Enborne Churchyard Newbury Muster

[archangel]

We are hoping to work with Enborne parish leading up to the Newbury Muster. I am still waiting to hear from the rector.

One of the interesting features is that in the churchyard there is a mass grave allegedly from the Battle of Newbury.

It would be helpful to know if there is any local primary source research on this so that we could produce better information if we do an event there. At present, we can only find a vague reference that the local incumbent was directed by King Charles at the time to take care of those who had fallen.

Any local knowledge would be appreciated.

[archangel]

Looks like 22nd is good, although earlier weeks are available. The week of Elveston would obviously be out of consideration though.

[archangel]

I think most people would prefer 22nd, the week before Newbury. I will have to work with the Rector on form and timings. If we get a large turnout, car parking may be an issue.

This is basically a 400th anniversary KJV commemoration and short prayer for the fallen. It will comprise a BCP service, static display, perhaps short cameos, and hopefully a buffet where members of the congregation will have the opportunity to talk with uniformed knotters.

Things are just shaping at the moment, and I will let you know as they develop.

[nigel]

john try and find out how many people normaly turn up for the service then we can plan

[sameedle]

Good one John and please keep me posted of developments. We discussed this on Saturday. Ring me if you need to discuss anything. Cheers. sam.

[archangel]

Nigel I will let you know as things develop. I have yet to confirm the date. Julie will have a good idea of the average congregation, though you can never predict what knotters will do. I was prepared to run with our Inkpen turnout, but the more SK the better. It also depends on whether the parish decide to have VIP's etc.

I recently went to a national King Charles I commemoration with 9 Knotters and about 200 congregation, but I will ask to reserve us space when we have a firmer commitment.
I used to go to a works carol service every year in London, and it was just a few enthusiasts hugging the front pews. The minister turned up to read the lesson one year, and guess what - the chapel was crowded out half an hour before the service.

Hope this gives an impression of what we are likely to have to factor in.

Sam thanks for the above.

John

[archangel]

Service booked for 22 nd probably 11-15. More details when I hear. Some interest in a pub lunch and country walk after. Anybody know of a good place?

West Berkshire Ramblers Association have some information on interesting walks.

There will be the normal congregation, though any VIP guests are down to us.

[andyhallam]

I've pencilled this one in John

[nigel]

Henry and i will do it ,well i will ;D ;D its on the calender see if the rector can tell people in the lead up to so we can get a good turn out .

[brokenleg]

I am due to be on call for this weekend so i will try and arrange to swop my duties

[andyhallam]

What am I to wear? I only have common soldier's attire - would I bring my accoutrements and weapons?

[nigel]

andy you wont need any weapons they frown a bit if you try to take a sword and gun into church just wear your kit and sword belt that should be fine .I did Nasbey church service last year and every one had to leave there weapons in the prouch see you there

[andyhallam]

I could do with the location and time confirming for the service, as I've a distance to cover.

[Administrator]

earlriversadmin.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=downloadattachmentpage&board=warningorders&thread=1849&post=7933 and click the blue 'here' before the time runs out.

[brokenleg]

Is there a seperate WO for the church service.
Is there only one church in Enbourne, if more than one,which one?
What time are we meeting up and where?

[brokenleg]

Also do we need pikes for a guard of honour or whatever

[Administrator]

Download the original attachment


Warning Order Enborne Church Service:

Assembly Time 11.00 am Sunday 22nd May 2011

Place St Michael & All Angels : Church Lane, Enborne, Berkshire, RG20 0HB



Assembly Enborne Church Car Park: Sat nav postcode RG20 0HD.

Directions from Newbury:

Head west on Bear Lane towards Cheap Street

Turn left at Cheap Street

Take 1st right onto Market Street

Continue on to Bartholomew Street

Turn Right at Pound Street

Continue on Enborne Road to Church Lane


ST. MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS, ENBORNE

The earliest church of which anything remains was built in the mid 12th century. A simple structure, the arches and aisles were added at the end of the 12th century. The chancel was added between 1270 and 1300 - a date confirmed by the rare double piscina. The new church was consecrated in 1316 and was then in the Salisbury Diocese.

The east window and south aisle were probably rebuilt in the 15th century. A series of restorations were carried out in the late 19th century and when, in 1878, the whitewash was removed from the north side of the chancel, a wall painting of the Annunciation was discovered. Probably dating from the 14th century, it has been recently restored and is much admired. There are two bells and the Treble, dating from 1260, is one of the oldest in any English church. It bears the 'En borne cross' and the name Michael.

The First Battle of Newbury took place in the fields surrounding the church.


The Sealed Knot is commemorating the 400th Anniversary of the King James Bible(1611) on Sunday May 22nd by marking the event with a service, as well as a small display, and prayers for soldiers buried in Enborne Churchyard after the Battle of Newbury. This will also be a linked part of the events in preparation for the three day battle at Newbury Showground the following week.



