For our next 2 meetings, on April 19th and May17th, we are trialling a new format. In order to enhance the important social aspect our meetings we will open the evening at 7.00pm when members and visitors can enjoy a glass of wine (£3.00) or tea/coffee (£1.00) and obtain raffle tickets before the talk begins at the usual time of 7.30pm. We hope you will come early and enjoy a relaxed and chatty prelude to the evening. The raffle has raised £100.00 so far, please continue to support it.

The Black Book of Warwick. Photo Warwick County Record Office

Three other burgesses, John Dicke, Thomas Barrett, and John Nason were approached in turn, and each refused in turn and were promptly sacked from the Corporation. Finally following the appointment of new members Richard Fisher was elected as the new bailiff, and the new corporation was sworn in on October 6 th after a delay of nearly a month. ‘Twas ever thus!

Report on March meeting. On the Ides of March (the 15th) we held our 36th AGM, followed by Vanessa Morgan’s talk “Local Rogues and Vilains of the 19th Century”. The papers for the business part of the meeting had been circulated, so the AGM, conducted by our President Bob Bearman, was brief. Rosemary Collier was elected as our new chairperson, and while Isobel Gill and Catherine Petrie left the committee, with our appreciation for their long service, we welcomed Colin Such, Gill Stewart and Carol Clark onto the new committee. The remaining members of the 2023-4 committee were re-elected. Dr Robert Bearman agreed to continue as our President, and Peter Waters agreed to review our present year accounts.

Vanessa Morgan then regaled us with a catalogue of local 19th -century miscreants, many of whom came to sticky end. Our own Kineton constable (those were the days!) was involved in the detection and apprehension of one local criminal. The accounts read out by Vanessa, culled from contemporary newspapers and pamphlets, gave an insight into the assumptions and expectations of the period. In the time before photographs the descriptions of the accused were necessary to give an impression of the sort of people capable of doing the deeds they were accused of. The theories of the period held that character could be revealed in facial features, so a coarse and ugly appearance was a clue to criminality. Sometimes in the newspaper accounts there were hints of surprise that well dressed and civilized looking individuals were capable of the crimes they had committed. Public hangings or transportation to Australia were the harsh penalties for many crimes. We can find it hard to understand the brutality of the judicial system then, and the culture which led crowds of 10,000 to watch a public hanging. I wonder what part of our behaviour, which we accept as normal, if examined in a hundred years’ time, would be found to be as arbitrary and unacceptable. Our President led the vote of thanks to close the meeting.

The Community Archive Room. The Archive Room at The Mill in Mill Street, Kineton, has now received all the material previously stored at The Ark in Pillerton Hersey. Thank you to Alec and Ilona for help in the move. Carol Clark and Colin Such have started the job of cataloguing. The Newsletter will feature interesting items as they come to light. The completed catalogue and index will be uploaded onto our website, in order that the community can see what the collection holds and to encourage its use.

Our 2024 Summer Outings:

Rosemary has arranged a fine series of outings for this summer. We will be selling tickets for these at our April and May meetings or you can contact our Treasurer directly (see contact details below)

Forthcoming K&DLHG talks at the Village Hall and Summer Outings.

Date	Speaker	Title
19 April	Emma Bromley	The Black Book of Warwick
17 May	Anthony Hitchcox	Radford Semele: a History in Photos
21 June (eve)	Colin Such 6pm	Guided tour of Lighthorne village
19 July (afternoon)	Outing 2pm	Visit to Stanway House
16 August	Outing 2pm	Guided tour of Guild Chapel, Stratford
20 September	Maggie Wood	Mr Gaydon of Brailes, stories told through a collection of smocks
18 October	David Morse	A Dive into Leamington’s Photographic Archive
15 November	Roger Butler	William James – Stratford’s Pioneering Railway Engineer
13 December	Paul Thompson	Io Saturnalia
17 Jan. 2025	Alex Harvey	Immersive Tech to Explore Medieval Tunnels in Warwick and Elsewhere
21 Feb. 2025	William Deakin	History of the Hunt in Kineton
21 Mar. 2025	AGM & Martin Sinot-Smith	37th AGM followed by Daily Life in Tudor Times

Other Organisations’ Events

30 April. The Sibford History Society is organising a coach trip to Hardwick Hall on 4 th September 2024, and they are looking for people to join them to make the trip viable. The coach booking needs to be confirmed and paid for by 30 April. The coach cost is £25 per person, Hardwick Hall is free to National Trust members and £18.05 for non-NT members. If you are interested please contact K&DLHG Treasurer Alec before 30th April, and he will collect the £25.00 coach cost (see below for his contact details)

Shipston History Society

The Museum in Shipston will be opening Saturdays ,Sundays, and Bank Holiday Mondays 12.00 – 4.00pm. Admission free. https://shipstonmuseum.co.uk/ They are also open to do town tours on weekdays by appointment. For more details about the Museum and History Society contact bekkyhillman@shipstonmuseum.co.uk. or rebeccajashley@googlemail.com.

24 April Wellesbourne Local History Group . Shops of Leamington Spa by Peter Coulls. Wellesbourne Village Hall. 7.30 guests £3.00.

18 April. Warmington Heritage Group. Writing Women Back into the Political History of Warwickshire by Professor Sarah Richardson. Village Hall, 7.30. Visitors £2.00

8 May Alcester & District Local History Society The Palaeolithic and Ice Age Environments of the West Midlands by Nick Daffern. 7.30pm, 6 th Form Centre, St Benedicts RC High School, Kinwarton Road, Alcester, B49 6PX

8 May Packington Hall Tour. Guided tour of the ground floor of the house and gardens by owner George Guernsey. £25.00 includes refreshments. Visit: www.historichouses.org to book

10 May Lighthorne History Group. From the Pillory to the Prison Cell by Ginny Davis, 7.30pm Village Hall

11 May. Berkswell Windmill Open Day. 12.00- 4.00

British Association for Local History. The Kineton Group is a Member of BALH and they run lectures and talks which are open to our members. www.balh.org.uk for upcoming talks available virtually. Don’t forget to check our own website at: Kineton and District Local History Group

Membership.
The committee has reluctantly raised the price of Membership for 2024 to £15pa. This is the first rise in 8
years, and is required to meet the rising costs of speaker fees, hall hire, and speakers’ travel expenses, which
has become a significant amount. Visitor entrance remains at £3.00 per meeting.

If you would like to become a Member of the group, our 2024 membership year starts in January. If you attend
5 or more of the 9 meetings we hold every year then Membership is the best option!

With our bank now charging for payments by cheque or cash, we would urge those who can to please pay by
BACS to our bank business account:
name: Kineton and District Local History Group,
sort code: 40-43-19;
acc. no. 71281992. Please include your full name so we can correctly attribute your payment.
Members note that if you pay by cheque make it payable to:
Kineton and District Local History Group, and send or delivered to:
Alec Hitchman,
The Hills Farm,
Pillerton Hersey,
WARKS, CV35 0QQ

Cash payments can be made at any meeting.
For queries contact Alec on alec.hitchman@btinternet.com

2023-24 KDLHG Committee

President:	Dr Robert Bearman MBE
Chairman	Rosemary Collier
Vice-Chairman	Roger Gaunt
Secretary	Gill Stewart
Treasurer	Alec Hitchman
Outings Secretary	David Freke
Programme Secretary	Claire Roberts
Membership & PR	Pamela Redgrave Carol Clarke Colin Such Ilona Sekacz

The new committee met on 2nd April in the Archive Room. We welcomed our new Chairperson and committee members, and Gill agreed to take on the role of Secretary. After receiving the Treasurer’s report, the main business was discussing the archive. Colin presented proposals for managing the archive and Carol undertook to establish the digital records. Carol and Colin agreed to start sorting and cataloguing. The committee discussed ways of raising funds to maintain the archive without draining the Group’s capital, while also fulfilling the Group’s constitution to involve the community. The next committee meeting will be on June 11th in the Archive Room at 7.00pm

Newsletter Contact: David Freke tel. 01295 670516 mob. 07876 290044 email: djfreke@gmail.com

RAFFLE: our first raffle at the February meeting was a great success, raising £60.91 for the group, the
first prize was a wonderful crochet throw made by Pam. Please come prepared with cash on Friday if
you want to take this opportunity to win a prize while supporting the group.

