The clergymen of the Church of St Mary the Virgin, Fairford

by Chris Hobson
(FHS Monograph No 7)
Published by Fairford History Society. 2011
Price £5.00

At least 78 named clergymen are known to have preached and conducted services in St Mary's over the last 700 years. Starting with Ralph Hengham in the late 13th Century, this monograph traces the lives of the vicars and curates who have been resident at Fairford up until 1974. Also included are some clergymen from other parishes, like the famous Kebles, who frequently performed duties at Fairford. In the distant past many of Fairford's vicars have been pluralists and non-resident; in some cases there is no evidence to suggest that they ever attended services although they received their salary! Yet others, like Christopher Nicholson, who started the parish registers in 1617; Francis William Rice who became Lord Dynevor; and Canon Edward Keble, served the parish long and well. Many of the clergymen had long careers elsewhere in the church, not just in the UK but overseas as well. This monograph records a wealth of biographical detail of men who have been at the very centre of Fairford life for seven centuries.

Alexander Ready, Alexander Colston - the man with two names

by Chris Hobson (FHS Monograph No 6)
Published by Fairford History Society, 2010
Price £3.00

Two of the monuments that can be found adorning the walls of the south aisle of St Mary’s church in Fairford refer to Alexander Ready. However, at first sight this is not obvious because late in life he changed his family name to Colston, so he is known as Alexander Ready on one memorial and Alexander Colston on the other. This monograph tells about the life of Alexander Ready, a prominent lawyer of Fairford, and how he came to change his name to Colston.

Fairford Polish Hostel 1947 - 59

The collected photographs & reminiscences of the former residents of the Polish Hostel in Fairford

by Alicja Swiatek Christofides, 2010
Price £5.00 + £1 p & p

This well-illustrated 76- page book is an expansion of the booklet written for the unveiling of the commemorative plaque at the site of the Fairford Polish Hostel in May 2009. So many people made contact with the author and supplied photographs and information that the author felt that these memories should be compiled together to make an extensive record and that this important part of our local history should not be lost for ever.

Searching for Thomas

by Chris Hobson (FHS Occasional Paper No 6)
Price £1

Thomas Morton was a curate of Fairford for Francis William Rice (5th Baron Dynevor) for almost three decades from 1851 to 1879. This paper traces the life of Thomas using a number of information research tools as an illustration of the wide variety of family and local history resources that are now available to the researcher. Born in St Helens, Lancashire, Thomas was also a curate in Plymouth, London and Hull before retiring from Fairford to live out the remainder of his days in Edwards College in South Cerney. The portrait of Thomas Morton is by Samuel Vines, an ironmonger of Fairford who was also a talented artist.

THE TRACYS OF TODDINGTON AND FAIRFORD

by Chris Hobson (FHS Monograph No 5)
Published by Fairford History Society, 2009
Price £3.00

The latest in the monograph series tells the story of the Tracy family which added Fairford manor to their extensive estates at Toddington and Sudely in 1591. The monograph recounts the turbulent history of the Tracys during the Civil War following which they had to sell their rights to Fairford in order to pay the fines imposed by Parliament and retain their Toddington estate.

A CHRISTMAS RAILWAY TRAGEDY

by Chris Hobson (FHS Occasional Paper No 5)
Price £1.00

On Christmas Eve in 1874 a mother and her two children caught the train from Fairford station for a festive holiday in the West Midlands. Sadly, they never completed their journey. This new occasional paper (printed in A5 format) tells the story of one of the most dreadful accidents in British railway history.

ST MARY’S CHURCH, FAIRFORD TOMB TRAIL

Price 60p

This leaflet provides a brief guide to 25 tombs in the church and churchyard that are of either architectural or historical importance from John Tame to Tiddles the Cat! The leaflet provides an entertaining accompaniment to a short walk around the churchyard.

FAIRFORD POLISH HOSTEL 1947-59

by Alicja Swiatek Christofides
2009
Price £1.00

A brief history of the Polish Displaced Persons camps in Britain and the programme of the ceremony written for the unveiling of the commemorative plaque at the site of the Fairford Polish Hostel, May 30th 2009.

This booklet sold out on the day and will be available from the end of June 2009.

RICHARD GREEN, SCHOOLMASTER (1713-1767)

by Chris Hobson
(FHS Occasional Paper No 4)
Published by Fairford History Society, 2009
Price 50p Click here to Download the Paper

A short biography of Mr Richard Green, one of Fairford Free School’s earliest masters and a highly respected citizen who is still commemorated on the old school building today.

