NEWSLETTER 10th October 2021
Agricultural labourers 1870. TUC library.
October Evening Talk. Our next session in the Village Hall on Friday 15th October at 7.30pm will be led by Michal Luntley with his folk trio, in an evening entitled From This Ground: songs and stories about 19thcentury Warwickshire agricultural workers. The 19th century saw a see-saw in the fortunes of the farming community. The mid-century was a period of prosperity innovation and expansion, at least for estate owners, but from the 1870s there was a catastrophic downturn. The late 19th century saw a great agricultural depression when labourers wages were often at poverty level.
Michael Luntley with the trio Tricaorach
Activists from our part of Warwickshire played a significant role in the reform of these conditions, started by representatives who came from the agricultural labouring community. Joseph Arch of Barford founded the National Agricultural Labourers Union and became an MP, and Joseph Ashby of Tysoe was a liberal social reformer who championed the agricultural workers’ cause.
The conditions of work, the low wages and the poor state of rural homes, often tied cottages, were the subjects of several inquiries and reports, both official and personal, and cases of hardship were commonplace. Emigration was often the only sensible recourse and villagers from our area migrated to Canada, Australia and New Zealand in search of better lives. From This Ground will include songs, stories and poems about this period of our history, a period which ultimately ushered in the great improvements in agricultural workers’ conditions and wages in the early 20th century.
At present there are no mandatory covid-related restrictions on the use of the village hall, so we expect to present a normal evening. However, we advise that masks should be worn, and that the hand washing facilities be used. Please wrap up warmly as the hall will be ventilated. To minimise risk there will be no tea and biscuits, sorry.
Tram dropping in for a quick one. Photo: Windows on Warwickshire
Report on September meeting. Peter Coulls described the birth, operation and demise of The Warwick and Leamington Tramways. After a stuttering beginning it was inaugurated in 1881 as a horse drawn service on 3’ 6” gauge rails. The timetable started at 5.30am and the last tram was at 11.07pm – those were the days! The original route from Warwick was intended to go down High Street and through the Eastgate archway, but an official inspection pointed out that the upper deck passengers would lose their heads. The suggestion that they could dismount and walk around the arch to reboard on the other side was deemed unworkable, and the line was diverted round the arch. he resulting sharp curve was an accident waiting to happen which it duly did in 1916, when a speeding tram left the tracks and crashed through the wall of the Castle Arms. A postcard photographer was rapidly on the scene to immortalise the incident. The horse drawn carriages were replaced by electric cars in 1905, and the gauge changed to the standard 4’ 8” of the main line railways. Peter Coulls showed many historic pictures of Warwick and Leamington in the background of shots of the tramway and its often crowded carriages. As an archaeologist I was pleased to see that, although all trace of the tramway was supposed to have been ripped up in 1931 at the end of the tramway, which was confirmed to have been done, a stretch of line was spotted (by Mrs Coulls) in a service trench. The limitations of documents! The evening was thoroughly absorbing, and Peter gave a fascinating insight into local transport a century ago.
Membership. If you are a Member of the group but have not paid your 2021 subscription yet (£10) our NEW 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, or by BACS to our bank business account:
name: Kineton and District Local History Group,
sort code: 40-43-19;
acc. no. 71281992. Please be sure to include your full name so we can correctly attribute your payment! Or you can pay at the talk.
2021 Programme update:
Oct 15 Michael Luntley: From This Ground: songs and stories about 19thcentury Warwickshire agricultural workers
Nov 19 Ellie Reid Dressing up the Past: the 1906 Warwick Pageant and the 20th century pageant movement in Warwickshire.
Dec 10 Christmas treats
2022
Jan 21 George Derbyshire: Arts and Crafts in the Cotswolds
Feb 18 James Ranahan: The Photographer’s Gaze: Viewing Warwickshire Since 1839
Mar 18 AGM
Official covid advice and regulations may change for better or worse in the coming months, so we will be assessing the programme one meeting at a time and we will confirm each event when we are reasonably confident that we can run it.
Other Society News
Warwickshire Local History Society
K&DLHG is affiliated to WLHS and our members are entitled to join their meetings.
Many other local societies are running their talk series via zoom! Check the Warwickshire Local History Society website for up-to-date lists. https://www.warwickshirehistory.org.uk
British Association for Local History. The Group is also a Member of BALH and they run lectures and talks which are open to our members, and some of which are available via Zoom. Check out their website at: balh.org.uk
Thursday, 21st October. David Beaumont, Catherine Petrie and Jenny Handscombe were part of a group of volunteers who transcribed Loss Accounts from the Civil War. The Battle of Edge Hill took place on October 23 and Warmington Heritage Group present their findings in the church at Radway where David was instrumental in getting Heritage Lottery funding for the Civil War exhibition. For details: http://www.battleofedgehillexhibitionradway.org.uk/
Warwickshire in WWII
The link below takes you to a fascinating article about WWII in the locality, keep going to the end to read about PoW Camp 31 at Ettington.
Other local on-line offerings:
Birmingham Museum virtual tour https://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/bmag/virtual-tour
Herefordshire Museum and Art Gallery Life through a Lens virtual tour https://www.herefordshirelifethroughalens.org.uk/virtual-exhibitiontours/
Warwick Castle Virtual Tour https://historyview.org/library/warwick-castle/
Don’t forget to check our own website at:
Kineton and District Local History Group (kinetonhistory.co.uk)
KDLHG Committee
President: Robert Bearman MBE
Chairman David Freke
Vice-Chairman Roger Gaunt
Secretary Ilona Sekacz
Treasurer Alec Hitchman
Outings Secretary Isobel Gill Rosemary Collier
Programme Secretary Claire Roberts
Membership Secretary Pam Redgrave
Other Committee Members
Catherine Petrie
Peter Waters
Rosemary Collier
George Lokuciejewski
Breaking News. Our former Treasurer Ted Crofts has now left us for pastures new, but long live the new Treasurer: Alec Hitchman, who volunteered to take on the mantle at our September meeting.
Committee News. The committee met on 16th September, at Pamela Redgrave’s home. We heard that our finances are in good order, with both outings making a profit, and the membership up to 70. Alec Hitchman agreed to take the position of Treasurer, ensuring a seamless transition from Ted. Pamela Redgrave volunteered to look after the Membership, a job that Ted had also carried out. Topic suggestions for 2021-22 included the Coventry Blitz, Roman Cooking, the history of Kineton schools, village food and drink, and the history of pest control. Outing venues in 2022 considered were Henley in Arden, Knapton on the Hill, Brailes, Wootten Wawen, the Shipston Museum and the Wellesbourne Horticultural Research Station. If members wish to suggest speakers or raise any matters for consideration by the committee please talk to one of the committee at our meetings or contact the Chairman.
Date of next Committee meeting: 15th November, 7.00pm, at Pamela Redgrave’s home by kind invitation: 8 King John’s Road, Kineton, CV35 0HS
DF 11.10.21
Contact: David Freke
Email frekedj@globalnet.co.uk
07876 290044