Banbury Historical Society - Newsletters, Book Reviews, Queries & BHS Notes

Newsletters, Book Reviews, Queries & BHS Notes

Newsletters are sent regularly to members by email, while the most recent are stored here with the latest at the top. Reports of our Lectures and Outings are collected on another page, as are Book Reviews. Questions about Banbury people or places can be sent to the Website and will be posted on our Banburyshire Queries page. BHS Notes contain notes of interest to Members.

(Newsletter 6th May 2026)

We had our last indoor meeting of the season in April and May heralds the first of our summer outings.

Saturday 23 May: Site of Bordesley Abbey, Redditch, Worcestershire (B98 8HY). Cost is £14.50, (payable in advance) which includes a guided walk around the medieval site led by Stephen and Verna Wass. Bordesley Abbey is a unique monastic site in that the whole site, including an extensive industrial complex, had been undisturbed since the dissolution. It was systematically studied by some eminent figures in archaeology including Mick Aston and Professor Philip Rhatz between 1970 and 2000. Stephen and Verna Wass worked on the church site and supervised the excavation of the water engineering and metal working workshops associated with the industrial site dating from the 12th century. They will tell the inside story including the recovery of the preserved timber mill race on display in the visitors centre.

This will be followed by a sandwich buffet lunch and entrance to the adjacent Forge Mill Needle Museum. Meet 11.30am, ready to begin the tour. The site is rich in history and archaeological evidence and should be a most interesting and informative visit. Deadline for booking is Monday 18 May and please book in as usual with Rosemary (raleadbeater@aim.com).

Lifts: it occurred to us that there may be those going with space in their cars and others who would like to go but are put off by the journey (45 minutes from Banbury up the M40 FYI). Rosemary is prepared to co-ordinate this so if you could offer a lift could you let her know? (number of spaces available and where you will be starting from); and if you would like a lift could you also let her know? She will attempt a matchmaking service in order to maximise the number able to go.

We have been sent information about an event in the Sibfords run by the Quaker Family History Society:

A HISTORY DAY IN OXFORDSHIRE - QUAKER FHS SPRING MEETING 2026

Join us for history talks and discussion at our family history meeting in the beautiful and picturesque twin villages of Sibford Ferris and Sibford Gower in Oxfordshire on Saturday 16th May 2026.

This is the website: https://qfhs.co.uk/ and for more info you can also contact Jon Wicken on jonwicken@yahoo.co.uk or WhatsApp or phone 07941 979630.

And looking ahead to June: on Saturday 6th June: Weedon Bec Royal Ordnance Depot - Tour of Georgian Military Stores Depot. In the early 1800s the British Army needed a safe place to keep muskets, cannon and gunpowder, as far from the coast as possible. The tiny village of Weedon Bec in Northamptonshire, at the centre of England on Watling Street and the new canal network, was chosen. Work began on the The Royal Ordnance Deport in 1804 with eight store houses, a canal extension, powder magazines and high walls completed ten years later. The site expanded to 120 acres with barracks, parade grounds, a railway, workshops, stabling for hundreds of horses, a hospital, prison and polo field.

For 150 years The Depot stored and supplied everything soldiers needed to fight around the world. Millions of items of equipment went through Weedon's gates and hundreds of local people worked here, alongside the soldiers, sworn to secrecy about its role. It closed as a military base in 1965. The graveyard of the parish church, St Peter and St Paul, contains gravestones of some of the soldiers and their families who served there. The local folklore was that in the event of a French invasion, the Royal Family would be evacuated to Weedon Bec, probably due to the very fine Georgian military buildings.

Meet at the Visitors' Centre at 10.15 for 10.30am. We will have our own guided tour with light refreshments to follow. Cost is £10 per person. Again, this promises to be a fascinating outing and something quite different. Names please to Rosemary by 29 May at the latest.

The popular annual Oxfordshire Past conference (organised by the Oxfordshire Architectural and Historical Society) will take place on Saturday 20 June at The Chantry House in Henley, 10am-4pm.

This is a chance to hear all the latest updates from around the county, with talks on recent and current archaeological work in Oxford city, research for the Victoria County History in west Oxfordshire, the latest finds recorded by the Finds Liaison Officer for the Portable Antiquities Scheme, and the recent work of the Oxfordshire Buildings Record.

Tickets for the full day are only £10; find out more and book your place here.

For more information about all sorts of happenings around the county click this URL to read the whole OLHA bulletin for May.

With best wishes

Deborah Hayter

(Newsletter 8th April 2026)

Dear all,

Our last indoors meeting of the season will take place on Thursday 16th April, as usual in the Education Studio of the Museum at 7.30 pm. This is not going to be a lecture: instead we have a few local historians from different villages who are going to show a local map and tell us something about why these maps are interesting and what they can tell us. All local historians love maps so I am sure everyone will enjoy this.
As usual it will be watchable from home if you have signed in with Simon (simon.townsend@banburymuseum.org).

Our first summer outing will be on Saturday 23 May, a visit to the site of Bordesley Abbey, Redditch, Worcestershire. Cost is £14.50, (payable in advance) which includes a guided walk around the medieval site led by Stephen and Verna Wass, followed by a sandwich buffet lunch and entrance to the adjacent Forge Mill Needle Museum. Meet 11.30am, ready to begin the tour. Please sign in with Rosemary Leadbeater (raleadbeater@aim.com).

The April OLHA newsletter is out now with information about all sorts of events, books, exhibitions and more. To access it click this URL.

with best wishes
Deborah Hayter

(Newsletter 9th Mar 2026)

Dear all,
A final reminder of our next lecture on Thursday 12th March, 7.30 pm in the Education Studio at Banbury Museum. We go from last month's medieval women to the modern era as we have Dr. Tom Crook coming to talk to us on The corruption of Parliament? A brief history of where MPs get their money from, 1800-2025. He writes that since 1911, MPs have received a regular salary, like many people today. But MPs are different: most of them have long enjoyed other sources of income from second (or more!) jobs or investments. This talk provides an historical overview of these other sources of income – some of which have been, and remain, very questionable! Dr Crook is reader in Modern British history at Oxford Brookes University and has published widely on matters of British statecraft, public policy and politics. Recent publications have looked at the history of non-voting and the magazine Private Eye, and he is currently working on the history of the corruption of public life in modern Britain - from where this current talk derives.

