Bromyard & District Local History Society

Founded 1966  Registered Charity No 1051572   E-mail: bromyard.history@virgin.net

Bookings are now being taken for the Autumn course

SHOPS, SHOPPING AND THE STREET SCENE.

The Historic Buildings of Bromyard’s Ancient Borough

The Local History Society is delighted to announce that they have been awarded a grant from the National Lottery through Awards for All to fund a historical survey of the buildings in the old part of the town. Much is known already about Bromyard’s historic past from documentary research but there is only scanty information about its buildings.  Bromyard became a medieval borough in the 12^th century.  Many of the surviving shops & houses originated in the 15^th – 17^th centuries but these origins [of which there are but few published records] are concealed by new frontages, extensions, infillings etc.  There is a rich historical and architectural heritage waiting to be found behind these modern facades. 

CHAIRMAN'S CHAT MAY 2008

May 2008

Some Herefordshire Clockmakers

EXCITING NEW PROJECT FOR BROMYARD & DISTRICT LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY

April 2008

 April 2008

The Webbs and their Servants

By Mark & Janet Robinson

John and Thomas William Webb, father and son, were incumbents of two parishes in Herefordshire in the nineteenth century –Tretire with Michaelchurch and Hardwicke.

 From the diary of Thom as William and letters that he wrote to a friend – documents which cover the years from 1826 – 1885 it was possible to build up an interesting (though incomplete) picture of the lives of the servants in both clergy houses and to gain some idea of the varying relationships between them and their employers.

 March 2008

CHRIS MUSSON

A LITTLE AERIAL TOUR:  Archaeological Air Photography over Herefordshire, Britain and Beyond

November 2007

July 2007

Bookings are now being taken for the Autumn course

SHOPS, SHOPPING AND THE STREET SCENE.

A course of 5 illustrated meetings, on Mondays, 2.00 - 3.30 pm, starting 29^th September 2008,
at The Local History Centre, 5 Sherford Street, Bromyard, HR7 4DL. 
Tutor:  Joan Grundy, B.A.(Hons), M.Litt.  COURSE FEE:  £25.00 

Napoleon called the English “a nation of shopkeepers” and, more recently, shopping has been described as the national hobby.  A familiar part of everyday life, bringing colour and activity to the street scene, shop design and its development is little appreciated.  Too often, a change of occupier results in mutilation or destruction of high quality craftsmanship or important design features. 

            The course will first focus mainly on the market towns of Herefordshire, using street plans to demonstrate how market rows developed into permanent shops.  Changing styles of shop fronts will be illustrated by examples from a number of old towns.  There are good specimens of Georgian, Victorian and Arts & Crafts shops in Herefordshire market towns, but fragmentary survivals only from the Inter-war period.

            We will consider the influence on shop design of a succession of new materials, and of technological improvements to traditional ones. Lettering styles had an important role in attracting the passer-by and in enhancing and enlivening the street scene.  Changes in retailing, many within the memory and experience of most adults, will be explored in order to assess their effects on our high street shops.             Everyone will be encouraged to take to the streets of our historic towns and to seek out for themselves old shop fronts of all periods – after this course, shopping will never be the same again.

Collect an enrolment form from the Bromyard Local History Centre,

or contact:- Marnie Caine, tel: 01886 884229; e-mail: marnie.caine@virgin.net

CHAIRMAN'S CHAT MAY 2008

The Jazz Evening at The Falcon Mews in April was great fun, many thanks to Barry Phillips and his band for the wonderful entertainment. The evening was a good social gathering for our members and it made a profit of £112.00.

An exploration of Little Cowarne led by Jean Hopkinson on Sunday April 13^th went extremely well. Thanks to all who helped especially Jennifer Weale who organised the event. Special thanks also go to Charles and Jean Hopkinson for their hospitality. The event made a profit of £192.00. Thank you to everyone who supported these events.

 The Fun Quiz on May 10^th was great fun, although taken very seriously by some competitors! We raised approx’ £114.00.At the time of writing this we are busy preparing for the Gala Exhibition,

                                         “WWI  90 Years On”

which will be launched at The Local History Centre on Saturday 7^th June at 2pm. I hope you will be able to drop in and have a look. We will also be having the usual cake, plant, book and bric a brac stalls on the same day so come along and bag a bargain. Tea and cake will be on sale too during the afternoon.

