CAKE &
COCKHORSE
8i
BANBURY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
SPRING 1983. PRICE f l . 00
ISSN 0522-0823
BANBURY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
President:
The Lord Saye and Sele
Chairman:
J. S. W . Gibson, Harts Cottage, Church Hanborough, Oxford. OX7 2AB.
Magazine Editor:
D. E . M . Fiennes, Woadmill F a r m , Broughton, Banbury. OX15 6AR.
Acting Hon. Treasurer:
Miss Mary Stanton,
1 2 Kennedy House,
Orchard Way, Banbury.
(Tel: 57754)
Hon. Secretary:
M r s N . M . Clifton,
Senendone House,
Shenington, Banbury
(Tel: Edge Hill 262)
Hon. Membership Secretary:
M r s Sarah Gosling,
Banbury iMuseum,
8 Horsefair, Banbury.
(Tel: 59855)
Records Series Editor:
J.S.W. Gibson,
Harts Cottage,
Church Hanborough, Oxford OX7 2AB.
(Tel: Freeland (0993)882982)
Committee Members:
Dr E . Asser, Mrs G . Beeston, M r s G.W. Brinkworth,
M r N. Griffiths, M r G. de C. P a r m i t e r , M r J . F . Roberts
Details about the Society’s activities and
publications can be found on the inside back cover
\
The Magazine of the Banbury Historical Society. Issued three times a y e a r .
Volume 9
i
Number 2
Alan Sibson
Christopher Sinclair-Stevenson
Spring 1983
Inventory of Goods of
Nathaniel Fiennes, died 1669
38
High Days and Holidays
in Hook Norton
49
Pudding T i m e in Oxfordshire
52
~
Book Reviews
56
25TH ANNIVERMRY
1983 i s the Silver Jubilee Year of the Banbury Historical Society. This
important occasion i s to be celebrated a t a gathering to be held on Friday,
22 April.
It was following a s e r i e s of l ect ur es given by the late and greatly respected Dr Brinkworth that the Society w as formed, and it i s to Dr Brinkworth and to J e r e m y Gibson that o u r special thanks are due.
Looking back through the pages of Cake and Cockhorse a reader cannot
fail to appreciate the historical importance and interest of the Banbury
region and to note the g r e a t contribution that this Society and its Journal
have made to o u r b e t t er understanding of i t s history.
May the next 25 y e a r s be as fruitful and as rewarding - and may they
produce many new m e m b e r s and particularly young m em bers to join our
Society .
Saye and Sele
I
T h e ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING i s a t Aynho P a r k , on Saturday,
June l l t h , 1983, a t probably 5 pm.
T h e editor very much r e g r e t s hi s absence on business abroad at the time
of the preparation of this i s s ue.
Cover illustration: "Cake and Cockhorse " in celebration of The Banbury
Historical Society's 25th Anniversary.
27
INVENTORY O F GOODS OF NATHANIEL FIENNES, DIED 1669
A T R U E and perfect Inventarie of all the goodes and Chattells
of the honourable Nathanael Fiennes of Newton Tony in the
County of Wilts Esquire late deceased (excepting such goodes
and Chattells of the said deceased as are a t Bromby Wood Hall
in the County of Lincolne) taken and apprized by u s whose
names are hereunder subscribed this fourteenth day of
January in the one and twentith yeare of his Majesties Reigne
that now ie over England &c Annoque domini 1669./
€NPRIMIS his weareing Apparel1
xxxf ./
Item his Study of Bookes
xxx f . /
Item one young Saddle Nagg
Vf./
Item two old Saddle Mares
vjf./
Item two Chariot Horses
xvii j f /
Item four Coach Horses
xxxijf./
Item three Carthorses
ixf./
Item fifteen k w e s
xlf./
Item fourscore pigges
vjf./
Item one old Wagon three old dungcartes two ploughes
)
harrowes Harness and all other implements of
) xf./
husbandry thereunto belonging
)
Item fiue hundred Ewes and Ramms one hundred
)
) Clxxxf./
Chilver two th one hundred Chilver tegges a t
)
thirty pounds the hundred
Item fortie fiue Quarters of Wheat in the Barne and
Lf./
)
in Reckes
Lxiijf./
Item eightie Quarters of Barley in the Barnes
Item twenty Quarters of Oates in the Barne
Xf. /
xiij f /
Item eleven Tunns of Hay
xxxiiij f ./
Item ten Quarters of Saint Foine seed in the House
xxxf /
Item fiue and twenty q u a r t e r s of Wheat new sown
Item one Fame two Bushells, three and twenty Sackes
iiijf./
and other thinges belonging to t h e Barne
Item an old Chariot and a pair of harness to it
V f ./
Item fiue Saddles, Bridles and other thinges belonging
) XIS./
)
to the Hackney Stable
Item one peice of Timber, and all the wood in ye backside
LS./
Item two Reek Stauells
XIS. /
Item Geese Turkeys and other Poultry
xxs /
iijf./
Item six Stone troughs and two Wood troughs valued at
Item the ladders and Cowe Racks about the House
xxs /
ixf /
Item nine Hogges of Bacon
xxxs ./
Item two P o r k e r s barelled up
iiij f .xvs /
Item fiue Quarters of Mault
-
.
{
.
.
.
.
.
.
38
.
xvjs .viijd /
xxvjs .viijd ./
xxs./
I t e m f i u e d o s e n of B u t t e r
I t e m two hundred weight of s c i m m d C h e e s e
I t e m 4 I r o n b a r r s , e d g tooles Scales and Weightes
SUMMA TOTA LIS
VIC
vf.
XVIIIS IIIID./
Jonathan Hill. R o g e r Pope. J o h n G r e l e h i s m a r k e .
Apprizors.
A T R U E and p e r f e c t Inventary of a l l t h e g o o d e s C h a t t e l l s
and housholdstuff of the h o n o u r a b l e Nathanael F i e n n e s of
Newton T o n y in the County of W i l t s E s q u i r e late d e c e a s e d ,
which are at Bromby Wood Hall in t h e County of Lincoln
taken and a p p r i z e d b y u s w h o s e n a m e s are h e r e u n d e r subs c r i b e d t h i s s e c o n d d a y of F e b r u a r y in t h e two and twentieth
y e a r e of h i s M a j e s t i e s Reign t h a t now i s , o v e r England &c
Annoque d o m i n i 1669./
INPRIMIS o n e hundred s e a v e n t y two E w e s
) Lxviij f .x v j s ./
)
a t eight P o u n d s p e r score
I t e m o n e hundred ninety f i u e W e a t h e r s at v i j E p e r score
Lxviij f .v s ./
I t e m o n e hundred a n d t w e l u e h o g g e s at v f . p e r score
xxviij '. /
Item fower R a m m s
XIS./
I t e m twelue d r a u g h t O x e n
xlviij f ./
I t e m nine S t e e r s
xviijc. /
Item fiue Heyfars
vijf. xs./
Item fower Calues
xxs /
Item eight draught H o r s e s
Xf./
I t e m f o w e r young H o r s e s y e a r e o l d
L i i j s . iiijd./
I t e m two C o l t s
viijf./
I t e m two Swyne
xiiijs /
I t e m o n e C a r t two Muckwaynes t w o C o r n e Waynes
)1 v j f . /
and two P l o u g h s
I t e m f o w e r Iron h a r r o w e s e i g h t y o k e s a n d eight t e e m e s
)
fower p a i r e of H o r s e geares f o r t h e C a r t f o w e r
1
i i i j f . x v j s . iiijd./
t u m b r e l l s n i n e s h e e p cratches two b e a s t c r a t c h e s
ten s a c k e s t h r e e w a y n e s with o t h e r t h i n g e s
)
belonging to h u s b a n d r y
)
Item Rye threshed and unthreshed
VE. /
Item Barley threshed and unthreshed
X f ./
Item Oates threshed and unthreshed
xv f. /
I t e m Pease
XS./
I t e m H a y in the Stack
xxf. /
I t e m F e w e l l , Beast t r o u g h s w i t h s t o c k e s a n d b l o c k e s and
) xxxiijs. iiijd./
o t h e r wood a b o u t the y a r d
)
Item one Ladder
iijs.iiijd.
Item W i n t e r C o r n e s o w e n
xf.xjs./
Item one g r a y M a r e
v f xjS./
.
.
.
39
Item t h r e e hundred of T i l e
Housholdstuff. In the Hall.
INPRIMIS t h r e e T a b l e s t h r e e C h a y r e s and one Iron grate
In the Little P a r l o u r .
Item twelue R u s s i a C h a i r s one little table one s i d e bord
one p a i r e of Andirons &c
Item two featherbedes two flockbedes fower b o l s t e r s
two Pillowes t h r e e Rugges one p a i r e of C u r t a i n e s
eight blankettes fiue s h e e t e s eighteen Napkins and
three tableclothes
In the Hall C h a m b e r .
Item one Cupbord one Table two old C h a i r e s
one bedsteed &c,
In the P a r l o u r Chamber & o t h e r Roomes.
Item fiue bedsteedes two C h e s e r r a c k e s two Cheeseshelues
two old C h e s t s two Hogsheades two half hogsheades
one gantry one firkyn &c.
In the Pantry.
Item one old C h a i r e one doughtub o n e g a n t r y two dosen of
t r e n c h e r s a Cheeseplate a stand of s h e l u e s &c.
In the Dairy.
Item seaven Kimnells one B u t t e r bowle t h r e e Cheesefattes
a p a i r e of butter scales a Churne, a C h e e s e p r e s s
a powdring tub a stand of s h e l u e s &c
In the Kitchin.
Item one Kitt, a Swynetub two Mashfattes one yeelding
tub one gailetub two Cowles a p a i r of bellowes
a Chipping bord two washtubs &c
Item one f i r e g r a t e a p a i r of Andirons fireshouell and
tonges a p a i r of pothookes a p a i r of Iron R a c k e s
one Iron fender one iron pott a frying pan a pitch
pott &c.
Item one b r a s s pott two b r a s s s k i l l e t t e s one b r a s s Ladle
Item three pewter d i s h e s , two pewter s a u c e r s
Item one dredging pott, o n e dripping pan of Tynn &C
Item two P i t c h e r s two Cupps two c h a m b e r pottes
one Chafingdish two Candlestickes fiue butterpottes
all e a r t h e n W a r e
~
(Becond m e m b r a n e )
Item t h r e e Saltes o n e h a i r Sieue and f o u r old s h e e p T r a y e s
In the Mill.
Item one Gauelock two dosen of P i c k e s &c
SUMMA TOTA LIS
E: South. Willim Healey.