In May we start our season of summer visits and here are the basic details so that you can get the dates into your diaries:

Sat 23 May: Bordesley Abbey medieval site, nr. Redditch, rich in history and archaeological evidence; tour of site by Stephen and Verna Wass, with an opportunity to visit the adjacent Forge Museum.

Sat 6 June: Weedon Bec Royal Ordnance Depot - Tour of Georgian Military Stores Depot. Strategically situated in the centre of England to be furthest from coastal invasion, the depot was built and used to store and repair small arms and cannon.

Thursday 23 July: North Leigh Roman Villa: guided tour of site, including access to the mosaic tile floor dating to the early 4th century, which is usually inaccessible.

Further details from Rosemary Leadbeater (raleadbeater@aim.com).
With best wishes, Deborah Hayter

(Newsletter 2nd Mar 2026)

Dear all

And now for something completely different. Our next lecture is on Thursday 12th March. We go from last month's medieval women to the modern era as we have Dr. Tom Crook coming to talk to us on The corruption of Parliament? A brief history of where MPs get their money from, 1800-2025. He writes that since 1911, MPs have received a regular salary, like many people today. But MPs are different: most of them have long enjoyed other sources of income from second (or more!) jobs or investments. This talk provides an historical overview of these other sources of income – some of which have been, and remain, very questionable! Dr Crook is reader in Modern British history at Oxford Brookes University and has published widely on matters of British statecraft, public policy and politics. Recent publications have looked at the history of non-voting and the magazine Private Eye, and he is currently working on the history of the corruption of public life in modern Britain - from where this current talk derives.
Our following meeting in April is billed as a local Map Evening and we now have four offers from local historians who will be showing a local map and telling us something about why their map is interesting. But we could do with a couple more so do let me know if you have a map which others might like to see. All local historians love maps, don't they?
Margaret Little, our membership secretary, is concerned that some of last year's members have not renewed their subscriptions for this year, due on 1st January. We are hoping that this is oversight rather than resignation - so if you haven't paid your sub for this year, but would like to continue as a member, do please pay your subscription. All the information is on the website.
The OLHA bulletin for March is out now and as usual is full of interest, with talks, exhibitions and books. It includes an invitation to
the next OLHA study day (and AGM) which will be in Thame on Saturday 16 May, 9:30am-4:00pm.

Through illustrated talks and guided walks we will explore aspects of the rich history of this thriving market town. Subjects will include Thame’s rare surviving Elizabethan wall paintings; its part in the Civil War; and its wide variety of listed buildings, including a working blacksmith’s forge. There will also be an opportunity to hear about what’s new at the Oxfordshire History Centre.
For more information and to read the whole bulletin, click this url.
with best wishes
Deborah Hayter

(Newsletter 11th Feb 2026)

Dear all
A final reminder about our lecture tomorrow, Thursday 12th February at 7.30 pm, given by Professor Elizabeth Gemmill, entitled Medieval Women: Myth and Reality. She writes that it has long been thought, and with good reason, that medieval women had very little control over their own affairs (or anyone else’s). After all, the laws of inheritance disfavoured them; when a woman married control over her property passed to her husband; women are rarely encountered in public office. But that is not the full story. This lecture will explore the spheres, public and private, in which women did make decisions, had agency, and exercised authority. A question is how they used those powers…
Elizabeth’s research is in later medieval British economic and social history. You can read more about her work here. Elizabeth has given many lectures to local history societies and is committed to public engagement in history. She contributes to the History Faculty’s Community History project and is a Trustee of the Victoria County History of Oxfordshire.

Don't forget that you can watch the lecture from home using Microsoft Teams Live as long as you have signed in in plenty of time with Simon (simon.townsend@banburymuseum.org)

with best wishes

Deborah Hayter

(Newsletter 2nd Feb 2026)

Dear all,

Our next lecture is on Thursday 12th February at 7.30 pm, given by Professor Elizabeth Gemmill, entitled Medieval Women: Myth and Reality. She writes that it has long been thought, and with good reason, that medieval women had very little control over their own affairs (or anyone else’s). After all, the laws of inheritance disfavoured them; when a woman married, control over her property passed to her husband; women are rarely encountered in public office. But that is not the full story. This lecture will explore the spheres, public and private, in which women did make decisions, had agency, and exercised authority. A question is how they used those powers…

Elizabeth’s research is in later medieval British economic and social history. You can read more about her work here: https://www.kellogg.ox.ac.uk/our-people/elizabeth-gemmill/ Elizabeth has given many lectures to local history societies and is committed to public engagement in history. She contributes to the History Faculty’s Community History project and is a Trustee of the Victoria County History of Oxfordshire.

I am sure that you will all have heard the good news that there is a reprieve of the funding cuts to the Museum, and this must have had something to do with the volume of protests and letters. Well done to all who wrote and signed the petition.

Don't forget about the Banbury Historical Society library, which is held in the Museum, and is available for research on Thursday and Saturday afternoons. It holds a comprehensive collection of works on Banbury and Banburyshire. The catalogue is available on the society’s website.

You might all like to know about the Snowdrop weekend at Hanwell Castle on the 14th and 15th February. Full information.

Our April meetings have often not been straightforward lectures - we have had 'Historical Artefacts' quizzes and last year we had a session where various members told stories attached to documents or ephemera. This coming April we planned a 'Local Map Evening' where we invited local village history societies to bring along a map and spend 10 minutes telling us why it is interesting and what it tells us. We have had a rather disappointing return to this invitation and so far have only received two expressions of interest. So if any of you out there are members of local history societies, and you think there might be an interesting map that someone could talk about, could you please let me know?

