I have just finished a short piece of research on Jeremiah for one of my U3A History Groups. I’ve always associated the Victorian era with industrial growth, owners making lots of money and poor employee working conditions. Well here is a man, one of our very own, who proved that you can run a successful business and also maintain the welfare of your workforce. 20 years before the government introduced compulsory education, he set-up a school for the employees children but what was the content of the letter he sent to each parent to convince them to send their children to school? Colmans was the first business to provide a nurse for the benefit of the workforce, but what was medical care scheme he set-up? Jeremiah also provided housing for his workers and an onsite canteen. What other welfare facilities did he provide to his workers and how much money did he leave to the employees trust when he died? Jeremiah, a devout Christian, believed in a brand of charity of self-help, he believed in giving to help people, but he believed that once helped people had a duty to do everything in their power to help themselves. Norwich came to a standstill on his funeral during 1898 because he touched so many people. To answer these questions and find out more information, please select the following link:
Monday 27 September 2021
Friday 17 September 2021
The Windhams and Felbrigg Hall
Here is a short film about Felbrigg Hall. Please take some time to watch this because it highlights the lovely Jacobean, Georgian and Victorian interior, the wonderful library with 5000 books including a Doctor Johnson dictionary and art treasures brought back from a Grand Tour by William Windham in 1740. In my view the interior looks a lot better than the exterior! This Jacobean house was built in 1620 by Thomas Windham but what famous Norwich church do the stained glass windows come from? Why was mad Windham taken to court and what was the outcome? There are also some lovely pictures of the lake and the gardens. To find out more and to answer these questions, please select the following link and press play, you may need to move the red bar back to the start and you can always give it a thumbs up:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNDSazJDMps
Here is a written article to supplement the above film. The Domesday book traces the village of Felbrigg to the ownership of the Bigod family but what does Felbrigg mean? When did the Windham family take ownership of the hall? And when did the spelling of Wyndham change to Windham? Why was William Windham III known as “fighting Windham” and as an MP why did he vote against the abolition of slavery? How and when did the association between the Windhams and Felbrigg end? Please select the following link and work your way through the history of Felbrigg Hall:
Thursday 9 September 2021
Burston School Strike - the Longest Strike in History
Here is another article from the Little Bit Of History series. I remember walking past Burston School a couple of years ago on a Ramblers walk but what was the Burston School Strike and how long did it last for? This is a wonderful story of people power standing up to the authorities for the benefit of their children. It’s also an excellent insight into the education system of the early 1900s and how far we have moved since. Why did they strike and why did the strike last for so long? Where did Annie and Tom Higdon move their school to? Were they supported by the parents and children? To find out more and to answer these question, please select the following link and press play, you may need to move the red bar back to the start and you can always give it a thumbs up:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt0AcKEVXlk&t=18s
Here is a written article to supplement the above film. It’s compiled by the Norfolk Records Office and lists the documents that exist referencing the strike including Parish Council minutes and Education Committee minutes. There is also a wonderful story about the memorial to Sergeant Herbert Garnham which typifies some of the feelings of the locals. Please select the following link:
https://www.archives.norfolk.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/local-history/the-burston-strike-school
The Legend Of The Bungay Black Dog
Tony Harper mentioned the black dog of Bungay to me today so I thought I would research it. This tale dates back to 1577 during a mighty storm and a black dog crashed through the doors of St Marys Church attacking those sheltering there. What was the black dog called? What did the dog do to the door of Blythburgh church? Whose work did the locals attribute this to? And on what central feature of Bungay is the black dog depicted? If you don’t know the answers to these questions and/or want to find out more then please select the following link:
https://www.thesuffolkcoast.co.uk/articles/the-legend-of-the-bungay-black-dog
Here is a film to supplement the above article. Please select the following link, press the play button, you may need to move the red bar back to the start and you can always give the film a thumbs up:
Beccles Clock Tower
Tony Harper mentioned the Beccles Clock to me and that it only had three faces. Do you know the reason why? If not, please select the following link to find out the answer and some history of Beccles and St Michael’s Church:
Margaret Catchpole
Here is a film about Margaret Catchpole from the Little Bit of History series. She was born in Suffolk in 1762 and had virtually no education. She began working on a farm at 11 years old. Her fortunes changed for the better when she was employed by the Cobbold family as a nurse but which Cobbold family member inspired a Dickens character? And which Cobbold family member taught her how to read and write and would act as her benefactor throughout her life? What was she arrested for and why was her sentence lessened to deportation? What prison did she escape from? And how did she do it? What was her sentence when she was recaptured? Where was she transported to and how did she earn her freedom? There were a number of books written about her but who wrote them and how accurate were they? This is a wonderful story of a spirited and resourceful woman. Please select the following link and press play. You may need to move the red bar back to the start and you can always give the film a thumbs up if you enjoyed it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N30OcJSZtak&t=2s
Here is a written article to supplement the above film. Please select the following link:
https://www.naomiclifford.com/the-legend-of-margaret-catchpole/