Langham Village History Group

More documents

Recommendations

Info

The three-day exhibition held on 2, 3 & 4 May at the village primary schoolattracted over 500 visitors many of whom travelled considerable distances,including one descendant of a Langham family from the USA.Visitors were welcomed to the exhibition by History Group members, someof whom were dressed in 17 th century costume, music from the period wasplayed in the background.Two special guests were Lady Campden, who discovered the Exton Estatedocuments, a catalyst for the whole project, and Professor Alan Rogers, our mentor.Pupils from the local primary school made a special tour of the exhibitionbefore it was dismantled. Group members were on hand to answer questions.See pictures from the event http://LanghaminRutland.org.uk/exhibition/index.htmLizzie Mann & Lady CampdenThe ServiceA congregation of more than 130 worshippersattended a 17 th century Evensong in the parishchurch on Sunday 3 rd May. Using the Book of CommonPrayer, King James Bible and with music providedby an early music group and members of Oakhamchurch choir, the service was much enjoyed.Our vicar, Rev Jay Ridley, resplendent in a periwig,made an excellent ranting cleric as he read from thearchdeacons’ visitation notes of the 1600s on theparlous state of Langham Church. This he followedwith an actual 17 th century homily exhortingparishioners to care for the church as they wouldRev Jay Ridley resplendent in his periwig delivering the homilytheir own homes. The service was followed by theserving of mead, ale and 17 th century sweetmeats.Presentations given to Community Groups September 2008/July 2009:• Eaton Local History Group (x2)• Langham Baptist Church Fellowship• Rutland Local History & Record Society & Friends of the Museum• Langham SchoolDisplays provided for Community Groups September 2008/July2009:• Langham Village Show• Langham Parish Church Christmas Tree Festival, winning entryStudy Sessions September 2008/July 2009:• Study session in the Parish Church with the Peterborough Diocesan Archaeologist,Quinton Carroll• Study session led by Dr Graham Jones ofOxford University (St Ellyn/Helyn)• Visit to Langham church byDr Rosemary Cramp to view possibleSaxon architectureVisits made:Tallow Chandlers’ Hall, Dowgate Hill, London at theinvitation of the Grand Master to commemoratethe death of Alderman Roger Clarke whoselegacy of a charity, set up with the Company in1608, is still in place today.Page 2Maurice Cocking of the Worshipful Company of Tallow Chandlers speakingat the luncheon given for the group in Tallow Chandlers’ Hall
Conclusion:At a meeting of the Steering Group on 15 th May 2009, it was noted that two conditions in the biddocument had not been fulfilled:• In spite of numerous efforts on our part, our local radio station did not grant us air time.• The agreement with Rutland County Museum for a display of exhibition material, and probablya permanent exhibit, had been negated by a change of administrative personnel. We have,however, reached agreement with the new regime for a temporary display in Oakham Castle.Members were asked for their comments upon the whole project and these were collated anddiscussed at a group meeting. A resulting list of suggestions has been compiled and filed in readinessfor any future undertaking.We believe that we fulfilled what we set out to do and, in the process, have not only brought17th century Langham to the attention of a vast audience, but also, as individuals, we extended ourknowledge of, and interest in, our village and in the history of the period. We have improved andextended our skills as set out in the bid document and feel a great sense of achievement as a result.Unforeseen outcomes were the interest and pride that the village took in the project; the numberof people from outside the village who became involved and the kudos gained by the group inLocal History circles. One particularly pleasing result was the bringing together of family memberswho had not previously known of the others existence.MethodologyAt the outset of the project, our mentor advised on the methods of research we might use and howto keep consistency in our records. He recommended the sharing of information on a regular basisand the writing of drafts at a very early stage.A list of strategies, rules and a “House Style” for the preparation and submission of written materialwas drawn up and communicated to members.As material became available, eg. transcriptions of wills and inventories, transcriptions of parish recordsand manor court rolls, digitised early maps, land and property leases, it was copied electronically toall members.Previous reports and the list of acknowledgements in the book indicate the places visited andvarious bodies approached for information.Living in a rural area, a great deal of travel was required to view and research original documents.Even our own county archive material is held by either the Leicester, Leicestershire and RutlandRecord Office based in Leicester or Northamptonshire Record Office based in Northampton.Significant use was made of the Internet for research and a closed area of our own web site was usedfor the dissemination of information.Most members reported that the research was more enjoyable than the production of writtenmaterial. We all found the writing of book chapters to be a major challenge and finding illustrationsto accompany the written work often proved difficult.Having written fairly lengthy pieces for the book, some members found the production of short,concise pieces of exhibition text an equal challenge. The production of the actual boards, however,became social occasions and the three days of the exhibition produced a great feeling of teamworkand much camaraderie.In addition to 85 exhibition boards, 10 display panels and a rolling data projection, there was aselection of costumed dolls and a copy of a 17 th century embroidered sampler on display.Page 3
Page 1: Langham Village History GroupThe Li
Page 5 and 6: Appendix ICopies of the publication
Page 7 and 8: The Life and Families of 17 th cent
Page 9 and 10: Other Achievements• Translation o
Page 11: Study Sessions undertaken by indivi

Langham Village History Group

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?