MINUTES OF THE 36^th MEETING OF AYNHO HISTORY SOCIETY HELD IN AYNHO VILLAGE HALL ON WEDNESDAY 23^RD FEBRUARY 2011

Present: – Rupert Clark – Chairman

       Brian Reynolds – Treasurer      

       Peter Cole – Secretary.                                

1.          Apologies

Apologies had been received from Keith McClellan.

2.                   Chairman’s Report                                                           Rupert Clark

Rupert sadly announced the death of one of our members, Edward Rainsberry.

We have been asked to provide a stand again at the Church Fete this year on Saturday 11^th June. This was agreed.

He had attended the February Parish Council meeting to find out more about a possible History Walk this year instead of a Farm Walk. This is likely to be around the end of August or the first half of September, although the exact date is yet to be confirmed. We already have two guide booklets written by children some years ago, one for a village walk and the other for a tour of the Church. It is proposed that people should be able to buy these, and then go round unescorted in their own time. It is suggested that we finish at the Sports Field pavilion for tea and cakes, etc.    

Ted Sutton has been our representative on the Village Hall Committee. He has agreed to continue, and this was confirmed at the meeting.

3.            Finance Report                                                                 

Brian said that at last night the funds stood at £1,064.30.

4.             Secretary’s Report                                                                       Peter Cole

Peter said that he had attended the Parish Council’s Meeting on 7^th February, and had asked them about the possibility of insuring the painting donated to us as part of their policy. They were happy to do this. The annual premium would be £25, with a policy excess of £250 for any item. The most appropriate time to start this would be when the policy is renewed on 1^st June. It was agreed that he should proceed on this basis. He had brought the painting along for members to see after the meeting.

Mrs Cartwright-Hignett has emailed him to ask if we would like to have her father’s fireman’s axe and uniform for our archive. He had enjoyed participating in the Aynho Fire Brigade for many years. The only fire at Aynho that they could not deal with was when the woodsheds opposite the Grammar House, where the fire engine was kept, caught fire and burned down. The uniform is in a poor condition due to moth damage, but we are welcome to them. He had thanked her, and agreed that the next time any of us goes down her way or if she comes here, the items can be transferred. This was agreed.

He has had an email from Eydon Historical Research Group who will be holding an exhibition of photographs from their archive on Sunday March 6^th from 2 pm to 4 pm in their Village Hall. Entry is free, and local members will be there to help and discuss aspects of Eydon’s history.

There have been more emails about Aynho families: -

Thorp Thewles History Society in County Durham had obtained a diary of a farmer’s son who had bicycled all the way from there to Aynho in 1913 to see his relatives. The secretarye3He was able to put them in touch with a family member, who remembered his grandfather talking about the village of Thorp Thewles.

Someone from Windsor wanted information about his grandmother Mary Ann Turner. Peter was able to tell him that she only appears in the 1891 census, but he was able to trace her ancestors right back to the 1841 census, which included another Mary Ann Turner, who was his great, great grandmother.

The most recent one was from a person who believed her grandparents, Henry John Adams and his wife Edith, owned a general store in Aynho from 1901 to 1911. There was no trace of the family in the 1901 census, but they appear in the 1911 one, as a husband, wife and four young daughters living at a grocer’s shop. Peter had spoken to a local resident, who thinks they used to own the shop which was at one time by the telephone box in The Square, and which featured on the front of last September’s Aynho newsletter. He sent her this information, and enclosed a copy of the 1976 shop drawing, a 1936 photo of the same shop then owned by A. Eaton & Son, and a recent photo of the house where the shop used to be.

5.             Photographs of Old Aynho                                        Brian Reynolds

Brian said that over the last three years he had received quite a large number of old photographs from many people, and he thought it was about time these were shown, He hoped for a lot of audience participation, as many photos didn’t come with any details of the exact place or individuals concerned.

He wasn’t disappointed, as both members and guests were able to put names and places to most of the pictures shown.

Peter recorded details of as many as possible, and is hoping to produce an Excel document to accompany the list of photos, giving these details, with space to add more information as it comes to light in the future.

6.             Forthcoming Meetings                                                                  

March 30^th                  The Cartwright Papers                                   Jim McDermott

April 27^th                    Welsh Roads                                                 Bruce Smith

May 25^th                   History of the Grammar House               Sally Strutt