The lettering on Rodborough’s WW2 memorial has been repainted thanks to generous donations to Remembering Rodborough. The wording is much more legible, though the reflective stone is difficult to photograph.

Rodborough Parish Minute Book – 9th April 1840
“At a special vestry meeting held this day according to a notice fixed on the church door and pursuant to the Act of Parliament it was resolved that the application of Jacob Haines to be sent to Australia with his family of six sons and one daughter should be acceded to and notice then sent to the Board of Guardians.”
(Provision for the emigration of the poor, with the cost being borne by an emigrant’s home parish, was included in section 62 of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act.  http://www.workhouses.org.uk/emigration/.) 
It seems, however, that Jacob didn’t go, as the family are found on later census records at Houndscroft. He was a woollen weaver born in 1796 and lived to the age of 84. With all those sons there must be lots of Haines descendants around – wondering if they know how close they came to being Aussies!

I have a feeling of delight and amazement when I become aware of something that I must have passed hundreds of times and not noticed. Cresby Brown or ‘Mr Red’ has been carefully recording Ordnance Survey benchmarks before they disappear.

Looking at http://benchmarks.mister.red/#rodborough I realise how unobservant I have been. There are 28 benchmarks photographed in Rodborough.

The term benchmark, or bench mark, originates from the chiseled horizontal marks that surveyors made in stone structures, into which an angle-iron could be placed to form a “bench” for a leveling rod, thus ensuring that a leveling rod could be accurately repositioned in the same place in the future.

All the news in the media about the Armistice centenary has stimulated many family memories.

We have been sent a photo of Albert Edward (Ted) Clarke who lived in a cottage in Kitesnest Lane. He survived the war and emigrated to Australia with his family in 1927.

We know he lived at a group of cottages and out buildings known as the Homestead above the allotments in Kitesnest Lane.

We believe the buildings were demolished in the 80s. The photo below shows cider making at The Homestead in the 70s

Does anyone have any photos of the cottages?

It’s finally time for Rodborough to say thank you to Sergeant John Cuthbert who gave his young life in 1944 when his plane was lost, believed to have been shot down near Brest in France. He was 23 years old and left a young wife and a baby born three weeks later. His name has now been added to the WW2 memorial.

After a beautiful service on Remembrance Sunday flowers and messages were placed under the WW1 memorial in an attempt to recreate an impression of the striking display at the unveiling in 1920.

Initially placed randomly they formed a rather artistic floral heap!

A talented lady has now worked her magic and they are transformed to a beautiful display that will last a little longer.

Remember our note last year about phone boxes being decommissioned?

We have had a request for information about the history of Butterrow bus shelter from a gentleman updating a book.  He would like to know anyone in RR, know anything about it. In case you can’t picture it, it can be seen here – https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.7346336,-2.2098385,3a,75y,271.4h,78.91t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sHGnL6uJeB85KflOiS3gFtw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

The book is about Western National (bus company) who will be celebrating their centenary in March 2019, hence the reprinting.
Please contact us with any information and we will pass it on.

Rodborough’s part in the Great War 

In 2014 it became clear that were several groups and individuals beavering away on local war research and the Five valleys Great War Researchers group was formed. The whole has certainly been greater than the sum of the parts and together we invite you to come and see what has been discovered.

We have had an enquiry about the ‘Lonely tree’ on the common. Does anyone know its age? Has anything been written about it?

The Parish Council kindly funded the production of six commemorative books to be available as public resources, and after 4 years of intense research they are ready to publish. Way beyond the original remit, the book tells the story of a community changed by war and gives a detailed account of those ordinary, yet remarkable, individuals, who gave so much, and showed such courage and stoicism. We can produce extra copies at an estimated sale price of £10-12 for a 240-page A4 size book, lavishly illustrated with B&W photos. These will be available in August and can be pre-ordered by by contacting Remembering Rodborough.

The war memorial was cleaned yesterday and is looking much better. It may continue to lighten a little in the next few days as the cleaning agents continue to work.

Marked on the 1909 land survey map as Allotments Gardens. Does anyone have any idea how far back this land use goes?

We are very excited to have been loaned Rodborough Scouts Archive. We will be busy scanning for quite a while, but hope to share some of the pictures here.

This little snap was in the bottom of the box with the woodlice! Any thoughts?

This is Rodborough Scout Troop in 1918. It would be hugely helpful to our war research if anyone is able to identify any of the individuals pictured.

Last Saturday evening we were proud to host a performance by Spaniel in the Works Theatre Company of Tommy Atkins and the Canary Girl. It was a powerful and emotional performance depicting the lives of one Gloucestershire family in WW1 and fitting that it was held in the church alongside the war memorial for which we are raising funds to clean. Thanks to all who supported us and to the additional generosity of Rodborough parish Council, we now have the funding to go ahead.                                                                      

Does anyone have any photos or memories for his daughter who is writing a book?Nov 8th this year would have been Ernest’s 100th birthday.

• Played cricket for Rodborough Tabernacle and football at Marling School and for Rodborough.
• Leading light in the RT Players from its inception up to the 1950s.
• Worked as a Draughtsman at T H and J Daniels engineering works.
• Was a member of the Concert Party there and was key in introducing the entertainment for the Cowley Manor Conferences that Daniels ran.

One of the best things about Remembering Rodborough’s website is reaching people across the globe. We’ve had contact from a delightful lady in the US who has very special memories of coming from Birmingham to stay with grandparents at The Pike House opposite the Prince Albert. This photo of the garden is from c1940. Does anyone have any photos of the Pike House?

Thank you to everyone who made this morning’s event such fun. Sometimes it’s like the Antiques Roadshow without the cameras. These exciting packages bundled in old newspaper and brown paper have a remarkable story; Ernest Mills of Park Lodge, Dudbridge Hill was employed by the Apperly and Curtis Woollen Mill when it became bankrupt in 1933 and Charles Apperly “moved quickly to the South of France”. His workers were paid off in cloths lengths and those seen here have been a treasured family possession. Today they were on their way to a safe home at Stroud Museum.