At a recent meeting of the Edwinstowe Historical Society Adrian Gray spoke about the life of Richard Bernard who was born in Epworth.  He was a great figure amongst puritans and separatists under James I.  As a writer he influenced John Bunyan and wrote an authoritative book about witches based on his experience in Worksop.  Richard’s daughter helped found Rhode Island, a state in America.

The researchers have been busy again, dealing with a request from a gentleman living in Holland wishing to know more about his great grandfather who died in Edwinstowe.  Great grandfather had been born in Galicia (present day Ukraine) in 1904 and following the German invasion in 1939 and subsequent Russian “liberation” he came to the UK in 1944.  The family had lost contact with him until notified of his death in 1981. The Society’s enquiries led to the lane where he had lived and a neighbour remembered him and knew burial had taken place in the Forest cemetery.  The grave was located and after cleaning the headstone a photo was forwarded to the enquirer who was delighted to show it to his grandmother so she could see where her father was buried.  This year Edwinstowe will receive an extra visitor who will have a special reason to visit the village as well as exploring Sherwood Forest.

This year, the annual lunch for members of the Edwinstowe Historical Society took place at the Dukeries Lodge Hotel, Edwinstowe.   Built in 1897 by the Mansfield Brewery Company to accommodate the thousands of visitors to the “Dukeries” area, the family hotel and refreshment rooms harmonised with Sherwood Forest’s  famous woodland scenery.  Outside were stables, coach houses, and pleasure grounds with tennis courts. Disaster struck on 22^nd February 1929 when fire broke out in the early hours of the morning, destroying a large part of the building.  The hotel was rebuilt on a modified plan and without the pavilion which had been intended to accommodate groups of 200 people.  See www.edwinstowehistory.org.uk. for more details about the hotel and the village.

The Society’s archivists continue to deal with a variety of queries, not just from this country but recently from Australia and Brazil.  People asking about relatives who once lived in the village have learned where their burial plots are.  Students often request help with their research, whilst others ask for more detailed information about local buildings and landmarks.  Requests for the use of photographs displayed on the website are appreciated, and the Society is delighted when someone sends photographs which are not already in the collection.

Dukeries Hotel & Pavilion 1909

The Society participated in St Mary’s Christmas Tree Festival, choosing “EHS revisits the Past” as the theme. The display contained copies of the monthly adverts for the talks during the past year, during which time, thanks to our interesting speakers, members have heard about the Pilgrim Fathers and the Wampanoag nation; were astounded by the stewardess who survived the sinking of the Titanic; experienced details of 3 sieges at Newark during the civil war; took “visits” to Worksop Manor, Newstead Abbey (actually Priory) and Edwinstowe Hall; learned of the women who had contributed to Nottingham’s history; and journeyed along the River Maun.
The coming year looks to be equally as interesting and entertaining. The first talk for 2025 will be presented on 19th February, by Adrian Gray, entitled “Worksop, Witches and an American Legacy. “The Life of Richard Bernard”.

Although Sam Glasswell was unable to deliver her talk about the Pilgrim Fathers at the
November meeting, Kasia Wosiak from the Bassetlaw Museum in Retford came to the
rescue and presented “The Mayflower Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Nation” (a similar talk
which touched on the cultural connections between the Mayflower Pilgrims and the native
American Wampanoag Nation). On display were artefacts including clothing, wampum
beads, rattles and dolls.
In September, last, the Society nominated Edwinstowe Hall for consideration for the
Nottinghamshire Preservation Building Trust’s Harry Johnson Award 2024. There were 8
contenders, but sadly the bid was unsuccessful. However praise was levied for work well
done on buildings in need, and an award entry in 2026 was anticipated.
One hundred years have elapsed since life in Edwinstowe, once a quiet agricultural village,
changed. For it was in 1925 that work began to sink Thoresby Colliery on the outskirts of
the village. The first all-electric colliery in the country. Work would also commence on the
building of 500 colliery houses attracting many new families. When the colliery closed in
2015, the site was cleared and plans for the building of 800 houses commenced creating a
new community referred to as “Thoresby Vale”.
There is no meeting in January, and the members are looking forward to their annual lunch.
February’s talk will be presented by Adrian Gray and is entitled “Worksop, Witches and an
American Legacy. The Life of Richard Bernard”.