Before out talk on Friday 15th we hold our 36th AGM. The
papers for the business part of the meeting have been
circulated, please have a look at them.

The talk on Friday will be Local Rogues and Villains of the 19th
Century by Vanessa Morgan, a professional genealogist and
local historian. She has been researching local history for thirty
years and has written many articles for family history journals.
While researching for a book on local family history she
inevitably came across contemporary accounts of historic crimes
and misdemeanours. These became a new line of investigation,
culminating in a book focussing on Warwick – Warwick Murder
and Crime – well as giving her an intimate knowledge of the
shadier side of Warwickshire’s past. We will hear true crime
stories about robberies and murders in the Victorian county from
an expert investigator.

Report on our talk on Friday 16th February: The Battle of Edgehill 1642, delivered by Stephen Barker. Stephen is
familiar with Kineton, and the Village Hall, as he was intimately involved in the Battlefield Trust research project on the
Battle of Edgehill, being its principal fund raiser. He greeted several members who had been involved with the battlefield survey. Gill Ashley-Smith recalled that at the time she had pleaded for “no more Civil War”, while allowing that a sufficient lapse of time, and new research, made this evening’s topic more than timely. David Beaumont also looked back to his contribution to the project in his vote of thanks.

As well as describing the new insights revealed by the Battlefield Trust project Stephen emphasised the effects which the battle and the subsequent civil wars had on the local population. This evidence was supported by another recent project to which group members have contributed – the Civil War Loss Accounts transcriptions project run by Maureen Harris.

Other local sources quoted by Stephen were: parish registers, the unique headstone to Captain Gourdain in Warmington cemetery, and the monument to Captain Kingsmill in Radway parish church. My own trawls through parish registers have turned up 38 records of burials related to the Civil War in the villages around Edgehill, 12 of which are connected to the Battle of Edgehill, and another 17 to the battle of Cropredy Bridge in 1644. Many more fatal casualties who were cared for locally were not recorded, because in the chaos of the war record-keeping broke down in many parishes, including Kineton. Stephen gave us the startling fact that a far higher proportion of the country’s population died in the 17th century Civil Wars than were killed in the 20th century World Wars.
The packed Hall was highly appreciative of Stephen’s wide ranging but clear and well-illustrated presentation, as David
Beaumont thanked him on behalf of the Group.
.
The Community Archive Room. The Archive Room at The Mill in Mill Street, Kineton, is now being furnished and
archives moved in. We are pleased that among the nominees for the new committee are individuals with experience of
archives and digital management, so we hope that in the coming months we can enable access to the documents,
photographs, and tapes that the group has accumulated throughout its 36 year history, and make The Mill a centre for the collection of further material and for research.

Forthcoming K&DLHG talks at the Village Hall and Summer Outings.

Date	Speaker	Title
15 March AGM	Vanessa Morgan	Local Rogues & Villains of the 19th century
19 April	Emma Bromley	The Black Book of Warwick
17 May	Anthony Hitchcox	Radford Semele: a History in Photos
21 June (eve)	Outing	Walk round Lighthorne village
19 July (afternoon)	Outing	Visit to Stanway House
?? August	Outing	tbc
20 September	Maggie Wood	Mr Gaydon of Brailes, stories told through a collection of smocks
18 October	David Morse	A Dive into Leamington’s Photographic Archive
15 November	Roger Butler	William James – Stratford’s Pioneering Railway Engineer
13 December	Paul Thompson	Io Saturnalia
17 Jan. 2025	Alex Harvey	Immersive Tech to Explore Medieval Tunnels in Warwick and Elsewhere
21 Feb. 2025	William Deakin	History of the Hunt in Kineton
21 Mar. 2025	AGM & Martin Sinot-Smith	37th AGM followed by Daily Life in Tudor Times

Other Organisations’ Events
19 March Warwickshire Local History Society. Members’ Evening: Harvey Bloom: antiquarian and
author, by Robert Howe. Around 1910-12 the Rev Harvey Bloom made the first systematic surveys of village
churchyard memorials, including Kineton’s, and we owe much to his recording of inscriptions which are now
illegible. Lidar Surveys at Wappenbury fort by Colin Clay.
Primary School Hall, Aylesford School, Tapping Way, Warwick, CV34 6XR, at 7.30. As an Affiliated
Organisation entry is free for K&DLHG members.

19 March Harbury Society. AGM and talk on Harbury Windmill- Past, Present and Future by Bill
Timson. Tom Hauley Room, All Saints Parish Church, Harbury. 7.30 guests £2.00.

21 March. Warmington Heritage Jackie West, Group. Alice and the Adventurer: the life and times of Alice
and Robert Dudley by Jackie West. Village Hall, 7.30. Visitors £2.00

British Association for Local History. The Kineton Group is a Member of BALH and they run lectures and
talks which are open to our members. www.balh.org.uk for upcoming talks available virtually.

Don’t forget to check our own website at: Kineton and District Local History Group

Membership.
The committee has reluctantly raised the price of Membership for 2024 to £15pa. This is the first rise in 8
years, and is required to meet the rising costs of speaker fees, hall hire, and speakers’ travel expenses, which
has become a significant amount. Visitor entrance remains at £3.00 per meeting.

If you would like to become a Member of the group, our 2024 membership year starts in January. If you attend
5 or more of the 9 meetings we hold every year then Membership is the best option!

With our bank now charging for payments by cheque or cash, we would urge those who can to please pay by
BACS to our bank business account:
name: Kineton and District Local History Group,
sort code: 40-43-19;
acc. no. 71281992. Please include your full name so we can correctly attribute your payment.
Members note that if you pay by cheque make it payable to:
Kineton and District Local History Group, and send or delivered to:
Alec Hitchman,
The Hills Farm,
Pillerton Hersey,
WARKS, CV35 0QQ

Cash payments can be made at any meeting.
For queries contact Alec on alec.hitchman@btinternet.com

2023-24 KDLHG Committee

President:                               Dr Robert Bearman MBE                  

Chairman                                David Freke                           

Vice-Chairman                       Roger Gaunt                           

Secretary                                Vacant                          

Treasurer                                Alec Hitchman                       

Outings Secretary                   Rosemary Collier                                    

Programme Secretary             Claire Roberts                            

Other committee members:

Isobel Gill

Ilona Sekacz 

Catherine Petrie (PR)

Pamela Redgrave (Membership)

Contact: David Freke tel. 01295 670516 mob. 07876 290044 email: djfreke@gmail.com

Announcement: as indicated at our previous meeting we need to enhance our income to meet the essential running costs of the Group. A relatively painless money raising method is a raffle, and our first pilot raffle will be held at this Friday’s meeting. In our present digital age raffles still rely upon cash, so could those who would like to participate in this please remember to bring some!

The subject of our next meeting on Friday 16th February is The Battle of Edgehill 1642, delivered by Stephen Barker, is about a local event which has national significance. The battle, known by contemporaries as “The Kineton Fight”, was the first set piece military action of the civil wars which engulfed England, Scotland and Ireland for almost a decade. History group members have long been involved in important local studies of the battle, including a detailed examination of the battlefield by the Battlefield Trust which has led to a radical reinterpretation of the topography of the battle. Most recently, our members have contributed to the transcription of the Civil War Loss Accounts for Kineton and local villages.

Stephen Barker is an author, researcher, museum consultant and military historian who has given many presentations on the 17th century English Civil Wars, as well as writing books on WWI. His work encompasses archaeology and documents, and he is keen to highlight local themes. We look forward to hearing his exposition of the events of Sunday October 23rd 1642, which took place on our doorstep.

