Archives

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Finding out about our families’ history is becoming more and more popular.

If you are researching your family tree, the Archivist will be happy to help you.

Contact the Archivist here

NB  Stories and memories of Wootton past , also donations or loans of material are always welcomed. Please contact the Archivist.

ABOUT THE ARCHIVES

Ideal for beginning research into your family tree or tracing burials etc.

We have copies of our Parish Registers going back to the earliest , around 1775, along with copies of the Census records for Wootton and area. An index to the burials registers has been produced. Copies may be supplied.

The Archives also contain materials relating to the history of both churches in the Parish as well as various aspects of local history , various minutes and records of local organisations, issues of the Parish magazine going back to the 1940s and  collections of photographs.

Enquiries are welcomed. If we do not have the information we can suggest further lines of enquiry.

 

PLEASE CONTACT THE ARCHIVIST .

LOCAL MEMORIES

WINTER’S TALES

Here are some stories set in a winter scene

From very old past issues,

Of the Parish magazine

January 1949     

Mrs Eric Hendy is presenting jellies (at the Sunday School Party). Will all children who like jellies please bring a spoon. Remember, no spoon, no jelly.

February 1954-The big freeze!

For a fortnight Church Road was like an ice rink along which walking was difficult but sliding easy. As the Hon Sacristan observed, the Collect for the day was singularly appropriate

“By reason of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand upright”

 

January 1961

Church Road is badly flooded. Timber lugged onto the road (to provide a foothold, no pavements then), floated away.

February 1961

Appropriate quotation re the state of Church Road

Ezekiel 23,28 “For I will lay the land most desolate and none shall pass through.”

February 1958

It was like the Dance of the Gnomes one Sunday afternoon to see half the Sunday School dancing with glee around the boiler house from which the expansion pipe was emitting a stream of boiling water. To their further delight the safety valve by the church door blew off for the first time indicating that the temperature was at its maximum ( the system had been giving trouble for some time and the stop cock had also vanished.)

 

And from School Log Books

1954

Very cold weather. The School lavatories are frozen and the infant class  room roof leaking. The School closed on Jan 29th.Bad weather continued into February with many absences(one room only 33 deg all day on Feb 5th).

School hours were telescoped and children sent home early.

The Infant Nativity Play was performed on Feb 10th&11th , the delay owing to colds and weather.

1961

15th Dec The School Carol Service. The church was crowded , the ,children showed they felt the reverence of the occasion .Mrs Newsome played the organ. The Collection was given to the Church Roof Fund.