If you have any unwanted items for the bric a brac, or prize draw etc we would be glad of them. We are also appealing for cakes, preserves and plants for the stalls.

This year our exhibition is being sponsored by BARRY BUFTON ESTATE AGENTS. We now have to pay £100.00 towards the cost of hiring the Gala marquee, the sponsorship money will pay for this.

However, we still need to raise the money for the Grand Prize Draw that takes place during the Gala weekend, which is another £100.00. The money raised from this helps to pay for the cost of printing eg. Ink cartridges, paper etc, which we use to enlarge photographs and print captions for the display.

Which brings me to the fact that you will probably find in this envelope, (if we have done our job correctly) a book of raffle tickets to the value of £5.00. Please try and sell as many as you can to help support us and return the counterfoils to the Local History Centre by Saturday June 28^th. The draw will take place at the Gala field on Sunday 6^th July.

We have the annual Midsummer Garden Party on Saturday June 21^st at 7pm. This year the venue is Manor Farm Bredenbury, by kind invitation of David and Jane Jones.

Tickets are £7.50, booking is essential so please contact myself on 01885 490269 or Ali 01568 760351.

The next outing is to Lower Norton by kind invitation of Mr & Mrs M Cox, on Friday 11^th July at 7pm This will be led by Joan Grundy. Please contact John Allan if you are interested in coming along. 01886 821450.

The trip to Tyntersfield is on Saturday September 6^th, please contact John Allan if you are interested in coming along. The cost is £10.00 per person for the coach plus £10.00 to get into the house etc. (free to N.Trust members.)

As always, thank you to everyone for your support

Best Wishes

Mandy

Some Herefordshire Clockmakers

At the meeting on 14 May, Dr. John Eisel, a former member of the Society, gave a talk on some Herefordshire Clockmakers. Mechanical time-keeping began with large iron mechanisms in towers, usually called turret clocks, the earliest evidence of which dates from the latter part of the thirteenth century. For Herefordshire there is little surviving evidence, but were certainly known by the latter part of the fourteenth century, if not before. In the sixteenth century it is likely that most large churches had clocks, but again evidence is slight. The earliest clockmakers in the county would have made and repaired such clocks, a trade more allied to blacksmithing than fine work. However, a John Lokyer, who in 1557 was paid to keep the clock at Leominster, may well have been a locksmith, for that is what his surname means. In the early part of the seventeenth century a Christopher Lokier was also a specialist in turret clocks, and may have been related to John.

        In the early part of the seventeenth century there was a watchmaker working in Hereford, which is surprising at this early date, and he was paid 2s. in 1632 for repairing a watch belonging to the first Viscount Scudamore. Slightly later, one John Molpus was working as a watchmaker in Hereford, but he did not just make or repair watches, as in the 1650s he carried out repairs on the St. Nicholas’ clock, Herford.. The city records show that in 1663 he took on an apprentice called Joseph Hunniatt. There is no certain later reference to Joseph Hunniatt but John Malpas died in 1679. The earliest clock

            Another craftsman about whom little is known is Vaughan Breynton, who seems to have left London in about 1694. That he came to Hereford is known only from a clock by him, signed as at Hereford. This is of London quality and housed in a marquetry case. So far his name has not been found in the city records, although at this period these are not complete. However, they do record that a John Senhouse, clockmaker, was elected a freeman of the city in December 1699, although nothing further is heard of him.

            For the main part of the talk, the speaker concentrated noted familes of clockmakers. First was the Banister family, the first member of which who was a clockmaker was Thomas Banister, who was born c. 1670 and died in 1751. He worked first at Norton Canon until at least 1704, then possibly in Hereford, and from at least 1717 if not before, at Weobley. He produced some important clocks, including turret clocks, and one longcase clock by him is in the Old House in Hereford. At least three of his sons were also clockmakers, Thomas II who became a freeman of Hereofrd in 1715/6, and may well have moved to Brecon, Henry, who worked in Weobley and became bankrupt in 1737, and Richard, who worked in Hereford and was still alive in 1754.

