Resources for Family Historians
Julie Parker, a member of the FHS Committee is running a 6 week WEA course on this topic at the
Westwood Centre, Northleach on Mondays afternoons from 2-3.30 pm, from January 19th. If you are
interested please call Julie on 01285 720583.
Fairford and the Ashmolean Museum
If you want to see artefacts from Fairford's Anglo-Saxon cemetery you will have to wait a while.
W M Wylie who wrote the book 'Fairford Graves' in 1852 gave his collection to the Ashmolean Museum in
Oxford. The museum has been partially shut for a while and it is now completely closed till November 2009.
A huge refurbishment programme has been taking place and the new galleries promise to be splendid. As soon
as it re-opens do go and see what they have done with the Fairford collection.
Reflooring St Mary's
At the time of writing there are large holes at the front of the nave and along the south wall of St Mary's.
These will be filled and flagstones laid over a wide area. Target completion date is Palm Sunday. The holes make
it possible to examine some of the structure such as how the columns are underpinned and the foundations for the
tower A photographic record is being kept. One or two items of interest have turned up, one being a fragment of a
memorial stone. The name Samuel can be read and another name is probably Mary. Unfortunately the date is not
on this piece. It is also of interest to see the complicated interventions of more recent times for heat,
power and water.
1911 Census
This census is now online at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/1911census or
www.1911census.co.uk.
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FHS Monograph 4 – The Oldisworths of Fairford.
William Oldisworth was Fairford’s Justice of the Peace in the late 17th Century and was a central figure
in the bizarre tale of the plague of frogs, toads and flies that visited the town in 1660 following the
discrimination faced by a group of religious non-conformists. This monograph tells the story of William,
his father Robert whose brother-in-law was murdered in the Tower of London, his clergymen brothers, one of
whom died of the plague, and his descendants, the last of whom was still living in Fairford at the end of
the 18th Century. This monograph adds some fascinating details to Fairford’s history and provides the
background to the four excellently preserved memorial plaques to the Oldisworth family that can still
be seen in St Mary’s Church in Fairford.
All FHS publications are available from fhs@cotswoldwireless.co.uk
or by contacting the secretary on 01285 711768. They are also on sale at St Mary’s Church, Fairford and
at the Community Centre, Archive Room.
Cotswolds at War
June Lewis-Jones has been asked for a 2nd edition of ‘The Cotswolds at War’. She would like to include
additional information. If anyone has any photographs or memories they would like included, not necessarily
from Fairford but the whole Cotswolds area, please contact June Tel 01285 712312.
Parish Registers
The task of transcribing parish registers from 1617 is now almost complete and will be available to search
in the Archive Room very soon. This will make local family searches much more accessible and less time consuming.
The project has been conducted in co-operation with Gloucestershire Archives which made the microfiche/film
available to us and GA will also have a copy of the files.
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