The February edition of the OLHA bulletin is out now and as usual is filled with interesting events, lectures, exhibitions and books. To access it click this url.

With best wishes, Deborah Hayter

(Newsletter 29th Dec 2025)

Dear all, I hope you have all had a cheerful and a peaceful Christmas, and are now looking forward to new things to learn about in the next set of lectures.

On January 8th we have Dr. Stephen Wass whose subject is "Secret Gardens and Science - Tales from Oxfordshire Gardens 1600 -1680".

During the seventeenth century Oxfordshire was home to a series of impressive water gardens that had important links to the development of scientific thought at Oxford. These gardens have become ‘lost’ and their true nature has only been recently revealed through a programme of archaeological and historical research. Stephen Wass works as a commercial archaeologist specialising in historic gardens. Many of you will have met him particularly with reference to a current project involving work at Broughton Castle. He recently completed a programme of doctoral research at the university of Oxford on which this talk is based.

Many thanks to all of you who have written letters, done the CDC 'consultation' and/or signed the petition to save the funding for the Museum. The more pressure the better so if you haven't done any of that please do so - sign the petition yourself and persuade others to do so. (https://www.change.org/p/save-banbury-museum-and-gallery-urge-cherwell-to-source-alternative-funding).

Banbury's MP, Sean Woodcock, has been active on the case, and there has been some national coverage. Simon thinks that Cherwell has been surprised at the level of outrage and they have been wrong-footed.

With best wishes for a very happy and successful New Year, Deborah Hayter

(Open letter 16th Dec 2025, addressed to the Chief Executive of Cherwell District Council)

Mr. Gordon Stewart, Chief Executive, Cherwell District Council,
39, Castle Quay,
Banbury, OX16 5FD
chiefexecutive@cherwell-dc.gov.uk
Tuesday 16th December 2025

Dear Mr. Stewart,

I write as Chair on behalf of Banbury Historical Society.

It has recently been brought to the attention of the Society that Cherwell District Council is consulting on a proposal to move to a zero public funding model for Banbury Museum from April 2027.

Before considering the merits or de-merits of this proposal it must be said that the consultation process itself is questionable:

Banbury Museum and Gallery trustees were not consulted in advance
a bare four weeks is allowed from publication for residents to respond
It has received inadequate publicity to raise public awareness
It is not possible to browse the whole consultation before committing to responses on individual points
There is insufficient background information on the details of proposals to allow the general public to reach an informed opinion

The Society understands that Cherwell District Council faces an uncertain future with regard to local government re-organisation and therefore does not face easy choices. All the more reason to avoid precipitate action in the short term, with all its potential unintended consequences, thus dismantling key infrastructure and denying opportunities for development to a future administration.

Question 15 proposes to:
Support Banbury Museum to transition to a new operating model of sustainable funding sources by 2027/28, reducing its dependency on council grant funding and building a more resilient, community-driven institution - providing a saving of £0.258m in 2027/28.

It is on record that the Museum Trustees do not think this is a viable option. Even if it were it is completely unrealistic to think that such a transition could be achieved in a mere 12 months.

Banbury Museum is an outstanding example of what a local museum and gallery could and should be, not only in Oxfordshire but across the wider region. The permanent exhibition housed here, comprises a unique collection of artefacts specific to the very distinctive history of Banbury, functioning as the communities memory bank. In addition the Museum brings exhibitions of national significance to the town showing art and history which people would otherwise have to travel to London to see. It has become a venue for conferences of County and National organisations, bringing visitors to Banbury. It hosts and curates exhibitions of locally produced work and has a vibrant programme of community engagement accessible to a wide range of participants, and keeping memory of important local events and institutions alive.

As key partners with the Museum, Banbury Historical Society is itself a significant institution contributing to the cultural life of the town. Since its foundation in 1957 it has grown its reputation for its excellent lecture programme and as a serious player in research and publication relating to Banbury’s history, with its respected annual journal Cake & Cock Horse and its Record Series publications bringing transcripts of original source material within the reach of the general reader. It holds an important reference collection of books donated by members, maps, photographs and documents of great interest and invaluable use to residents. This is housed in purpose built shelving at the Museum catalogued, maintained and made available to the public by our member volunteers. The Society’s relationship with the Museum is one of mutual benefit and both would be seriously compromised if this proposal were to go forward.

Your proposal talks of supporting the museum in this transition to a more sustainable funding model. This ignores a number of key factors:

As a charitable trust the Museum has been very successful at bringing in funding from various granting bodies however it must be remembered that this type of funding is generally only available for capital spending.
Without a guaranteed revenue stream from CDC this is unlikely to be available
The collection is owned by a range of bodies and lodged at the Museum in the expectation of professional levels of security, presentation and interpretation. This relies on the regular presence of professional, trained, paid staff which can only be secured with local authority support
If funding were to be withdrawn from April 2027 the Trustees would need to prepare for this eventuality almost immediately. It is hard to see how a transition to an as yet undefined sustainable funding model could be managed simultaneously.

In Section 1 of your consultation document, Context and Background, your stated aim is: “the development of economic opportunities driving growth across the district” and your stated commitment to: “ strengthen our communities and improve quality of life for all”. Recent announcements about CDC’s Cultural Strategy and proposal to seek Town of Culture status would seem perfectly in line with these aspirations, and indeed accord with representations made by Old Town traders as part of the Banbury 2050 consultation. It seems peculiarly perverse that Banbury Museum should be placed at existential threat when it has played such a crucial leadership role, with Banbury Quays Consortium, in developing this initiative.