Report on our first talk about Charlecote and the Lucys on Friday 19th. Our speaker, John Miles, is a guide at the National Trust property of Charlecote House and park, and he described the complicated Lucy genealogy with a relaxed presentation, backed by his encyclopaedic knowledge of the house and its family. The claim that Lucys have been living at Charlecote since the 13th century turns out to be only tenable because several “Lucys” were so named as a result of changing their original names to conform to the terms of a will requiring all inheritors of the estate to be called by the family name. John showed Kneller’s 1680 portrait of Captain Thomas Lucy which includes a black boy holding a horse in the background. A black boy, Philip Lucy, was baptised at Charlecote church in 1735, clearly too late to be the person in the portrait, but evidence that black servants were a consistent part of elite households. There are 17th century records of baptisms and burials of black individuals in several local parishes, including Myrtilla, buried in Oxhill churchyard.

John showed how the house and the park owed their development to successive Lucys. The park was designed by “Capability” Brown, who finally moved the annoyance of the public Stratford Road away from the vicinity of the house. Its diversion accounts for the abrupt corner at West Lodge on the B4086 Stratford Road near the Huncote Farm Shop. The 19th century saw a major make-over at the house as George Lucy and his wife Mary Elizabeth transformed the old draughty house into a Tudor-styled country house. As with many estates the late 19th century agricultural depression, coupled with 20th century taxation, led to the decline of the family fortunes. In 1944 Montgomerie Lucy gifted the house and estate to the National Trust, with the proviso that the family would continue to live in the house, which they still do in the private apartments.

Other presentations. On Tuesday 16th January Kineton Camera Club hosted our member David Beaumont, who presented a fascinating selection of his old photographs of the surrounding villages. And the following week, on the 26th, the Primary School invited those who had missed his first presentation of early photographs devoted to Kineton to a repeat of the December show. David did not disappoint on either occasion, and the school hall was full. The tea and coffee served by Chris Cartwright, Elizabeth Beaumont and their helpers was much appreciated.
The Community Archive Room. As many will know it has been a long-term ambition to establish a permanent base for our own growing archive of photos, documents, oral history recording, research notes. As long ago as 2005 our then Chairman Brian Lewis circulated a detailed paper exploring ways of achieving this. It has taken nearly 20 years, but at the end of 2023, through the good offices of Gill Ashley-Smith and Mary Wheilden, your committee agreed terms with The Mill on Mill Street, Kineton, to set up an Archive Room there. We hope soon to transfer the material currently stored safely, but inaccessibly, in The Ark storage facility in Pillerton Hersey, to the Mill. At The Mill it will be accessible, under supervision, for research and consultation, and the collection of further material. Much still needs to be done but we have taken a massive step forward.

Forthcoming K&DLHG talks at the Village Hall.

Other Organisations’ Events
15 Feb. Warmington Heritage Group. A History of Odd Islands and some Strange People: the Small Isles. by John Hunter. Village Hall, 7.30. Visitors £2.00
2 March. CBA West Midlands News from the Past day school. Priory Rooms Conference Centre, Bull Street, Birmingham. 10am to 4.00pm. Details at https://cbawestmidlands.org.uk
8 March. Lighthorne History Group. AGM followed by Why Look at Parish Churches? by Dr John Hall. Village Hall, 7.30
13 March. Long Compton History Society. Place Names, Landscape and Settlement in the Banbury Region by Deborah Hayter. Village hall 7.30. Visitors £3.00
British Association for Local History. The Kineton Group is a Member of BALH and they run lectures and talks which are open to our members. www.balh.org.uk for upcoming talks available virtually.
Don’t forget to check our own website at: Kineton and District Local History Group

Membership.
The committee has reluctantly raised the price of Membership for 2024 to £15pa. This is the first rise in 8 years, and is required to meet the rising costs of speaker fees, hall hire, and speakers’ travel expenses, which has become a significant amount. Visitor entrance remains at £3.00 per meeting.
If you would like to become a Member of the group, our 2024 membership year starts in January.
Members renewing note that you can pay by cheque made payable to Kineton and District Local History Group, sent or delivered to:
Alec Hitchman,
The Hills Farm,
Pillerton Hersey,
WARKS, CV35 0QQ,
With our bank now charging for payments by cheque or cash, we would urge those who can to please pay by BACS to our bank business account:
name: Kineton and District Local History Group,
sort code: 40-43-19;
acc. no. 71281992. Please include your full name so we can correctly attribute your payment.
For queries contact Alec on alec.hitchman@btinternet.com

2023-24 KDLHG Committee

President:                               Dr Robert Bearman MBE                  

Chairman                                David Freke                           

Vice-Chairman                       Roger Gaunt                           

Secretary                                Vacant                          

Treasurer                                Alec Hitchman                       

Outings Secretary                   Rosemary Collier                                    

Programme Secretary             Claire Roberts                            

Other committee members:

Isobel Gill

Ilona Sekacz 

Catherine Petrie (PR)

Pamela Redgrave (Membership)

Contact: David Freke tel. 01295 670516 mob. 07876 290044 email: djfreke@gmail.com

Our first talk of the New Year on Friday 19th is much anticipated since it was postponed from September last year. John Miles will discuss Charlecote and the Lucys. Many members enjoyed our visit to Hampton Lucy arranged by Rosemary last summer, when we clearly saw the influence of the Lucy family on the whole village. The hint is in its name.

The buildings and institutions still operating in Hampton Lucy can be traced to the actions of successive generations of the Lucy family, who shaped the community.

As a bonus on Tuesday 16th January Kineton Camera Club is hosting our member David Beaumont, who is reprising his popular presentation of old photographs of the village, with additional images of our surrounding villages.

Report on our Christmas meeting We enjoyed two contributions from members, the first delivered by Roger Butler entitled “Birmingham – More Canals Than Venice!”, which revealed the unsuspected magic of Birmingham’s waterways. His comparison of Birmingham’s canals with those of Venice was illustrated with the vivid photographs we have come to expect from Roger. We learnt some fascinating facts eg Birmingham’s own Bridge of Sighs, while not as picturesque as Venice’s had a similar function – they both led directly to jails! In the competition for which city had “more canals” it was a score draw, with Birmingham have more kilometres of canals, but Venice having more named canals. On the way to this conclusion Roger brought out the history and function of Birmingham’s canal network in his usual relaxed and informative fashion.

Your Chairman presented the second item -Friday Evenings in 135 Introductions – an indulgent review of fifteen years of chairing our meetings. It was good to realise how diverse our topics have been, with a good mix of local history and historical events in the wider world. These have been brought to us thanks to the work of the committee and by our Programme Secretary, Claire, and our Outings Secretary, Isobel.

Your chair was able to announce that we have at last achieved our long-term ambition to establish a home in the village for our growing archive, where it will be accessible for consultation. Watch this space for details.

Following the presentations the committee revived members with the traditional mulled wine and mince pies to start our Christmas season.

Forthcoming K&DLHG talks at the Village Hall.

Date	Speaker	Title
19 January 2024	John Miles	Charlecote & the Lucy Family
16 February	Stephen Barker	The Battle of Edgehill 1642
15 March AGM	Vanessa Morgan	Local Rogues & Villains of the 19th century
19 April	Emma Bromley	The Black Book of Warwick

Other Organisations’ Events

British Association for Local History. The Kineton Group is a Member of BALH and they run lectures and talks which are open to our members. www.balh.org.uk for upcoming talks available virtually.
Don’t forget to check our own website at: Kineton and District Local History Group

Membership.
The committee has reluctantly raised the price of Membership for 2024 to £15pa. This is the first rise in 8 years, and is required to meet the rising costs of speaker fees, hall hire, and speakers’ travel expenses, which has become a significant amount. Visitor entrance remains at £3.00 per meeting.

