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The Society was formed in 1996 to explore and record the history of the
village. In many ways Great Bowden is a typical village of middle England (it has been described as a place where nothing
much ever happened). The details of its long life have been little studied,
but there is indeed a tale to tell.
Royal and Ancient
Although the origins of Great Bowden are unknown, evidence of Roman
settlement continues to accumulate. Soon after the collapse of the Roman Empire the first Anglo-Saxons arrived and by the end of
the Anglo-Saxon period Great Bowden was the centre of a large domain
belonging to the Saxon King.
The Norman Conquest broke up this royal estate and the parish of Great Bowden
became just another manor. For centuries it changed little, farming on the
old ridge-and-furrow arable system in the rich soil of the Welland Valley. But then, within the parish, the town of Harborough sprang up, soon outstripping its parent in size
and wealth.
The Modern Landscape
At the end of the eighteenth century everything changed. Enclosure
replaced the old three-field cultivation with large pastures, hedges and
fences, making ideal country for fox-hunting. The canal, the railway,
and then the Harborough factories brought cheap coal, jobs and regular wages
that raised the standard of living of most families in the village. And twentieth-century
Great Bowden has come to be known as a desirable residential area.
The Life of the People
Great Bowden is an historic and attractive place, but a village doesn't just
consist of buildings. Its character reflects the hand of those who have
built them, who have shaped the land, who have worked and married and founded
families and laughed and played - and lived here. The houses, the
fields, the gravestones are merely clues from which the life of the people
can be put together. Recapturing this life, setting it down, interpreting the
visual clues, searching the records and gathering the memories and
experiences of our neighbours - that is the goal and purpose of the
Historical Society.
About the Society
Great Bowden Historical Society is open to all who are interested in the
village, whether residents, former residents, relatives or friends of Great
Bowden families. A quarterly newsletter is sent to members with details of
forthcoming events, items of historical interest and news of members' activities.
Meetings are held monthly between
September and June, usually on the first Monday of the month, at 7.30 pm. The venue is Great Bowden Village Hall. Generally
there is a speaker with special knowledge either of the village or its
historical background, or an interesting tale to tell about life in the area;
there is time for questions and discussion with the speaker, and at about
nine o'clock coffee is served so that informal discussion can take place, for
it is in a social atmosphere like this that knowledge is shared, memory stimulated
and interest sharpened.
In the summer there are excursions to places of historical interest, and the
December meeting is always a social evening with wine and cheese and a quiz
or other entertainment.
The Society also works with other groups in the village such as the Parish
Council, Great Bowden Trust, and the Festival Committee to promote the
historical and heritage aspects of village life, for example through
exhibitions and items in the Great Bowden Newsletter.
Now we have a new initiative to publish a series of papers on research
undertaken by the Society in the various aspects described below. As well as
being of general interest, these findings will be of value to anyone involved
in family history, conservation, planning applications and our heritage. For
the Society's purpose is not only to promote appreciation of Great Bowden's
history in lively and enjoyable activity, but also to be a useful resource
for the community.
Membership
Subscriptions are due at or before the September meeting (£7 adults, £12
joint membership; £5 if under 18). Please contact:
The Membership Secretary
Keith Gilbert
77 Great Bowden Road
Market Harborough
LE16 7DF
Research Aims
The publication in November 1999 of our first book 'Great Bowden - A
Village and its People' (see below) was a notable achievement, but much
remains to be done.
There is now the opportunity, for anyone interested, to join one of the small
teams of volunteers that we are creating, each led by a committee member, to
take on such tasks as:
* making a systematic record of the houses in specific roads, dates of
building, extension, conversion, etc;
* tracing families and their connections;
* collecting all the old photographs of the village, of events, families,
etc, dating and identifying them;
* recording all the burials in the Dingley Road cemetery and transcribing the
details on the headstones (the Churchyard has already been done);
* compiling a mini-history of a particular part of the village, for instance
Middle Green which has been almost completely built over;
* listing all the various shops and trades, where they were, at what dates,
and what they did;
* exploring what our forefathers did in their time off - festivals,
entertainments, church work, scouts, guides, etc.
These and similar enquiries will form the
basis of further publications as well as creating a database which can help
answer the queries that we increasingly receive from this country and abroad.
'Great Bowden - A Village and its People'
Written by local people, this book records the recent history of Great Bowden
through documents, personal recollections, photographs and drawings. It
contains seven chapters - by 31 different contributors - on every aspect of
life in Great Bowden over the last hundred years, covering village institutions,
clubs and societies, historic buildings, transport, well-known personalities,
and Great Bowden in wartime. There is a map and over a hundred illustrations.
It forms a valuable and entertaining record of life here in the twentieth
century.
The book Great Bowden - A Village and its People, priced £9.50,
is available from local bookshops or direct from the Secretary, Mrs
Nora Groome (see below)
Find Out More
The Society has its own website at http://www.greatbowden.freeserve.co.uk
which gives an up-to-date listing of our forthcoming meetings, current
Committee members, the Chairman's annual report, publications, etc.
Please contact the Secretary, Mrs Nora Groome (01858) 464873, or any
Committee member for further details, and see the Village Noticeboard for
current meeting announcements.
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