Visitors to the Craft Centre in Edwinstowe will have noticed that the display board has been re-designed to focus on Robin Hood and Sherwood Forest.  This was arranged by the Edwinstowe Historical Society which has also organised the photographic display about the Rev. John Bellamy, in the village library.

In 1719 the Rev. John Bellamy and Ellen Bellamy endowed alms houses for the poor “and other benefits for 4 necessitous widows” and started a school for the education of 8 boys.  These buildings were situated on the site of the present War Memorial.  The charity continues to support residents.

On Wed. 16^th October, Andy Gaunt’s talk will focus on Sherwood Forest Outlaws and Villains.

Edwinstowe’s Women’s Institute

On Wed. 19^th June members of the Edwinstowe Historical Society enjoyed an illustrated talk about the Women’s Institute Movement which originated in Canada in 1887, and was set up in Britain in 1915 to revitalise rural communities and encourage women to become more involved in producing food during the First World War.

Edwinstowe Women’s Institute was inaugurated in 1920.  Lady Sibell Argles became President, a post she held until her retirement in 1950.   In 1935, there were over 100 members who continued to meet during war-time learning various handicrafts, having debates, exhibitions of produce or listening to talks by visiting speakers.   WI members have passed several Resolutions which have been instrumental in calling upon the government to make changes which have benefited the general public.

1987 was the 70^th anniversary of the WI Federation and a County Wall Hanging was made with every WI having a “brick in the wall”. Edwinstowe’s brick depicted Thoresby colliery Headstocks, Edwinstowe Hall, St Mary’s Church and the Major Oak. The wall hanging is kept at Trent House, in Newark.

When the WI disbanded in 2002 money left in the fund was used as a contribution towards the purchase of bricks for Edwinstowe’s new cricket pavilion which opened in 2004.

To add an authentic “Jam and Jerusalem” atmosphere to the meeting, members provided sponge cakes, scones, jam and cream.  The Chair, Mrs Moore, thanked Mrs Hawkes and Mrs Share for the time spent on such a detailed and interesting presentation.

No meetings in July and August.

The next meeting will be held on Wed. 18^th September when Chris Booth will talk about the Lancashire, Derbyshire & East Coast Railway

Meetings are held in the Church Rooms Mansfield Road, Edwinstowe, NG21 9NJ on the third Wednesday of the month, commencing at 2.00 p.m. and lasting for approximately 2 hours.  Tea/coffee and biscuits are available.  Annual membership remains at £12 and visitors are welcome at a charge of £3.  Further information is available on the website www.edwinstowehistory.org.uk.  And enquiries may be made to EdwinstoweHistorySoc@gmail.com.

At the Annual General Meeting held on 15^th May, a minute’s silence was observed in memory of Mike Smith and Mac Mumford, two stalwart members of the Society who died recently.

In her report Shirley Moore, Chair, referred to the events that had taken place during the year.  Additions had been made to the website, exhibitions had taken place in the local Library, St Mary’s Church, and the Friendship Club.  Also at the request of the RSPB photos and information had been provided for the notice boards placed in the forest while the old Visitor Centre was demolished.

Earlier in the year Committee members enjoyed a pleasurable and informative afternoon during a visit to meet members of Thoresby Archive Group. This presented an opportunity for an exchange of historical information relating to the Manvers family. Enquiries had been received from people around the country asking for information, often about their relatives, and one particular request had been received from the Bodleian Library, Oxford, relating to Dr George Aldrich who had lived at Cockglode House in 1776.

A full programme of speakers had been arranged for the next year commencing with 18^th September when Chris Booth’s talk will be about the Lancashire, Derbyshire & East Coast Railway.  The financial situation had benefited from the sale of books, Christmas cards and notelets.  All the committee members agreed to serve for another year.

After the meeting members enjoyed a power point presentation of the Women’s and Men’s Bowls’ teams in the village.  Opened in 1932 by the Bolsover Colliery Company the teams had won many prizes but, sadly due to a decline in membership, they disbanded in 2017.

Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on Wed. 15^th May, 2019

Present:  Shirley Moore (Chair), O Hawkes, Janice Lane, Margaret Share, Liz Stewart-Smith,  Molly Wright, Pauline Cooper, Ann Haskins,  Ann Hough, Brian Lister, Sylvia Peace, Margaret Smith, and Margaret Woodhead.