If you would like to become a Member of the group, our 2024 membership year starts in January.
Members renewing note that you can pay by cheque made payable to Kineton and District Local History Group, sent or delivered to:
Alec Hitchman,
The Hills Farm,
Pillerton Hersey,
WARKS, CV35 0QQ,

With our bank now charging for payments by cheque or cash, we would urge those who can to please pay by BACS to our bank business account:
name: Kineton and District Local History Group,
sort code: 40-43-19;
acc. no. 71281992. Please include your full name so we can correctly attribute your payment.
For queries contact Alec on alec.hitchman@btinternet.com

2023-24 KDLHG Committee

President:                               Dr Robert Bearman MBE                  

Chairman                                David Freke                           

Vice-Chairman                       Roger Gaunt                           

Secretary                                Vacant                          

Treasurer                                Alec Hitchman                       

Outings Secretary                   Rosemary Collier                                    

Programme Secretary             Claire Roberts                            

Other committee members:

Isobel Gill

Ilona Sekacz 

Catherine Petrie (PR)

Pamela Redgrave (Membership)

Contact: David Freke tel. 01295 670516 mob. 07876 290044 email: djfreke@gmail.com DF 14.01.24

PLEASE NOTE THAT OUR MEETING IS ON THE SECOND FRIDAY OF THE MONTH TO AVOID CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES: SO IT’S THIS WEEK THE 8TH DECEMBER

Our meeting this Friday 8th December will be our biennial Christmas meeting when we enjoy contributions from our membership, before diving into the conviviality of mulled wine and mince pies.

This year we have two offerings. The first will be entitled “Birmingham – More Canals Than Venice!” delivered by Roger Butler, who will reveal the unsuspected magic of Birmingham’s waterways. Roger’s career has involved inland waterways and he has decades of experience of canals, from dereliction to rehabilitation.

He is well known for his superb photographs and he has previously spoken to us eloquently about the changing face of our local canal system.

We await with anticipation his comparison of Birmingham’s Gas Street Basin with Venice’s Grand Canal…

The second item will be Friday Evenings in 135 Introductions by your chairman, who will muse indulgently, but briefly, about the job (sorry – joy!) of introducing nine meetings and three summer outings each year for fifteen years. That’s 135 preambles, and 45 visits. It’s a tale of technology, tact, transport, timing, thanks, diversity, entertainment, fun, facts and fees. I hope some longstanding members will be reminded of past triumphs and disasters, and recent joiners will see how we have got to the state we’re in now.

The committee will then revive members with the traditional mulled wine and mince pies to start our Christmas season.

Report on Friday 17th November talk, given by Dr Paul
Grigsby, about Roman Warwickshire. Dr Grigsby is a Research Fellow in the Classics and Ancient History Department of the University of Warwick, where he is part of the Warwick Classics Network. He also runs the Roman Coventry Project. Nonetheless, on Friday he began disarmingly by denying he had any specialist knowledge of Roman Warwickshire, a claim he then proceeded to demolish in a relaxed and informative discussion of Warwickshire’s place in the province of Britannia. The Fosse Way was probably a militarised zone in the first phase of the Roman conquest, with strategically placed forts like Chesterton straddling the military road. He made a strong case for Boudica’s last battle being in Warwickshire: somewhere along Watling Street? The specialist fort at The Lunt near Coventry may have been established to retrain the British tribes’ chariot horses as Roman cavalry mounts, conveniently close to the British rout.

Paul introduced us to how the wider Roman world affected our locality through an analysis of the Second Edgehill Coin Hoard, a study being undertaken by one of his PhD students. The hoard has a particularly high proportion of coins from the Roman Civil War period, and Paul detailed the attempts of 4 aspirant emperors, all but the last of whom, Vespasian, came to a sticky end. The affluent later Roman period is represented locally by the Brookhampton villa, and the even larger villa recently discovered just over the border on the Broughton Castle estate.

Paul referenced the results of local archaeological research and field work to show that the rich agricultural resources of the Feldon were exploited to serve the needs of the Roman army, administrators and the populace. In answer to a question from the floor he made the important point that the population remained mainly British, although they adopted some aspects of the Roman lifestyle. The Roman army was recruited from conquered territories so military personnel in Britannia were foreigners, but local tribal leaders remained in nominal charge, albeit under Rome-appointed governors and administrators. Several in the audience recognised their own research activities in Dr Grigsby’s descriptions, and plans have been made with him to follow up aspects of local archaeology. His claim to know nothing about Roman Warwickshire looks increasingly thin!

Forthcoming K&DLHG talks at the Village Hall.

Date	Speaker	Title
8 December	Roger Butler, David Freke	Birmingham – More Canals than Venice! Friday Evenings in 135 Introductions
19 January 2024	John Miles	Charlecote & the Lucy Family
16 February	Stephen Barker	The Battle of Edgehill 1642
15 March AGM	Vanessa Morgan	Local Rogues & Villains of the 19th century
19 April	Emma Bromley	The Black Book of Warwick

Other Organisations’ Events
Tysoe Heritage Research Group. 13th December Tysoe Village Hall 7.00pm

Tysoe Heritage Research Group (THRG) presents
THE TYSOE 36
By Prof John Hunter

An illustrated presentation in Tysoe Village Hall

Wednesday December 13^th at 7 pm

Exactly 150 years ago 36 villagers left Tysoe bound for New Zealand. Who were they? Why did they go? What happened on the voyage and how was their new home?

Open to all
Free admission (donations welcome)

Although this talk concentrates on emigrants from Tysoe, much of the context applies to Kineton and other
South Warwickshire villages, some of whose inhabitants emigrated to New Zealand, Canada and, Australia in the late 19^th century

British Association for Local History. The Kineton Group is a Member of BALH and they run lectures

and talks which are open to our members. www.balh.org.uk for upcoming talks available virtually.

Don’t forget to check our own website at: Kineton and District Local History Group

Still an attractive Christmas gift, Peter Ashley-Smith’s vignettes of Kineton characters, places and events. Only £10.00 available at meeting

Membership.

The committee has reluctantly raised the price of Membership for 2024 to £15pa. This is the first rise in 8 years, and is required to meet the rising costs of speaker fees, hall hire, and speakers’ travel expenses, which has become a significant amount since the fuel price hikes. Visitor entrance remains at £3.00 per meeting.

If you would like to become a Member of the group, our 2024 membership year starts in January. Members renewing note that you can pay by cheque made payable to Kineton and District Local History Group, sent or delivered to:
Alec Hitchman,
The Hills Farm,
Pillerton Hersey,
WARKS, CV35 0QQ,

With our bank now charging for payments by cheque or cash, we would urge those who can to please pay by BACS to our bank business account:
name: Kineton and District Local History Group, sort code: 40-43-19;
acc. no. 71281992. Please include your full name so we can correctly attribute your payment. For queries contact Alec on alec.hitchman@btinternet.com

2023-24 KDLHG Committee

President:                               Dr Robert Bearman MBE                  

Chairman                                David Freke                           

Vice-Chairman                        Roger Gaunt                           

Secretary                                Vacant                          

Treasurer                                Alec Hitchman                       

Outings Secretary                   Rosemary Collier                                    

Programme Secretary             Claire Roberts                            

Other committee members:

Isobel Gill

Ilona Sekacz 

Catherine Petrie (PR)

Pamela Redgrave (Membership)

Contact David Freke tel. 01295 670516 mob. 07876 290044 email: djfreke@gmail.com
DF 04.12.23

Our talk this Friday October 20th is a change from our Programme Card entry

On Friday our topic is A Little History of Coventry by John Miles, who has kindly swapped places with our scheduled speaker Peter Walters who will now visit us in January. Coventry has a long, varied history and many famous personalities, some of whom have passed into legend, such as Lady Godiva. Evidence of settlement in the Roman period, is followed by Saxon occupation and the establishment of a first a nunnery then a priory. Earl Leofric gave part of his land to this monastery and kept part for himself (and his wife Godiva), thus dividing the administration of the city of Coventry for several hundred years.