40
ixs
./
xxvs. f
1 iijf.vs./
1
)
) ixf.xiijs.viijd./
)
)
) xxiijs.vjd./
1~
)
). xliiijs. ijd. /
)
) viijs./
)
)
)
xiijs.viijd./
)
)
xxviijS.vjd./
)
)
)
)
xviijS.iiijd./
xxxiijS.iiijd.
vjs./
viijd./
)
) iijs. vijd./
1
iiijs./
xxjs.
c C C L X V I I ~ . IXDTho: Fowler. J o s e p h Proudloue./
ITEM r e a d y money in the h o u s e
Item the principal1 money d u e on two s e v e r a l l Mortgages
Item money due on bond which i s looked on as d e s p e r a t e
Item money due by p r o m i s e 2 5 Gynnyes d e s p e r a t e
Item Arrears of Rent due f r o m Bromby att Michaelmas
and M o r t i n m a s l a s t p a s t d e s p e r a t e
Item money due on bond b e s i d e s what i s aboue d e s p e r a t e
xlvf. /
iijM.viijC './
xxxf,/
xxvf. /
) xliijf.vjS.viij
...d
)
xf./
THEIS GOODS next u n d e r followeing
being housholdstuff and Utensills for housekeeping
Inventaryed at the s a m e t i m e are appointed by the
Will of the T e s t a t o r to r e m a i n e for the u s e of the
Relict of t h e s a i d T e s t a t o r , and t h e r e f o r e not valued
which are in p a r t i c u l a r as followeth./
In h i s Lodging C h a m b e r . /
INPRIMIS a s u i t e of Arras hanginges a white bed wrought
with g r e e n work, C u r t a i n s and vallens T e s t e r and
headpeice of the s a m e w o r k e Also fower C h a y r e s and
two s i d e bord Clothes of the s a m e worke, o n e l a r g e
Featherbed, t h r e e blankettes, one b o l s t e r , two pillowes
one r e d Rugg. Bedsteed Matt and Cord, one r e d Couch
of Serge with a Featherbed and pillowe in it, a blanket
and a r e d Covering, o n e Chest of d r a w e r s two little
C h a i r e s a little p a i r e of Andirons with s m a l l b r a s s
heades, fireshovell tonges and bellowes two white and
g r e e n s t a n d e s , a peice in f r a m e over the Chimney a r e d
s i l k e Quilt a lookeing glass and two hanging s h e l u e s
In h i s Studie. /
ITEM one g r e e n Couch o n e turnd C h a i r e , one g r e e n
Cushion one d e s k e , a fireshovell, Tonges and dogges
In the Ladyes Closset.
ITEM hanginges of gilt l e a t h e r fower turnd c h a i r e s
s i x g r e e n Cushions, two hanging Shelues, a firepan
tonges and dogges
Upon the S t a i r e s .
ITEM one b r a s s Clock with a case, Weights and lynes
a C h e s t of d r a w e r s a standing Cupborde one foynt stoole
two c h a i r e s and one Stoue
In the drawing R o o m e Chamber.
ITEM Curtaines vallens fringed headepeice
Counterpane Cupbordcloth t h r e e Cushions a l l of yellow
Serge, Tester of B u c k e r a m , one yellow C h a i r e , two
turnd C h a i r e s one little r e d l e a t h e r C h a i r e , a Featherbed
and b o l s t e r . two pillowes, t h r e e blankettes one yellow
c o v e r l e t t bedsteed Matt Quilt and C o r d e one sidebord
)
c o u r s e hanginges about t h e Roome o n e hanging shelf,
41
.
a little hoopt Andiron with brass h e a d e s Tonges
)
and bellowes
)
In the Dining Roome Chamber.
ITEM Curtaines, double vallens with f r i n g e
)
headpeice t e s t e r , two sidebord clothes, two elbow
)
c h a i r e s one Couch, two o t h e r C h a i r e s and fiue s t o o l e s
)
A l l which are of g r e e n d a m m a s k e
1
seven p l a m e s of f e a t h e r s on seven knobs c o v e r e d with
)
the s a m e stuffe, one Featherbed and B o l s t e r
)
two Pillowes t h r e e blankettes, one g r e e n Rugg a g r e e n
)
silke Quilt one g r e a t Lookeing g l a s s . two s i d e b o r d e s
)
a p a i r e of Standes, bedsteed, Matt and C o r d , T r a v e s e r s )
and C a s e s on the bed. C h a i r e s and s t o o l e s a l l of g r e e n
)
Bayes, one T u r k i e foot Carpett one g r e e n window c u r t a i n e
very good Arras hanginges about the Roome, One l a r g e
Chimney peice in a f r a m e one p a i r e of s m a l l Andirons
with b r a s s h e a d s fireshovel tonges & bellowes
In the Red C h a m b e r .
ITEM C u r t a i n e s , double vallens, headpeice T e s t e r ,
Counterpane one elbow C h a i r e , fower o t h e r c h a i r e s
two s t o o l e s one sidebord cloth a l l of r e d serge fower
knobs on the bed covered with the s a m e , o n e Featherbed
one b o l s t e r two pillowes t h r e e blankettes one r e d Rugg,
bedsteed matt and Cord, a palletbed a bolster two
pillowes two blankettes and a r e d Rugg a pallet bedsteed
with sacking a p a i r e of gilt s t a n d e s , hanginges about the
Roome of s t r i p e d stuffe a Lookeing glass one sidebord
a Chimney peice in a f r a m e , a p a i r e of little dogges
with b r a s s heades a fireshovell tonges and bellowes
In the Passage.
ITEM fiue T u r k i e C h a i r e s two Mapps, o n e of t h e m a
mapp of Venice a Spanish Table
In the g r e e n C h a m b e r .
ITEM Curtaines and Vallens two sidebord clothes
three stooles two little c h a i r e s , One large Cushion
one little Cushion of g r e e n s i l k e fower knobs c o v e r e d
with the s a m e , The lyneing to it of painted Callico,
and a Counterpane of painted Callico, O n e Featherbed
one b o l s t e r , one pillowe, t h r e e blankettes one green Rugg, )
bedsteed Matt and Cord the tester and headpeice of
)
Callicoe a p a i r e of Standes two little s i d e b o r d e s , a
)
longe s e a t , Arras hanginges round the c h a m b e r
)
two windowe Curtains of g r e e n Soy a chimney p e i c e
)
in a f r a m e a Lookeing g l a s s a p a i r e of dogges with
)
1
b r a s s heades, fireshovell tonges & bellows
42
In the green G a r r e t .
(Third membrane)
ITEM Curtaines and vallens with Fringe
one Cushion of green Serge laced, a buckeram T e s t e r
one featherbed th r ee blankettes one bolster one pillow
a g r e e n Rugg bedsteed matt and cor d one sidebord with
a g r e e n cloth to it one Rush-botomed chai r e one low
leather stoole, fireshove11 tonges and dogges
In the Gallery. /
ITEM one picture in a f r a m e t h r e e trunkes two green
silk Cushions one bolster two turnd Chayres two Cypress
Chestes a little quilt r e d and gr een, a white Callico Quilt
to lay under a bed s ix peices of striped hanginges seven
old blankettes a Sumpter Saddle with a Leather Cover
to it an old skreene with fiue leaues
In the Studie in the Gallery./
ITEM hanginges of striped stuff one turnd chai r e
one Cushion, one old box of d r a w e r s
In the Little Roome next the green G a r r e t . /
ITEM one featherbed one bol s t er t hr ee blankettes
one g r e y Rugg a livery bedsteed matt and cord
In the next Little Roome. /
ITEM one featherbed one bol s t er two blankettes two
pillowes a bedsteed matt & cor d and an old Canopie
In the g r a y Gar r et . /
ITEM Curtaines of striped stuff a car pet of the s a m e
one featherbed one bolster one pillowe two blankettes
one g r a y Rugg one Rushbotom chai r e a sidebord a pai re
of dogges tonges bedsteed matt and cor d with a
Buckeram tes te r
In the withdraweing Roome. /
ITEM six low ch a ir e s two elbow chai r es one side
bord cloth all of yellow dam m as k one Couch f r a m e with
a r e d Callico quilt two yellow sarcenet Cushions and
a Quilt of the s a m e a sidebord and two standes, one
broken Lookeing g l a s s a pai r e of dogges with b r a s s heades
two window curtaines of yellow, fireshovel tonges
& bellowes
In the Dining Room. /
ITEM one Turkie Carpet two Carpetes for the side
b o rd e s of the s a m e one table two sidebordes, hanginges
to the Roome of gilt l eat her twelue high C hai r es of gilt
l e a t h e r two low c h a i r e s and s i x stooles of the s a m e
and a little footstoole of t he s a m e and t hr ee windowe
Curtaines of green
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
43
In t h e Upper H a l l . /
ITEM two t a b l e b o r d e s e i g h t e l m c h a i r e s c a r v e d
the twelue R o m a n e E m p e r o r s in f r a m e s , a p a i r e of
great Andirons R a c k f a s h i o n flue i o y n e s t o o l e s old o n e s
one b r o k e n o n e two Window C u r t a i n e s a n d a s m a l l
c a r p e t t a l l of s t r i p e d stuff
In the Parlor./
ITEM o n e T u r k i e c a r p e t a r o u n d t a b l e a T u r k i e C a r p e t
for t h e s i d e b o r d f o w e r g r e e n windowe C u r t a i n e s
a S e c a t o r i e two l a r g p i c t u r e s i n . f r a m e s three s m a l l o n e s
in f r a m e s , a c h i l d e s c h a i r e g r e e n a w i c k e r s k r e e n ,
sixteen high R u s s i a leather c h a i r e s f o w e r low R u s s i a
L e a t h e r C h a i r e s f o w e r s t o o l e s a n d a f o o t s t o o l e of t h e
s a m e o n e s i d e b o r d , f i r e s h o v e l and t o n g e s a Mapp a n d
a Spanish t a b l e without the P a r l o u r d o r e and
one Lookeing g l a s s in t h e Parlor
In t h e L i t t l e R o o m e b y t h e P a r l o r d o o r . /
ITEM o n e C a s e of B r a s s W e i g h t e s .
