Cropwell Bishop Village Parish Plan

Snapshot of Photographic History (21-11-15)

Last Tuesday, well known to a number of people in the audience, Sue Clayton from the Flintham Museum treated the Heritage Group to a fascinating journey through the history of photography from the earliest times to the Box Brownie and beyond.

Although faced with a howling gale, 25 brave souls battled their way to the Memorial Hall to listen Sue`s talk and were rewarded with a most interesting presentation.

Before photography, the only way to have one`s likeness reproduced was through the painting of a portrait.  But, of course , this remained almost exclusive to royalty and the aristocracy. What was needed was a way of producing  images of places and people easily and without great expense so that these became within reach of the general population, but it wasn`t until the 1800`s that this began to become a reality.

Along the way, some progress had been made.  As expected for a man before his time, Leonardo da Vinci had demonstrated how light from an image passing through a pinhole could be seen on a card on the other side, albeit upside down. The Frenchman Daguerre had devised a system to produce an image on a copper plate, but it was Henry Fox-Talbot in England who developed a method of creating a negative which then allowed multiple photographic copies to be made.

Such were these advances that by the mid 1880`s the first photographic studios were being set up, where people could get their photo taken at an affordable cost.  But, as Sue explained, this was still no easy matter. The subject, having turned up in his or her Sunday best were first of all `assessed`. This meant that if the clothes that they were wearing were of an unsuitable colour for the photographic process, they would be asked to change into other ones held at the studio, and these were often ill-fitting and uncomfortable, They would then be led to a room at the top of the building which would be entirely constructed of glass so as to maximise the light. They would be turned to be facing the light and then be clamped into position for the exposure, which could take about 2 minutes . During this time the subject had to maintain the same expression. At this point in her talk, Sue called for a volunteer to try this out but he failed after a little over a minute!  As Sue said, this strict procedure explains why the old photographs of our ancestors have them looking so stern.

Developments then went on apace with the first photographers experimenting with different method and photographic media. Many died young, most likely through exposure to the toxic chemicals they worked with. But through their efforts modern photography was born.  Costs were reduced, the first cameras preloaded with film became available, and with exposure times dramatically reduced  taking photographs became a popular pastime. Sales of photograph albums soared, as people stored the photos they had taken,  convenient for family viewing and discussions.  Now we have entered the digital age where will this take us in the future?

Sue concluded her talk by leaving us to ponder that question, and it was only left for Ann Mansell to thank her on behalf of the audience for giving us such an absorbing presentation.  

Ken Shelton



Cropwell Bishop Heritage Meeting (16-11-11)

An Amusing talk by Margaret Harrison entitled Monthly Menu of Mirth. Meeting of 15-11-11 Meeting of 15-11-11 Meeting of 15-11-11

100-Club Winners (9-7-11)

Here is a list of the 100-Club winners for the first half of 2011:

Month Winner Number
January Pat Kenyon 102
February Jackie Jordan 67
March Pam Barlow 97
April Barbara Pugh 41
Easter Christine Wells 29
May Linda Hamlin 39
June Steve Gelsthorpe 24

Glenys Denby

The Happiest Days of our Lives? (8-6-11)

It was a pleasure and a privilege to listen to the memories of some of the older members of the Heritage Group about their schooldays at the AGM in the Memorial Hall on 12th May.

A display of photographs and documents compiled by the Group, and an introduction by Ann Mansell and Jill Evans, provided the stimulus for personal reminiscences which brought to life times long gone. What was evident to anyone listening was the proof that the memory of an incident in childhood can be so vivid that it will still generate feelings of pain or pleasure many years later.

Jean Robinson told of the confusion of her first experience of school, retreating to the edge of the playground, and being tempted to escape into the adjacent field to play with the little girl who beckoned her over. The sense of injustice of being punished for the panic which this escape induced in the teachers, and the clarity of her description of having to stand in the corner came over as if it had all happened last week. Similarly, listening to Tom Barlow's recollection of a German prisoner of war doing somersault dives into the canal, was like watching it through his eyes as it happened. Eric Shelton and Bill Handbury also added their memories in their own distinctive styles. Many thanks.