During this period Coventry became a major centre for the textile industry, and by the 14th century was the fourth largest city in England. It played a significant part in both the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century and the Civil Wars of the 17th. The medieval textile heritage was transformed in the 18th century by the rise of the silk ribbon weaving industry, which employed 25,000 people by the mid-19th century, only to collapse with the importation of cheaper versions. Revival came with clock and watch making, sewing machines, bicycles. motorbikes and, most recently, cars.

To condense this rich heritage into a little history sounds like a stimulating challenge, and we look forward to John Miles’ talk with keen anticipation.

Report on September 15th evening talk. Sir Lawrence Washington, the 16th century builder of Sulgrave Manor, made his entrance magnificently dressed, as befits the Lord of the Manor and Mayor of Northampton. He went on to describe the history of Sulgrave Manor and the Washington Family. His cod piece drew particular attention, but it was, as he explained, a justifiable the expression of the Washington family’s fecundity. At a time when rates of childhood mortality meant that only one in 10 children reached adulthood and death in childbirth was a common fate for women, the Washington genes proved remarkably resilient. He and his wife Elizabeth had 11 children and his son, Lawrence II and his wife Margaret, had 18 children.

Originally from Northumberland, in the 12th century the family name was de Hertburn, but they acquired the name of their home – Wessyngton – which became Washington in the 16th century. Coming south as a fixer for the aristocracy Lawrence Washington built up a thriving textile trading business, helped by his second wife’s fortune. He built the manor in 1540 soon after Queen Elizabeth ascended the throne, and her coat of arms, made in plaster, can still be seen on the gable over the porch. The Washington fortunes declined and in 1659 the family emigrated to the American colonies where they became prosperous land owners. A century later George Washington was in the military before the American Revolution propelled him into political activity. The Washington Arms show three spurs (for knighthood) above two stripes (fields) signifying that the title was granted on the field of battle. The arms were the inspiration for the American Union flag. The ancestral manor in Sulgrave also had its downs and ups.

Our speaker, channelling Lawrence Washington, was Martin Sinot-Smith, Managing Director of Sulgrave Manor Historical Lectures and Tours, whose enthusiasm for its heritage was infectious and much appreciated by the group.

Date	Speaker	Title
20 October	John Miles	A Little History of Coventry
17 November	Paul Grigsby	Roman Warwickshire
8 December	Various	Members’ Christmas Treats
19 January 2024	Peter Walters	Charlecote & the Lucy Family
16 February	Stephen Barker	The Battle of Edgehill 1642
15 March AGM	Vanessa Morgan	Local Rogues & Villains of the 19th century

Other Organisations’ Events

Warwickshire Local History Society Primary School Hall, Aylesford School, Tapping Way, Warwick, CV34 6XR at 7.30.
Tuesday 17th October. Mr Gaydon of Brailes and other stories – adventures in local history by Maggie Wood,
Tuesday 21st November. Vulcan’s Temple – the story of Soho Foundry by Andrew Lou
Warmington Heritage Group Village Hall 7.30pm
Thursday 19th October Admiral Cowan- Sailor and Soldier by our own David Beaumont. If you missed this talk at Kineton last year you can catch it again in Warmington!
Lapworth Local History Society Village Hall 7.45pm
Tus 24th October The Gunpowder Plot and its Midland Connections by Allan Jennings
Marton Local History Group Village Hall 7.30pm
Monday 30th October Tales from the Churchyard
Kenilworth History and Archaeology Society Senior Citizens Club 7.30pm
Monday 13th November 60 Years of Change, Working Life at Baddesley Clinton 1923 – 1980
by Jill Kashi
British Association for Local History. The Kineton Group is a Member of BALH and they run lectures and talks which are open to our members. www.balh.org.uk for upcoming talks available virtually.
Don’t forget to check our own website at: Kineton and District Local History Group

Membership.
If you would like to become a Member of the group, it is worth considering waiting to join until our 2024 membership year starts in January. The entrance for non-members at our meetings is £3.00 so paying for the each of the three remaining 2023 meetings is a saving! Members renewing in January note that you can pay by cheque made payable to Kineton and District Local History Group, sent or delivered to:
Alec Hitchman,
The Hills Farm,
Pillerton Hersey,
WARKS, CV35 0QQ,
With our bank now charging for payments by cheque or cash, we would urge those who can to please pay by BACS to our bank business account:
name: Kineton and District Local History Group,
sort code: 40-43-19;
acc. no. 71281992. Please include your full name so we can correctly attribute your payment.
For queries contact Alec on alec.hitchman@btinternet.com

2023-24 KDLHG Committee

President:                               Dr Robert Bearman MBE                  

Chairman                                David Freke                           

Vice-Chairman                        Roger Gaunt                           

Secretary                                Vacant                          

Treasurer                                Alec Hitchman                       

Outings Secretary                   Rosemary Collier                                    

Programme Secretary             Claire Roberts                            

Other committee members:

Isobel Gill

Ilona Sekacz 

Catherine Petrie (PR)

Pamela Redgrave (Membership)

Contact David Freke tel. 01295 670516 mob. 07876 290044 email: djfreke@gmail.com
DF 15.10.23

Our first talk of the autumn session takes place this Friday 15th

Our Friday 15th talk in the Village Hall at 7.30 will be given by Simon Sinot-Smith. He will describe Sulgrave Manor and the Washington Family. The original manor was built by 1540 by Laurence Washington, soon after Queen Elizabeth ascended the throne, and her coat of arms, made in plaster, can still be seen on the gable over the porch. The Washington arms (three stars and two stripes – remind you of anything?) are above the door. The Washington fortunes declined and in 1659 the family emigrated to the American colonies where they became prosperous land owners.

A century later George Washington was in the military, before the American Revolution propelled him into political activity The ancestral manor in Sulgrave also had its downs and ups. The west wing (left of the porch) was demolished in the 17th century but was rebuilt in the early 1900s after periods when the manor suffered of near ruin and financial hardship. It is now administered by the Sulgrave manor Trust.

Report on August 17th visit to Broadway. Our group of 14 members was led by Sean Callery, a Blue Guide, familiar from our tour of Chipping Norton last year. He regaled us with tales of artists and actors in the early 20th century as he showed us the houses and converted barns where they lived and amused themselves. The origin of the town’s name is obvious – the old coach road through the town widens to an enormous green. The striking War Memorial on the green was designed by the local arts and crafts architect F. L. Griggs.
The famous American actress Mary Anderson lived on the steep hill out of the town and hosted kings, queens, prime ministers, artists and writers in the early 20th century. She became a major benefactor of the community. On the same hill a milestone bears two inscriptions, the expected chiselled distances to destinations, and a small brass plaque stating the inscription had been erased in 1939 to confuse German invaders and restored in 1953 to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. A stone at the bottom of the hill has the cryptic message “Shut off two horses here”. This probably relates to the stagecoach period when the steep hill sometimes required passengers to get out and push, and extra horsepower may have been provided at times. Situated at the bottom of the hill it would appear to mark the place where the extra animals were stationed ready for the task. The Lygon Arms, a coaching inn for at least three centuries and now an upmarket hotel, is a few yards away. A similar service was in operation on the Stratford Road in Tysoe, linked to the coaching inn at the top of Sunrising Hill. We saw the museum devoted to furniture designer Gordon Russell, and decided to return to give it the attention it deserves. Some intrepid members continued up the old coach road for a few hundred yards after we bid farewell to Sean Callery to see some remarkable topiary. Another reason to return for a longer look at a fascinating town. Our thanks to Sean for a reliably entertaining tour, and to Rosemary for arranging it.