In t h e L o w e r H a l l . /
ITEM o n e long s h o v e l b o r d table and frame two formes
one S e t t l e a l i t t l e C o l e g r a t e in t h e C h i m n e y
In t h e C h a m b e r o v e r t h e L o w e r H a l l . /
ITEM C u r t a i n e s and v a l l e n s h e a d p e i c e a n d tester a n d
two s t o o l e s a l l of r e d halfcloth o n e f e a t h e r b e d o n e
b o l s t e r o n e pillow t h r e e b l a n k e t t e s a red R u g g a wrought
Counterpane B e d s t e e d Matt a n d s a c k i n g a l i t t l e s i d e t a b l e
and a s i d e cupbord, r e d hanginges s t r i p e d with g r e e n , a
sidebord cloth and o n e window C u r t a i n e of the same
one L e a t h e r c h a i r e d o g g e s f i r e s h o v e l l t o n g e s & b e l l o w e s
In t h e next C h a m b e r . /
ITEM o n e f e a t h e r b e d o n e b o l s t e r two P i l l o w e s
t h r e e b l a n k e t t e s a s a d c o l o u r e d Rugg b e d s t e e d m a t t c o r d
and Canopie and two C u r t a i n e s of s t r i p e d s t u f f
one old C h e s t and u n c o v e r e d C h a i r e
In t h e G a r r e t o v e r t h e L o w e r H a l l . /
ITEM o n e f e a t h e r b e d o n e bolster o n e p i l l o w e
t h r e e b l a n k e t t e s a g r e e n R u g g a n old b e d s t e e d a matt
and C o r d a l i t t l e t a b l e b o r d and f r a m e , o n e h a i r e t r u n c k
one ioynestoole a P o r t m a n t e a u , a n old g r a y window
Curtaine a C a s e of P i s t o l l s a n d a n old h e a d p e i c e
In t h e p a s s a g e by t h e S t o r e h o u s e C h a m b e r . /
ITEM o n e Press a ioynstoole and a d e a l b o r d
c a s e f o r Bookes
In t h e t h r e e C e l l a r s . /
ITEM f o w e r new S t a n d e s f o r Beer a n d o n e h o g s h e a d
44
eight and twenty other Vessells old
seven Standes to s et t the Vessells on in the s everal l
C e l l a r s an old chest for the Lynnen
In M r s . Anne Whiteheds Chamber ./
ITEM striped hanginges gr een and White about the Roome,
one down bed and bolster, fower pillowes t hr ee blankettes
a g r e en Rugg bedsteed m at t and Cord one Couchframe
matt and cord featherbed one pillow two blankettes
a little green foot Rugg, a green silk Quilt, fower high
g r e e n c h a ir e s two lowe gr een chai r es one green carpett
one high calues leather chai r e
(Fourth membrane)
with b r a s s heades
one Iron back a p a ire of dogges
~fireshovell and tonges
In my Ladyes Chamber./
ITEM Curtaines and double vallens and headpeice
two Carpettes Counterpane T e s t e r , s i x cases fower for
C h a i re s two footstooles all wrought with green and r e d
t h r e e Chaire f r a m e s covered with Canvass two stooles
covered with the s a m e two standes a sidetable
two featherbedes one bolster two pillowes t hr ee blankettes
a g re en Rugg bedsteed m at t and Corde a paire of
dogges and bellowes
In the Chamber o v e r M r s . Whithedes Chamber./
ITEM two p air e of Curtaines one paire of vallens
one headpeice one Carpett al l of greene, two
featherbedes two b o l s t er s fower pillowes, Six
blankettes two g r e en Rugges two bedsteedes Mattes and
C o rd es and T e s t e r s , one gr een Chaire one leather
stoole one Cupbord a little Iron hoope in the chimney
one p air e of bellowes
In the Maydes Chamber./
ITEM two featherbedes t h r e e bolsters fiue blankettes
two Coverlettes a s m a l l foote Rugg one livery bedsteed .
one truckle bedsteed Mattes and Cordes two black
trunckes one old h a i r e trunck
In the Storehouse Chamber. /
ITEM Curtaines and Vallens of striped stuffe headpeice
and t e s t e r of buckeram one featherbed one bolster
two pillowes t h r e e blankettes and a g r a y Rugg, bedsteed
Matt and Cord one g r e a t Chest, one sidebord
a clapbedsteed th r ee r u s h botome chai r es , a bathing tub,
a table and f r a m e , s i x dosen of new t r encher s som e
round, s o me s q u ar e s i x turky work cushions, twelue
peckled Cushions
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
1
)
1
)
)
)
1
)
1
)
1
1
)
)
)
45
In the L a r d e r . /
ITEM one d r e s s e r bord one longe T r a y t h r e e powdring
Tubbs
In the Kitchin. /
ITEM one Leaden Cisterne one table, o n e f o r m e
three fryeing pannes two g r i d i r o n s eight s p i t t e s
two Iron Rackes one large g r a t e for Coals, one grate
firepan a fireshovell tonges and fork a J a c k with l i n e s
weightes and chayne, two fouleing p e i c e s one little
birding peice a l a r g e bacon r a c k e a saltbox one w y r e
Coalendder, six smoothing i r o n s t h r e e iron Chafing
dishes a wooden skreen lyned with Laton, two t r a y e s ,
two Buckettes, two tubbs, one boule, two Iron pottes,
a birdspitt with fower speckes a f i r e s k r e e n to d r y
clothes on, s i x wooden p l a t t e r s with s o m e o t h e r wooden
vessel1 and dishes an Iron g r a t e fower i r o n C r o c k e s
three p a i r e of pothookes two T r i v e t t e s , one fender,
an iron shelf one b r e a d g r a t e r one iron Candlestick
In the Bakehouse. /
ITEM a Jack and Iyne to i t , t h r e e Cottrells
a small r a c k two T r i v e t t e s one Meale whitch, two
Mealetubbs one iron Peele two wooden p e e l e s
one P a s t r y table one dough kiver
In the passage betwixt the Bakehouse and Kitchin./
)
ITEM one little table and f r a m e one Stone m o r t e r
)
and a P e s t l e of Wood
In the Dairy./
)
ITEM one Silting trough with a c o v e r to it
)
three Buttertubbs two with c o v e r s , eight T r e n d l e s
)
two b r a s s pans two butter c h e r n s two long f r a m e s fower
Cheesefattes t h r e e milkeing buckettes, a milke s t r e y n e r , )
)
one cheese tubb one milkeing tubb one Cullender a p a i r
)
of s c a l e s and Weight a pewter pint pott a side cupbord
In the Brewhouse.
)
ITEM one C h e e s e p r e s s one Querne one Kyue
)
one Meshing fatt one Cooler two g r e a t K i y e r s
)
a tubb to grinde the Malt into a t h r e e legged mashing
)
tubb, a g r e a t Bucking tubb a laueinge payle a Clensiue
)
a great Bowle and a h o r s e to wash the Vessells on
In the Still house. /
1
ITEM one Still, one Limbeck one table and f r a m e
)
three Salttubbs a Marble M o r t a r a T r i v e t t
and p a i r e of Tonges
)
In the Brewhouse Chamber. /
ITEM one greene Bedsteed and Cord
,'
46
In the Chamber o v e r the Dairy./
ITEM two l i v e r y bedsteedes Mattes and C o r d e s
two Flockbedes two b o l s t e r s one pillow, flue old
blankettes one Coverlett
In the Chamber o v e r the Hackney Stable. /
ITEM one Livery bedsteed Matt and Cord
a Flockbed and B o l s t e r two Blankettes
and a r e d Coverlett
In the C a r t e r s Taller. /
ITEM one Flockbed and b o l s t e r two blankettes
and o n e old Coverlett
The Plate./
ITEM two drincklng Cupps s i x fruit d i s h e s
two p a i r e of Candlestickes one p a i r e of Sookettes,
a W a r m e i n g pan, a perfuming pan one Salver
one Syllibub pott and Cover
(Fifth membrane)
one Cawdle cup and Cover eleven s m a l l Saltes
one little t h r e e legged Cawdle c u p one little Cup,
one long Ladle t h r e e p r o o i n g e r s o n e Sugar Box
and spoone, eighteene spoones o n e s i d e of a p a i r e of
Snuffers, two lowe Candlestickes one Bason two Chafeing
d i s h e s a f r a m e of the Waxe Candle
ITEM all the Pewter weighed which c o m e s to in the
who11 by weight at fiue s c o r e to the hundred seven hundred
twenty and eight poundes by weight
Item of B r a s s not weighed two F u r n a c e s two B o y l e r s
in the Walles one of t h e m v e r y s m a l l and two b r a s s pans
before inserted
Item a l l the B r a s s which w a s weighed c o m e s to in the
Who11 by weight at fiue score to the hundred One hundred
and twenty poundes weight
Item t h r e e b r a s s w a r m i n g panns
Item one Alchymie W a r m e i n g pann
T h e Lynnen./
ITEM of the great s o r t of d a m a s k one table cloth,
one Cupbord cloth one sidebord cloth two dosen of
Napkins, two towelles
Of o t h e r Damaske. /
ITEM one long tablecloth o n e round table cloth fiue l e s s e r
tableclothes fiue dosen of Napkins one Towell
Of Diaper. /
ITEM one tablecloth two lesser clothes two dosen of
Napkins, two Towells
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
1
1
1
)
)
1
)
)
)
)
1
)
)
)
47
Item t h r e e dosen and nine Napkins of s i n g l e diaper
Other Diaper. /
ITEM t h r e e round tableclothes fower long tableclothes
fower sidebordclothes, Eight
- dosen of Napkins one towell
all of a worke
Item seaventeen p a i r e of fine Holland pillowbers
seaven p a i r e of coarse Holland Pillowbers
three p a i r e of find Holland Sheetes t h r e e b r e a d t h s ,
two p a i r e of coarser Holland Sheetes two b r e a d t h s
and.a halfe
Fower p a i r e of dowlas s h e e t e s t h r e e b r e a d t h s a peice.
T h r e e p a i r e of Flaxen cloth Sheetes two b r e a d t h s
and a halfe
seven p a i r e and one Sheet of fine C a n v a s s . Twenty nine
paire and one s h e e t of household Sheetes, two p a i r e of
Callicoe spitting s h e e t e s , s i x Callico sidebord clothes,
three plaine towelles, eight great tableclothes and ten
small tableclothes f o r the P a r l o r eight dosen of Napkins
for the P a r l o r , fower coarse Table c l o t h e s
Invent ar ied
by u s .
( Jonathan Hi1
( R o g e r Pope
)
)
)
)
1
F. Mundy.
(Translation :I
48
An inventory in t h i s f o r m w a s exhibited
the 3 r d d a y of the month of D e c e m b e r ,
A . D. 1670, b y M a s t e r Mundy, p r o c t o r for
the e x e c u t o r s etc. for a t r u e and full
inventory etc. , under protestation
n e v e r t h e l e s s f o r adding, that if e t c .
