News & Reports
May 29, 2019|Reports
Wickham History Society: Annual Report 2018-2019
Chair’s Introduction: It’s been a busy year for the Society. We hope you have had a look at the village history boards and our new look website and have enjoyed this year’s talks. Have you got your copy of the second edition of the Guide to Historic Wickham, published in 2018? Copies on sale at…
Find Out More »April 30, 2019|Reports
“Simon De Montfort and the First English Revolution” – Dr Sophie Ambler
Wickham owes its market square to a charter from Henry III (1207-1272) so it was disappointing to hear from Dr Sophie Ambler that he was not one of our better kings. Sophie’s family live in Hampshire but she lectures in medieval history at the University of Lancaster and 65 member and visitors were present on…
Find Out More »March 31, 2019|Reports
“Wickham’s Mill and Water Meadows” – Geoff Phillpotts
In 1656, a Mr Mowbray, tenant farmer of Great Funtley Farm on Titchfield Road, is said to have built Wickham’s ‘New River’ – running for about four miles from the current water meadows in the centre of the village to the farm. Over 60 members and visitors heard from Geoff Phillpotts on Tuesday 26th March…
Find Out More »February 28, 2019|Reports
“Causes of Death” – Dr Simon Wills
A cheerful topic for our February meeting! Dr Simon Wills took 42 members and visitors on a trip down a morbid memory lane looking at how the major causes of death have changed since the earliest records – dating back as far as 1660. While today our “top five” are cancer, heart disease, stroke, pneumonia…
Find Out More »January 31, 2019|Reports
“A Roman Service Station ?” Jeremy Clutterbuck of Cotswold Archaeology
A cold, damp January evening is not the most inviting time to go out but the Houghton Room was full to capacity on January 22nd to hear Jeremy Clutterbuck talk about Cotswold Archaeology’s exciting finds on the Glebe field (behind School Road). A planned open day last year had to be cancelled due to site…
Find Out More »January 31, 2019|Reports
“Deciphering a 12th century Wickham Manuscript” – Jim Coleman & Geoff Phillpotts
Sadly David Houghton was unable to give his planned talk due to ill health but Jim Coleman kindly filled the gap with a fascinating insight into the hard task of deciphering medieval latin documents. Before 1735 many legal documents were still in latin: in Wickham’s case this included manor court documents, church court cases, bonds…
Find Out More »January 26, 2019|News
Wickham History Boards are Installed!
In January 2019 twelve information boards highlighting different aspects of Wickham’s history – using text, photos and illustrations – were installed at key locations around the village. A brief ceremony to unveil the history boards took place on the Village Green, Bridge Street, opposite St Nicholas Church at noon on Saturday 26th January. Nearly 70…
Find Out More »December 31, 2018|Reports
“A Butler’s Christmas” by Dr Bob France
The December 11th joint Christmas meeting with the Wickham Society took place in the Woodford Room in order to accommodate members and guests of both two societies. It was given by Dr Bob France, costumed as a Victorian butler, a role he takes on for visitors at both Petworth House and Uppark. You may already…
Find Out More »November 30, 2018|Reports
“Remembrance and Commemoration” by Neil Bond
November 2018 was the centenary of the end of the Great War and our November 27th talk was given by Neil Bond, wearing the uniform of a Great War army “Padre”. It was a thoughtful and challenging talk to 35 members and guests of Wickham History Society on how we think of and remember those…
Find Out More »October 30, 2018|Reports
“Salisbury – A Tale of Two Cities (Part 2)” by Andrew Negus
On 23rd October 53 members and guests of Wickham History Society had another barnstorming talk from Andrew Negus – his ‘Part 2’ of the history of Salisbury, following his very well received talk last year. We first ‘finished off’ the cathedral, learning and seeing more about the magnificent decorative stone and wood carvings and also…
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