Just a reminder that we have a full programme of talks scheduled for 2023-4, thanks to Claire’s efforts
Please note changes to the October and January talks, which have been swapped

Date	Speaker	Title
15 September	Martin Sinot-Smith	Sulgrave Manor & the Washington Family.
20 October	John Miles	A Little History of Coventry
17 November	Paul Grigsby	Roman Warwickshire
8 December	Various	Members’ Christmas Treats
19 January 2024	Peter Walters	Charlecote & the Lucy Family
16 February	Stephen Barker	The Battle of Edgehill 1642
15 March AGM	Vanessa Morgan	Local Rogues & Villains of the 19th century

British Association for Local History. The Kineton Group is a Member of BALH and they run lectures
and talks which are open to our members. www.balh.org.uk for upcoming talks available virtually.

Don’t forget to check our own website at: Kineton and District Local History Group

Membership. If you are, or would like to become, a Member of the group, your 2023 subscription (still
£10pa!) is due NOW. Our Treasurer Alec Hitchman awaits! You can pay by cheque made payable to
Kineton and District Local History Group, sent or delivered to:
Alec Hitchman,
The Hills Farm,
Pillerton Hersey,
WARKS, CV35 0QQ,
With our bank now charging for payments by cheque or cash, we would urge those who can to please pay
by BACS to our bank business account:
name: Kineton and District Local History Group,
sort code: 40-43-19;
acc. no. 71281992. Please include your full name so we can correctly attribute your payment.
For queries contact Alec on alec.hitchman@btinternet.com You can also join at any talk.

2023-24 KDLHG Committee

President:                               Dr Robert Bearman MBE                  

Chairman                                David Freke                           

Vice-Chairman                        Roger Gaunt                           

Secretary                                Vacant                          

Treasurer                                Alec Hitchman                       

Outings Secretary                   Rosemary Collier                                    

Programme Secretary             Claire Roberts                            

Other committee members:

Isobel Gill

Ilona Sekacz 

Catherine Petrie (PR)

Pamela Redgrave (Membership)

Contact David Freke tel. 01295 670516 mob. 07876 290044 email: djfreke@gmail.com
DF 12.09.23

We continue our summer outings this month

July 21^st meet at 6.30pm on the Parish Field, Hampton Lucy  CV35 8BE

We will be conducted around historic Hampton Lucy village and church by Ken Cockshull and John Dunkerton.  Like many south Warwickshire communities, Hampton experienced depopulation in the 15^th and 16^th centuries as landowners converted arable farming into pasture for sheep.  The hamlets of Hatton and Ingon disappeared by 1500, and the destruction of houses and the eviction of tenants by ecclesiastical landlords is recorded in contemporary documents.  In 1557 Queen Mary granted the manor of Bishop’s Hampton to Thomas Lucy of Charlecote, and it became, and remains, Hampton Lucy.  Some 17^th century buildings remain in the village but in the early 19^th century the Lucy family replaced many cottages and rebuilt the church.  Four mills once served the village, and the group visited the remaining working one many years ago.  

The church of St Peter ad Vincula is an excellent example of early gothic revival and is the masterpiece of Thomas Rickman (tower) and Henry Hutchinson (nave), while the chancel was rebuilt and given an apsidal end by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott. 

The history of Hampton Lucy is intimately bound up with Charlecote and the Lucy family, and we look forward to hearing the story of its development.

Meet at 6.30 on the Parish Field. 

Directions:  passing the entrance to Charlecote on your left, turn left after about 100 metres, continue over the narrow bridge keeping left at the junction and then immediately left into the field where you can park.

The cost is £5 and can be paid in advance (see bank and Treasurer’s details below) or on the day.

Report on June 16^th visit to Sibford and Burdrop.

Our visit coincided with a fine evening, and we had a good turnout of 25 members and friends.  The Sibfords are off the beaten track and before our visit I knew virtually nothing about these nearby villages.  Our leader Maureen Hicks revealed a cornucopia of unexpected but fascinating sites and sights.  After gathering at the Village Hall we made a short-cut down and up the first of several valleys we encountered, to arrive at Burdrop. 

The name means the “hamlet near a burgh” – a fortified place.  It is indeed situated in a commanding position at the end of a ridge with the land falling away on all sides, and overlooking a steep valley (which we later negotiated).  It is a compact oval hamlet, possibly following the form of the original fortifications.  The Blaze Inn Saddles just below the summit, now a bikers’ watering hole, was until recently the Blaize Inn, reputedly near the site of a holy well dedicated to St Blaize, the patron saint of throat disorders.  After a perambulation of Burdrop we descended the aforementioned steep valley and ascended again through meadows owned by the village, the first of several community-owned properties we traversed.  We learnt how the Sibfords were, until the 19^th century, part of the parish of Swalecliffe, so the church dates from1840, built to serve the newly separated parish.  A decayed church is mentioned in a survey of 1547, but no trace of it remains.  

From the Village Hall, where several members peeled off to recuperate from the stiff climb out of the valley, we headed west to Sibford Gower to see the primary school, then to dive into another valley and through a pleasant plantation, gifted to the village by a recent resident.  We emerged at the venerable Wykeham Arms, and thence opposite to the Quaker meeting house, with its burial ground of identical, modest headstones.  With swifts wheeling above us we admired some more of the village’s 28 listed buildings while making our way back to the Village Hall where copious refreshments provided by the WI awaited us. 

The general opinion was that the Sibfords are a well-kept secret, with a wealth of charm and history keenly nurtured by residents with an enviable community spirit.  Our thanks to Maureen Hickman whose information was encyclopaedic, to Diana Hughes and helpers who organised the refreshments, and to Rosemary Collier for arranging the visit. 

Just a reminder that we have a full programme of talks scheduled for 2023-4, thanks to Claire’s efforts

Date	Speaker	Title
21 July (eve)	John Dunkerton & Ken Cockshull	Hampton Lucy village walk
17 Aug. (afternoon)	Sean Callery	Broadway town tour
15 September	Martin Sinot-Smith	Sulgrave Manor & the Washington Family.
20 October	John Miles	Charlecote & the Lucy Family
17 November	Paul Grigsby	Roman Warwickshire
8 December	Various	Members’ Christmas Treats
19 January 2024	Peter Walters	A Little History of Coventry
16 February	Stephen Barker	The Battle of Edgehill 1642
15 March AGM	Vanessa Morgan	Local Rogues & Villains of the 19th century

Local history books

Capturing Kineton’s Past by Peter Ashley-Smith, edited by our President Robert Bearman .

Members are encouraged tobecome evangelical about this publication, in order to promote the group, and foster an interest in the history of our village and its surroundings.  This book would make an ideal birthday present.   Peter’s encyclopaedic knowledge and years of research are here distilled into little nuggets – anecdotes, characters, and vignettes of past village life here presented to give a comprehensive picture of all aspects of Kineton’s colourful past.

Price £9.99 contact kinetonhistory@yahoo.co.uk

or purchase at meetings

Our book Kineton: the Village and its History published in 1999 is now out of print but it is available to read on-line on our website at a cost of £5.00 via PayPal, go to:

Kineton and District Local History Group (kinetonhistory.co.uk)

From the Homepage click <Publications> on the left-hand menu, and click the cover illustration to see inside or click the Buy button to download the full publication. 

The book gives a well-researched summary of the history of the village from earliest times to the recent past.  Five walks to different parts of the village explore notable places and buildings.  Further chapters describe the community’s institutions, organisations, and characters.  The volume is indexed, and a section gives guidance to other sources of information

Peter Johnson has updated and substantially revised and enlarged his biography of Joe Gerring, who worked around the area in Lighthorne, Compton Verney, Chesterton and Kineton.  The book is a model of local history research and presentation, and is accompanied by a CD of Joe talking about his experiences.  There has been a limited print run of only 100 copies of the book and CD and Peter Johnson has kindly donated a copy of both to the archive of the Kineton & District Local History Group.

Peter Johnson has a limited number of both the book and CD for sale. The book is £14 and the CD is £6. Postage rates on application. Home delivery available in Lighthorne and Kineton. Please email:  colinjamessuch@gmail.com

British Association for Local History.  The Kineton Group is a Member of BALH and they run lectures and talks which are open to our members.  www.balh.org.uk for upcoming talks available virtually.