HIGH DAYS A N D HOLIDAYS IN OLD HOOK NORTON
If you had lived in Hook Norton at the end of the 19th Century you
would have found that t h e r e w a s quite a v a r i e t y of events to look f o r w a r d to
each y e a r .
During t h e w i n t e r t h e r e w e r e l e c t u r e s , with l a n t e r n s l i d e s or
without. Some typical s u b j e c t s f o r l e c t u r e s w e r e T h e Opium T r a f f i c , T h e
Bible and i t s History, H a r d T i m e s and how to mend t h e m , Abraham Lincoln,
T h e Benefits of Allotments, O u r Daily Papers. T h e r e w e r e a l s o c o n c e r t s
given by the Tonic sol f a c h o i r or the Young Men's Mutual Improvement
c h o i r or o t h e r s .
A t E a s t e r - t i m e began the real round of festive o c c a s i o n s , many of
t h e m connected with the v a r i o u s c h u r c h e s in those church-going d a y s . On
Good F r i d a y or E a s t e r Monday both the Methodists and t h e Baptists celeb r a t e d with a tea and c o n c e r t .
Soon c a m e May Day when the children went round the village with
t h e May Garland. T h e b o y s c a r r i e d it round and they w e r e followed by the
May Queen and h e r attendants with t h e i r collecting boxes. T h e May Queen
w a s usually crowned on t h e Rectory lawn and t h e Maypole dancing w a s outs i d e t h e Sun Inn. T h e money collected w a s used for a treat at C h r i s t m a s .
T h e May song went
A bunch of May I have brought you
And at your door I stand
It S a v e r y nice branch and it s m e l l s v e r y sweet
And it c o m e s f r o m the L o r d ' s r i g h t hand.
Good morning, good ladies and gentlemen
I wish you a happy May
I've c o m e to show you m y May garland
B e c a u s e i t ' s the f i r s t of May
A t the end of May c a m e Club Day. perhaps the real highlight of the
whole y e a r . A school holiday w a s d e c l a r e d and all the village joined in.
On t h e evening beforehand M r Forest f r o m Burford had c o m e as far as
Fanville F a r m and M r Chilton f r o m Banbury as far as the Wheatsheaf Inn.
T h e y both brought t h e i r s w i n g s and roundabouts and on Club Day they set
t h e m u p outside the c h u r c h for young and old to enjoy. S t a l l s w e r e a r r a n g e d
along both s i d e s of t h e High S t r e e t selling toffee a p p l e s and fairings of a l l
kinds. In the morning the m e m b e r s of the v a r i o u s Clubs in the village Oddfellows, Buffaloes, P i g , Sick Benefit - a s s e m b l e d at t h e holly bush a t
the East End of the village c a r r y i n g t h e i r b a n n e r s and supported not only by
the Hook Norton band but a l s o by bands f r o m B r a i l e s o r Sibford o r Banbury
brought in f o r t h i s g r e a t o c c a s i o n . T h e p a r a d e m a r c h e d through the village
to t h e c h u r c h w h e r e t h e r e w a s a s e r v i c e . After the s e r v i c e t h e r e w a s a
d i n n e r a t the Club Room of the Bell Inn. T h e afternoon w a s spent enjoying
the s t a l l s and sideshows in the s t r e e t and the day ended with a grand
s u p p e r in the Sun Inn c l u b r o o m .
T h e next d a y t h e r e w a s a c i r c u l a r t r a c k printed on the r o a d in the
49
Two o f t h e c h u r c h e s i n Hook N o r t o n , w i t h which many
o f t h e f e s t i v e o c c a s i o n s were c o n n e c t e d .
. . . . .. ,. ,*..,. .,.....I .
50
'..I.
.. . .
s q u a r e opposite the c h u r c h w h e r e the hooves of the h o r s e s had plodded
round the roundabout and the m e m o r y of another Club Day w a s printed in
the minds of all Hook Norton people.
It w a s a month to wait until J u n e 29, St Peter’s Day, the patronal
festival of the p a r i s h c h u r c h and a n o t h e r local Bank Holiday. On t h i s d a y
the special event w a s St Peter’s Tea. B e f o r e that, the c h u r c h b e l l s r a n g ,
the v i l l a g e r s went to church and in the afternoon a s s e m b l e d for tea together
- usually on the R e c t o r y lawn. Everybody gave something, the wealthy
sandwiches and c a k e s , the poor t h e i r help setting out the t a b l e s , c h a i r s and
food, the children with singing and dancing and everyone with c a s h to h e l p
church e x p e n s e s .
In J u l y c a m e the Sunday school outings when the c h i l d r e n f r o m the
v a r i o u s c h u r c h e s w e r e t r a n s p o r t e d by farm wagons to a n i n t e r e s t i n g local
spot for a g r a n d picnic t e a - t o Cowpasture F a r m , Edgehill. Swerford ,
P a r k , or Heythrop P a r k .
Then in August there w a s the Flower Show, organised at that t i m e
by the Hook Norton and Swerford Horticultural Society. T h i s w a s another
big day when the band played and t h e r e w a s always a fancy d r e s s show
which w a s judged in the High Street; races for all ages; football; a l l
s o r t s of things like s a c k races; obstacle races; t o s s i n g the s h e a v e s - the
men had a pitchfork and they had to see who tossed i t highest o v e r two
posts. T h e fun went on a l l afternoon and s o m e t i m e s a puppet show would
c o m e along. T h e r e w a s always country dancing with the band playing.
Then t h e r e w a s the tea on the field and the village w a s altogether t h e r e for
a while. Then t h e r e w e r e c h i l d r e n ’ s races, skipping races, competitions
to keep a top spinning longest and so on. T h e r e w a s even h o m e m a d e i c e c r e a m f r o m a box on wheels that w a s pushed along by a man in t h e village
who w a s c l e v e r enough to make it.
During the s u m m e r t h e r e w e r e c r i c k e t m a t c h e s a g a i n s t the local
villages on Saturdays and football m a t c h e s followed on as autumn and
winter c a m e along.
A t C h r i s t m a s the c h u r c h choirboys had a treat - s u p p e r at the
Rectory.
Of c o u r s e , in addition to the r e g u l a r annual f e s t i v a l s t h e r e w e r e
s o m e special e v e n t s for v e r y s p e c i a l o c c a s i o n s - a sandwich tea to launch
the village allotments. a g r a n d dinner a t T h e Bell Inn f o r M r C h a r l e s
Looker of the Hook Norton Ironstone P a r t n e r s h i p , o r even a Royal J u b i l e e
or o t h e r Royal occasion. A s Hook Norton had a r a i l w a y s p e c i a l e x c u r s i o n s
w e r e a r r a n g e d f r o m t i m e to t i m e and v i l l a g e r s had a day out in
Bournemouth.
Alan Sibson
51
PUDDING TIME IN OXFORDGHIRE
It i s curious that nowhere in Alfred Beasley’s exhaustive - and often
exhausting - history of Banbury i s mention made of an extraordinary series
o f events which scandalised the ent i r e county in February 1823. Perhaps
the date of publication - 1841 - i s relevant. In this part i cul ar instance
me m o ries w e r e no doubt long; indeed, few people who witnessed George
IV’s amazing p r o g r e s s through the Oxfordshire countryside could possibly
have forgotten every single farcical episode.
. It was perhaps ironic that a combination of an obscure saint and the
descendant of someone looked upon in his day as very little better than a
regicide should initially have lured George away f r o m the m o r e domestic
and obvious p leas u r e s of London. A s it t r ans pi r ed, St. Scholastica and
Lord Saye and Sele had much to answer for.
‘
The scene needs to be s e t . At the end of 1822 George felt well
pleased with himself. The previous August he had s e t out on what was to
prove, in h is e y e s at least, a triumphant s t at e visit to Edinburgh. H e had
been fceted on a l l s id es , had become a convinced Jacobite and w as in the
mood to forgive the past wholesale. H e lit upon the interesting notion of
visiting Oxford and of stopping the night a t Broughton Castle, from where
in the seventeenth century ‘Old Subtlety’ had so often fulminated against
George’s Stuart ancestor Charles I. He r em em b ered with affection a
previous visit to Oxford when the Allied Sovereigns had come to England in
p re m a t u r e celebration of Napoleon’s downfall. The Pri nce Regent (as he
had then been), h is brother the Duke of York, the King of P r u s s i a and the
T s a r of Russia, Bliicher, Wellington and Metternich had al l participated in
the general u p r o a r and junketing; t h e r e had been banquets and processions
and a feeling that civilisation had been saved. Now w as the time for
George to r eliv e s o m e of that careless r apt ur e. And he w as in the mood
f o r forgiveness. What could be better than a ritual expression of amity
between the s u c c e s s o r s of the gr eat Parliamentarian and hi s monarch ?
The news of George’s intentions was received with mixed emotions.
T h e undergraduates of Oxford saw it as a heavensent opportunity to cause
the maximum disturbance. In Febr uar y they w e r e due to celebrate the
f e a s t of St. Scholastica the Virgin (little did they know that these celebrations would cease for ever a m e r e two y e a r s l a t e r ) and the notion of
involving the notoriously unvirginal George in the r e v e l r i e s was i r r e s i e
tible. On F e b r u ar y 10 the mayor of Oxford and sixty-two freemen of the
city would be obliged to attend a s e r v i c e a t St. Mary’s and offer up a tribute
of sixty-three pence in expiation of the events on that s a m e day in 1354
which had witnessed a particularly bloody clash between town and gown.
Surely George could be involved in t hes e disgraceful proceedings.
The undergraduates foresaw additional fun in the presence in the
royal party of the King’s cur r ent m i s t r e s s , Lady Conyngham. Distinctly
r u d e v e r s e s , incorporating a slightly altered version of the lady’s name,
w e r e rapidly composed; effigies of the plump r e gal personage w ere
52
fabricated, and everyone p r e p a r e d to have a n exceedingly good t i m e .
T h i s is p e r h a p s not the t i m e to d e s c r i b e in detail the d a y which
G e o r g e spent in Oxford; it w a s c e r t a i n l y not an e x p e r i e n c e which h e c a r e d
to r e m e m b e r . T h e r e w a s the o u t r a g e o u s incident of t h e counterfeit m a y o r s ,
impersonated by at least fifteen u n d e r g r a d u a t e s with t h e a t r i c a l a m b i t i o n s ,
who confused George to s u c h a n extent t h a t , when h e eventually c a m e face
to face with the r e a l m a y o r , h e exclaimed roundly, "Damn you, s i r , if I had
my way I would have you flogged from C h r i s t Church to New College and
back again." Then t h e r e w e r e t h e appalling s c e n e s in the Sheldonian when
v a r i o u s lewd r e m a r k s about p a r t s of t h e r o y a l anatomy w e r e only too
audible.