The fascination of contributions like these is that, as well as being personal, they also illustrate aspects of village life, or periods in its past, which have now gone. They are an invaluable part of the collective heritage of the place in which we live, which is why the Heritage Group has sought to record them.

What was also evident from the contributions from Ann and Jill, is that it is never too early to set down our own recollections, particularly of childhood and schooldays. The Heritage Group would love to see any material and memories people have about schooldays whether as a pupil, parent, or teacher. It is hoped to add to the display that we had at the AGM and to exhibit it over the Village Celebration Weekend at the beginning of July.

We would particularly welcome items from the 1950s onwards which we could copy or borrow for the display, such as:-

• Photographs – classes, events, plays, trips, etc.
• Written anecdotes about schooldays
• Certificates and awards
• Old school books and reports

Please contact Ann Mansell (telephone 9892770) 5 Clarke Close, if there is anything you would like to contribute.

Peter Winstanley

In Search of Matlock Roots (5-1-11)

Matlock Family Despite the bad weather on both sides of the Atlantic, Diana Matlock Presley made it to England after Christmas in search of her Matlock family roots.

Having arranged to meet members of the Heritage Group at St Giles on the afternoon of 29th December, she emerged from the Nottinghamshire fog just before Bronwen Gamble was due to lock up for the day.

Diana was accompanied by her husband Joe and her mother, who was making her first trip to England. Bronwen showed them the interior of the church, and Peter and Lyn Winstanley invited them back home to thaw out over tea and mince pies.

Peter gave them copies of extracts from the Cropwell Bishop Parish Registers which record the baptism of Diana's ancestor John Matlock and the marriage of his parents, George Matlock and Jane Hall in the 17th century. He also gave them a copy of "The Chronicles of Cropwell Bishop" donated by the Heritage Group.

Before leaving, they had a taste of Cropwell Bishop Blue Stilton, and took a little more with them to sustain them on the journey to Matlock that they were intending to make the following day.

Diana's mother recalled that someone once sent George Bush senior "some famous English cheese". As Lyn discovered from her research that George Bush also traces a line of his family back to George and Jane Matlock of Cropwell Bishop, maybe that was a bit of of Blue Stilton!

And – much more importantly, as some of us really wanted to know, Joe does have a "distant" connection to Elvis!

Peter Winstanley

The Matlocks of Cropwell Bishop
- Americans trace their roots to our village (5-12-10)

The Heritage Group have had two approaches this year from Americans tracing their family roots back to Cropwell Bishop. We did some research for them and uncovered a fascinating story that links our local history to some of the earliest settlements in the USA.

Tim Matlack from New Jersey had traced his family back to a William Matlack/Matlock who he believed had been born in Cropwell Bishop around 1650, while Diana Matlock Presley from Virginia believed she was descended from a John Matlock, born slightly earlier, but also from Cropwell Bishop.

What we have confirmed from the earliest Parish Registers is that John Matlock was baptised in Cropwell Bishop in 1638, and William Matlock was baptised between 1648 and 1650. Both were the sons of George Matlock and Jane Hall who were married in St. Giles church in 1636. George was the son of John Matlock and Margaret Ashe who were married in Cropwell Bishop in 1586. Earlier generations of the family appear in the Registers right back to the times of the Tudors. A John Matlock was buried in Cropwell Bishop in 1565, and a William Matlock was buried here in 1594.