            A competitor of Thomas Banister who worked in Leominster was John Stansbury. Of a Pencombe family he was born in 1670 and died in 1741. Little is known of his work apart from the fact that in 1710 he entered into a bond to keep the chimes of Leominster parish church in order. Two of his sons, Richard and Thomas were clockmakers, although Thomas usually described himself as a watchmaker. Richard was born in 1695, worked as a clockmaker in Bromayrd,  and died in 1725. A very fine clock by him has been recorded. Thomas, born 1701 worked as a clockmaker in Leominster, Bromyard, and then, by 1741, at Hereford, and clocks by him have been recorded signed at all these places. He died early in 1771 and was buried at Bromyard, where his wife had been buried three years previously. He had a son Thomas II who followed him in the clockmaker’s trade, but Thomas died in 1765 and Thomas’s business lapsed with his death.

            Overlapping with Thomas Stansbury was Thomas Gammon, who came to Hereford in the 1760s and established himself as a leading clockmaker. Thoams Gammon died in February 1786 and the business was carried on by his widow Maria, and then, in the 1790s, a son Thomas Gammon II took over. His name disappears in 1806 and Maria Gammon took over the business again, retiring in 1812, when she sold the business to David Mortimer, who continued it for many years.

        As for Bromyard, the earliest known clockmaker is Richard Stansbury, mentioned above, and then his brother Thomas. In the middle of the eighteenth century Charles Philpotts and John Baylis were working in Bromyard, and then John Phillips, who seems to have been working from about 1760. It is also possible that there were two of the same name as some of the clocks bearing a Phillips, Bromyard signature could be somewhat earlier.  John Phillips was evidently in a good way of business, and a number of his clocks survive. One peculiarity is that he made painted dial clocks - which replaced brass dial clocks about the year 1780 - with only one hand, and such clocks are not common anywhere else in the country. Brass dial clocks with a single hand are relatively common, though. John Phillips was still alive in 1806 when he took Edward Harris as an apprentice, but his date of death has not been established. Later, Edward Harris was in business in Bromyard on his own account.

April 2008  - Exciting new Project!

Building on its growing body of digital stories work with rural communities, begun several years ago with Gypsies and Travellers, Rural Media will be working closely with Bromyard and Eardisley local history societies and running media and IT skills workshops for the local agricultural community and history society members. Herefordshire Council's Museum and Archives services will be involved in the Advisory Group, in making archive photographs available, giving their advice on copyright and curating and disseminating through the Museum Forum and the Local History Forum.

What was it like when apples were picked by hand, when the hedgerows were full of birds, when you got time off school for work on the land, when markets were not supermarkets and seasonal workers were from S. Wales and the Black Country (not Eastern Europe)? The digital stories will be like very short movies - up to 2 minutes long - narrated by a local person, illustrated with photos of people, artefacts and places, and conveying a vivid sense of the texture and feeling of the bygone days and a sense of how modern, mechanised farming has changed so much. The project offers both participants and audience a chance to reflect on low-impact methods of food production and how peak oil and climate change may require us to reintroduce them in the future.

 All the digital stories will be gathered onto a DVD and used by schools, local history societies and agricultural societies, regional archives and museums, shown in libraries, on websites, screened locally and archived for future generations.

See Bromyard - The Movie, The Rural Media Company's other Bromyard project

Clee Hills through the eyes of Alfred Jenkins     14 July 2007

Alfred Jenkin’s intimate knowledge of the Clee Hills bought the colourful, industrial history of the area to life, as he led a small party of society members over the narrow roads and mining tracks around the Clees on Saturday July 14. Man’s history begins on the Titterstone Clee with the Iron Age hill fortress, but the underlying geology of the area has strongly influenced its industrial heritage. Capped by a basalt sill, the black ‘dhu stone’ (hard) stone is still mined for road aggregate, and the underlying Carboniferous coal beds has been mined since at least the Middle Ages when pack horses carried the coal away. Below, the Old Red Sandstone (ORS) Clee Series provided stone for the miner’s cottages. The extensive Bishops Frome Limestone calcrete soil which overlies the ORS St Maughans Formation, provided the source for the lime industry. So prominent are the Clee Hills that they are the only set of hills represented on the 1318 Map of Mundi in Hereford Cathedral.

