St Mary’s Church Rooms – venue for Edwinstowe Historical Society meetings

Thanks to the Speaker Finder, members of the Edwinstowe Historical Society will enjoy a variety of illustrated talks during the forthcoming months.

To start the ball rolling Bob Massey will talk about ‘Murder, Mystery and Mayhem’ – a tale of dark events in Nottinghamshire villages. This is followed by Adrian Gray who will report on ‘Top Ten Scandals from Sherwood Forest’.

David Templeman will discuss why Lady Arabella Stuart was the Queen that never was, and the in-house presentation describes a journey along the River Maun which was used to power many mills along its course.

Denis Hill has something to say about Newstead Abbey, and Mo Cooper discusses ‘The Good, The Bad and The Reality’ – women who have contributed to Nottingham’s history, and finally John Baird will take a literary journey through Nottinghamshire when he ‘Follows the Moon and Stars’.

Requests for information about Edwinstowe families continue to be received. Appreciation has been extended to two readers who provided details of an accident which took place at Simon Fosters’ Oak in 1879, and a photo of the Maun Bridge c.1900. These have been added to the website.

Six decades have elapsed since the Edwinstowe Historical Society was founded, and little did those early members realise how the Society would develop. A collection of old postcards set the wheels in motion and, after attending the Workers’ Educational Association local history courses, the Society was formed.

Over the years hundreds of documents and photos have been added to the archive and this has enabled a fascinating picture to be constructed of past village life and the surrounding area.

The grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund helped the Society to develop a website – with far-reaching results. Not only were local people contacting the Society, but enquiries came from across the globe asking for information about relatives who once lived in the village. During the past 12 months the researchers have dealt with 44 enquiries, 18 of which were related to families.

The Society’s current photographic display in the Sherwood Forest Art and Craft Centre relates to the village inns – notably the Black Swan which is the oldest building on the High Street, with parts of the Inn believed to be 500 years old. The building has been altered and extended considerably over the years.

Talks resume on Wednesday 20th September when Bob Massey will have something to say about ‘Murder, Mystery and Mayhem’.

Six decades have elapsed since the Edwinstowe Historical Society was founded, and little did
those early members realise how the Society would develop. A collection of old postcards
set the wheels in motion and after attending the Workers’ Educational Association Local
History courses the Society was formed.
Over the years hundreds of documents and photos have been added to the archive and this
has enabled a fascinating picture to be constructed of past village life and the surrounding
area.
The grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund helped the Society to develop a website with,
literally, far-reaching results. Not only were local people contacting the Society, but
enquiries came from across the globe asking for information about relatives who once lived
in the village. During the past twelve months the researchers have dealt with 44 enquiries,
18 of which were related to families.
The Society’s current photographic display in the Sherwood Forest Art and Craft Centre relates to the village inns, notably the Black Swan which is the oldest building on the High Street, with parts of the Inn believed to be 500 years old. The building has been altered and extended considerably over the years.
Talks resume on Wed. 20th September, 2023 when Bob Massey will have something to say
about “Murder, Mystery and Mayhem”.

Rufford Abbey was the subject of the illustrated talk presented to the members of the Edwinstowe Historical Society at a recent meeting.  Once the home of a group of Cistercian monks until the dissolution of the monasteries when it came into the possession of the Earls of Shrewsbury and later the Saville family.  During the centuries changes were made to the structure of the Abbey resulting in a country mansion which was favoured by royalty.  Sadly in 1938 the Abbey was sold, changing hands on several occasions, eventually falling into decay resulting in partial demolition.  Today, it is central to a country park,  in the ownership of Nottinghamshire County Council, and managed by Parkwood Outdoors in co-operation with English Heritage.  The afternoon closed with a recording made by the former nurse employed for a time to look after Lord and Lady Savile in the late 1920’s and 1930’s, during which she gave a vivid description of life, upstairs and downstairs, during her stay.

Recently the Society deposited a collection of photos with the Nottinghamshire Archives.  These contained images of Sherwood Forest, views of the old Visitors’ Centre, the Robin Hood Festival, and Rufford Abbey.  All may be accessed through the Inspire Picture Archive.

Enquiries continue to be received, with the latest from Australia relating to a family member buried in St Mary’s church yard.  Another concerned a programme planned for BBC2 television.  Information, also, was provided for local school children to learn more about the village.