Various American historians refer to records of the earliest ships that brought settlers to the New World in the seventeenth century. One of these states that John Matlock sailed on the Griffiith from London in 1675, the first well documented ship to arrive on the "New Jersey shore". It anchored in Delaware Bay in October and then sailed up the Salem River. Two years later, records show that William Matlock sailed on the Kent and settled in what became Burlington County in New Jersey not far from where William Penn was to found Philadelphia. One story states that he was the first man to step ashore. William was a carpenter and an indentured servant to a man named Daniel Wills. A large number of the passengers on both these ships were known to be Quakers. It is also known that the area where both brothers landed, Southern New Jersey, was a favoured destination for Quaker settlement. American sources state that once in America, and having worked his time for his master Daniel Wills, William married Mary Hancock in 1682 in a Quaker ceremony.

Clearly, John and William were born at a time of huge political and religious upheaval. The period of the English Civil War saw an explosion of new radical political and religious groups. Amongst these were the Quakers, who were formed not that far away from Cropwell Bishop by George Fox in Leicestershire in the 1640s. The movement spread rapidly, and Quakers were found to be present in Cropwell Bishop in a survey conducted by the established Church in 1676. It is therefore possible that the brothers became Quakers in England and chose to leave for the New World when the hostility of the established Church led to the persecution of dissident religious groups. Equally, it is possible that both men were indentured servants to Quaker masters and went with them to America, as they would have been obliged to do.

William never moved far from where he first landed in America and died in the township of Chester in Burlington County, the place he had helped found. However, his elder brother John moved on and finally settled in New Kent County Virginia. Both brothers had large families. John's descendants maintained the Matlock name, but William's took the variant name of Matlack.

One of the more colourful members of the later Matlack family was Timothy Matlack, who was born in New Jersey in 1730. He fought as a colonel under George Washington in the American War of Independence. He was also a clerk to the Secretary of the Continental Congress, and, because of his skill with a pen, was selected to inscribe on parchment the Declaration of Independence of 1776 which led to the creation of the United States. This document is displayed in the US National Archives.

The old Cropwell Bishop Parish registers reveal that as well as John and William, George and Jane Matlock had a number of other children. These include George in 1642, Dorothy in 1646, and Elizabeth in 1652. The marriage of Elizabeth to a Thomas Attenborrow is recorded in 1673. There may have been others. One of the frustrations, as well as fascinations, of the registers of this period is that record keeping was disrupted by national upheavals. Local priests were removed and later sometimes reinstated depending on whether their religious attitudes found favour with Parliament or the King. This certainly happened in Cropwell Bishop. Also for a time, under the Commonwealth, marriages were regarded as civil matters which did not need to be recorded in the registers.

It is probable, therefore, that some of the Matlock family and their descendants stayed in or around Cropwell Bishop after William and John had sailed for America. We have not attempted to research the history of the family any further, but with a little imagination it is possible to believe that there may still be people not too far away from Cropwell Bishop who have a bit of the Matlock blood running through their veins. If there are, they share a common heritage with men who helped found some of the earliest English settlements in America. What we do know, is that the bones of their ancestors rest in St Giles churchyard. Such is the romance of local history.

Peter Winstanley

The Heritage Group would be interested to know if anyone in the village thinks that they might have any Matlocks/Matlacks in their family history, or perhaps knows anyone with either of those surnames who has lived or may still live nearby.

If you have any information, please contact Peter Winstanley (9892831) or Ann Mansell (9892770).

The last year - and 400 years of knitting (20-4-10)

Ruddington Knitters Ruddington Knitters Ruddington Knitters Almost 40 people attended the AGM of the Cropwell Bishop Heritage Group this evening.

Lesley Barlow, Ann Mansell and Mike Lowe retained their key roles in leading the Group forward and several new people took over the committee places of those who retired.

The balance sheet showed a very healthy balance and the members present were virtually unanimous in their support of the Committee continuing their aim of saving the Old School Room.

With the formalities of the AGM out of the way, it was time for a glass of wine and a range of cheeses before the second event of the evening; a presentation by two ladies from the Ruddington Framework Knitters’ Museum. Using a projector they told the fascinating history of knitting in Ruddington.

When William Lee from Calverton (just 10 miles away) invented his knitting machine in 1589, he started a revolution in the production of stockings that resulted in the manufacture of lace eventually being a massive industry in Nottingham. And the best place to find out all about its history is the Museum at Ruddington.

