, Neil Baker, Malcolm Holden and all other Friends who have opened up these opportunities.

Janet Presley Vice President of the Friends of Purton - July 2010

The Harriett

Dispatch: a tree nail fixing

(6th June 2010)

The schooner Dispatch at Fowey, 1932 (Hugh Shaw Collection)

Dispatch: part of the port interior (7th June 2008)

The Harriett (8th June 2008) During excavation (19th September 2009)

© Hamish Fenton

NEXT NEWSLETTER: FEBRUARY 2011

Please forward items for publication by:

MONDAY 10th January 2011

To: The Editor

Elaine North 7 Parr Close, Churchdown, Gloucester GL3 1NH

Tel; 01452 857803

E-mail: [email protected] The Society is happy to consider requests to place advertisements in the

Newsletter and/or include flyers for circulation but cannot be held

responsible for the quality of goods and services offered or given.

Editorial


16

County Societies Symposium held 1st

May 2010 at the Institute of Historical Research,

University of London

John Loosley and James Hodsdon represented the Society at this one-day event (the first of its kind) for county record, local history and archaeological societies, hosted by John Beckett, current director of the Victoria County History [VCH]. Its purpose was to provide a forum for sharing best practice, and discussing matters of mutual interest. Membership numbers, websites, „print on demand‟, e-publishing, costs & sales of publications, and record series content, were some of the subjects covered. James produced a report detailing relevant points for Council to consider. If any member would like a copy of this report please contact me – Ed.

Our President, Martin Crossley Jones was keen to point

out to me that he had been ‘persuaded’ to join the Society

as a very young man. We are told that membership

numbers are falling, not seriously I hasten to add, but in

line with a trend today amongst societies in general as the

‘credit crunch’ hits closer to home. Also, the average age

of members is increasing. We have to be proactive – if

each of us ‘persuaded’ a friend or colleague to join the

Society its future would be secured. The Society has a lot

to offer – lectures in two locations on a wide range of

subjects, visits – both in the UK and abroad, a specialist

Library in Cheltenham, publications currently in the form

of Newsletters, Transactions and Record Series and a new

series of Notes and Queries promised. All this for a very

reasonable annual subscription. For those who don’t wish

to have the Record Series on a regular basis there is a

cheaper option.

New flyers have been produced with details of the Society

and including a membership form - if you know of a place

where you could put a supply of these flyers contact the

Hon Secretary John Loosley today and offer your help in

promoting the Society.

This issue of the Newsletter is the 13th I have produced –

let’s hope it’s a lucky one! In February 2011 I will have

completed seven years as your Newsletter Editor and I

think I am fast developing the 7-year itch! When I agreed

to take on the role it was with the clear challenge to bring

the Newsletter into the 21st century. We have progressed

from 5 x A4 pages stapled together to a 16-page full

colour A4 booklet. I feel now that I need another

challenge. So please all you would-be editors do contact

me. Geoff & I can tell you all you need to know and we are

quite happy to ‘lend a hand’ for a while but I would really

like to see someone take on this task prior to the August

2011 issue. Who knows perhaps Geoff & I could then do

something productive with all the photographs of Society

people and events which we have amassed over the last ten

years!

Elaine North Editor August 2010

CHELTENHAM a new history

by Anthea Jones Carnegie Press 2010 ISBN 978-1-85936-154-2 Large format hardback 416 pages 280 illustrations, many colour RRP £24.99*

Society member, Dr Anthea Jones taught history at Cheltenham Ladies College from 1976 to 1991 and has produced other local books including Tewkesbury [1987], The Cotswolds [1994] and A thousand years of the English parish [2000]. This „new‟ history of Cheltenham offers fresh insight into the town‟s development through the ages and includes a wealth of colour photos, pictures and maps. Anthea will be talking about her new book at Cheltenham Literature Festival on 17th October 2010.

Members can save 20% by ordering from the publishers at £19.99 (postage £2.95). Order using code SOCIETY at www.cheltenham-history.co.uk or tel. 01524 840111

NEW PUBLICATIONS

Michael Whitfield, Dr Goodeve and Cook‟s Folly

(Avon Local History and Archaeology Books No 4, 2010) 46pp., 19 illus.

Henry Goodeve (1809-84), born in Hampshire, was

appointed Professor of Medicine and Anatomy at Calcutta Medical College on its foundation in 1835. His training of Indian doctors was so highly regarded that in 1845 the college was admitted into the British training system. After retiring he served briefly as surgeon of a military hospital on the Dardanelles and in 1858 began a career of public service in Bristol, using the proceeds of his Indian private practice to build a cliff-top mansion west of Clifton Down. The mansion, which still stands, incorporated the remains of Cook’s Folly, a landmark belvedere tower which has since been demolished but bore the date 1693 and the initials of John Cooke, a 17th -century master of the Merchant Venturers. The story of the two men and their tower is well told, well illustrated and based on a wide range of historical and medical sources both British and Indian. £3.50 inc. p&p. from Mike Leigh, Business Manager ALHA Books, 43 Long Eaton Drive, Whitchurch Park, Bristol BS14 9AW

John Rhodes

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