The commemorative service is a joint venture organised by Enborne Church and the Sealed Knot Society represented by its Living History Group, Earl Rivers Regiment of Foote. as well as other units and members of the society,

This event will focus on the King James Bible and its influence in many aspects of our English cultural life. You may have seen the recent Melvyn Bragg programme on BBC2. It will have a Matins service and Churchyard memorial prayer for the casualties of the battle, with static displays of artefacts and information. The timing for this will be 11-15 to about 12-30 when there will be a photo opportunity as well as the chance to look around the exhibition and talk to members of the congregation about the period.

This is an event that will look at the social history and other aspects of the time, as the military side will be well covered by the arrest of the Mayor on the Saturday 21st May, and the battle (A Major Muster) at Newbury Showground the following weekend. Our event will take place in what is a more peaceful rural setting where many of the manoeuvres before the battle actually took place.

I hope this is of interest. My contact telephone number is: 01275 460 331. There are some good pubs in the area and there is the opportunity to walk around lanes where parliamentarian troops marched towards Newbury ready for the battle and there is a three mile walk through local parkland, although we have not specifically arranged a march.

[brokenleg]

Thanks admin for the WO

[andyhallam]

Ta

[archangel]

Thanks everybody who turned up, Pat for all her hard work putting up the display and Jackie for one of her Oscar winning performances. This has generated a lot of interest in the church for trying to verify the site of the graves, to the extent that there may be a mini muster event in the back pocket somewhere. We wait and see.

Anybody got Time Team contacts?

[archangel]

When we were at the church, there was great enthusiasm for trying to delve more into this from members of the congregation, altough as I said at the outset, the evidence is rather thin.
I have had the following feedback:

The parliament baggage train was in the area - and in the respected book 'Gloucester and Newbury 1643' it says of the Parliamentarians-
"Written instructions were left behind for the rector and churchwardens of the parish of Enborne to complete the task of interring the dead'.
I have spoken with both John Day, the author of the above book, and Terry Richardson, who is very well informed of the battle, and both are quite cautious as to the source for this and actual location.

If anybody has any further research, it would be a big help to know of developments, as there is also the beginnings of a movement to place a monument there.

I think its a case of watch this space.

[sameedle]

Thanks John,
thanks also for encloseing my e-mail (which I should have copied here beforehand). I will contact Jon Day again when the Newbury dust has settled. When you get reply from your archaeology contact could you please place here?
Sam.

[archangel]

Dear John

Thank you for your enquiry about Civil War burials in Enborne churchyard. The subject of what happened to the Civil War dead is a rather mystifying one and I'm grateful to you for showing an interest in trying to solve it. I have only a few records for the discovery of possible soldiers' remains in the area, but these were found in the late 19th century and their link with the First Battle of Newbury seems to have been conjectural. We also of course have the association of burials with the Wash Common barrows and although these are Bronze Age in date, there do seem to have been 17th century objects (buckles, buttons, bullets and cannon balls) found here in the mid 19th century. No modern excavations of Civil War graves have been carried out in West Berkshire.

Peter Harrington has a section in his book English Civil War Archaeology (2004) on burials, noting that it is surprising that more burial sites have not been uncovered. "There was a high regard for the dead at the time, and burial rites were strictly observed. In light of this, mortal remains would probably have been committed to the ground with a proper burial even under wartime circumstances... in towns and cities, the natural repositories would have been the graveyards of churches, and parish registers should reflect this."

Harold Peake, curator of Newbury's museum in the first half of the 20th century, wrote that commanders of both Civil War forces instructed people in Newbury and Enborne to bury the dead in their churchyards and that registers show this was done. Walter Money also refers to churchwarden's accounts which suggest that a number of bodies were buried at St Nicolas after the First Battle. I haven't looked into either of these assertions - perhaps you or others have, and this is what has led you to Enborne church.

With respect to your comment about archaeological techniques for investigating battlefield archaeology, it is true that there have been new discoveries but undertaking intrusive work in a churchyard would obviously raise a lot of issues, and I am not certain whether geophysical survey would clarify matters. English Heritage has produced a guidance note on the various techniques - see www.helm.org.uk/upload/pdf/Geophysical_LoRes.pdf?1305549040 and this includes some comments on locating graves. This is a specialist area and appropriate professional advice would need to be sought if you were considering commissioning any work. Please note that we do not undertake any fieldwork ourselves - the West Berkshire archaeology service is a curatorial one - but the Archaeological Officer Duncan Coe would be happy to advise on any potential projects, and we would be keen to hear about any findings to add to the Historic Environment Record (HER).

Data from the HER is now online via a portal called the Heritage Gateway, so you can browse through some of the records I've mentioned above - eg see www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MWB15853&resourceID=1030 or www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MWB15762&resourceID=1030, or you can search other datasets - try putting 'Civil War burial' (any order) into the search box on the Home page for instance www.heritagegateway.org.uk/gateway/ There is the opportunity to send feedback on any omissions or errors you spot in the records.

Best wishes

Sarah Orr
Historic Environment Record Officer
Archaeology Service

West Berkshire Council
West Street House
West Street
Newbury
RG14 1BZ

[archangel]

Have just heard that there is now renewed official interest in the Newbury Battlefield Trust of which this will now be a part.