A minute’s silence was observed in memory of Mike Smith and Mac Mumford, two stalwart members of the Historical Society, who had died recently.  Mary Jennings represented the Historical Society at Mike’s funeral which coincided with the meeting.

Min. 1.   Apologies for absence were received from Diane Roker, Elspeth Lindsey, Mary Jennings, Sue Stone, and Laurie Patterson.

Min. 2.   Minutes of the meeting held on Wed. 16^th May, 2018.  Copies of the minutes had been issued and accepted as a true record.  Proposer:  Liz Stewart-Smith; Seconder:  Brian Lister.

Min. 3.  Matters arising from the Previous Minutes.  See Chair’s report.

Min. 4.           Chair’s Report.

Shirley referred to the past year which had been very busy.  In addition to regular meetings, O. Hawkes had updated the news items and additional information was added to the website, including the Remembrance Day Parade, the unveiling of the monument to commemorate the ending of WW1 (which comes complete with a video of the ceremony), also photos of the fly-past on the way to honour the American Airmen whose plane crashed in Sheffield.

Exhibitions have been provided for the Library and St Mary’s Church, also the Friendship club.  These included the Village Fire Brigade, the Coming of the Postal Service to Edwinstowe, Village Football Teams, photos and information relating to local men who died in WW1.

Molly and Shirley had represented the Historical Society at the official re-opening of the Library after the refurbishment. In response to a request from the RSPB the Society had provided photos and information for the notice boards being placed in the forest while the old Visitor Centre was being demolished.  Business cards had been printed with contact information and members were issued with data-protection details.

Committee members had been invited to a meeting with the Thoresby Archive group to share historical information and photographs, which had been beneficial to both parties.

Shirley continued to say that a large deposit of photos, slides and documents had been received from the staff of the Old Visitor Centre.

The sale of the Edwinstowe Christmas cards proved very successful and plans are in hand for similar cards for next Christmas. In the meantime notelets and birthday cards are for sale. At this point Shirley recorded thanks to Richard for selling books and cards in his shop at the Craft Centre.

Following a request from the newly formed Edwinstowe Merry Women WI for a talk on the history of the Edwinstowe WI, O. Hawkes and Margaret had produced a power-point presentation which will be shown to the Group at their meeting on Tues. 16^th July.  In fact, that production will be shown at the June meeting of the Historical Society.

O. Hawkes had been successful in obtaining a grant of £200 from Newark & Sherwood District Council towards a plaque commemorating Christopher Thompson which will be placed outside the Old Library on High Street.  Shirley continued to say that with support from the Historical Society Richard Neely, Church Warden, had been successful in obtaining a grant from the Parish Council towards a plaque relating to the Bellamy Alms Houses, which were originally situated at the cross roads where the War Memorial now stands.  It was hoped to unveil both plaques in September.

There have been 18 website enquiries from individuals around the country requesting information often regarding family members.  Recently a request had been received from a curator at the Bodleian Library, Oxford, for any information available on George Aldrich who lived in Cockglode House in 1776. A painting of George Aldrich is to be featured in the channel 4 programme “Lost Treasures” later in the summer.

Information had been sent to the Sherwood Forest Trust reminding them of the history of the wetland area by the River Maun, also the background to the sponsored oak tree planting next to the village cemetery.

Shirley acknowledged how hard the committee had worked during the year, and had received many congratulations on the amount of information on the website.  She then thanked Liz for finding speakers, with a thank–you to her husband, Robin, for his eye-catching posters.  Thanks were expressed to Molly for keeping her on track and for providing detailed reports to the local press which helped to attract interest in the Society.  Janice received thanks for keeping her eyes on the finances which had expanded to include handling grant money, purchasing plaques, selling cards and books.

Min. 5.             Treasurer’s Report

Janice presented the accounts for the 12 months’ ending 31^st March, 2019.  The accounts held with Santander Bank and the Mansfield Building society had been closed and the balances transferred to the NatWest Bank current account bringing the total assets of the Society to £4,199.52.  The financial position of the Society had benefited from the income from the sales of books published by the Society (£264.50), and sales of our own Christmas cards (£230.94). Magazine sales totalled £19.50.   Donations have been received from individuals and combined with those for the refreshments and raffles (£61.72) provided a useful source of funds. Annual subscriptions amounted to £300.00, whilst those from visitors amounted to £105.00.

In spite of a general increase in the fees charged by invited speakers (£221.20) the overall cost for the year was lower than the previous year thanks to the presentations given by Shirley, Olwen and Margaret at no cost to the Society.