Don’t forget to check our own website at:  Kineton and District Local History Group

Membership.   If you are, or would like to become, a Member of the group, your 2023 subscription (still £10pa!) is due NOW.  Our Treasurer Alec Hitchman awaits!  You can pay by cheque made payable to Kineton and District Local History Group, sent or delivered to:

 Alec Hitchman,

The Hills Farm,

Pillerton Hersey,

WARKS, CV35 0QQ,  

With our bank now charging for payments by cheque or cash, we would urge those who can to please pay by BACS to our bank business account:

name: Kineton and District Local History Group,

sort code: 40-43-19;

acc. no. 71281992. Please include your full name so we can correctly attribute your payment.

For queries contact Alec on alec.hitchman@btinternet.com You can also join at any talk.

2023-24 KDLHG Committee

President:                               Dr Robert Bearman MBE                  

Chairman                                David Freke                           

Vice-Chairman                        Roger Gaunt                           

Secretary                                Vacant                          

Treasurer                                Alec Hitchman                       

Outings Secretary                   Rosemary Collier                                    

Programme Secretary             Claire Roberts                            

Other committee members:

Isobel Gill

Ilona Sekacz 

Catherine Petrie (PR)

Pamela Redgrave (Membership)

Contact David Freke tel. 01295 670516    mob. 07876 290044   email:  djfreke@gmail.com

DF 16.07.23

We start our summer outings this month

NB Please note the date for the Sibford village walk is Friday 16^th June.

Meet at 6.00pm  Sibford Village Hall OX15 5RN

Sibford is mentioned in the Domesday survey of 1086 as “Scipforde”, derived from the Saxon personal name “Sibba’s”. and the ford in the valley. The “Gower”  element is from a another family name, a lord of the Manor.  Burdrop means the “hamlet near a burgh” – a fortified place.   As in nearby Tysoe part of the area was once owned by the Knights Templar and the mill at the bottom of the valey was called Templars’ Mill.

There are 28 listed buildings in the village, and we will be guided expertly around these historic sites, followed by refreshments.

The cost is £7.50 and can be paid in advance (see Treasurer’s details below) or on the day.

Report on our last talk at the Village Hall, on 19 May by Frances Kermer from The Open Spaces Society, a charity dedicated to protecting green and open spaces and ensuring their survival for future generations to enjoy.  In her talk entitled Common Land – Its Origin, Loss and Survival  She clarified many aspects of commons, starting with their origin in the rights of medieval villagers to graze animals, take fallen wood, cut turfs and even extract minerals, depending upon the conditions set out in the manor courts.  The cases heard by the manor courts baron (meeting every three weeks) and court leets (meeting every two years) are similar in many ways to the complaints around commons today – over grazing, encroachment, inappropriate activities.  Houses are not permitted, nor fencing, and animal grazing rates should be controlled.  Rural commons and village and town greens are all covered by the Commons Act 2006, and the term covers a wide variety of land types and uses.  The origins of commons are in medieval feudal rights, as part of the resources of the manor available to all sections of  the community.

The extent of common land was much reduced by the enclosures which were under way by the 16^th century, and comparatively little common land remains today. 

The legal position of commons has long been problematic, with Acts of Parliament addressing various issues in 1588, 1876, 1899, 1925, 1965, 2000 and most recently in 2006.  Commons continue to generate disputes, despite county councils being obliged to compile a Register of Commons and the rights attached to them.  The Open Spaces Society actively searches for unregistered areas of land which may qualify for registration, but which have been overlooked or rejected by County Councils.  

Gill Stewart led the vote of thanks drawing on her own experiences, which included one of the examples used by Frances in her talk.

Thanks are due to Jackie and Mark Walker dispensed teas, coffees and biscuits,  a ritual which will be discontinued as there are fewer and fewer takers for what is an extra duty for members of the group.   

.

Just a reminder that we have a full programme of talks scheduled for 2023-4, thanks to Claire’s efforts

Date	Speaker	Title
16 June (eve)	Diana Hughes	Sibford Gower and Burdrop village walk
21 July (eve)	John Dunkerton	Hampton Lucy village walk
17 Aug. (afternoon)	Sean Callery	Broadway town tour
15 September	Martin Sinot-Smith	Sulgrave Manor & the Washington Family.
20 October	John Miles	Charlecote & the Lucy Family
17 November	Paul Grigsby	Roman Warwickshire
8 December	Various	Members’ Christmas Treats
19 January 2024	Peter Walters	A Little History of Coventry
16 February	Stephen Barker	The Battle of Edgehill 1642
15 March AGM	Vanessa Morgan	Local Rogues & Villains of the 19th century

Local history books

Capturing Kineton’s Past by Peter Ashley-Smith, edited by our President Robert Bearman .

Members are encouraged tobecome evangelical about this publication, in order to promote the group, and foster an interest in the history of our village and its surroundings.  This book would make an ideal birthday present.   Peter’s encyclopaedic knowledge and years of research are here distilled into little nuggets – anecdotes, characters, and vignettes of past village life here presented to give a comprehensive picture of all aspects of Kineton’s colourful past.

Price £9.99 contact kinetonhistory@yahoo.co.uk

or purchase at meetings

Our book Kineton: the Village and its History published in 1999 is now out of print but it is available to read on-line on our website at a cost of £5.00 via PayPal, go to:

Kineton and District Local History Group (kinetonhistory.co.uk)

From the Homepage click <Publications> on the left-hand menu, and click the cover illustration to see inside or click the Buy button to download the full publication. 

The book gives a well-researched summary of the history of the village from earliest times to the recent past.  Five walks to different parts of the village explore notable places and buildings.  Further chapters describe the community’s institutions, organisations, and characters.  The volume is indexed, and a section gives guidance to other sources of information

Peter Johnson has updated and substantially revised and enlarged his biography of Joe Gerring, who worked around the area in Lighthorne, Compton Verney, Chesterton and Kineton.  The book is a model of local history research and presentation, and is accompanied by a CD of Joe talking about his experiences.  There has been a limited print run of only 100 copies of the book and CD and Peter Johnson has kindly donated a copy of both to the archive of the Kineton & District Local History Group.

Peter Johnson has a limited number of both the book and CD for sale. The book is £14 and the CD is £6. Postage rates on application. Home delivery available in Lighthorne and Kineton. Please email:  colinjamessuch@gmail.com

British Association for Local History.  The Kineton Group is a Member of BALH and they run lectures and talks which are open to our members.  www.balh.org.uk for upcoming talks available virtually.

Don’t forget to check our own website at:  Kineton and District Local History Group

Membership.   If you are, or would like to become, a Member of the group, your 2023 subscription (still £10pa!) is due NOW.  Our Treasurer Alec Hitchman awaits!  You can pay by cheque made payable to Kineton and District Local History Group, sent or delivered to:

 Alec Hitchman,

The Hills Farm,

Pillerton Hersey,

WARKS, CV35 0QQ,  

With our bank now charging for payments by cheque or cash, we would urge those who can to please pay by BACS to our bank business account:

name: Kineton and District Local History Group,

sort code: 40-43-19;

acc. no. 71281992. Please include your full name so we can correctly attribute your payment.

For queries contact Alec on alec.hitchman@btinternet.com You can also join at any talk.

2023-24 KDLHG Committee

President:                               Dr Robert Bearman MBE                  

Chairman                                David Freke                           

Vice-Chairman                        Roger Gaunt                           

Secretary                                Vacant                          

Treasurer                                Alec Hitchman                       

Outings Secretary                   Rosemary Collier                                    

Programme Secretary             Claire Roberts                            

Other committee members:

Isobel Gill

Ilona Sekacz 

Catherine Petrie (PR)

Pamela Redgrave (Membership)

Contact David Freke tel. 01295 670516    mob. 07876 290044   email:  djfreke@gmail.com

DF 11.06.23

NB Please note the date change for the Sibford village walk, now on Friday 16^th June. 