But p e r h a p s the ghastly culmination w a s provided by the s i g h t of a n
e l d e r l y , and no doubt forgetful, don who w a s s e e n to a m b l e unconcernedly
across T o m Quad, s t a r k naked except f o r h i s m o r t a r b o a r d , and in full view
of the h a p l e s s Lady Conyngham, who fainted into G e o r g e ' s a r m s a f t e r a
slight pause purely attributable to shock. It w a s as if the w o r s t e x c e s s e s of
decadent Rome had s u r r o u n d e d a man not wholly ignorant of h i s own m i s demeanours.
George a l m o s t l i t e r a l l y fled f r o m Oxford. A s d e s c r i p t i o n s of
tumult and scandal w e r e being e a g e r l y composed for the delectation of t h e
g e n e r a l public, and for the appalled e y e s of the University's Chancellor,
the Duke of Wellington, t h e r o y a l p a r t y w a s proceeding with as much h a s t e
as d e c o r u m allowed along t h e r o a d to Banbury. A t least t h e r e would be no
undergraduates in Banbury, and the p r o g r a m m e for t h e evening a p p e a r e d
unexceptionable. T h e r e would be a s h o r t s t o p at Broughton C a s t l e , an
opportunity for the King to rest and to change h i s c l o t h e s , then on to t h e
Assembly Rooms in Banbury f o r a banquet, and finally a r e t u r n to Broughton for the night. Dull it might b e , eventful it could not possibly be.
The light w a s failing as the cavalcade moved into the p a r k in front
of Broughton C a s t l e , G e o r g e w a s g r e a t l y i m p r e s s e d by the moat and the
gatehouse, and, turning to o n e of h i s e q u e r r i e s , opined that no finer sight
could e x i s t in a l l h i s kingdom. H e w a s e a g e r l y anticipating s o m e r e f r e s h ment and a chance to smooth h i s ruffled f e a t h e r s . T h e r e w a s a touching
encounter with Lord Saye and Sele, the l a t t e r going down on h i s k n e e s and
being forced to r i s e with s o m e difficulty by G e o r g e , who patted h i m on the
shoulder and called h i m a "damned fine fellow". T h e s c e n e w a s only
slightly m a r r e d by the ebullient p r e s e n c e of a pack of t e r r i e r - l i k e dogs
who welcomed the King with e x c e s s i v e zeal. But G e o r g e ' s equanimity had
been totally r e s t o r e d and h e w a s not eager to g a r b himself for the evening's
entertainment.
Much thought had been devoted to p r e c i s e l y what he should w e a r . A t
o n e stage h e had considered r e v e r t i n g to the kilt and t h e flesh-coloured
tights which he had r e c e n t l y w o r n to s u c h effect in Edinburgh, but h e had
eventually d i s c a r d e d t h i s e n s e m b l e in favour of the uniform of a fieldm a r s h a l . T h e r e w a s a last-minute hunt for h i s baton, which had been
53
appropriated by one of the dogs, and h e w a s a b l e to e n t e r h i s carriage.
T h e great procession set out f o r Banbury.
T h e inhabitants of Banbury had e x e r c i s e d c o n s i d e r a b l e ingenuity in
t h e i r a t t e m p t s to delight the r o y a l e y e . T h e r e w e r e illuminations of a cons u m m a t e vulgarity, incorporating f e a t h e r s , c i p h e r s , c r o w n s and s c r o l l s .
Outside o n e building t h e r e w a s , a c c o r d i n g to one eye-witness, "a t r a n s p a r e n c y of h i s Majesty in r e g i m e n t a l s " . An inn displayed the flattering
motto "Pater P a t r i a e " , and there w e r e a great many b u s t s e n c i r c l e d by
d e v i c e s varying f r o m the i n s p i r e d "May t h e King live f o r ever!
to the
somewhat banal "Hurra". The pi&ce d e r b i s t a n c e w a s , however, a n
astonishing illumination: "A large crown on the t o p of the gas-house chimney, illuminated with g a s , p r e s e n t e d a no l e s s s t r i k i n g a p p e a r a n c e to the
c i t i z e n s . T h e shaft of m a s o n r y on which it r e s t e d w a s r e n d e r e d invisible
by t h e humidity of the a t m o s p h e r e , so that, when viewed at a distance f r o m
the e a s t , the crown looked l i k e a splendid m e t e o r suspended in the
firmament.
In s p i t e of t h e s e flights of fancy, t h e eye-witness, a M r . Satterthwaite, w a s forced to a d m i t that the "humidity of the a t m o s p h e r e t f w a s a
distinct o b s t a c l e to the g e n e r a l enjoyment. A s so often happens in the e a r l y
months of the y e a r , fog w a s undoubtedly r i s i n g . T h e streets of Banbury
w e r e n a r r o w and the populace, encouraged by copious libations in t h e
v a r i o u s t a v e r n s which looked forward to a night of great profit and s o m e
d a m a g e , p r e s s e d forward to see t h e i r r u l e r and h i s r e t i n u e . T h e c a r r i a ges b e c a m e engulfed. G e o r g e himself w a s unperturbed. Scnsing a c c l a m a tion - all too rare - h e leant out of the c a r r i a g e window. "His attention
s e e m e d to b e p a r t i c u l a r l y drawn to a balcony in front of a turret-like house.
. T h e King
T h i s balcony w a s occupied by a n u m b e r of beautiful f e m a l e s
s e e m e d delighted with the loyal demonstrations of t h i s f a i r bevy, to whom
h e m o s t g r a c i o u s l y bowed."
And George w a s not u p s e t by t h e w e a t h e r . A s the fog strengthened,
h e took off h i s field-marshal's plumed h a t , waved it indiscriminately in the
a i r , and "gave t h r e e c h e e r s , which w e r e h e a r d at s o m e distance". One of
the attendants endeavoured to r e s t r a i n h i m , but the King w a s not to b e controlled. "0, never mind," h e c r i e d , 'I1 m u s t c h e e r the people."
Damp but i m p r e s s e d , George alighted at the Assembly Rooms. He
w a s g r e e t e d by v a r i o u s local dignitaries, and the Mayor made a b r i e f ,
somewhat inarticulate s p e e c h of welcome. Then the r o y a l p a r t y passed ins i d e into the w a r m t h . T h e s c e n e w a s a splendid one. Chandeliers and
c a n d l e s blazed; a s m a l l s t r i n g band s t r u c k UP the National Anthem;
h u r r a h s echoed around the r o o m . One hundred and fifty people had
g a t h e r e d for the evening, and the art and industry of the c o u t u r i e r w a s
much in evidence. "The l a d i e s w e r e in m o s t elegant white d r e s s e s , r i c h l y
bespangled, and had on p l u m e s of white o s t r i c h f e a t h e r s
. The scene
w a s one of such e x t r a o r d i n a r y splendour as a l m o s t to e n t r a n c e , at least to
bewilder, the faculties in the contemplation of i t . T h e s u r p a s s i n g beauty
.. .
. ..
54
of the ladies - their plumage, in constant undulation, appearing to the eye
like a sea of foam; - the glitter reflected f r o m a profusion of jewels;
- the throng of noble and honourable personages; - altogether presented a
scene which m o r e than realised all previous conceptions of grandeur and
magnificence .I1
The royal appetite had been stimulated, perhaps by the bevy of
ladies. H e consumed turtle and grouse soups, stewed c a r p and venison,
s o m e r a t h e r over-ripe grouse, numerous water and c r e a m i c e s , and "a
g r e a t many candied orange chips". H e drank Moselle, c l a r e t and champagne. A local r e p o r t e r noted with an e x c e s s of sycophancy: "It i s a r a r e
and most gratifying sight to behold a King indulging the sympathies of o u r
common nature, and convivially engaged with his subjects in the free interchange of thought and of sentiment. To do so, and sustain a t the s a m e t i m e
the regal c h a r a c t e r a t i t s proper elevation, is an attainment of no ordinary
difficulty." "Eulogy, h e added somewhat hypocritically, 9 s altogether out
of o u r province, as it is foreign to o u r inclination."
The evening was r e m a r k a b l e for i t s speeches and i t s toasts. The
Mayor rambled; the Lord Lieutenant muttered; Lord Saye and Sele
delivered a s t i r r i n g oration, which managed to combine r e f e r e n c e s to the
King, the late King, the battle of Waterloo, the Duke of Wellington, the
P r i m e Minister, the late Foreign Secretary, Charles I, Parliament, the
town of Banbury, the city of Oxford, England, Scotland, the French
("Confound them! ! I ) , the Army, the Duke of York, the local militia, and
the excellence of the plum pudding which had been s e r v e d . It was certainly
a tour de force, though George was seen to g r i m a c e slightly a t the mention
of puddings; it w a s not for nothing that the n u r s e r y r h y m e , "George porgie,
pudding and pie", had run through the country,
The toasts seemed inexhaustible. Anyone who w a s anyone, and a
g r e a t many people who w e r e nobody, was mentioned. The local wine m e r chant was seen to s m i l e i n a satisfied manner as the bottles circulated.
Sadly, it must be recorded that a certain amount of inebriation ensued.
Those fine white plumes tilted, the gentlemen's faces became flushed, a
few, no doubt unused to such e x c e s s e s , slumbered, and the Bishop of
Oxford snored delicately.
George left a t about ten o'clock. The fog w a s d e n s e r , but the
s t r e e t s remained crowded. T h e r e was something of a vulgar r u s h when
the King appeared on the s t e p s , but he waved happily and once m o r e r a i s e d
h i s hat. The day which had s t a r t e d so disastrously, continued so uproariously, and reached a pitch with the banquet, now passed gently into
something close to oblivion. George had determined to spend the night a t
Broughton - where once again the terrier-like dogs had greeted him with
enthusiasm - and the following morning he and h i s entourage s e t forth on
the road for London.
It had been a b i z a r r e expedition. The undergraduates had enjoyed
themselves; the tradesmen had profited mightily; the t e r r i e r s had been
55
e x e r c i s e d ; the journalists had wielded t h e i r pens and t h e i r imaginations;
t h e people of Banbury - or a large proportion of t h e m - had drunk thems e l v e s silly. George, too, felt that, on balance, h e had achieved s o m e thing, though h e w a s not totally c e r t a i n what that might have been. Only the
naked don and Lady Conyngham could be excused f o r feeling that F e b r u a r y
1 0 should be excised f o r e v e r f r o m t h e i r p a r t i c u l a r c a l e n d a r s .