Costs associated with maintaining the website i.e. the renewal of the website security certificate and the domain name (£38.98).  Other costs included:  Room Hire (£143.00);  N.L.H.A. subs (£15.00), Notts Historian Magazine (£23.22); Ink cartridges (£54.47);  Velcro & laminating pouches (£34.87);  Printing of Christmas cards (£65.00).  In conclusion Janice was pleased to report that the society is in a good financial position and well able to cover its costs and obligations.

Min. 6. Election of Officers

All the Committee members agreed to serve for another year.  Chair:  Shirley Moore; Vice-Chair and Website Co-ordinator: O Hawkes;  Treasurer:  Janice Lane; Secretary: Molly Wright;  Speaker Finder:  Liz Stewart-Smith;  and Margaret Share.

Proposer:  Pauline Cooper;  Seconder:  Brian Lister.

Min. 7. Talks for 2019/20.

Liz named the speakers booked for 2019/20 as follows:  September – Chris Booth “Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway”;  October – Andy Gaunt “Sherwood Forest Outlaws and Villains”;  November – Chris Weir “Mysteries of Nottinghamshire”;  February – Pete Smith “Rufford Abbey”;  March – Sam Glasswell “Pilgrim Links – Mayflower Celebrations”;  April – Bob Massey “Skegness”.

Min. 8. Any Other Business

1. Refreshments.  In response to a request for help serving refreshments at the meetings, Pauline Cooper and Sylvia Peace volunteered for the duty. Their help was gratefully accepted.
2. Combined Programme and Membership Card. Shirley explained that in future the Programme would also act as a Membership Card.

On behalf of those present, Margaret Share gave a vote of thanks to Shirley for the amount of time and diligent work that she devoted to the Society.

Following the business of the meeting, members enjoyed a power-point presentation given by O. Hawkes, Shirley and Margaret about the Women’s and Men’s Bowling Clubs in the village. The bowling greens, sited in the centre of the village, were opened by the Bolsover Colliery Company in 1932. With the decline in membership they closed in 2017.

Now that the Bowls Club has folded, and if grants are available, it is the current intention to create a Community Park with seating and planting so that it remains an open space and an asset to the community.

-oOo-

Castles of Nottinghamshire was the subject of James Wright’s talk at the April meeting of the Edwinstowe Historical Society. For many people Nottingham and Newark castles immediately spring to mind but there have been many others which have different classifications.  There are 9  known as Motte and Bailey (Worksop, Cuckney, Bothamsall, Haughton, Laxton, Egmanton, Annesley, Aslockton, and East Bridgford);   4 Fortified sites (Kingshaugh, Clipstone Peel, King John’s Palace and Lowdham);  3  Fortified manor Houses (Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Greasley, and Strelley); and 1 Ringwork (Jordan Castle – Wellow).   Sadly all that remains of most of the Nottinghamshire castles are mounds of earth and, although most sites are on private land, often a glimpse may be obtained from the roadside.

Castles which first appeared after the Norman Conquest were for defence purposes, and later were designed for comfort, so the explanation of what constituted a castle in 1100 would differ in 1400.  Archaeological excavations continue to yield many surprises such as those at Strelley Hall and Nottingham Castle.   Mr Wright acknowledged that help provided by local groups, such as the Edwinstowe Historical Society, had made a useful contribution to the studies of some sites.

At the meeting on Wed. 20^th June, there will be a power point presentation highlighting the history of the Edwinstowe Women’s Institute which was founded in 1920.   There are no meetings during July and August. However, the new programme of talks will begin on Wed. 18^th September, 2019.

Meetings are held in the Church Rooms, Mansfield Road, Edwinstowe, NG21 9NJ on the third Wednesday of the month, commencing at 2.00 p.m. and lasting for approximately 2 hours.  Tea/coffee and biscuits are available.  Annual membership is £12 and visitors are welcome at a charge of £3.  Further information is available on the website www.edwinstowehistory.org.uk. And enquiries may be made to EdwinstoweHistorySoc@gmail.com

On Wed. 20^th March, members of the Edwinstowe Historical Society and visitors spent an enjoyable afternoon in the company of Jo Golby who described the life of a lady’s maid when working in the great houses of the 19^th century.

