A Victorian Christmas

 

As Christmas comes around, I began wondering how the Victorian families living in the Orchard area might have celebrated the season. If you remember, the first 'census' story we published told how in 1841 there were over 30 people living in six households on our site. They ranged in age from young children like little Ellen Howlett aged 5, up to her elderly next-door neighbour Mary Gomme aged 85 who was living with her married daughter. Ellen lived in a small cottage with her six older sisters, parents and a brother, so there were lots of hungry mouths to feed. Like most of the working men her father was an agricultural labourer, the poorest paid workers in the whole country. They lived in what was still an almost feudal village, paying rent to their landlord John Allnut. Without a doubt they would be finding it hard to make ends meet.

In the wider world there was a new Queen on the throne, just a young woman and perhaps no-one knew how things were going to turn out. At that time Christmas had almost fallen out of fashion, gone was the old celebration of 'Twelve days of Christmas' with feasting and merriment. It hardly got a mention in the newspapers, and customs such as May Day and Harvest Home were much more celebrated. At this time it could not be taken for granted that you would get Christmas Day off work, much less the extended period we have now. The factories and mines kept going every day of the year but perhaps it was a bit better in the countryside. However, the men received no paid holiday, no state pension, and if there had been wet days in November and December when they couldn't work, very likely no wages at all.

Winters were colder than they are now, over Christmas 1837 snow had blown into Emmington Church preventing the Sunday service. The winter of 1840/41 was a very severe one with ice on the Thames, and through all the winter months there were temperatures considerably below average. Then in 1841, from July into November it was very wet with local flooding later in the year. Not very good years for agricultural workers. Luckily several of the women in our families were lace-makers, and this did give them an extra income which would have made all the difference to the family budget during those bad-weather years.

So how might they have made Christmas special? Read more...

Archaeology at the Orchard

Would you like to help open a ‘window on the past’?

Would you like to find out how an excavation is carried out?

This is an opportunity for you, your friends, family and neighbours to help us find out more about the people and history of the Donkey Lane Community Orchard site.

Working with South Oxfordshire Archaeology Group (SOAG) we will be digging out a series of test pits at the Orchard in December.

All volunteers will be guided through each stage so everyone can learn how an excavation is carried out and your test pit is dug to professional standards.

Even if you don’t dig, there are plenty of other essential roles that can be done whilst sitting and/or in short bursts and without getting too dirty! Anyone can join in; children are most welcome (accompanied by a parent or guardian).

The test pits will be excavated over 2 days Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th December 10am – 3:30pm. Numbers are limited so if you're interested in getting involved, please email Linda at greeningchinnor@gmail.com.

In the case of inclement weather, Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th will be a backup date.

"Come and Hear My Story!

Presentation and talk on the impact of WW1 on the families at Donkey Lane Community Orchard

8th November 2022. 7:30 pm at Chinnor Community Pavilion
Tickets £5 to cover costs.

Anyone who has attended the Chinnor Remembrance Day ceremony will be familiar with the Roll of Honour.

As part of the continuing social history research of Donkey Lane Community Orchard, we have tracked down the poignant stories of the sons of two families; the Howletts, Alfred and Aubrey who lived in one of the Orchard cottages and Frank Eggleton, the son of the owner of the land where the cottages stood, who, along with many other young men, left their village to serve their Country in the Great War and did not return.

On Tuesday 8th November, we would like to share these stories with you. Delving deep into war diaries and other War Office records we have discovered some of the key battles and lives of the soldiers on the Front.

Perhaps like us you are baffled by some of the language used in the descriptions of the war or maybe thought ‘how did they do that?’ We will try to answer a few of these things. For example; how did they transport 700 horses to Alexandria in 1914?

Ticket are £5 per person to cover costs, available at the Parish Office or by calling 07973 788339 or 07764 452777. Cash only please. Alternatively you can book tickets at Eventbrite. Please note booking fee applies.