No meeting will take place during August.  However, the new programme of talks commences on Wed. 20^th September, when the speaker will be Bob Massey whose talk is “Murder, Mystery and Mayhem”.

At the Annual General Meeting of the Edwinstowe Historical Society held in May, Shirley
Moore, the Chairperson, reported that during the past year 30 enquiries had been dealt
with. These were in connection with families who had lived and were buried in the village;
the provision of information for a Young Adult adventure novel; guidance for an English
literature student asking about Elizabeth Sarah Villa Real; and an enquiry from the son of an
Italian prisoner of war researching his father’s time in Sherwood Forest and Rufford. The
Society was the first port of call from the BBC Countryfile researchers in connection with a
recent programme about Sherwood Forest. The Committee members were re-elected, and
the programme of talks commencing in September finalised.
After the meeting a slide show took a light-hearted look at village life, with the emphasis on
people’s hats over the past century. These varied from bowlers, boaters, trilbies and caps
for the men, and elaborately decorated picture hats, boaters, and cloche hats for the ladies.
Liz Stewart-Smith was the winner of the Quiz. The afternoon came to a close with a
“fuddle”.
There are no meetings during July and August. The new programme of talks commences on
20th September when the speaker will be Bob Massey whose talk is “Murder, Mystery &
Mayhem “.

At the June meeting the speaker, Cal Warren, Building and Exhibition Developer, spoke about her involvement with the Nottingham Castle Project.  She described the various stages undertaken to reveal the diverse history of the Castle, which were encapsulated in the various galleries. The Rebellion Gallery covered the more riotous moments in history;  the Craft Gallery displayed medieval alabasters and salt glaze pottery;   the Lace gallery was dedicated to the story of Nottingham’s most creative industry. Access to the caves within the castle rock had been improved.  Cal stated that the biggest surprise (and sometimes disappointment) for visitors was when they had passed through the gatehouse they saw a 17^th century Palladian mansion and not a castle similar to the ones portrayed by Hollywood.

The Society’s researchers have dealt with a number of enquiries from people with connections to the village. Additional information has been added to the website giving an insight into people’s memories of village life (see “Memory Lane” and “Memories of School Days”).  There is more to read about the Tudsbury family, also WW2, and the street layout of the village in “Maps”.

At the March meeting of the Edwinstowe Historical Society, Shirley, the Chairperson, welcomed Dr Rowena Edlin-White whose talk related to Women‘s  Suffrage in Nottinghamshire.  While the suffragists, National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies, (NUWSS) led by Millicent Fawcett used peaceful methods such as lobbying in their campaign for the right of women to vote, the suffragettes Emmeline Pankhurst and others, decided more direct action was required and founded the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) with the motto ‘Deeds not words’.  Sometimes this led to unlawful and violent acts which attracted much publicity.

Rowena had stories to tell about some of the Nottinghamshire women who had taken part in the campaign and the problems they experienced along the way. They were subjected to imprisonment, hard labour, and force-feeding.

It was not until the Equal Franchise Act of 1928 that women over 21 were able to vote and women finally achieved the same voting rights as men.

Enquiries have been received in connection with an Italian prisoner of war at Rufford Abbey; location of family graves and grave stones in St Mary’s church yard;   Kelmscott Manor relating to a William Morris Fire screen; a church memorial;  the meaning of a cradle roll certificate; and from the BBC Countryfile team in connection with a forthcoming programme.   All have been answered

The Annual General Meeting will take place on Wednesday, 17^th May and, as agreed previously with members, this will be combined with a “Fuddle” in place of the usual annual lunch.  After the business of the meeting there will be a short illustrated talk.