Considered to be the equivalent of the master’s valet she was expected to be educated, discreet, honest and have exceptional needlework skills.  Duties would include helping to dress and undress her mistress (sometimes 3 or 4 times a day according to the occasion); ensure all clothes were kept in immaculate condition; and know how to fashion her hair in the latest style.  The day would begin one hour before her mistress arose, and terminate one hour after her mistress retired which might be 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning!  She would enjoy the privacy of her own room with her own personal effects, and travel with her mistress on visits to other houses.  Her wage would be between £34 and £36 per annum, with board, and often would receive her mistress’s cast-off clothing.  Sometimes a grace and favour cottage would be her reward when she was retired.

The Annual General Meeting will take place on Wed. 15th May, which will be followed by a power point presentation highlighting the Ladies’ and Men’s bowling teams in Edwinstowe.  On Wed. 20^th June, there will be a power point presentation outlining the history of the Edwinstowe Women’s Institute which was founded in 1920.

Further information is available on the website www.edwinstowehistory.org.uk.  And enquiries may be made to EdwinstoweHistorySoc@gmail.com

On Wed 20^th February a well-attended gathering welcomed Bob Massey who presented an illustrated talk entitled “The Forest – Highway Robbery on a lonely stretch of road through Sherwood Forest”. Sherwood Forest once covered an area of approx. 100,000 acres between Nottingham and Worksop, and the road (now the A60) was part of an ancient route connecting London to York.

The route would have been no more than a footpath, and travellers would have had to be in a group to undertake a journey. The Hutt Inn, opposite Newstead Abbey gates, occupies the site of a 12^th century garrison for men-at-arms who guarded the highway. Numerous notorious gangs of outlaws roamed the forest in Medieval times, but Nottingham’s most notorious highwayman and woman in the 17^th century were Joan Phillips and Edwin Bracey. Joan was hanged in Nottingham in 1685 and Bracey died after being shot.  Often highwaymen ran inns which presented them with an opportunity to assess a traveller’s wealth so appropriate action could be taken when the traveller resumed his journey!  People arrested were hanged at Gallows Hill, Nottingham where the last execution took place in 1827.  From 1831 condemned prisoners were hanged in front of the Shire Hall in Nottingham.

With the introduction of the turnpike road between Nottingham and Mansfield in the 18^th century traffic could move faster which helped to make travelling safer.

At the request of the RSPB the Society provided photos from the archive for the hoardings displayed in the forest close to the site of the old Visitor Centre.

The next meeting will take place on Wed. 20^th March, when Jo Golby will present an illustrated talk about the “A Victorian Lady’s Maid”.

A flypast, honouring 10 American airmen who died when their plane crashed in Endcliffe Park, Sheffield 75 years ago took place today Friday 22nd February 2019.

75 years ago, eight year old Tony Foulds and his friends were on the park when they saw the plane, an American B-17 Flying Fortress, attempting an emergency landing. But when the pilot saw the children he diverted and crashed into trees nearby killing all those on board. Tony in memory of those brave men, who he believed saved his life, tended the memorial in the park for many decades.

The planes flew over Edwinstowe at approx. 8:30 am before they joined together over Church Warsop before their flight to Sheffield. Some of the planes then headed to Cambridge to do another flypast of the cemetery, where the ten American airmen were laid to rest.

In January members of the Edwinstowe Historical Society enjoyed the New Year lunch at Forest Lodge.  At the next meeting to be held on 20^th February, Bob Massey will present an illustrated talk entitled “The Forest; its Highway Robbery”.  This is the story of the robbers and robbery on the lonely stretch of the road north through Sherwood Forest.  In contrast, on 20^th March, Jo Golby will present “Life of a Ladies’ Maid in the Great Houses of the 19^th Century.”

No doubt there will be a number of surprising “behind-the-scene” stories.

“Castles of Nottinghamshire” will be brought to life on 17^th April, when James Wright will present his illustrated talk.

The archivists have been busy dealing with enquiries from people interested in learning about ancestors who once lived in Edwinstowe.

Following the recent excellent refurbishment of Edwinstowe Library, the Society has once again provided a photographic display.  This time the choice highlights the local village football teams that have entertained the people of Edwinstowe over the years.

Sue Saddington, Chair of Notts. County Council and Shirley Moore (EHS)

Recent additions to the website relate to 2 members of the aristocracy who were actively involved with local organisations.  They were Lady Sibell Argles and Lady Eveline Maude, both of whom were highly respected. (See link to these  on people/families)

Thanks were received from the RSPB for kindly allowing the use of EHS photographs for the hoardings in the forest close to the site where the old Visitor’s Centre is being removed.