Alf grew up in Clee Village as his father, Alfred Richard Jenkins born in Pencombe, was the publican of The Dhu Stone, a public house on the road to the quarries. He talked to and listened to, the stories of the quarrymen, coal miners, railway workers and their families of the Clee Hills. This was a time when two pints of cider was always set up ‘Cos the first one didn’t touch the sides,’ as they battled the ever present dust from the stone crushers at the quarries. Now Alf shares this rich oral heritage by writing and leading guided tours.

Our first stop was the collecting yard and terminus of the Great Western Railway (GWR) and the rail incline up to the quarries. The GWR wished to exploit the coal and employed Mr. Clark, who had worked on the Punjab mountain rail line, to design and oversee the construction of the branch line and the balanced incline system. When it was finished in 1864, GWR’s primary interest was to bring down coal and create a monopoly over the coal trade. . After 1881, the incline brought down stone from the quarries. Today, trees cover the old sidings and it is only the muddy black waters which hint at the cinders and coal used to stoke the engines, and the straight gullies which mark the route of the old lines. Stone from Titterstone quarries was used for the breakwater at Cardiff docks and transported there by rail and many millions of tons of road stone left the area by rail.

November 2007    England, Wales and the Lords of the March

Charles Hopkinson, one of the Society’s long standing members, talked about the Lords of the March whom he first encountered when he was researching the history of Wigmore Castle and the Mortimers.

In 1199 the lord of Bredwardine insisted that neither the king nor the sheriff could enter his territory without his permission.
A lord of Clifford forced a king’s messenger to swallow the king’s writ along with its seal which was attached. According to Magna Carta the king had very few rights over the marcher lordships.

In the 11th century, Hereford was sacked by the Welsh, but after the conquest by King William there was a piecemeal, private enterprise subjugation of the Welsh by the English over the next 200 years. English lords annexed lands in the Welsh valleys which they filled with English settlers while the Welsh were forced into the uplands. The Welsh had to pay tributes to the local lords, often with cattle; for instance in the 13th century the men of Hay-on-Wye supplied
24 cattle every two years.

Wales in much of the Middle Ages consisted of a number of Welsh-ruled independent principalities. The Lords of the March had a more or less free hand when they conquered them. Henry III washed his hands of the Welsh and the Mortimers. Edward I conquered Wales, but Edward II was deposed by Roger Mortimer and at this time 7 out of the 10 English earls had lands in Wales.

In the 1300s the marcher lords were in their heyday, exporting wool and cattle from Wales. However, in 1402 there was a rebellion lead by Owen Glyndwr, which was followed by the Wars of the Roses when, for instance, the 22 Mortimer lordships passed to the king.

Edward IV made Raglan an independent lordship in 1465 and by the reign of Henry VIII, when he abolished all marcher lordships, many of them were formed into counties. Bishop Lee of Lichfield oversaw the changes; Wales became subject to English law and Welshmen enjoyed the same rights as Englishmen

BROMYARD GALA 2007

The theme for this years Gala Exhibition was Hop picking to coincide with the launch of a revised edition of A Pocketful of Hops, first published by the society in 1988.
 

The exhibition was transported and reassembled at the Gala by a hard working team of helpers who were faced by a sea of mud and dirty water. The display boards went up, the displays were arranged and last but not least the flower ladies arrived to decorate the tent, which always finishes it off nicely.

This weekend is always hard work but faced with the  conditions it seemed even harder than usual but the marvellous team spirit we have paid off.

The look on peoples faces as they recognised the people in the photographs and reminisced about the old days made all the hard work well worth it. The weekend was a great success, the sun managed to shine all weekend and a good time was had by all.

The Hop-picking exhibition is now back at The Local History Centre in Sherford Street and will run until mid November. Opening times: Thurs & Fri 10am-12.30pm & 2pm-4.30pm.  Sat 10am-12.30pm. Bromyard & District Local History Society have a special open afternoon on Saturday September 1st, 2pm at The Local History Centre, Bromyard to promote the New Edition of "A Pocketful of Hops" which is priced at £12.95. Come and buy your copy now. The hop-picking exhibition will be open.

The Rural Media Company will also be on hand to talk about a very interesting oral history project they are about to launch in the district, if you have any old stories about farming life come and have a chat to them. Refreshments available. Free addmission.

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