Banbury Museum has its origins in the nineteenth century with the Mechanics’ Institute, progressing to a big cupboard at the Library in Marlborough Road, the South Bar building and its current premises at the heart of Banbury. Its present home is a modern, purpose built, state of the art museum building. It is hard to see any other use for the building, or how it could be managed on a reduced scale. Not only would this be a tragic loss to the town, it could very easily become a financial liability to the council in terms of tax liabilities, upkeep and security. Yet another boarded up building in a town centre shockingly full of them.

Once it’s gone it’s gone. It would be wrong for short term expediency to deprive the people of Banbury of this cherished resource with all its potential to play a key rôle in the desperately needed cultural regeneration of our once proud historic town.

The BHS Committee join me in urging you to give serious consideration to these points and reject this proposal.

Regards, Verna Wass,
Chair Banbury Historical Society,
3, Chapel Row, Cropredy, Banbury, OX17 1NS.
verna.wass@btinternet.com

(Newsletter 8th Dec 2025)

Dear all

Another reminder that this coming Thursday we will have Stephen Barker talking about Indians at Victorian Oxford. He writes that the first Indian students to attend the University of Oxford arrived in 1871, and the bridge between Oxford and India has grown stronger ever since. But why did Indian students begin to attend British universities from the middle of the 19th century?

This presentation examines the close relationship between Britain and the Subcontinent, aiming to explain briefly the background in Indian politics, the views of families and the students themselves. It also looks at the Oxford Indian Institute, the growth of Balliol College and those dons at the heart of the developments. The talk focuses on the stories of four students who attended Oxford before the First World War.

Stephen Barker delivers presentations and tours related to the First World War and British Civil Wars. He works on behalf of the ‘Museum Memories’ project in India and the ‘Little History of the Sikhs’ project in the UK. He is the author of two books, the latest being: 'The Flying Sikh: Hardit Singh Malik in the First World War'.

If you are not able to attend in person, you can watch from home either at the time or for the next month, if you have signed in with Simon Townsend (simon.townsend@banburymuseum.org).

Don’t forget about the Banbury Historical Society library, held in the Museum, which is available for research on Thursday and Saturday afternoons. It holds a comprehensive collection of works on Banbury and Banburyshire, and you can find the catalogue on the society’s website.

Members of the Society who live at or are interested in King’s Sutton will welcome the news that the well-known firm Alan Godfrey Maps of Consett, Co Durham have just produced a copy of the OS map of the village surveyed in 1920. The 3,000 word introduction is by our vice-president, Dr Barrie Trinder who has also provided notes for nine other maps of a set of ten for Northamptonshire in process of publication.

As usual, there is lots of interest in the monthly newsletter from OLHA, so if you would like to read December’s news click this url

With best wishes, Deborah Hayter

(Newsletter 1st Dec 2025)

Dear all

Last month we were wandering about in a local quarry (metaphorically speaking) learning about what had gone on there 166 million years ago. This month we have leapt forward several aeons in to the Victorian period, and on Thursday 11th December at 7.30 pm we will have Stephen Barker talking about Indians at Victorian Oxford. He writes that the first Indian students to attend the University of Oxford arrived in 1871, and the bridge between Oxford and India has grown stronger ever since. But why did Indian students begin to attend British universities from the middle of the 19th century?

The talk focuses on the stories of four students who attended Oxford before the First World War: the first woman to study Law at the university; a Sikh princess, a nationalist revolutionary and a Bengali poet.

The last in this season’s meetings, on April 16th, is billed as a local map evening. I have sent invitations to all the local history societies in the villages around Banbury (that I know of) to come to this, bringing an interesting map, the older the better, and tell us all about it. So far I have received messages from two societies which have something interesting to show us, and I am hoping for some more. If any of you are also members of a village group and there is an interesting map, do please bring it and let me know.

In the New Year I shall begin thinking about booking the next set of lecturers for September 2026 – April 2027, so if you have ideas to suggest please do send them in. Ideas for interesting topics we have plenty of, but what we really need is suggestions for interesting people to talk about those topics.

As usual, there is lots of interest in the monthly newsletter from OLHA, so if you would like to read December’s news click this url

With best wishes, Deborah Hayter

(Newsletter 3rd Nov 2025)

Dear all, Our next lecture is on Thursday 13th November at 7.30 pm, entitled Uncovering Oxfordshire’s Dinosaur Highway. The lecture will be about the stunning discovery when researchers from the Universities of Oxford and Birmingham uncovered a huge expanse of quarry floor filled with hundreds of different dinosaur footprints, creating multiple enormous trackways. Dating back to the Middle Jurassic Period (around 166 million years ago), the trackways form part of a huge ‘dinosaur highway’ and include footprints from the 9 metre ferocious predator Megalosaurus, and herbivorous dinosaurs up to twice that size. This is at Ardley Quarry, very local to us.

The speaker will be Dr. Duncan Murdock, who is a Collections Manager in Earth Collections at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. He is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Museum’s mineralogy and petrology collections, and parts of the invertebrate palaeontology collections. He also has a significant role in developing new exhibitions and displays from temporary exhibitions.

Don't forget that if you want to watch from home you need to have signed in with Simon Townsend (but only once for the season) (simon.townsend@banburymuseum.org), but that if you come to the Education Studio in the Museum there is a glass of wine available beforehand.

The November bulletin from the Oxfordshire Local History Association is now available, and as usual it is stuffed full of interesting talks, events, exhibitions and more. If you would like to see it, you just need to click on this url.

with best wishes, Deborah Hayter

(Newsletter 29th Sept 2025)

Dear all,

Our next lecture will be on October 9th as usual at 7.30 pm in the education Studio at Banbury Museum. We have Professor Andy Hopper coming to talk to us about Warwick Castle in the Civil Wars. He writes that the castle was an important stronghold for Parliament during the English Civil Wars. It was the seat of the Greville family, headed by the parliamentarian Robert Greville, 2nd Lord Brooke. The castle withstood a siege by royalist forces at the outbreak of civil war in 1642, but Brooke was killed soon after while besieging Lichfield Cathedral Close in March 1643. This lecture will utilize the recently published Brooke Household Accounts (Camden Society, vol. 68, 2024) to examine what life was like in Warwick Castle, and how his widow, family and household adapted to his loss. We will also consider the significant role that Warwick went on to play in the parliamentarian war effort and how the physical structure of the castle survived the slighting inflicted on other midland castles after the second civil war of 1648.