At a well-attended meeting of the Edwinstowe Historical Society in February, Shirley, the
Chairperson, welcomed members to the illustrated talk, which highlighted the parts played
by the Dukes of Newcastle, and Dukes and Earls of Portland in the development of Welbeck
Abbey after the dissolution of the monasteries to the present day. Sir Charles Cavendish,
son of Bess of Hardwick, purchased the abbey in 1607.
Over the centuries Welbeck Abbey has been redeveloped, and has seen Dukes devoted to
horses, farming, and estate improvements, also Dukes and Earls who have been avid
collectors, lived expensively and found themselves in debt. Fortunately, their successors
were able to restore order to the running of the estate.
On occasions there were no male heirs, so the estate passed by marriage through the
female line. There were some notable females: Margaret Duchess of Newcastle, a
philosopher, poet, scientist, fiction writer and playwright; Lady Henrietta Harley, Countess
of Oxford revived Gothic architecture; Lady Margaret Cavendish Bentinck, 2nd Duchess of
Portland, collector and naturalist.
The British royal family, King of Siam, and Kings and Queens of Portugal, Spain and Belgium
were entertained at Welbeck. Between 1914 and 1919 the army set up camp in the park,
and after WW2 Welbeck operated as Welbeck College, an army training college, until 2005.
The 6 th Duke and Duchess were involved with the creation of Harlow Wood Orthopaedic
Hospital and Portland Training College.
The title Duke of Portland became extinct with the death of the 9 th Duke in 1990. However,
the Earldom of Portland was inherited by a male line descendant of the first Duke’s younger
brother. On the death of Lady Anne Cavendish Bentinck in 2008, she bequeathed Welbeck
to her nephew William Henry Marcello Parente.

Time passes and tastes change, which is apparent when looking at some of the business
adverts printed in Edwinstowe’s St Mary’s church magazine during the first half of the 20th
century. In addition to the general groceries, residents could purchase fresh trapped
rabbits, tripe and cow heels. A Bath chair was available for hire, so, too, was an electric
orchestra for dances and socials, and an Electrolux vacuum cleaner available for 2/6d per
day (12½p). If you had a radio, an accumulator was needed which would require charging.
This would be called for, charged and returned. Looking for entertainment, then high on
the list was a visit to the Major Cinema which offered “major pictures of the World’s market
in comfortable surroundings”.

Certainly, a different way of life compared with today’s advanced technology, and
international cuisine available in the supermarkets. But it is possible that products and
services during the first few decades of the 20th century may have been considered an
improvement on the preceding years. Interesting to wonder what future generations will
think about the current era.
A recent addition to the website www.edwinstowehistory.org.uk relates to Fred Kitchen,
born in Edwinstowe in 1891. He was a farm labourer, who became a writer and
broadcaster.
The talk on 15 th March will be presented by Rowena Edlin-White, entitled “Women’s
Suffrage in Notts – No Surrender”

Welbeck Abbey is the subject chosen for Edwinstowe Historical Society’s illustrated talk on 15th February, being one of the 4 ducal seats contained in the area referred to as “The Dukeries”.

In November, last, the Society participated in St Mary’s Christmas Tree Festival, the chosen theme being “Sherwood Forest and Edwinstowe’s Historical Celebrities”.  In view of the interesting personalities associated with the village over the past 200 years, the decision was taken to use their details for display on the notice board in the Forest Corner Craft Centre.

Website additions have been made to the following sections: Schools (Sunday School Treat Sept. 1914) ;  Pubs and Hostelries (register of Victuallers’ licences granted for the village) ; WW1 and WW2 ( an update of the fallen);  St Mary’s Church (a prickly object found in the Church turned out to be a barrel organ attachment).

A search through old newspaper reports can often result in interesting news.  This happened recently when one of the Society’s researchers discovered that in the early 1800’s one of a Newcastle shipbuilder’s vessels was named “Edwinstow”.  In 1803 she was licensed by the East India Company as a whaler to proceed to the Southern Whale Fishery.  The following year she was reported whaling in the Pacific before being detained by the Spanish at Concepcion and sold as a prize. Final reports note that she “burnt” in 1807.   During her life she had acted as a tender to a convoy carrying the 65^th regiment of foot, (2^nd Yorkshire, North Riding) destined for foreign service, and on one occasion rescued survivors from sinking ships caught in a gale in the Bay of Biscay.

One might question why a vessel from Newcastle would bear the name “Edwinstow”.   Perhaps it may have been due to the fact that Newcastle once formed part of Northumbria –  its King was Edwin.  He marched south to fight King Penda of Mercia and was killed at the battle of Hatfield, possibly near Edwinstowe, at a small hamlet called Cuckney, in AD 632.  In AD 633 Edwinstowe (Edenstou) which was a small settlement within the forest bounds, was named after King Edwin of Northumbria.