Christopher Sinclair -Stevenson
BOOK REVIEWS
B a p t i s m , m a r r i a g e and b u r i a l registers of the inhabitants of Banbury C r o s s
1978 to 1982, e d . J . S . W . Gibson. 999 pages. f99.99. To b e published in
1999 as r e c o r d s volume 113 of the Banbury Historical Society.
M e m b e r s will r e m e m b e r that not many y e a r s ago Banbury C r o s s had
its f a c e lifted and i t s feet re-shod. It h a s been a well k e p t ' s e c r e t that a
great d i s c o v e r y w a s then made, of outstanding i n t e r e s t t o antiquarians.
Under the c e n t r e of the C r o s s w a s discovered a wooden box which, on
opening, w a s found to contain wads of well-stained p a p e r s . O r so t h e find e r s thought. A touch with the finger set in motion a m a s s i v e heaving of
t e r m i t e s . Whatever o u r a n c e s t o r s intended t h e i r posterity to r e a d w a s for
e v e r encoded in t h e g e n e s and c h r o m o s o m e s of t h i s thriving community.
M r Gibson rose to t h e occasion. We are proud to announce (it i s
something of a scoop) that h e h a s now spent two y e a r s , and e s t i m a t e s to
spend fifteen m o r e , unravelling the m y s t e r y . Since t h e box w a s first
deposited t h e t e r m i t e s have of c o u r s e p a s s e d through many generations.
Mr Gibson with h i s usual meticulousness, rightly decided that the key t o
decoding the w r i t i n g s hidden in t h e i r g e n e s w a s to e s t a b l i s h the genealogy
of the p r e s e n t population. Hence this detailed documentation of e v e r y baptism, m a r r i a g e and burial, s t a r t i n g with t h e y e a r s 1978 to 1982.
T h i s book will find a n e s s e n t i a l place on t h e s h e l v e s of e v e r y natural
and social h i s t o r i a n . We shall keenly await the next volume, as well as
t h i s one. To e n s u r e your copy of t h i s limited, numbered and signed edition
you should send a deposit of half the cost to the r e c o r d s s e r i e s e d i t o r .
An Experiment with T i m e by J . W. Dunne, Re-published by P a p e r m a c ,
€3.50, 288 pages.
You might think f r o m i t s title that t h i s book i s a h i s t o r y of t h e Banb u r y Historical Society. It w a s f i r s t published in 1927, and i s t h e r e f o r e
56 y e a r s old; our Society is 2 5 y e a r s old. But that i s no dis-proof; Dunne
demonstrated to h i s own satisfaction that one m a y see into the future.
M o r e o v e r , the difference in age between t h e book and the Society is
3 1 y e a r s . Nothing i s c e r t a i n in t h i s mutable world; all people and things
change, not only f r o m terminating t r a i n s at Oxford station. But when I w a s
56
young 31 was 21 + 10; p e r h a p s it s t i l l i s . Now 10 is t h e number of f i n g e r s
and thumbs, or t o e s , that m o s t of u s have, and 2 1 i s 3 X 7 which are the
inherent m e a s u r e m e n t s of the great p y r a m i d ; 21 i s also the total distance
in inches between 3 a v e r a g e a p e s ears.
T h e r e f o r e , you might logically conclude that Dunne (who d r e a m e d of
the future a l l o v e r the place including B a n b u r y s h i r e w h e r e h i s widow still
l i v e s ) dreamed of our future Society and w r o t e h i s d r e a m s down.
But you would be wrong. H i s d r e a m s of both p a s t and future w e r e
inconsequential. The future, though c e r t a i n l y s e e n , w a s s e e n as through a
g l a s s darkly. P r i o r i t i e s w e r e jumbly. No event so important as the
founding of the Banbury Historical Society w a s within the horizon of h i s
future vision.
In the 1930s this book w a s c o m p u l s o r y r e a d i n g f o r a l l those who
eschewed being a b o r e at dinner p a r t i e s . Put your b i r o and pad under your
pillow and d r e a m h a r d . You will find that h i s t o r y , like t i m e , i s a continuum of past, p r e s e n t and future. But first buy t h i s book NOW, before you
find that NOW h a s moved on or i s i r r e t r i e v a b l y left behind. T h e number of
your mantelpieces will then need to b e i n c r e a s e d to hold the number of
dinner invitations you will r e c e i v e .
P r i n t i n g block (Banbury Museum)
57
'
VICTORIAN BANBURY, by B a r r i e Trinder, M.A., Ph.D., 1982. Published by the Banbury Historical Society, as Volume 19, in association
with Phillimore and Company, Chichester. xvi, 236 pp., 33 plates,
19 maps and figures. On general sale, price f l l . 95.
More than one reviewer of books about Banbury in past issues of
the Society's journal Cake and Cockhorse has noted the town's importance.
The fact is due to its geographical position as the market centre of an extensive agricultural hinterland, and from e a r l y times the meeting place of
r i v e r and road communications, which raised it above many market towns
in l e s s favoured locations. Clearly, both to local and to national historians
Banbury is both an important and an interesting place, and the Banbury
Historical Society i s to be congratulated for publishing such an excellent
addition to i t s Records s e r i e s as Dr. Trinder's book. The author is himself a native of Banbury, a founder member of i t s Historical Society and
editor of i t s journal for eleven years, and has to his credit several muchpraised publications dealing with the industrial revolution, especially concerning the Shropshire area where he i s on the adult education staff of
Shropshire County Council. He has had many y e a r s experience as a
teacher of local history, and this present book is based on the thesis for
which he was awarded a doctorate at the University of Leicester. Banbury
i s indeed fortunate in having a historian of this calibre to gather together
the strands of i t s history during a crucial period of the nineteenth century,
from 1830 to 1880, in Victorian Banbury. It is perhaps a pity, though,
that a sub-title does not draw attention to the fact that some twenty y e a r s
of Queen Victoria's long reign l i e beyond its scope.
The picture outlined of the state of Banbury in the early 1830s
could be matched by that of most other growing towns, and it is clear that
England (and indeed all p a r t s of the British Isles) was a very different land
f r o m that of the mid-eighteenth century. Population growth had been considerable and was continuing, and this together with migration to the new
industrial areas, and the vast and haphazard growth of towns in consequence, had by 1830 made administrative and governmental changes imperative. The story, very troubled and contested as it was in many other
a r e a s , must be pursued elsewhere: this book deals only with one place,
not a large one by national standards, but of a local importance considerable enough to render this study vital to the picture of what e a r l y and midVictorian life was really like, a picture indeed which can really only be
built up with any accuracy by studies of individual places o r areas.
D r . Trinder's other works are witness to the fact that this way of proceeding is certainly h i s viewpoint.
Since the end of the 18th century the growth of population in the
area of the old Banbury Corporation had been rapid: it rose by 36%
between 1801 and 1831, whilst that of i t s neighbouring hamlet Neithrop, in
the parish of Banbury but not under the Corporation, rose by 106% o v e r
the s a m e period. Between 1831 and 1851 the growth r a t e s were 8% and
58
93%, for building land within t h e Borough had run out and p r o p e r t y b e c a m e
minutely s u b d i v i d e d . T h e s e f i g u r e s highlight a long-standing problem
which be-devilled municipal a f f a i r s f o r o v e r fifty y e a r s , f o r the area of the
new Municipal Borough which c a m e into being as a consequence of the
Municipal Corporations Act of 1835, w a s not c o - t e r m i n u s with the p a r i s h ,
including as i t did only the area of t h e old Corporation. T h e r e w e r e o t h e r
s u c h p l a c e s in England, w h e r e the new borough boundaries followed those
of ancient c h a r t e r s and did not take account of changed c i r c u m s t a n c e s .
P a r t i c u l a r areas of difficulty in Banbury proved to be the whole r a n g e of
p r o b l e m s then broadly c h a r a c t e r i s e d as s a n i t a r y m a t t e r s , uncontrolled
building and r o a d s , but e s p e c i a l l y t h e jurisdiction of the Borough Q u a r t e r
S e s s i o n s and the s m a l l extent of effective policing. Banbury's new Borough
P o l i c e f o r c e b e c a m e quite quickly r e l a t i v e l y well -organised and efficient,
as e n t r i e s in the Watch Committee and Council Minutes show, but t h e r e w a s
a continual s e n s e of f r u s t r a t i o n that law and o r d e r in t h e by now larger
h a m l e t of Neithrop, as well as in the smaller o n e of G r i m s b u r y , both part
of the p a r i s h , w e r e outside the borough's c o n t r o l . E f f o r t s w e r e m a d e on
s e v e r a l o c c a s i o n s o v e r the y e a r s to p r o m o t e par1 i a m e n t a r y b i l l s to extend
the borough boundaries, but they came to nothing through local difficulties
and jealousies with the Oxford County j u s t i c e s . Only o n 9 November 1889
did an enlarged Council at l a s t m e e t which r e p r e s e n t e d the new civil
p a r i s h of Banbury: this included all t h e old e c c l e s i a s t i c a l p a r i s h with p a r t s
of the neighbouring p a r i s h of Warkworth in W a r w i c k s h i r e , and for the f i r s t
t i m e Banbury Borough Council had real p o w e r s o v e r t h e whole d i s t r i c t .
