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From ‘1066 AND ALL THAT’ by W.C.Sellar and R.J.Yeatman
With the ascension of Charles 1 to the throne we come at last to the
Central Period of English History (not to be confused with the Middle Ages, of course),
consisting in the utterly memor able Struggle between the Caval iers (Wrong but Wromantic)
and the Roundheads (Right but Repul sive).
Charles 1 was a Cavalier King and therefore had a small pointed beard, long flowing curls,
a large, flat, flowing hat and gay attire. The Roundheads, on the other hand, were
clean-shaven and wore tall, conical hats, white ties and sombre garments. Under these
circumstances a Civil War was inevitable.
The Scots(originally Irish, but by now Scots) were at this time inhabiting Ireland, having
driven the irish (Picts) out of Scotland’ while the Picts (originally Scots were now
irish (living in brack ets) and vice versa. It is essen tial to keep these distinctions
clearly in mind (and verce visa)
Extract from Great Alne Parish Register
Baptised 13 August 1710 Thomas Lane, a child brought in the night to the town in a basket
1718/19 Coughton Parish Register
Married 2 February,1718/19. JamesWhite and Ann Doughty, both of Sambourne, by banns. N.B.
they been married before at (?) Chapel but it being without banns or licence the court
orders them to marry again
BIRMINGHAM UNIVERSITY EXTRA-MURAL DEPARTMENT put
on each year a very varied programme of courses for adults, many starting in October, some
later. There are some interesting ones in Local History, Arch.— itecture and
Archaeology; e.g. ‘Domesday in the Midlands’, ‘Land scape and History:
Sources for the Study of Mediaeval England’, Sutton on Hoo; the Search for the
Kingdom’ :- and many more. The venues vary. Details may be obtained from Department
of Extramural Studies.; University of Birmingham, P.0.Box 363, Birmingham B15 2TT. (Note
- these are 1985 details, check with the University for current courses etc.FM)
'Remembering the Bearley Alcester Railway’, a
four page pamphlet edited by David R.Morgan as part of the 150 years celebration of the
G.W.R. Well-worth getting and only 15p On sale in libraries.
Old newspapers are a
fertile source of local history information. Berrow’s
Journal is particularly so, as it goes back such a long way (It may be
seen on microfilm at Worcester Library). The year 1761 is a case in point. October 1st,
1761: ‘Yesterday se’nnight, as three loaded wagons were going to Alcester Fair
the driver of one of them slips down and two of the wagons pass’d over him and
kill’d him on the spot’. June 4th,1761:’Deserted, the 18th May at Alcester
from Lieu.Morrison’s Recruiting Party of the 34th Regim ent of Foot, commanded by
Major General Lord Cavendish, THOMAS OWENS, 20 years of age, about 5 feet 6 inches and a
half high. Whoever secures the said Deserter in one of His Majesty’s gaols shall
receive 20 shillings Reward besides what is allow’d by Act of Parliament.
Mr.Rose of
Alcester Heath Many older Alcestrians will remember being taught at St. Faith’s
School in Alcester by Fred aose; actually, the dates were 1934 1954. He was 60 when he
retired and lived most of that time at Alcester Heath Farm. He has just written a most
lucid letter to Miss Chap man, of the ‘Pleck’, Alcester Heath,in which he says
that there may be folk in these parts who would be interested to know what had happened to
him. He lives now at k3ramley, near Guildford, and last November attained his 90th
birthday. He also celebrated his diamond wedding. Two of his grandchildren recently had
children, thus making him a great-grandfather.
We
are sorry to have raised the price of ‘Local Past’ to 40 p. We have held it at
30 p. since the Spring of 1980 so we have not done too badly. But we obviously do not want
to run at a loss and we hope that our many regular readers will stick with us !
An Alcester Old Boy. In 1977 died Sir Edward
Perkins, aged 68 He was educated at Alcester Grammar School and joined the Metropolitan
police. From 1954 he became personal detective to the Queen, until his retirement in 1973:
before this he had been body guard to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. He was knighted on
his retirement.
Publications under way, probably ready for April.
Please let us know if you want copies reserving
The Local
History Society has made strong representations to the Church Commissioners on the ill
advised intentions of the Diocese of Coventry to sell Alcester Rectory. By the time you
read this the Commissioners will probably have made a decision; let us hope that the
dismay felt in these parts will have pursuaded them to say ‘No’.
‘Boney will get you' - In the
Napoleonic Wars mums threatened naugh ty children thus. In 1798 it looked only too likely,
for Buonapartes victorious army was encamped along the Channel and, although this may have
been a blind, people took it very seriously. A return from local parishes in the Ragley
collection at the County Record Office lists the numbers of volunteer infantry and and
mills capable of producing loaves in an emergency. Alcester, for example, has one water
mill (King’s Coughton, being a needle mill, is not included) which could furnish 16
sacks of flour (280 lbs.per sack) every 24 hours and from 6 ovens could produce 2,000 3
lb. loaves every 2L hours. The town also had 138 volunteer infantry. Arrow had 30
‘pioneers’ (not sure of their role) and a water mill furnishing sacks per day.
Great Alne and Sarnbourne are not registered as mill venues, which is surprising in Great
Alne’s case. The lists also include the number of waggons and carts and drivers for
each parish Under the parish of Morton Bagot are the words tin case of invasion!
© Alcester & District Local History Society 1985