'Village Collection'

'Village Collection'

          Within this book :-

The book holds a miscellany of topics related to the history of Woolhampton, Midgham, Brimpton and the surrounding district.  The collection spans the years from the medieval Knights Hospitallers to the re-capture of escaped German prisoners during the Second World War by two Woolhampton villagers, and the arrival in the area of American servicemen - Knights to Yanks.

Chapters relate to the stage coach era when the first mail coach - London to Bristol - travelled along the Bath Road on the 1st-2nd August 1784, the coming of the railway and a view of local squires and landowners and their influence in the district.  The latter included the Wollascott, Crewe, Falmouth, Poyntz Green, Blyth, Mount and Sutton families.  Other subjects include the impact on the neighbourhood of the 1830 'Swing' agricultural riots, the 'foundlings' of Midgham, the workings of the Poor Law, Victorian cricket plus the celebrations that marked the Coronation of Queen Victoria (1837 and her later marriage to Prince Albert (1840) plus a mid-Victorian 'Day of Humiliation'.  A village 'pub crawl',  including the story of 'Captain Hawkes', is balanced with the sobering story of the local Victorian Temperance Movement - 'Break up your Glasses' (chap 27).

Some chapter headings:  Briefs - Pirates and St Paul's:  Wollascotts - A Window on Georgian England:  Foundlings - Coram, Poyntz and Midgham:  A Pub Crawl - 'Bill Brewer', White Horse, Captain Hawkes and an Elephant:  Threepenny, Longsmalls, Ragged and Middle Burrils (an account of local osier growing):  Wartime Woolhampton - a Miscellany.

It contains 300 pages plus 70 photographs and illustrations...............available ONLY at Newbury and Thatcham libraries (sorry!).

click here to see some examples

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