Memorial plaque to the Oldisworth family in St Mary’s Church in Fairford.

THE OLDISWORTHS OF FAIRFORD

Published by Fairford History Society, 2008
Price £3.00

William Oldisworth was Fairford’s Justice of the Peace in the late 17th Century and was the 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. William was a member of a middle-ranking Gloucestershire family that lived in Fairford for many generations but which also had connections with other nearby villages including Coln Rogers, Bourton on the Hill and Kencot. 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.

THE RAYMOND BARKERS OF FAIRFORD PARK

Published by Fairford History Society, 2007
Price 5.00

The long and complex story of the Barker and Raymond Barker family of Fairford Park is told in this new monograph in some detail. The story starts at the end of the English Civil War when Andrew Barker arrived in Fairford and built his grand new house at Fairford Park. The Barkers and their relations the Farmors and the Micos were intimately involved in the creation of Fairford Free School which later bore the name of Elizabeth Farmor, one of the benefactors. Andrew’s granddaughter Esther married James Lambe and, having no children of her own, passed her estate to her nephew John Raymond thereby founding the Raymond Barker dynasty. In addition to being lords of the manor, major landowners and JPs of Fairford, the family were also very active in county and national affairs and the many of them became prominent in business and commerce as well as the church. The family was not without trial and tribulation which included the occasional violent death and one case of scandal which was discussed in the House of Commons.

John Raymond of London changed his surname to Raymond Barker by Royal Licence when he succeeded Esther Lambe, the granddaughter of Andrew Barker who settled at Fairford in 1650.

RAF FAIRFORD, 1944 - A MOST MEMENTOUS YEAR

Published by Fairford History Society. 2007
Price 4.00

RAF Fairford had a fairly brief life as an operational World War Two airfield, being active only for about eight months. However, during this time, it played its part in one of the most critical days of the entire war - D-Day, and what has subsequently been called a magnificent failure – Arnhem.

Fairford Now And Then

As part of the project funded by the Local Heritage Initiative which will culminate in the Community Play in October, Fairford History Society is publishing a book that illustrates the town today and it was over the last hundred years. Some places have changed partly or totally while others have hardly altered. We have particularly looked at education, the theme of the play.

The editors have deliberately used black and white photographs for the modern period to avoid the unflattering contrast between a past which is ‘a sepia tinted exercise in nostalgia’ and a present which is in glorious technicolour.

The book provides a stimulus to look afresh at places and buildings and institutions in Fairford and see how their present relates to the past. The book will be on sale from April 21st at £5.00 a copy.

Valentine Strong - Cotswold Stonemason

Published by Fairford History Society. December 2006
Price 70p Click here to Download the Paper

Valentine Strong was a well-known Cotswold stonemason who built Andrew Barker’s Fairford Park mansion house and was the father of Thomas and Edward Strong, Sir Christopher Wren’s master masons in the rebuilding of St Paul’s Cathedral following the Great Fire of London. Valentine Strong died in Fairford in 1662 and is buried under an impressive bale tomb in St Mary’s churchyard.

Valentine Strong's Tomb (Opposite)

The Honeybones of Fairford

Published by Fairford History Society. 2006
Price 50p Click here to Download the Paper

A brief account of the Honeybone watch and clockmaking family of Fairford who had a shop in Fairford from the early 1800s to 1939.

Mr Honeybone outside his shop which is now Allium.(Opposite)

Food Glorious Food from Farmor’s School

A history of the School Meals Service with recipes from the staff of Farmor’s School.

A reprint of the 1982 edition with a new introduction.

Published by Fairford History Society. 2005
Price £2.00

Fairford’s War Memorial and Roll of Honour

Published by Fairford History Society. 2005
Price £5.00

This book contains a brief history of the War Memorial and information about the men who gave their lives.

Fairford’s War Memorial
and Roll of Honour

by Chris Hobson

Fairford History Society Monograph 1
November 2005

Commander Charles Haultain, RN, KH (1787-1845)

Published by Fairford History Society. 2006
Price 50p. Click here to Download the Paper

A brief account of an officer of the Royal Navy who was a contemporary of Nelson and who developed the Navy List into an unparalleled reference work. His grave is pictured opposite in St Mary's Churchyard.