T h e great m e r i t and i n t e r e s t of D r . T r i n d e r ' s book i s to show in
detail how Banbury f a r e d during the fifty y e a r s following t h e R e f o r m Act of
1832, and the consequent revolution in the national f o r t u n e s of the political
p a r t i e s . Political b i t t e r n e s s between Tory and R e f o r m i n t e r e s t s w a s wides p r e a d in the country, as might b e expected, but in Banbury with its s t r o n g
dissenting and r a d i c a l tradition, p a r l i a m e n t a r y r e p r e s e n t a t i o n for the
Banbury constituency, which included Neithrop and G r i m s b u r y , r e m a i n e d
in the hands of L i b e r a l p a r t y m e m b e r s throughout the p e r i o d , except for
s o m e five y e a r s f r o m 1859. A t f i r s t also, after 1835, the new borough
council w a s m a d e up exclusively of reformers, though more of a balance
w a s achieved after a few y e a r s . The book d e a l s in some.detai1 with t h e
changes in the political c l i m a t e , but r a t h e r as they affected p a r l i a m e n t a r y
a f f a i r s , than those within the council itself. T h e biggest s i n g l e effect, as
in many o t h e r p l a c e s , w a s the b r e a k i n g of t h e old o l i g a r c h i c hold on the
s e a t , in the case of Banbury a T o r y 'possession' long h e l d in the i n t e r e s t s
of the North family. T h e widening of the f r a n c h i s e , and the inclusion i n
a f f a i r s of d i s s e n t e r s f o r the first t i m e o n m o r e o r less equal terms, l e d to
a f i e r c e s p i r i t of local p a t r i o t i s m which l a s t e d throughout t h e period of
Banbury as a p a r l i a m e n t a r y borough. L a t e r , on the re-drawing of constituency boundaries, after 1885, the mix of p a r t y a s c e n d a n c y changed
considerably, for the constituency then included the n o r t h e r n p a r t s of the
59
county as well as the borough. In the fifty y e a r s following 1830, however,
opinion and society in Banbury w e r e highly p o l a r i s e d , L i b e r a l s , d i s s e n t e r s ,
s o m e c o m m e r c i a l i n t e r e s t s and Cobb’s Bank on o n e s i d e , the Conservat i v e s , Anglicans, Gillett’s Bank and s o m e manufacturing i n t e r e s t s on the
other.
Working class i n t e r e s t s w e r e , until after the t i m e c o v e r e d by the
book, not yet fully o r g a n i s e d , but they w e r e beginning to m a k e t h e m s e l v e s
felt, and Dr. T r i n d e r g i v e s a lively p i c t u r e of the activities of a multitude
of local organisations, s u c h as the T e m p e r a n c e s o c i e t i e s and t h e Mechanics’
Institute. T h i s last did much to b r i n g educational and vocational opportunities to the working class, and w a s a n important body with m e m b e r s
f r o m many w a l k s of l i f e , so much so, in fact, that the c o m m i t t e e m o r e than
once w o r r i e d about the l a c k of a r t i s a n s among t h e m . T h e F r i e n d l y
S o c i e t i e s , too, w e r e long-established r e c r e a t i o n and benefit a g e n c i e s , and
of the local c h u r c h e s , t h e P r i m i t i v e Methodists w e r e wholly working class.
Religious affairs in g e n e r a l are well c o v e r e d in the book, and the
p e r s o n a l i t i e s and q u i r k s of v a r i o u s l e a d e r s stand out. T h e fifty y e a r
period is c o v e r e d in two c h a p t e r s , and the p i c t u r e that e m e r g e s i s o n e of
s t u r d y and often a b r a s i v e independence of religious views, among which
the Anglican Church w a s but o n e voice among many. T h i s s i d e of things,
as e a r l i e r a r t i c l e s by the a u t h o r have shown, i s o n e of h i s g r e a t i n t e r e s t s ,
and t h i s i s reflected in h i s s t o r y h e r e . In g e n e r a l , however, and not only
in religious m a t t e r s , Banbury as a whole a p p e a r s in the mid-Victorian
y e a r s to have been a great p l a c e for c a u s e s , many of t h e m c l o s e l y r e l a t e d
to the Liberal o r r a d i c a l views and i n t e r e s t s of its leading c i t i z e n s . In the
case of the T e m p e r a n c e o r g a n i s a t i o n s , a l r e a d y mentioned, the v e r y s u c c e s s
of t h i s agitation seems in the end to have defeated i t s own e n d s , and to
have b e c o m e too n a r r o w l y s e c t a r i a n in c h a r a c t e r . T h e Liberal p a r t y m e m b e r s i n the town tended to d i s s i p a t e t h e i r e n e r g i e s in dissension about what
w a s not a universally approved r e s t r i c t i o n of personal l i b e r t y .
T h e author’s t r e a t m e n t of ‘Public Authority and P r i v a t e E n t e r p r i s e ’ (ch.8) i s p a r t i c u l a r l y i n t e r e s t i n g , covering as i t d o e s on the o n e
hand the chequered f o r t u n e s of the Local Board of Health, and on the o t h e r
the wealth of p r i v a t e building s c h e m e s , and t h o s e of F r e e h o l d Land
S o c i e t i e s , one of which w a s r e s p o n s i b l e for a planned building development
of s e v e r a l streets in G r i m s b u r y . T h e Local B o a r d of Health took o v e r the
p o w e r s of the Paving and Lighting C o m m i s s i o n e r s , as well as having
s e v e r a l new o n e s of i t s own, when it w a s set u p i n 1852, but though a
public authority i t w a s a n autonomous body, and not responsible to the
Borough Council, albeit f o u r Council m e m b e r s w e r e appointed annually
to take p a r t in i t s work. T h e t u r n - o v e r in the Board’s personnel w a s high,
and though s o m e of i t s achievements, such as a network of main s e w e r s ,
commanded r e s p e c t , the great expectations as to i t s p e r f o r m a n c e w e r e not
r e a l i s e d . T h e r e a s o n s for t h i s disappointment w e r e in the main twofold:
c h r o n i c l a c k of funds to c a r r y out i m p r o v e m e n t s , and the fatal division of
60
authority already indicated. Both these evils, however, did not afflict only
Banbury in the mid 19th century. The constant c r y for economy, both in
national government and in local affairs, was a particularly Liberal characteristic, as also was the extreme dislike of anything tending to diminish
local autonomies, even where i t might be obvious that some centralisation
would improve matters. In one local case, f o r instance, Banbury Council
Minutes and those of the Watch Committee witness to several attempts made
o v e r fifty years f r o m the Home Office, to effect a m e r g e r between the
Borough and County police forces. But they foundered on the rock of
jealously guarded local jurisdiction and independence.
Banbury's economy also receives considerable attention, particula r l y the mid-Victorian boom of the 1850s and 1860s. C a r r i e r journeys to
and from the town were a n index of i t s thriving trading links. Local transport s e e m s from an early period to have been well organised, and it
received a great boost from the coming of the railways, but it i s the
carrier cart traffic which Dr. T r i n d e r specially emphasises. A most useful Table (No. 1) a t the end of the book shows that in 1851 Banbury was
fifth of a wide ranging l i s t of 44 Midlands market towns, some much l a r g e r
than Banbury, with 446 such journeys a week. Only Birmingham, Reading,
Derby and Leicester had more such journeys; Oxford rated only 290,
Nottingham 235, and Shrewsbury 116, to name but a few much more
populous places. This one fact s e r v e s more than anything to underline the
contemporary commercial and agricultural importance of Banbury, and its
relation to an extensive surrounding area. The book led, as one mtght
expect, to many improvements in the town and to new building both public
and private, and some of the most pleasant buildings still remaining there
date from the middle of the century.
The book closes with an account of the decline of Banbury during
the 1870s, due in l a r g e measure to the parlous state of agriculture in the
hinterland, though this decline was not confined to the south midlands.
Disasters i n the l a t e r 1870s culminated in the very bad y e a r s 1879 to 1882,
which in their turn heralded a protracted period of decline i n farming in
the area. Between 1874 and 1900, f o r instance, the county wheat acreage
fell by 45%, and the number of sheep kept by o v e r a third.. In the long run
this benefited cattle farming in the e a r l y 19OOs, but meanwhile f a r m e r s
w e r e afflicted by a succession of animal plagues, which affected also
neighbouring Northamptonshire. The r u r a l population of the whole area
declined steadily through internal migration, but in the 1870s also by considerable emigration to a variety of lands overseas. At the s a m e time,
however, an expansion of manufacturing industry in the town began to
change i t s character, and this continued increasingly through the present
century, with the usual ups and downs at times of general depression.
Though Banbury in the 1870s made considerable contributions in educational
and social activities, the picture which Dr. T r i n d e r draws for the decade
i s one of 'going downhill', asehe himself describes it. A s o r t of general
61
weariness s e e m s to have succeeded the ferment of change of the previous
forty y e a r s and the excitement of the boom y e a r s of the middle century.
The very fulness and energy of the e a r l y and mid-Victorian
periods tends to obscure the v e r y sketchy nature of the borough government, and if the present reviewer h a s any complaint to make about t h i s
splendid book it is that D r . T r i n d e r h a s not dealt with this p a r t i c u l a r
m a t t e r in detail. Historians who have explored 19th century municipal
history from the town government angle have presented the r e a d e r with a
strange picture of chaos and strife, quite unlike the interlocking l a y e r s of
centralised control of local and national life today, with mainly smooth
changes of power a t elections. A s one w r i t e r puts it: What did the r e f o r m
of local government accomplished by the statutes of 1831 [reform of
VestriesJ and 1835 [Municipal Corporations reform1 amount t o ? The
answer i s , a g r e a t deal in t e r m s of "civil and religious liberty" and
egalitarian principle, but almost nothing in t e r m s of d a y - t o d a y living. In
the municipalities the c i r c l e of privilege w a s drawn much wider and the
non-conformists had won near equality. This had important political connamely, the introduction of
sequences. .But if we regard "reformtt.
m o r e modern o r m o r e efficient government, the Whig statutes achieved
little. Turning the closed corporations into open ones, permitting but not
compelling the new corporations to supersede the improvement commissions,
and increasing the number of democratic v e s t r i e s , merely widened the
area in which national conflict between Whigs and t o r i e s , l i b e r a l s and
radicals, could be conducted. It left the basic problems of town management unresolved. Local government was still a m a t e u r government,
without a coherent policy o r expert knowledge'. (cf. Oliver MacDonagh,
Early Victorian Government 1830-1870, 1977, pp. 126-7). The 1835 Act
defined the competence of the new corporations very narrowly, and they
even lost the old corporations' powers of management of religious
charities, thus losing a potentially considerable s o u r c e of influence and
benefit in their communities. T h e i r only d i r e c t obligations related to
establishing Watch Committees and s o m e form of paid police: t h i s reflected the cIimate of a very troubled period.
Banbury suffered all the disadvantages which followed f r o m the
drawbacks inherent in the new legislation, and as in some places with a
s i m i l a r boundary problem, these disadvantages w e r e compounded, in that
the borough had no direct means of dealing with the rapidly growing hamlet
of Neithrop, which tended to become a refuge f o r bad c h a r a c t e r s and those
escaping justice a t the hands of the borough c o u r t s and police. Until
beyond the period covered by D r . Trinder's book, the borough council's
functions w e r e still, in the main, confined to the judicial ones with which
it had started in 1835: Q u a r t e r Sessions sittings, weekly petty s e s s i o n s ,
the setting up and running of the borough police. Otherwise i t s business
included the running of the borough gaol until i t s closure in 1852, the
supervision of f a i r s and m a r k e t s , the collection of a variety of r e n t s , and
..
