Old Bailey Online - The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, 1674-1913 - Central Criminal Court

Old Bailey Online - The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, 1674-1913 - Central Criminal Court is now on-line, so your need to investigate old serious crimes can be satisfied. There's a good search facility, and fortunately the only ancestor I could find was a policeman there as a witness.

Elgar conducts Pomp and Circumstance No. 1

I just found this archive film of Edward Elgar conducting at Abbey Road Studios on YouTube. There are films of other composers, Grieg and Stravinsky amongst them, on YouTube, as well as anything else you can imagine.

New Photos on my Flickr page

I've put some new pictures, of a Music Hall held recently at Tudor House in Friar Street, where I was singing, and as a last minute replacement, chairing and chiding the churchless choreomancy (OK, I think I made up the last word - it would mean using dance for divination) of the other performers.

Ray Jones has a new book

Ray Jones, who has written several good books of local history from photographs, has just produced a new one, celebrating the pioneers of photography in Worcester.
Full details on Surf Worcester.

Worcestershire & Dudley Historic Churches Trust

Worcestershire & Dudley Historic Churches Trust has an excellent site with fascinating historic pictures of many Worcestershire churches. The picture shows Broadwas Church.

Walking Tours of Worcester

Discover History, that excellent group that dress the part for re-enactments and presentations from many (all?) periods of British History, have started a new walking tour of Worcester called The Worcester Story. It's essential to book in advance (07949 222137 - this number is now correct, sorry for the wrong number previously), but they are available every day at 6.00pm from the Guildhall in the High Street. You can book it for private parties, schools, colleges, your office party or club outing! More information on the website Discover History

Recognition of Nineteenth Century Churches

by Mike Wall

Mike Wall spoke to the group in January and kindly gave me this recognition guide to add to the web

Throughout the 19c architects tended to imitate the style of medieval Gothic. As so many churches of this period exist, it is important to try to distinguish them from the genuine ancient ones. All characteristics given below can be seen in medieval buildings, but any church containing a high proportion of them may be assigned to the 19c.
(a) Churches up to about 1840.
(i) Plan generally 'Georgian' - viz - large nave, small or non-existent chancel. Aisles and transepts optional, but where present, always two.
(ii) Symmetrical north/south appearance - ie - when viewed from due east or west an exact balance is achieved about the centre line. Doorways and windows etc on the north are mirrored on the south. (iii) Nave walls with very tall windows and between each a buttress which may extend upwards to form a pinnacle. A line of battlements above the windows almost always climbs the gable.
(iv) Window tracery tends to be Perpendicular in the expensive churches, simple tall lancets with 'Y' or intersecting 'Y' tracery in the cheaper ones. Iron square glazing bars very common.
(v) Towers almost always in the centre of the west wall, the north & south walls often clasping the tower affording space for gallery staircases, vestries etc.
(vi) Ceilings tend to be plastered, not showing any wooden beams. Decoration plain or imitation vaulting. (vii) Galleries and box-pews often present.
(b) Churches after 1840.
(i) Plan - chancels larger; aisles and transepts again optional, but can be single, or where two, they are of unequal size.
(ii) Symmetrical appearance very rare. Planned additions especially organ chambers, porches, chapels and boiler houses very common, (iii) Nave walls with shorter windows, often of unequal size. (iv) Window tracery tends towards either lancets, plate, bar or geometrical Decorated. Reticulated tracery rare. Perpendicular very uncommon before 1880. The more complex geometrical designs, especially where genuine 14c work in uncommon is telling, and their preference for a wheel motif above a 3- or 5-light window is characteristic, (v) Towers sometimes due west, but mostly in other positions. (vi) Ceilings almost never plastered. Almost always steep roofs, (vii) Box pews and galleries hardly ever present.
General: If still in doubt if a church is 19c or not, check the stonework; any clever banding of different coloured stone, the clean-cut, as-new appearance to windows and walls, stones of regular machine-cut size, 'rock-face' cut on some churches are clues to look out for. Other things include fussy cresting on roof copings, over-elaboration of chancel arch imposts, fonts, pulpits, chancel floors etc. BUT BE CAREFUL over-restored medieval churches contain all these! The total absence of monuments may point to a 19c church, though some contain monuments of their forebears (ie Hallow). There is no hard and fast rule; some heavily restored old churches look genuine if the work was done sympathetically (ie Oddingley). Others like St Helen, Worcester
have been restored so many times as to look totally Victorian! Good Hunting!

Victoria County History of the County of Worcester

You no longer have to go down to the History Centre to see the Victoria County History for Worcester. It's on the Internet, the whole text and pictures. A History of the County of Worcester: volume 4 | British History Online is the link for the volume with City of Worcester, but the other geographical volumes (2 and 3) are available too.

Edward Elgar with moving pictures, but no music.

Gordon Lee put together this interesting set of pages about Edward Elgar, including some small video files. Well, they were probably cine film at the time of taking, but you know what I mean.