Kasia Wosiak. Bassetlaw Museum, Retford

At a recent meeting of the Edwinstowe Historical Society members applauded Bob Massey after listening to his talk about Violet Constance Jessop, ocean liner stewardess, World War One nurse and survivor of the sinking of the SS Titanic and SS Britannic.

Emulating her mother, Violet’s first position as stewardess was on board RMS Orinoco.    She was on board when the vessel collided with another boat.  Undaunted she transferred to the Titanic which sank in 1912, and while in a lifeboat she was tasked with the care of a baby.  When aboard the rescue ship Carpathia a woman, presumably the baby’s mother, grabbed the baby she was holding and ran off crying, without saying a word.  (An incident often referred to by film makers in their productions.)  During WW1 Violet served as a British Red Cross nurse on board the hospital ship Britannic, and once again fate intervened when the vessel struck a German mine in the Aegean sea, sinking within 55 minutes.  Jumping out of the lifeboat she avoided being shredded by the ship’s propellers, and survived a traumatic head injury while doing so.  Violet retired in 1950 and died in 1971, aged 83 years.

The current photographic display in the Sherwood Forest Art and Craft Centre focuses on aerial views of Edwinstowe, from which it is noticeable how small parcels of land have been utilised for carparking and housing.

Shirley, Chair, welcomed visitors and members of the Edwinstowe Historical Society to the first meeting of the new programme of talks for 2024/25, and introduced Adam Nightingale whose talk related to Newark during the English Civil war.

Adam regaled members with details of the 3 sieges that took place in Newark during the English civil war, when the townspeople favoured the royalist cause.   Newark was strategically placed between the north and south of the country having the benefit of 2 main roads and a narrow crossing of the River Trent.  The first 2 sieges were successfully defended.  However, the 3^rd siege lasted six months during which time the people suffered hardship and disease. When King Charles I surrendered in Southwell, Newark surrendered two days’ later on 8th May, 1646.

Olwen, Vice-Chair, then referred to a recent donation to the Society of a painting and fire screen carved by Richard, a member of the well-known Tudsbury family.    However, as the society had no facility to look after artefacts  St Mary’s Church, Edwinstowe had kindly agreed to display the fire screen in the church.   The painting is being looked after by Nik and Rachael Teal of Edwinstowe Hall, and will be available for use at future events.

November, being the month associated with fireworks, brings to mind the fact that In the late 19^th century George Pinder, pyrotechnist, was the owner of a fireworks factory in Edwinstowe, and gave firework displays at local events.  Unfortunately, in November 1896 he was at Welbeck Abbey conducting experiments with a new kind of bomb, patented by him, for use at night by gamekeepers for illumination of the scene in cases of poaching. During the experiment there was an explosion and Mr. Pinder’s right hand was blown off.

At a recent meeting of the Edwinstowe Historical Society members applauded Bob Massey after listening to his talk about Violet Constance Jessop, ocean liner stewardess, World War One nurse and survivor of the sinking of the SS Titanic and SS Britannic.

Emulating her mother, Violet’s first position as stewardess was on board RMS Orinoco.    She was on board when the vessel collided with another boat.  Undaunted she transferred to the Titanic which sank in 1912, and while in a lifeboat she was tasked with the care of a baby.  When aboard the rescue ship Carpathia a woman, presumably the baby’s mother, grabbed the baby she was holding and ran off crying, without saying a word.  (An incident often referred to by film makers in their productions.)  During WW1 Violet served as a British Red Cross nurse on board the hospital ship Britannic, and once again fate intervened when the vessel struck a German mine in the Aegean sea, sinking within 55 minutes.  Jumping out of the lifeboat she avoided being shredded by the ship’s propellers, and survived a traumatic head injury while doing so.  Violet retired in 1950 and died in 1971, aged 83 years.