62
. ..
the holding of council, watch c o m m i t t e e and town meetings, and after
1870, supervising school a t t e n d a n c e s . It took the Council sixteen y e a r s of
d e b a t e s , s c h e m e s and p r o p o s a l s , a f t e r t h e condemnation of the gaol b y t h e
p r i s o n i n s p e c t o r a t e , to a c c e p t finally that to build a new o n e w a s beyond
t h e i r m e a n s , and to adopt, with r e l i e f , the proposal put forward by one of
t h e i n s p e c t o r s that they should negotiate with the County j u s t i c e s to send all
t h e i r p r i s o n e r s to the county gaol at Oxford.
T h e income at the disposal of the Council w a s , indeed, exiguous:
the r e n t s a l r e a d y mentioned, c e r t a i n m a r k e t d u e s , s m a l l fines from petty
s e s s i o n s o r for disallowed e n c r o a c h m e n t s o n the highway, r e n t f o r a pew
in the p a r i s h c h u r c h , and a payment for u s e of the Town Hall e a c h month
by the County Court for the s e t t l e m e n t of s m a l l d e b t s . T h e s e s t e a d y i t e m s
w e r e augmented, as decided upon e a c h q u a r t e r by a rate, in the period
u n d e r review n e v e r m o r e than 6d in the f , often less. T h i s rate w a s
o r d e r e d to be paid to t h e Borough T r e a s u r e r by the o v e r s e e r s f r o m the
poor rate. T h e Council did not e v e n collect this itself for o v e r fifty y e a r s .
Two volumes of the T r e a s u r e r ’ s Account s u r v i v e , covering the y e a r s f r o m
1836 to 1866, and t h e s e r e v e a l that the total annual income, including r a t e s ,
before 1845 only o n c e r e a c h e d f1100, up to 1853 it once reached f1250;
a f t e r that yearly a m o u n t s rose to varying s u m s between f1650 and f1900,
only twice reaching f2000. T h e y e a r s of the highest r e v e n u e s a l s o yielded
considerable s u r p l u s e s o v e r at t h e end of the accounting period, the
highest being f532 in 1861; f o r s o m e of the y e a r s e a r l y in the Council’s
existence t h e r e w a s a deficit at the end of the account. Total expenditure
s e e m s to have a v e r a g e d something in the region of f1000, but t h e r e w e r e
considerable fluctuations, t h e highest amount being €1500, and s e v e r a l
t i m e s about f1350. In the earliest y e a r s it w a s well below f1000. Without
a detailed a n a l y s i s t h e r e seems to be no obvious r e a s o n for t h e s e v a r i a t i o n s .
But even allowing f o r t h e then value of money, it w a s all something of a
pinch-penny a f f a i r . About 70% or more went on s a l a r i e s for R e c o r d e r ,
Town C l e r k , M a g i s t r a t e s C l e r k , w a g e s for P o l i c e Superintendent and
Constables, police clothing, and until 1852 gaol e x p e n s e s , and after that
payments to Oxford f o r the maintenance t h e r e of borough p r i s o n e r s . A l l
t h e s e w e r e in s o m e s e n s e judicial e x p e n s e s , and they were swelled by
long l i s t s of payments of t h e e x p e n s e s of those who prosecuted cases at t h e
Q u a r t e r S e s s i o n s , though p a r t of t h e l a t t e r w a s r e c l a i m e d half-yearly
f r o m the T r e a s u r y . O t h e r e x p e n s e s included fee f a r m r e n t s , salaries
for the two s e r j e a n t s at Mace, and for a n u m b e r of o t h e r low paid
offices, payments for the r e p a i r or running of the town hall, that of
Banbury’s quota f o r t h e building and upkeep of L i t t l e m o r e Lunatic Asylum,
and the pursuing of v a r i o u s petitions in P a r l i a m e n t , including the
e x p e n s e s of deputations to London. L i t t l e of t h i s , however, had anything
to do with the day-to-day a d m i n i s t r a t i o n of the borough f r o m a local
government point of view. The council minutes show, f r o m t h e l i s t s of
b i l l s passed for payment, that the position did not materially change
63
before 1889.
Banbury Council w a s o n e of the many which did not take o v e r the
d u t i e s of t h e Paving and Lighting C o m m i s s i o n e r s after 1835, and t h e s e
w e r e absorbed by the newly set u p Local B o a r d of Health in 1852. T h i s
Board c a r r i e d on i t s work as a n autonomous local authority, dealing with
many important m a t t e r s which nowadays would b e the c o n c e r n of borough,
d i s t r i c t o r metropolitan a u t h o r i t i e s . Dr. T r i n d e r has d i s c u s s e d the
fortunes of the B o a r d . G a s and W a t e r c o n c e r n s r e m a i n e d in p r i v a t e hands,
even a f t e r 1889. T h e borough council w a s t h u s for o v e r fifty y e a r s left
with only judicial, police, m a r k e t and c e r e m o n i a l functions. T h e accent
when i t came to expenditure, as the a c c o u n t s indicate, w a s v e r y much on
economy, and t h i s i s p a r t i c u l a r l y noticeable in the m a t t e r of the s a l a r i e s
paid to various of council officers and the police. A l l four Police cons t a b l e s , for instance, w e r e s t i l l being paid 1 8 shillings e a c h a week, t h e i r
pay in 1836, up to April 1864. A t that d a t e o n e man w a s promoted s e r j e a n t
and received 3 shillings a week e x t r a . A small r i s e totalling seven
shillings between the f o u r m e n , w a s m a d e i n May 1866. No’accounts survive to show how they f a r e d after t h i s . Then, the b a s i c pay of the two
S e r j e a n t s at Mace w a s €10 e a c h p e r annum in 1836, and in 1889, after the
death of one man, the other a g r e e d to do t h e w o r k of the usual two, for a n
annual s a l a r y of f20, so no r i s e t h e r e at a l l for o v e r fifty y e a r s . O t h e r
s i m i l a r examples could b e given. T h e Council cannot b e s a i d to have been
profligate. I t s one real achievement, beyond the functions d e s c r i b e d , w a s
the building of the new Town Hall, opened i n 1854. T h e total c o s t of t h i s
w a s f 6 0 9 4 . 1 0 ~ l. l d , but to m e e t the cost the v e r y bottom of the b a r r e l w a s
s c r a p e d , and it took s e v e r a l y e a r s before that account w a s closed. A s
a l r e a d y indicated above, m a t t e r s changed in 1889 after the Borough
boundaries had been much e n l a r g e d and the Council had taken o v e r the
p o w e r s of the Local B o a r d of Health, which then c e a s e d to exist as a
s e p a r a t e body. But i t s new life as a local authority with r e a l powers of
administration i s outside the s c o p e of t h e s e notes.
T h i s notice should not end without a r e f e r e n c e to the fifteen
T a b l e s compiled by D r . T r i n d e r b p . 194-211). T h e s e elucidate h i s text a t
v a r i o u s points and provide f i g u r e s for all k i n d s of s u b j e c t s . Anyone
r e s e a r c h i n g into a s p e c t s of Banbury’s h i s t o r y in the 19th c e n t u r y will be
constantly i n the author’s debt. T h e r e are t h r e e l i t e r a r y Appendices and a
full bibliography of the documentary, newspaper, printed book and official
publication s o u r c e s which he h a s used o r which are g e r m a n e to h i s subject.
T h e s e recapitulate and d r a w together the v e r y full a p p a r a t u s of notes to
e a c h c h a p t e r . Finally, a 93 page index c o m p l e t e s a book which i t would be
difficult to recommend too highly, not only to h i s t o r i a n s , but to the g e n e r a l
r e a d e r interested in the fortunes of Banbury in Victorian t i m e s .
P. Renold
64
BAN B U R Y H I STOK I CA L S0C I E T Y
The Society was founded in 1957 t o encourage i n t e r e s t in the
h i s t o r y of the town of Banbury and neighbouring parts of Oxfordshire,
Northamptonshire and Warwickshire.
T h e Magazine C a k e & Cockhorse is issued to m e m b e r s t h r e e
times a y e a r . T h i s includes i l l u s t r a t e d a r t i c l e s based on original local
historical r e s e a r c h , as well as recording the Society’s activities. Public a t i o n s include Old Banbury - a short popular history by E . R . c. Brinkworth (2nd edition), New Light on Banbury’s C r o s s e s , Roman Banburyshire,
Banbury’s Poor in 1850, Banbury C a s t l e a summary of excavations in
1972, The Building and Furnishing of St Mary’s Church, Banbury, and
Sanderson Miller of Radway and his work at Wroxton, and a pamphlet
H i s t o r y of Banbury Cmss.
-
I
i
The Society has also published fifteen r e c o r d s volumes to date.
T h e s e have included Banbury P a r i s h R e g i s t e r s (in six p a r t s : M a r r i a g e s
1558-1837, Baptisms 1558-1812, B u r i a l s 1558-1723); Banbury Corporation
R e c o r d s : Tudor and Stuart; Banbury Wills and Inventories 1621-1650;
A Victorian M.P. and h i s Constituents: T h e Correspondence of H.W. Tancred 1841-1860; South Newington Churchwardens‘ Accounts 1553-1684;
Wigginton Constables’ Books 1691-1836; and Bodicote P a r i s h Accounts
1700-1822. Volumes in preparation include Banbury W i l l s and Inventories
1591-1620 and 1661-1723; Banbury Burial R e g i s t e r 1723-1812 and Baptisms and B u r i a l s 1812-1837; and an edition of l e t t e r s to the 1st E a r l of
Guilford (of Wroxton, f a t h e r of Lord North the P r i m e Minister).
Meetings are held during the autumn and winter, normally a t
7 . 3 0 p m . Talks on general and local archaeological, historical and a r c h i -
t e c t u r a l subjects are given by invited l e c t u r e r s . In the s u m m e r , e x c u r s i o n s to local country houses and c h u r c h e s are a r r a n g e d . Archaeological
excavations and special exhibitions are a r r a n g e d f r o m time to t i m e .
Membership of the society i s open to a l l , no proposer o r seconder
being needed. T h e annual subscription i s f6.00 including any r e c o r d s
volumes published, o r f4.00 if t h e s e are excluded.
Application f o r m s c a n be obtained f r o m the Hon. Membership
Secretary.
Printed by: Steerprint Ltd., 3A South Bar, Banbury, for the
Banbury Historical Society.
All articles in this publication are strictly copyright.
'I

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