Dear Member,
Your committee feels that you are missing out on the information that is gathered by the society, during the time between general meetings. In some cases this could be as long as 3 months & data is filed away by then. We have, accordingly, decided to change the system slightly.
In future you will recieve a monthly newsletter which will briefly tell you of most of the data gathered since the last newsletter. This will of course be in the form of a dull & boring list but it will at least, make you aware of the data & allow you to pursue further research if any of it is of interest to you personally. As an example since the last meeting I have gathered 3 full ringbinders , plus approx 500 sheets of data on the conveyancing of the Knoll Close area. We will also be able to keep you informed of any interesting things that we hear of.
Secondly, at each general & open meeting , a copy of the minutes of the previous committee meeting will be shown on the notice board. Members who cannot attend the monthly meetings will recieve a copy either by E-mail or by hand. We will also put into the newsletter any important information or decisions that are taken. These two steps should ensure that you are kept more aware of what is going on.
The meeting of 13th, Nov. about the life of William Cowper was attended by approimately 40 people - as good a turn out as we expected. Notably people travelled from Emberton, Olney & N Crawley. The film show itself was excellent, Alice Gardner has a wonderful singing voice. It was difficult to recognise the cast as they are all 25 years older now. David Byrne, Peter Gardner, Philip Smith, John Kitchen, Derek Ferris, Pam Cook & others. The production was really good despite a short period of panic at the beginning & the show lasted nearly an hour. Afterwards, tea & biscuits were served and some photo albums were on show as per previous events. We have no information on the profitability of this meeting so far.
Saturday March 16, 2002, we have an afternoon show arranged, in the Village Hall, to present the Millennium Photo Album to the village. John Cook will open the show at 2pm. Bucks Family History Soc will be there also with a stall full of books for sale. These will all be of local & historical interest. Probably they will have their computers with them to do some research, so gather your questions up for this date. we will have our archives available also. 2pm -5pm. - we will need your help.
Tuesday March 12, will be the SHS. AGM, last year it was held in April, for various reasons, but it should have been in March.
We are pleased to welcome Pearl Teasdale as a new member.
Barry Hollis has presented us with a book entitled ‘The Hundred of Sherington,’ 46 pages of diluted parish council minutes, he says it is statistical book, but it is packed with info from the PC minute books, excellent for research. He has also signed over the copyright for this, to us. Thank you Barry.
Your committee has used the ‘Document Room’ for 2 committee meetings so far & it works very well. Also Howard Dalton has used the room for some of his family research for which we have a thank you letter. It was very productive for him.
I have been asked by Keith Shepherd, of the White Hart, if the Society would be willing to do more research on the area & hostelry, known as the White Hart, Gun Lane. Some research has been carried out by Norman, but there is a lot more out there waiting to be found, if anyone cares to take this on, Keith is willing to pay for this research. Any volunteers?
To recap, we have Andrew Waters waiting to transcribe the 1861 & 1871 censuses, I have arranged for photocopies of these to come from the Local Studies centre, hopefully.
Enid & Kay have undertaken to assemble a leaflet about a guided walk round Sherington. Both of these members have been extemely busy of late.
Barry Hollis has taken on research for the P.O.W. camp on the site of Hill View, but so far has been able to find very little data.
Norman, Sheila Q, & Martin Jeeves have been pulling to a close the Millennium project, the Perry Lane end of the project, gathering in the last of the return forms, is causing a problem, Both Sheila & Norman have finished their parts of the project.
Mark is pressing on with the website, which is growing in size. The church memorial inscriptions are the latest to be added - a monumental task. The relevant Sherington pages in Scan are to be added also. There is a CD copy of our website, that any membercan borrow.
A synopsis of the data obtained.
- Domesday files on 5 village properties opened.
- 61, Village people/families opened.
- A file on the Millenium project, started dating back to 1998.
- The Son et Lumiere event photos have been mounted in an album.,along with some paper work. Cast & script.
- As previously stated, at least a ream of photocopies on the transfers & conveyancing of Knoll Close, including names of all previous owners back to early 1900s. The area had 4 cottages & a coach house & was known as the Knolls.
- Approx 30 photos of village events.
- A book of poems by Les Keech, donated by Joy Osgood.
- A 20 page transcription of one of Philip Smiths interviews donated by Nick Leach.
- Part of a thesis by Doris Stephens on Yew tree farm & old village crafts. Many pages.
- Several posters advertising village events.
- An order of service program of Muriel Mcfarlanes funeral.
- A harvest festival program.
- A picture of Stone Asylum, Crumps last residence, several pictures of old residents.
- CD copy of the ‘Clutch Club’ websites.
Note, If you have any comments at all on this, or any aspect of the SHS please let me know & we can use this newsletter as a forum for your comments & views. We can also scan in pictures etc.
A full list of dates of next years meetings will be published in the next newsletter.
NA.
Stop Press; Sheila Q, Les Milnes & Norman sold 138 raffle tickets at CMK on Wednesday. Raising £69-00 for the Society. (There are plenty of tickets left, if you would like some to sell, see Sheila Q) remember, we get half the ticket price, for the society.