Professor Andy Hopper is Professor of Local and Social History in the Department for Continuing Education at the University of Oxford. He is the author of Black Tom: Sir Thomas Fairfax and the English Revolution (Manchester University Press, 2007), and Turncoats and Renegadoes: Changing Sides during the English Civil Wars (Oxford University Press, 2012).

As usual, members can access the lectures from home if unable to be there in person, and to do this you need to sign in with Simon Townsend (simon.townsend@banburymuseum.org), but you only need to do this once.

Don't forget that there is a glass of wine available from 7 pm beforehand.

Some of you came to the library on the 20th September for our Heritage Open Day, to look at some of the riches we have there and to listen to the series of 10-minute talks. Thanks to Verna for organizing this, and to Rosemary for manning the book stall, and to Stephen Wass for musical accompaniment. Don't forget that the library continues to be available to members on Thursday and Saturday afternoons and you can find more information on the society's website.

We shall have a stall at the Banbury Canal Day (actually two days, October 4th and 5th), and this has been a useful exercise in recent years, to publicize the society, pull in new members and to sell some publications. Rosemary has set up a rota for helpers but would be grateful for a few more who could spare an hour or two to help. (raleadbeater@aim.com)

with best wishes, Deborah Hayter

(Newsletter 25th Aug 2025)

Dear all,
September is almost upon us though at the moment the sun is still shining and it feels like summer still. I hope that you have all had a lovely summer and that you are now looking forward to history – and everything else – starting again for the new season. Your programme cards should arrive soon though no doubt delayed by the bank holiday post.

Our first lecture is on Thursday 11th September as usual at 7.30 pm in the Education Studio of Banbury Museum. For any new members the address is Spiceball Park Road and we now have to enter on the ground floor from the canal towpath. If you are driving it is best to park in Chamberlaine Court car park OX16 2PA (free after 6.30 pm); from there it is 100 yards along the towpath. Don’t forget that there will be a glass of wine available from 7 pm.

Some of you will remember that during last year there was news of surprising and interesting finds at a routine pre-development archaeological survey in Calthorpe Gardens. Border Archaeology who carried out the excavation have now done some of the post-excavation analysis and are going to come and tell us all about it. The lecture is entitled: Calthorpe Gardens – Archaeological Excavations and Finds. They write that a multi-phase programme of archaeological works near Banbury revealed evidence of human occupation from the Middle/ Late Bronze Age and a significant Anglo-Saxon cemetery with the remains of at least 52 individuals, 23,000 counted finds and fragments and items classified as Treasure Trove. This lecture provides an overview of the excavations and a summary of results and their significance.

Border Archaeology, founded in 1997, is a leading provider of archaeological and built heritage consultancy & contracting, working throughout the UK with a diverse portfolio of clients. Examples of their work include 2 million sq.m excavations in Milton Keynes, Project Pilgrim for Gloucester Cathedral and excavations for Winchester College. Amy Bunce is due to represent them for us.

As before, we are continuing to live-stream our lectures for those of you who would rather not drive at night, or who live too far away, and this is via Microsoft Teams Live. To access this you need to let Simon know (simon.townsend@banburymuseum.org), and please do so in plenty of time – it is very difficult for him if people are trying to sign in just as the lecture is due to start. You can sign in from now and he says that he will acknowledge every request: if you don’t get an acknowledgement your email will have disappeared into spam so please try again. Once signed in that will work for the whole season - you don’t need to do so again.

Our vice-president, Dr Barrie Trinder, will be giving his lecture on country carriers to the Adderbury History Association on Monday 15 September – the title on this occasion will be ‘The Village Carrier’. BHS members are very welcome to attend. The meeting is at The Institute, Adderbury, at 7.15 pm for 7.30 pm, and the cost for visitors £5.00.

We hope that lots of you – and your friends – will be interested in the Banbury Historical Society Open Day at Banbury Museum on Saturday 20th September.

This is to coincide with Heritage Open Days, a national initiative to improve heritage access, so we are holding our first Open Day at Banbury Museum. We will be displaying rare treasures from our library and archive collection which reveal some colourful stories, characters and places to bring key periods in Banbury’s history to life. The day will include a rolling programme of relevant short talks, a chance to examine the documents and ask questions, and a bookstall.

Save the date!

The Oxfordshire Local History Association will be holding one of its Study Days on 18th October in Banbury Museum. I know that Barrie Trinder is giving one of the talks and there will be further information to come.

I haven’t sent out any e-newsletters in August until now - newsletter-writers are allowed to have August off too – but the OLHA bulletin still had quite a lot of information in it so if you would like to look at it click this url.

With best wishes,

Deborah Hayter

(Newsletter 2nd May 2025)

Dear all

I am sorry for those of you who were unable to come and see the film we showed in April about Olive Gibbs. The film was beautifully made, and not only was it a fascinating biography of an unusual person with a number of important achievements to her name, but it also gave us an interesting slice of social history through the twentieth century.