The current photographic display in the Sherwood Forest Art and Craft Centre focuses on aerial views of Edwinstowe, from which it is noticeable how small parcels of land have been utilised for carparking and housing.

In August, Committee members of the Edwinstowe Historical Society spent a
pleasant afternoon at the Sherwood Forest Art and Craft Centre in the company of
Julie and Pat Yeoman. The latter had brought along a firescreen carved out of oak
by one of the members of the well-known Tudsbury family. Also, a sampler
embroidered by Eleanor Tudsbury in 1864. The Tudsbury family had been associated
with Edwinstowe since 1627, and Richard exhibited at the Great Exhibition in London
in 1851. He also carved the magnificent chimney-piece in the library at Thoresby Hall. His
youngest son Walter, carved the oak lectern, which may be seen in St. Mary’s Church,
Edwinstowe.
Bob Massey makes a welcome return to the group on 16th October when he presents his
illustrated talk about Violet Jessop, Stewardess, World War One Nurse and survivor of the
sinking of the SS Titanic and SS Britannic.
The Society’s researchers continue to answer enquiries from families anxious to trace
ancestors who once lived in Edwinstowe. The success of the task is often due to the well-
maintained parish records kept in St Mary’s Church.

Shirley Moore, Chairperson for the Edwinstowe Historical Society, apologised for the fact that John Baird was unable to present his talk “Follow the Moon and Stars”.  However, committee members were able to provide two illustrated talks, the first about Worksop Manor House, and the second about Edwinstowe Hall. Members were also able to view a display indicating Edwinstowe’s literary heritage.

The Historical Society had provided information to enable the local school children to join in the commemoration of the 80^th anniversary of the D-Day landings, which was the largest seaborne invasion in history.  Memories were also evoked of the time when Field Marshall Lord Montgomery paid an underground visit to Thoresby Colliery in 1947, later speaking to the miners and their wives in the Thoresby Colliery Institute.  Afterwards, he met and spoke to village school children.

Monty’s visit to Fourth Avenue, Edwinstowe in October, 1947

Shirley referred to the list of vicars compiled by the Society and placed in St Mary’s church to assist visitors.  Also provided for the church stewards was information relating to the church and churchyard.

At the Annual General Meeting held in May, Shirley Moore, Chairperson for the Edwinstowe Historical Society  was pleased to report that there had been an increase in membership and that visitor numbers had also increased.  She thanked members of the committee, all of whom had made a valuable contribution to the Society.  The current committee members were re-elected and two new members were elected onto the committee.

Enquiries continued to be dealt with, both nationally and internationally, with people anxious for details of relatives and some providing photos for the archive.  As an example, Shirley highlighted the following enquiries:  the National Trust in Surrey were interested in a photo of the 1904 royal visit to Rufford Abbey;  John Hayman in Australia requested permission to use the website information  of his ancestor Henry Telford Hayman, a former Edwinstowe vicar, to add to the Wikitree record;   a writer requested permission to use a photo of the Major Oak to share with a Japanese audience;  following a house clearance, information relating to Diana Curly, née Hume, who lived at Edwinstowe house, is to be forwarded to the Society;  the Hoggard family who sailed as Pilgrims to America are tracing relatives and shared their family tree;  the Ward family in Australia are also tracing family members, graves and relatives;   The Stearn family were pleased with information regarding the coat of arms of their family home (Cockglode House).   During the year photos and information have been supplied to the BBC, ITV and TV France.

There are no meetings during July and August, and the new programme of talks commences on 18^th September when the speaker will be Adam Nightingale whose talk is “English Civil War”.