It was also interesting to discover how a group of individuals in Ruddington worked hard over the last forty years to preserve the heritage of its community. Inspiration for our own village mabe?

Tony Jarrow

Ruddington Knitters Ruddington Knitters

Memories of steam on track (19-1-10)

lost railways talk lost railways talk lost railways talk lost railways talk lost railways talk The ‘lost railways of Nottinghamshire’ were brought back life by Geoffrey Kingscott at tonight’s meeting of the Heritage Group. Over 50 members and guests packed the Memorial Hall for his illustrated talk and it did not disappoint them.

Supported by numerous photos taken by himself and his wife, together with many illustrations and old pictures, his talk reminded us of a past time when a journey by rail was quite an adventure.

Maybe we are forgetting the dirty windows, those carriages without a corridor and trains without heating but, even so, the wonderful images of Nottingham’s Victoria Station alongside its replacement, the Victoria Shopping Centre and flats, was enough to bring tears to older eyes.

You forget how many tracks and stations spread out from the very centre of Nottingham and wish that someone had had the foresight to see how that infrastructure could have been utilised to enable 21st Century commuters to move around Nottinghamshire with tiny carbon footprints.

Forty-seven years after the Beeching Report it is easy to say ‘they’ got it all wrong but, at that time, weren’t we all a bit guilty of yearning for a ‘better world’ of modern buildings and a space-age life where nuclear energy would be so plentiful it would hardly be worth charging for?

I suppose that if the railways had not disappeared, we would have not spent a lovely evening being nostalgic about them!

With a glass of wine on our arrival the evening got off to a good start and loosened our tongues after coping with three weeks of freezing air. After the talk, we were served delicious hot-dogs and hot drinks by the hardworking members in the kitchen.

Those who shop at Barlows Butchers in the village, would not have been surprised to be told that owner, Gary, had supplied the sausages – you can taste the difference - but to hear that he had provided then free of charge was just amazing. Thanks Gary.

If you were unable to be there tonight, take a few moments to enjoy these photos and see what you missed. Next time you could be there. Keep an eye on the Diary page for full details of future events.

Tony Jarrow

lost railways talk lost railways talk lost railways talk lost railways talk lost railways talk lost railways talk lost railways talk lost railways talk lost railways talk lost railways talk lost railways talk

The Chronicles of Cropwell Bishop (10-8-09)

Chronicles of Cropwell Bishop The booklet, “The Chronicles of Cropwell Bishop” by Aubrey and Ethel Harper, is a fascinating and authoritative history of the village. It was published in 1988 but has long been out-of-print.

In response to requests by several villagers, the Cropwell Bishop Heritage Group is arranging to have a reprint.

Of interest to all, this book would make an ideal Christmas present or an invaluable homework resource for young people.

The cost of a copy will depend on the number we order from the printers, but it will not exceed £9.

If you would like to order a copy, please telephone Ann Mansell on 9892770.

Tea and Nostalgia: Barbara Pugh reports (18-7-09)

Seeing the funny side

A captive audience The workers There was a good turnout for the Tea and Nostalgia afternoon. Folk who travelled from as far away as Coventry and Yorkshire were particularly pleased to be served copious amounts of tea and biscuits as we began to reminisce about the good - and sometimes bad - old days.

The Heritage group had put together a compilation DVD which held the attention of the audience for over an hour. It was a bittersweet time for some, as we watched Rose Barlow, Denis Smith and Mary Baxter share memories; but there were some more recent ones too - from Harold Smith, Tony Carter, Jean Robinson, Margaret Brown and Denis Smith's sister, Pat.

There were empathetic groans from some of the older members as the 'terrible teacher' was mentioned by a number of the interviewees, as well laughter and murmers of 'I remember that!' from the engrossed audience. Childhood memories were refreshed for many; and we look forward to the next instalment!

