My name is Beth Werrett and I am a conservator for the Wiltshire Conservation Service. I recently treated an extremely unusual table, which was inlaid with fossils; the object was so popular in our building it seemed like an excellent candidate for discussion on our blog.

 
Condition of the table before any conservation work was carried out

Background

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When you think of a county record office or archive service, the chances are you think of family history, and sources such as parish records, in particular baptisms, marriages and burials. Alternatively, you may think in terms of bundles of parchment documents covered in spidery handwriting (but no dust, I hope!) I have to admit we do hold large quantities of these sorts of archives, normally bundles of title deeds or manorial records, which often come in either from families or solicitors’ firms. It is less common for people to associate the county archives with the records of individual societies and organisations, and yet these are also important for the history of the county and make up a sizeable, and significant, part of our holdings. Societies and organisations represent communities which are often linked by common interests as well as location.  It is important to preserve records of those links for future generations to understand what mattered to their ancestors, and to appreciate them as three-dimensional people, not just a set of names in a family tree.

One of the organisations which regularly pass on their archives is the Women’s Institute, and in October we were delighted to receive records from the earliest Women’s Institute in the county, namely Downton and Redlynch. These include a complete set of minutes back to 1916, several scrapbooks with photographs and newspaper cuttings concerning local events, and an unusual record of jam-making during the Second World War. The records are in the process of being catalogued and will then be available for research. The W.I. is clearly far more than ‘jam and Jerusalem’ and the records of individual institutes reveal its evolution into the varied and wide-ranging organisation it is today. Please 'read more' to find out about another organisation that has renewed its commitment to preserving its records at the History centre...

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 We recently had an enquiry regarding the origins of the road Sally In The Wood, which can in fact be found just over the border in the parish of Bathford, Somerset. It forms a section of the A363 as it journeys through Home Wood towards Bathford.

The explanations of the road name are both varied and intriguing, and as they are also closely related to the parish of Monkton Farleigh in Wiltshire, I thought I’d share them with you.

 
OS 1st edition, 1887, Ref: 32/5
Warleigh Manor can be seen in the top left corner, with the road Sally in the Wood running through Home Wood immediately to the right of the Manor.

John Chandler in his book ‘The Reflection in the Pond’, gives us three versions of the tale. The first is of a supernatural nature, and was published by Kathleen Wiltshire in 1984. It tells the story of a young couple who knocked down a girl dressed in white when she ran from trees across the road in front of their car. Another version, this time by Maggie Dobson and Simone Brightstein relate that Sally was murdered in the woods or imprisoned in nearby Brown’s Folly, or that she was an actual road accident victim. Interestingly, the name of the small section of woodland immediately below Home Wood is called 'Dead Man Wood'. Katy Jordan in her book ‘The Haunted Landscape’ mentions that Sally in the Woods does have the reputation of being an eerie place, where ‘no birds sing’, so you never know...
To find out more about the other versions of the tale, please 'read more'.

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The Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre held its 4th annual Open Day and the theme this year was the Medieval Period. Along with Broad sword demonstrations, helmet making and documents from the Archives set out on display, the Archaeology Service produced an exhibition on the medieval castles of Wiltshire.

The word Castle is derived from the Latin word castellum and before that castrum, meaning fortified place. The earliest examples appeared in the middle ages and were constructed from earth and timber, but these were soon superseded in stone. They acted as statements of might and force, compared to those of the later medieval era when fortifications and defence were replaced by opulence and comfort - a statement of wealth and power of a very different kind.



An 18th century drawing of the Marlborough Mount

Of the various types, Marlborough Mount is a classic example of a Motte and Bailey, becoming a royal residence during the reign of William the Conqueror. Little is known about the origins of the mound, or motte, with one theory suggesting it may yet prove to be similar in date to the nearby Late Neolithic Silbury Hill. Future research may unravel its mysterious past.

Old Wardour Castle, with its impressive surviving ruins, is situated three miles from Tisbury. Unique and unusual in its hexagonal design, it was influenced by the French chateaux of the time, and its purpose was as a lavish home more than a fortification. This was brought into sharp focus with the determined efforts of Lady Arundell to defend her home during the English Civil War.  In 1643, with just 25 men to protect her and her castle, she held out for three days against a Parliamentarian army of over 1000 soldiers, only surrendering once she had obtained guarantees of safe passage for her family and staff. Incidentally, that original surrender document is held here at the History Centre.

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 I am delighted to be able to share with you the news that ‘Photographing Wiltshire’s Treasures’, a collaborative project between ten independent museums and a local further education college, has won two awards at an event to celebrate the work of the voluntary and community sector in Wiltshire.

 
The Voluntary and Community Sector Award

The project, funded by a Renaissance South West Museum Development Fund grant, saw photography and media students from New College Swindon complete placements at museums across Wiltshire, most of which are run entirely by volunteers. During their placements the students received training in object handling and photographic techniques and were then able to work with staff and volunteers to select and professionally photograph items from the collections.

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