620 



A Village History Exhibition. 



[Oct., 



. Paintings, drawings, prints, and photograpiis illustrated houses 

 in the parish, some of them now no longer standing. The repre- 

 sentative of a family, established in the parish since 1510 at 

 least, sent portraits and needlework of tbe last century but one. 



No charge was made for admission, but visitors were invited to 

 make a contribution to the Club funds. It is believed that not 

 one left the building without giving something, while two ladies 

 sent additional donations on the following day to mark the deUght 

 that the exhibition had given them. Tbe total result was an 

 addition of about £21 to the funds of the Club, but the real 

 success was the interest shown by all who visited the exhibition. 

 Young men who wandered in with an off-hand listless air soon 

 became absorbed in the things themselves and in the descrip- 

 tions, written in block letters, that accompanied them. These 

 were sometimes on half -sheets or more of notepaper, with 

 references to families and places from the Parish Eecords and 

 other sources. It was worth a good deal to see the delighted sur- 

 prise with which one would draw his fellow's attention to the 

 name of his family or home in an extract from the early records. 

 A popular exhibit was a list of " Early Mention of Present-day 

 names of Places and Families " in the parish. There were over 

 60 of these, nothing being admitted of later date than the 

 Restoration. Three examples will show what is meant : — 



Waystrood or Whey Strood Left by John Still to bis son Thomas in 



1471. It remained in the Still family 

 till about 1760. 



Still - - - Thomas Still was witness to will of Robert 



Ludwell, 1456. 



Ludioelh - - - - Takes its name from the family of Ludwell 



mentioned aoove. 



The descriptive labels were, of course, an essential part of the 

 exhibition, and were carefully written to include as many names, 

 still familiar, as possible. 



Various circumstances prevented the Club from keeping their 

 exhibition open for longer than one afternoon from two till nine, 

 but next year it is proposed to hold another on a larger scale. 

 This year the exhibits ran into hundreds, but the expected has 

 happened — several have come forward who could have lent things 

 had they realized that what was wanted was common everyday 

 objects of former generations. It is also intended to invite the 

 Education Authorities of neighbouring parishes to bring parties 

 of children to the exhibition, which will remain open for three 

 or four days. Through the winter the promoter hopes to discuss 

 the subject of parish history at the Village Clubs and Women's 