Looking forward, we have two summer outings arranged for members. The first is on Saturday 17th May, which will be a Private tour of Chastleton House with time to see the gardens afterwards. Chastleton House is a Grade 1 listed Jacobean building on the borders of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. It was built between 1607 and 1612 by Walter Jones, who had made a fortune as a wool merchant, and the same family owned and lived in the house for nearly 400 years, becoming increasingly impoverished. This meant that no serious rebuilding or updating took place and it remains much as it was. When it ended up with the National Trust in the 1990s the Trust decided to make it watertight but not to smarten it up in any serious way, which gives it an idiosyncratic charm. The house is also famous for its links with the English Civil War, and amongst its treasures is a bible reputedly carried by Charles I to his execution in 1648 and handed to Bishop William Juxon (1582-1663) who accompanied him on the scaffold on 30th January 1649. Juxon was Bishop of London (1633-1646) until deposed during the English Civil War and then Archbishop of Canterbury 1660 until his death in 1663.

One and a half miles from Chastleton House is St Denys Church which serves afternoon teas on Saturdays. Here there are two sets of stained glass, including a superb postwar window by Hugh Easton (1905-65), depicting scenes from the execution of Charles I (holding the bible) with Juxon in attendance.

The gardens exude a sense of peace and relaxation and include clipped topiary and neat croquet lawns contrasting with the more natural Wilderness Walk.

Meet 10.30 am at the House. Cost will be between £13 - £19 (depending on how many we have in the group), payable by card on the day (Sorry, no NT discount for the private tour)

Please sign in with Rosemary Leadbeater (raleadbeater@aim.com).

Our final outing will be On Saturday 14th June when we will have a Guided tour of Ewelme, the church, alms-house and the school, led by Dr. Rowena Archer.

Meet in Ewelme (exact location tbc) at 10.45am. Voluntary contributions welcome on the day plus light refreshments at £5 per head.

As before, please book in with Rosemary Leadbeater (raleadbeater@aim.com)

For anyone who is interested in mills, the weekend of 10th/11th May is National Mills Weekend, and there will be several mills in Oxfordshire open to the public, among them Charney Bassett water mill, where the workings of the mill (Grade 2 listed) have been lovingly restored by the former Vale of White Horse Industrial Archaeology Group. The building will be open from 2-4pm on both Saturday and Sunday afternoons. The weekend is an annual celebration promoted by the Mills Section of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB). Other Oxfordshire mills taking part include Coombe Mill, Wheatley Windmill, and Chinnor Windmill.

Members might be interested in some workshops being run by the Oxfordshire Victoria County History (VCH): Exploring Local History at The Oxfordshire Museum in Woodstock, which continue from 12 May to 9 June, on Monday mornings, 10am-1pm.

Each workshop includes three short illustrated talks on particular topics, with a pronounced ‘how to find out more’ element and plenty of time for discussion. The series is particularly aimed at people engaged in their own local history research, who would like a bit of guidance and some broad historical background - with coffee and biscuits included!

Topics include vernacular buildings; farming, estates, and communities; religion; and market towns. Each workshop costs £10.
Full details and booking information here (scroll down to find each session)

The OLHA bulletin for May contains even more good events and exhibitions that you might enjoy – to access it visit this url.

with best wishes, Deborah Hayter

(Newsletter 19th March 2025)

Dear all,

We have an extra lecture slotted in next week on Thursday 27th March. You may remember that we had to cancel December's lecture as the Museum had no heating, but we were fortunate to be able to find a date when both our lecturer and the Museum were available this year. So next week we have Mike Heaney coming to talk to us about The Ancient English Morris Dance.

Where does Morris dancing come from? Why will you find men and women dancing with bells on their legs outside country pubs all through the summer, waving handkerchiefs or clashing sticks? Do you believe them if they tell you it’s a pagan fertility ritual? This talk disentangles the myth from the real history, uncovers the different kinds of Morris dancing, and reveals where its origins lie and where it is going.

Mike Heaney’s book The Ancient English Morris Dance will be available to buy at the discount price of £24.

Mike Heaney spent his career at the Bodleian Library, simultaneously pursuing his interests in custom and local history. He’s an acknowledged authority on Morris dancing, the author of The Ancient English Morris Dance (2023) and editor of (and contributor to) the books Percy Manning: The Man who Collected Oxfordshire (2017) and The Histories of Morris (2018).

We've been sent information about a talk about archaeological discoveries in and around Shipston-on-Stour. "What Lies Beneath - unearthing Shipston’s past".
Planning applications can be the start of uncovering fascinating archaeological remains. This is especially true in this area close to the Roman Fosseway and the Anglo-Saxon origins of Shipston. Several local sites range from medieval ridge-and-furrow that has been masked by modern ploughs to Roman farmsteads on Shipston’s outskirts to a prehistoric henge from 6.000 years ago near Newbold-on-Stour.

"What Lies Beneath" talk at Townsend Hall, 2.30 (doors open 2.15) Saturday 29th March. Tickets £5 on the door.

With best wishes,

Deborah Hayter

(Newsletter 5th Mar 2025)

Dear all

Next week on the 13th March we have our penultimate lecture of this season, and we are pleased that we have Carol Anderson returning to us to talk on Over the Hills to Glory: the Ascott Martyrs. She writes that for a short time in the early 1870s, the village of Ascott-under-Wychwood achieved national fame, perhaps even notoriety, when 16 women (two with their babies) were jailed for supporting men on strike in support of a claim for an improvement in their meagre wages. The women’s story is interesting both for the light it sheds on the early history of agricultural trade unionism in Oxfordshire, and on the everyday lives of a group of women whose actions presented such a startling contrast to the popular idea of passive, submissive, apolitical, Victorian womanhood.

Carol Anderson was previously Director of the Oxfordshire Museum, Woodstock, and Manager of the County Museum Service. Her interest in the archaeology and history of Oxfordshire is wide ranging – she came to us a few years ago to talk about glove-making in Oxfordshire. She is a Trustee of the Oxfordshire Buildings Trust; Chair of the Ascott Martyrs Educational Trust; and Study Day Organiser for the Oxfordshire Local History Association.