Our next talk at the Village Hall, at 7.30pm on 19 May isby Frances Kermer entitled Common Land – Its Origin Loss and Survival. 

She will discuss the definition of common land, its legal status, its history and the current situation of commons.  Rural commons and village and town greens are all encompassed by the Commons Act 2006, and the term covers a wide variety of land types and uses.  The origins of commons are in medieval feudal rights, as part of the resources of the manor available to certain sections of the community, managed by the manor courts.  Commoners’ rights might include grazing (pasture), pigs foraging for beech mast and acorn (pannage), taking turfs (turbary), collecting wood for fuel and fencing (estovers) and other activities, strictly controlled by custom and the manor court.  

The extent of common land was much reduced by the enclosures which were  under way by the 16^th century, and comparatively little common land remains today. 

The legal position of commons has long been problematic, with Acts of Parliament addressing various issues in 1588, 1876, 1899, 1925, 1965, 2000 and most recently in 2006.  Commons continue to generate disputes, despite county councils being obliged to compile a Register of Commons and the rights attached to them

We look forward to an informative talk as Frances leads us through the sometimes arcane world of commons and village greens, and who can do what on them.  Visitors welcome (visitors’ entrance fee £3.00)

Report on April Talk.  At our last meeting on 21^st April Judith Ellis, in her talk entitled Campden House – the howse that was so fayre, described the spectacular results of the research by the Chipping Campden History Society into the history of Campden House.  Few tantalising fragments remain of the mansion built in 1612 by Sir Baptist Hicks and destroyed in 1645 by Royalists during the Civil War.  Many travellers on the B4035 will have seen the East Banqueting House stranded in the fields east of the town, fields which once were elaborate gardens.  Judith clearly described the research programme aimed at clarifying the layout of the grand gardens, known only from drawings made a century after they had disappeared.  Precisely targeted archaeological trenching revealed a single formal garden, not two as the drawings depicted, and also uncovered evidence for the area being fortified in the Civil War.  Quantities of Venetian glass, decorative plasterwork, ceramics, a coin of Elizabeth I, and a decorative stone face mask were among the finds, confirming the grand pretensions of the house and its pleasure grounds.  The glass was painstakingly studied and proved to be from a design in a 1616 pattern book – the house was fashionably up to the minute!  The most poignant find was a small silver thimble, which called to mind the tragic early death of Sir Baptist Hicks’ daughter Lady Penelope, caused by blood poisoning after pricking her finger while needleworking.

These investigations have now been published as a book.  The Landmark Trust is opening the grounds on Saturday and Sunday the 10^th and 11^th June from 10.00am to 4.00pm, admission free, but book though Eventbrite.

Gill Ashley-Smith gave the vote of thanks, and echoed our appreciation for a clearly presented description of a fine community project

The King’s Big Help Out Day

On Monday 8^th May the Parish Council organised an event at the Village Hall involving the village’s community groups as part of the national King’s Big Help Out Day. The Group mounted a stand and engaged with the many residents who visited the hall.  Many thanks to Alec Hitchman and Pamela Redgrave for help in setting up and answering queries throughout the day. 

Please Note:  Corrected date of Sibford Outing, it’s Friday June 16 not Thursday.

Full details of venues, costs and times at the May 19^th meeting.  Put these dates in your diaries!

Our Forthcoming Talks.  NB  change of date for the Sibford meeting, now Friday 16^th June

We have a full programme of talks and outings scheduled for 2023-4, thanks to Claire’s efforts, and the summer outings have been finalised (see below).

Date	Speaker	Title
19 May	Frances Kermer	Common Land – Its Origin Loss and Survival
16 June (eve)	Diana Hughes	Sibford Gower and Burdrop village walk
21 July (eve)	John Dunkerton	Hampton Lucy village walk
17 Aug. (afternoon)	Sean Callery	Broadway town tour
15 September	Martin Sinot-Smith	Sulgrave Manor & the Washington Family.
20 October	John Miles	Charlecote & the Lucy Family
17 November	Paul Grigsby	Roman Warwickshire
8 December	Various	Members’ Christmas Treats
19 January 2024	Peter Walters	A Little History of Coventry
16 February	Stephen Barker	The Battle of Edgehill 1642
15 March AGM	Vanessa Morgan	Local Rogues & Villains of the 19th century

Local history books

Capturing Kineton’s Past by Peter Ashley-Smith, edited by our President Robert Bearman .

Members are encouraged tobecome evangelical about this publication, in order to promote the group, and foster an interest in the history of our village and its surroundings.  This book would make an ideal birthday present.   Peter’s encyclopaedic knowledge and years of research are here distilled into little nuggets – anecdotes, characters, and vignettes of past village life here presented to give a comprehensive picture of all aspects of Kineton’s colourful past.

Price £9.99 contact kinetonhistory@yahoo.co.uk

or purchase at meetings

Our book Kineton: the Village and its History published in 1999 is now out of print but it is available to read on-line on our website at a cost of £5.00 via PayPal, go to:

Kineton and District Local History Group (kinetonhistory.co.uk)

From the Homepage click <Publications> on the left-hand menu, and click the cover illustration to see inside or click the Buy button to download the full publication. 

The book gives a well-researched summary of the history of the village from earliest times to the recent past.  Five walks to different parts of the village explore notable places and buildings.  Further chapters describe the community’s institutions, organisations, and characters.  The volume is indexed, and a section gives guidance to other sources of information

Peter Johnson has updated and substantially revised and enlarged his biography of Joe Gerring, who worked around the area in Lighthorne, Compton Verney, Chesterton and Kineton.  The book is a model of local history research and presentation, and is accompanied by a CD of Joe talking about his experiences.  There has been a limited print run of only 100 copies of the book and CD and Peter Johnson has kindly donated a copy of both to the archive of the Kineton & District Local History Group.

Peter Johnson has a limited number of both the book and CD for sale. The book is £14 and the CD is £6. Postage rates on application. Home delivery available in Lighthorne and Kineton. Please email:  colinjamessuch@gmail.com

Other Societies’ Events

Tuesday 23 May.  Stoneleigh History Society.  The fascinating Story of Egg Cups by Dr Javad Hashemi.  7.30 Village Hall,

Monday 12 June.  Kenilworth History and Archaeology Society.  Palaeography: what, why, how Mairi Macdonald 7.30 Senior Citizens Club, Kenilworth, non members £2.00

British Association for Local History.  The Kineton Group is a Member of BALH and they run lectures and talks which are open to our members.  www.balh.org.uk for upcoming talks available virtually.

Don’t forget to check our own website at:  Kineton and District Local History Group

Membership.   If you are, or would like to become, a Member of the group, your 2023 subscription (still £10pa!) is due NOW.  Our Treasurer Alec Hitchman awaits!  You can pay by cheque made payable to Kineton and District Local History Group, sent or delivered to:

 Alec Hitchman,

The Hills Farm,

Pillerton Hersey,

WARKS, CV35 0QQ,  

With our bank now charging for payments by cheque or cash, we would urge those who can to please pay by BACS to our bank business account:

name: Kineton and District Local History Group,

sort code: 40-43-19;

acc. no. 71281992. Please include your full name so we can correctly attribute your payment.

For queries contact Alec on alec.hitchman@btinternet.com You can also join at any talk.

2023-24 KDLHG Committee

President:                               Dr Robert Bearman MBE                  

Chairman                                David Freke                           

Vice-Chairman                        Roger Gaunt                           

Secretary                                Vacant                          

Treasurer                                Alec Hitchman                       

Outings Secretary                   Rosemary Collier                                    

Programme Secretary             Claire Roberts                            

Other committee members:

Isobel Gill

Ilona Sekacz 

Catherine Petrie (PR)

Pamela Redgrave (Membership)

Contact David Freke tel. 01295 670516    mob. 07876 290044   email:  djfreke@gmail.com

DF 17.04.23