Doctor Leadley remembers: Barbara Pugh reports (28-4-09)

no seats left full house good to see you in full flow no let me think hug The half hour preceding the main event of the evening, Dr Martin Leadley ‘Remembering’, was taken up by the AGM; business was dealt with swiftly, succinctly and with the committee being re-elected with no trouble at all!

Then Chairman, Leslie Barlow, introduced Dr Martin Leadley, who needed no introduction to most folk present, as he hasn’t changed one bit over the years- apparently it is all down to bowling and Adele Davis’ book on ‘You are what you eat’, which has been his companion for the last half century (and which many of his patients found equally interesting, informative and helpful over the years).

He galloped us through his early years as a probationary GP to Drs Croft and Wade.(I remember Dr Wade as a tall, gentle, man with a mop of greying fair hair who always wore a grey suit on the – numerous – times I encountered him; and Dr Crofts as a bristly moustached, tweed jacketed, ex-army sort of man who looked as though he would have been more comfortable striding across a grouse moor with a gun under his arm than handing out advice and potions in his surgery in the front room of his Long Acre, Bingham, home.) Dr Leadley reminisced about pouring out cough mixture as a cure all – different strengths of pink mixture had varying amounts of opium in them, apparently; and how when a lorry stopped at the cross roads of Long Acre and Tythby Road, the entire surgery would shake in time to the lorry’s idling engine, and all conversation and examination had to pause until it had passed!

He then rushed us through his original opinion of Cropwell Bishop – very nice; and his opinion of the inhabitants – extremely friendly, and he became quite emotional as he shared a story of mentioning to one chap that he was looking for some cabbage plants, only to look out of his bedroom window at 7.15a.m. the following morning to gaze upon a row of freshly set cabbage plants and the old chap and his son just planting the last few. So, perhaps we owe his long association with the village to a row of cabbage plants!

He worked hard to expand the practice, becoming personal physician to the RCAF estate at Radcliffe on Trent, and assisting at Saxondale Hospital; then, when dear old Dr Roache retired from Colston Bassett to go back home to Ireland and fish his beloved rivers, how that practice came into the ‘family’, and the practice covered much of the vale from Bingham to Stathern as well as Cotgrave. That meant taking on more staff; and he shared his dilemma of meeting the one who would be his ‘right hand man and load sharer’ for the next period of his practice: you see, Martin Leadley comes from Yorkshire, and his partner comes from Lancashire! Wisely, that fact did not impair their excellent relationship.

The trials of surgery premises in Cropwell Bishop was mentioned with fondness. From a front room with chairs (hard, straight backed, unyielding) and magazines (old – naturally) on a table in the middle and the surgery in the room next door; to the first purpose built one at the bottom of a kind villager’s garden (opposite the Co-Op) with ‘state of the art’ equipment and a separate examination room.

He then answered questions from the audience; and there were many reminiscent smiles on the faces of the audience as we remembered the ‘former days’!

Leslie thanked him; the appreciative audience applauded him, then it was time for the general notices, the ‘100’ Club numbers and raffle to be drawn, and the socialising to begin.

The ‘village folk’ and farming fraternity were delighted to see one of the erstwhile pillars of the local area amongst them; and there became a queue of folk waiting to shake the hand of Phil Harrison, late Blacksmith of Cropwell Butler, now 88 years old and on holiday back on his old stamping ground. Leslie was honoured with a hug – Phil always did have an eye for an attractive young lady!

Cropwell Bishop during the War (17-10-08)

At tonight's meeting of the Heritage Group, local historian Bob Hammond recalled his own experiences as a child evacuee during the last World War. Local people also added their own memories of those years. We even had the chance to sample food from the period - although I suspect that it didn't taste as good 68 years ago. The Memorial Hall was so packed that Ann Mansell warned that rationing was a possibility. Fortunately, the threat proved unfounded and both food and wine flowed freely. A hamper of food was won in the raffle and everyone walked home content. Another successful village event.

food hamper dig for victory