We hope that you have the society’s summer outings in your diaries already, but Rosemary has provided further information as follows:

Saturday 17th May:

Private tour of Chastleton House with time to see the gardens afterwards. Chastleton House is a Grade 1 listed Jacobean building on the borders of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. It was built between 1607 and 1612 by Walter Jones, a wealthy woolmerchant, and the Jones family owned the house for almost 400 years. Because they never had so much money again, the house and its contents remained largely unchanged, unlike many other big houses, making it an important example of a house of that period. The National Heritage Memorial Fund bought the house and then gifted it to the National Trust in 1991.

The house was not in a good state when the Trust acquired it, but they chose to preserve the house and gardens as they were, apart from basic repairs to roofs and so on, rather than ‘over-restore’ it to pristine conditions. So it retains its original furniture and an informal atmosphere, complete with a lot of dust the last time I visited.

The house has been used for a number of period films, including Wolf Hall, and is famous for its links with the English Civil War.

The gardens exude a sense of peace and relaxation and include clipped topiary and neat croquet lawns contrasting with the more natural Wilderness Walk.

Meet 10.30 am at the house. Cost will be between £13 - £19 (depending on how many we have in the group), payable by card on the day (Sorry, no NT discount for the private tour).

Saturday 14th June:

Guided tour of Ewelme, the church, alms-house and the school, led by Dr. Rowena Archer.

Some of you may remember the lecture we had from Rowena Archer about Alice, Countess of Suffolk. She and her husband were granted permission by Henry VI to remodel the church at Ewelme and create a chantry chapel. This meant also building Cloisters in which 13 poor men would live in order that they could perform prayers daily in the church for Alice’s salvation, with two priests also, one to take services in the church, one to act as schoolmaster.

All chantries were got rid of in the Edwardian Reformation, but the Cloisters – now the Almshouses - were allowed to keep their endowments and maintain the poor men living there. The church, almshouse courtyard, and the school just next door are all of the same period – 15th century - and architecturally delightful. The school is said to be the oldest primary school building in England still being used for its original purpose – though they do have some more modern buildings too.

Meet in Ewelme (exact location tbc) at 10.45am. Voluntary contributions welcome on the day plus light refreshments at £5 per head.

Please contact Rosemary Leadbeater, raleadbeater@aim.com to book either or both trips.

We are going to have a lecture about Morris Dancing on March 27th (we were due to have this in December but there was no heating in the Museum); there is going to be a special performance of traditional Cotswold Morris dancing by Eynsham Morris on Saturday 24th May at 2 pm outside The Oxfordshire Museum in Woodstock. This is part of an exhibition there all about the sculptor Michael Black.

The Society of Genealogists is running a free on-line session on Researching in Oxfordshire on Monday 14 April (2:00-3:30pm), featuring short presentations by staff from Oxfordshire History Centre, Oxfordshire Family History Society, Oxfordshire Record Society, Victoria County History, the Historic Towns Trust, and others. Further information and booking here.

To see the wealth of interesting talks, exhibitions and courses available to view in the OLHA bulletin, click on this url.

With best wishes, Deborah Hayter

(Newsletter 3rd Feb 2025)

Dear all,

We are very privileged to have Professor John Blair coming to give us a lecture on the 13th February. His subject will be Organisation and planning in the Mercian kingdom: a context for Anglo-Saxon Banbury. He writes that although Banbury is undocumented before the 1060s, there is now important archaeological evidence for a ditched enclosure east of the church, perhaps radially planned, dating from the period of the Mercian supremacy. This lecture will relate this feature to comparable sites, and suggest a context in the organisation of the eighth- to ninth-century Mercian kingdom.

Professor John Blair is an Emeritus Fellow at the Queen’s College, Oxford. He is a medieval historian and archaeologist with research interests in early medieval settlement and landscape, early medieval buildings and material culture, and early medieval ritual and belief. He has a number of important books to his name including Anglo-Saxon Oxfordshire, Planning in the early Medieval Landscape, and Building Anglo-Saxon England. An Oxford academic, speaking to me, once referred to John Blair as ‘the nearest thing to God in Anglo-Saxon studies’. The last named book contains some interesting information about archaeological discoveries in Banbury and what they signify, which I certainly had not come across anywhere else, so it seemed to be a good basis on which to ask him to come to us.

Rosemary Leadbeater has asked me to give you a ‘Save the Date’ for the two summer outings that we have arranged. On Saturday 17th May in the morning we shall visit Chastleton House and garden, on the borders of Oxon and Gloucestershire, and on Saturday 14th June we shall have a guided tour of Ewelme, the church, the almshouse and the school, led by Dr. Rowena Archer. Some of you may remember the talk she gave us about Chaucer’s daughter, the Duchess of Suffolk, who rebuilt the church and built and endowed the almshouse. More information about the outings next time.

Lots of interest as usual in the OLHA February bulletin – to read it all click this url.

With best wishes,

Deborah Hayter

(Newsletter 14th Dec 2024)

Dear all,

Following last week's unfortunate cancellation because of the Museum's lack of heating, we have decided to slot an extra date into the calendar, and Mike Heaney will be coming to give his lecture on the 'History of Morris Dancing' on Thursday 27th March. We are so sorry that we have not been able to find a date before then that was possible both for the Museum and for Mike, but we hope that you will put it in your diaries now.
Our next lecture in 2025 is on January 9th when we will have Dr. Charlotte Young talking about Sequestration in Oxfordshire during the British Civil Wars.
I hope you all have a very happy and peaceful Christmas and we look forward to seeing you again in the New Year.
Deborah Hayter

(Newsletter 2nd Dec 2024)

Dear all,

Our next lecture will be on Thursday December 12th when we will have Mike Heaney talking about The Ancient English Morris Dance. You may have wondered where Morris dancing comes from? Why will you find men and women dancing with bells on their legs outside country pubs all through the summer, waving handkerchiefs or clashing sticks? Do you believe them if they tell you it’s a pagan fertility ritual? This talk disentangles the myth from the real history, uncovers the different kinds of Morris dancing, and reveals where its origins lie and where it is going.

