HISTORY SLIGHTS IT – HOME OF GEORGE WASHINGTON’S ANCESTORS IN ENGLAND
Unmistakable traces of the distinguished family to be found in the village of Wickhamford, near Stratford-on-Avon – grave of Penelope, daughter of Colonel Henry Washington, in the parish church – little accurate information to be obtained in regard to them.
CONCERNING GEORGE WASHINGTON
More gems from the Badsey church chest recently deposited in the Badsey Society Archive reveal the fascinating story of a Badsey family.
The 22nd AGM was held as a “hybrid” meeting; 40 members being in attendance in person and 12 via Zoom. Maureen Spinks was re-elected as Chairman, Shirley Tutton as Secretary and Will Dallimore as Treasurer. Tom Locke, Jane Neill, Alan Tutton, Gill Woods, Helen Green and Andy Higgitt were re-elected to the Committee.
In 2022, following a talk on medieval graffiti by Wayne Perkins, three members of the Badsey Society, Shirley Tutton, Helen Green and Kerry Moreton, undertook a photographic survey of the medieval graffiti in St James' Church. Shirley gave a talk about what they found, and what the graffiti tells us about the beliefs and lives of medieval people.
This event followed immediately after the annual Parish Council’s Christmas carols outside The Wheatsheaf. We were delighted to welcome many new faces to the event, as well as our regular attendees.
A full coach-load of people headed to Oxford for the day. The majority of the group visited the Ashmolean Museum where the day began with coffee, followed by a guided tour of highlights of the museum. After lunch there was free time to carry on exploring the museum further or to visit the city.
In November 2023, Gill Woods spoke knowledgeably to The Badsey Society about the Arts and Crafts movement in the Cotswolds and why 150 Londoners moved from the East End to Chipping Campden in the early 1900s. This talk had been postponed from October and a last-minute change of venue to the church was required, but this did not deter some 42 members from attending.
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A fascinating day out was had by 27 members of the Society who visited Kelmscott Manor in Oxfordshire, a Grade I listed manor dating from around 1570. In the late 19th century, it was the home of the textile designer, William Morris, who was associated with the Arts & Crafts Movement. We had exclusive access to the Manor and grounds and were guided round the Manor in three groups. In welcoming us to the Manor, the guide gave particular praise to the Badsey website which he said he could have spent hours reading.
When the 1939 Register of the population was made, at the outbreak of World War Two, the vast majority of the adult population of Wickhamford were engaged in horticulture or agriculture. One of the exceptions was Percival Saxby Dewey, who was living at 1 Manor Cottages, Wickhamford Lane, with his wife and small daughter, Jane. He had married Elena Mary Relf in 1936 and their daughter, Jane, was born in November of that year.