The Archaeology of Aggregate Sites in Worcestershire

The Archaeology of Aggregate Sites in Worcestershire looks at the contribution to atrchaeology made by quarrying in the nineteenth and twentieth century. The initiative is run by Worcestershire County Council Historic Environment and Archaeology Service, financed by English Heritage and the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund. It's brand new, so there is not much content yet, but worth keeping an eye on.

British Pathe Limited

British Pathe Limited have made all of their newsreels available on line, with free short previews downloadable as long as you register. I found a bit about Don Bradman batting at Worcester.

Domesday Book : Britain's finest treasure

Domesday Book | Britain's finest treasure is now available on line from the National Archives. There is a charge for looking at facsimiles of pages, but there is a great deal to look at free. Including a count-the-animals game!

BBC - Hereford and Worcester - - Voices 2005

This has been around for a time, but I've only just discovered it. Local people talk about local language.
BBC - Hereford and Worcester - - Voices 2005
It's available for everywhere in Britain, with quizzes, articles and comment opportunities. Kept me amused for an entire episode of Inspector Lynley.

Commandery Dig 2006

I have aching muscles this evening because I've spent the day in the trenches at the Commandery Dig 2006. We passed the first day scraping the infilled soil off last year's trench,so the we can dig deeper in the same place. With a shovel and a pick ... wel a mattock, a shovel, a little coal shovel, a dustpan type brush and the archaeologist's favourite trowel. You can come and see us in action, even though the Commandery itself is closed, covered in scaffolding and fenced off. Just come through the gates in Wylds Lane, Tuesday - Sunday. Ask lots of questions. We have archaeology students as well as professional archaeologists to answer them.
I'm keeping a daily(?) blog on my excavational activities on fortroyal.blogspot.com and hope to hear from you there.

Beginners' Latin

Beginners' Latin is a free course from the National Archives, which teaches you the Latin of official documents, rather than the Latin you may have learnt at school.
Their site also has guides to Local History Sources, Family History, and Reading old handwriting (Paleography).

Future American Presidents at Fort Royal

Adams Electronic Archive : John Adams diary 44, 27 March - 21 July 1786 contains references to the travels of this American diplomat, who later became the Third President of the United States. Fort Royal, Worcester, together with Edgehill, Birmingham and Stratford are among the places mentioned.
The Fort Royal Walk, rained off on Tuesday 11th April, has been rescheduled for Wednesday June 14 at 7.00pm. Meet on the canalside next to the Commandery. We'll take a look at the famous hill, then at some of our industrial heritage in the Blockhouse. Back at the Kings Head around 8.30pm

How the West was won with help from the Three Counties

Information from Arch Turvey. Picture Copyright © John Stafford 2005

During the mid 1800s the western USA was settled by thousands of British emigrants from Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire. Their story and their journey began here....
Gadfield Elm Chapel
(between Malvern and Gloucester - see directions below)
In 1840, Missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes known as 'Mormons') traveled from their headquarters in Nauvoo, Illinois, to the 3 Counties and taught the local people. During the next 9 months 1,800 people were 'converted', including the almost entire membership of a local organization known as the United Brethren.
In less than 2 years most of the converts had left their homes and sailed across the Atlantic to gather in Nauvoo. Many made historic treks across the plains of North America later with wagons or handcarts in Groups often suffering severe hardship on the way. It would not be unusual for accents of these Groups in America to be predominantly English - indeed it is recorded that one of the first person to start farming in the Salt Lake Valley, Utah was from Ledbury. These people from the 3 Counties were of good, hardy country stock and ideal to conquer these challenges.
Gadfield Elm Chapel belonged to the United Brethren and when they joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints they passed ownership to the Church - it became therefore the very first and oldest Mormon Chapel in the world. More and much more will be told during the visit of the Local History Group of Worcester U3A - the baptisms in the pond at Hill Farm, Castle Frome, the significance of what was decided at British Camp on the Malvern Hills, the Baptist Chapel in Ledbury where Brigham Young preached and other historical information leading to a massive Chapel building programme throughout the UK over the last 40 years.
Elder and Sister Mitchell from Norwich who are serving a voluntary mission at Gadfield Elm Chapel will be your hosts and they will open up the story in the actual Gadfield Chapel itself which was restored in the last year or so after over a century of neglect following the local members leaving for America.
Directions
Take the A449 towards Malvern then at Powick
Turn left along B4424 towards Upton and Three Counties Showground
At sign on right B4211 to Malvern turn right but then immediately turn left to Hanley Swan
At Hanley Swan pond go straight over on B4208 towards Gloucester
Keep on this road with lovely views and after approx 9 miles from Hanley Swan
After going through Pendock you will come to a Hill Sign 14%
Follow this road still around the corner and then down a short hill
At the bottom look for the sign "Gadfield Elm Farm 100m" and follow - narrow road
Park at Chapel - there is a large field also for parking.

Village of Eckington in Worcestershire

Village of Eckington in Worcestershire has details of the Flower Festival and Open Gardens and Holy Trinity Church

Handsam Boat Company, Evesham

Handsam Boat Company are the organisers of our Evesham Day Out.

George Marshall Medical Museum

George Marshall Medical Museum was a highlight of our visits programme this year.