Mike Heaney spent his career at the Bodleian Library, simultaneously pursuing his interests in custom and local history. He’s an acknowledged authority on Morris dancing, the author of The Ancient English Morris Dance (2023) and editor of (and contributor to) the books: Percy Manning: The Man who Collected Oxfordshire (2017) and The Histories of Morris (2018). Mike Heaney’s book The Ancient English Morris Dance will be available to buy at the discount price of £24.

As usual, the lecture will take place in the Education Studio of Banbury Museum at 7.30pm, but you can watch at home, by signing in with Simon Townsend (simon.townsend@banburymuseum.org), if you haven’t already done so – once is enough. If you stay at home you forgo the glass of wine available from 7 pm.

If you haven’t yet been to see the current exhibition at Banbury Museum, The Changing Face of Banbury: a constantly evolving town, you should do so – it is fascinating, especially for those of us whose memories of Banbury go back a long way. It continues until March 2025.

On December 9th the Oxfordshire Family History Society (OFHS) is holding an Open evening, when there will be a chance to see BOND (the Big Oxfordshire Names Database) in action. All members and non-members are welcome, but registration is required. On-line, 7:15pm.

The Oxfordshire History Centre has published a new addition to its on-line resources: the Oxfordshire Field-Names Survey. This was created between 1970 and 1993 by Oxfordshire County Council’s Sites and Monuments Record, on plastic transparencies designed to be viewed over six-inch Ordnance Survey maps. The digitised field-name maps are now freely available on-line and show how historic field-names have been used in particular localities and across the Oxfordshire landscape.

The last three items I have picked up from the OLHA e-newsletter which as always is full of all sorts of interesting events, exhibitions, talks and more. If you would like to read the whole thing, just click on this url.

With best wishes for a Happy Christmas to all our members, Deborah Hayter

(Newsletter 5th Nov 2024)

Dear all,

Our next lecture will be on Thursday November 14th when we will have Dr. Rowena E. Archer talking about 'Love and Marriage in Medieval Oxfordshire'. The lecture will explore the law on marriage and the experiences of some women in the county. Rowena Archer lives at Hanwell (some members may remember Stephen Wass talking about the extraordinary 17th-century garden archaeology found there - that is her garden); she has been a lecturer in medieval history at Oxford since 1981. Her research focusses on the late medieval aristocracy and in particular on women. She has spoken to us before and it has always been fascinating: one of her lectures sticks in my mind which was all about the various ways of dealing with bodies - particularly of important people who happened to die in the wrong/inconvenient place. It was quite gruesome. This I'm sure will not be gruesome but I'm sure it will be interesting.
As always, the lecture will take place in the Education Studio of Banbury Museum, but it is possible for people to watch this at home, by signing in with Simon Townsend (simon.townsend@banburymuseum.org). If you have already done this you don't need to do it again as you will be on his list. Don't forget that if you come to the lecture in person there is the opportunity for a glass of wine from 7 pm.

November's monthly bulletin from OLHA is now available with all sorts of interesting events and exhibitions for local historians to enjoy. I have picked out two snippets below, but if you would like to read the whole thing click on this url

Professor William Gibson will give a lecture on James II, Oxford and Oxfordshire at 2.15pm on Saturday 30 November in the lecture theatre of the Weston Library in Oxford. The event is organised by the Oxfordshire Record Society and will be followed by the society’s AGM.

OLHA’s autumn study day will be on Saturday 9 November in Burford, on the subject of 'The Far Promised Land: A History of Emigration from Oxfordshire'. The day will include three interesting illustrated talks, a book stall, private visits to the Tolsey Museum and the new Archive building, and a guided walk around the town. All this for £14, barely more than the cost of a passage to Australia.
The new exhibition in Banbury Museum, entitled 'The Changing Face of Banbury - A constantly evolving town', is beautifully done and absolutely fascinating, for anyone who has known Banbury for some time. There are rare photographs, treasured artefacts, and interactive displays, which show how our marketplace has evolved, how industries have shifted, and how our communities have been shaped by both tradition and transformation. From the bustling streets and local landmarks to the modern developments of today; you can discover how our community has grown and adapted. One of the most striking photos for me was the one looking down the high street - full of people and shops - and with cars parked all the way down. I remember my mother going to do her shopping in Banbury and in those days you just stopped the car outside the shop and went in.
With best wishes,
Deborah Hayter

(Newsletter 30th Sept 2024)

Dear all,

On Thursday, October 10th, we shall have Dr. Tim Reinke-Williams talking about "Physical Attractiveness and the Female Life-Cycle in Seventeenth-Century England". This talk focuses on how women of the aristocracy, gentry and middling-sorts in seventeenth-century England conceptualised their own physical attractiveness and that of other women. Diaries, letters, autobiographies, and portraits will be used to show how women sought to present themselves. The importance of good looks increased during adolescence and once women reached an age when they were expected to marry. How women sought to maintain an age-appropriate but attractive appearance as they passed through middle and into old age will be discussed too.
Dr Tim Reinke-Williams is a Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Northampton and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Tim researches gender, work and the body in Britain, in the period c.1500-1750, and is the author of Women, Work and Sociability in Early Modern London (Palgrave, 2014).

Don't forget that if you want to watch from home you need to sign in with Simon (simon.townsend@banburymuseum.org), but if you have already done so you don't need to do it again. But if you come to the Museum in person there is the opportunity for a glass of wine from 7 pm.

This coming weekend (5th/6th October) is Banbury's Canal Festival where we will have a stand in the Lidl carpark, and we could do with some more volunteers to help. This is an excellent opportunity to pull in some new members and to talk about local history with the passing punters. If you could spare an hour or two on Saturday or Sunday please contact Rosemary Leadbeater (raleadbeater@aim.com) - she is co-ordinating our efforts there.

With best wishes, Deborah Hayter