Abingdon elected four councillors

Abingdon elected four councillors on Monday, with 2,074 of the 3,066 electorate turning out. During the day a sandwich man and a perambulator toured the town urging voters to choose ‘the straightest, the truest, the best,’ while in the evening children’s bands marched through the streets, their competing shouts sparking jeers and counter-jeers from other bands.

After the polls closed, counting took place in the Roysse Room supervised by the Mayor, Councillor J. D. Godfrey. A large crowd gathered outside the Council Chamber, and the Mayor announced the results from the window: A. E. Tombs (854), A. B. Woodley (803), H. P. Simpson (773), and D. E. Trotman (722) were returned, ahead of W. Cordell, R. V. Hall, Mrs E. C. Reynolds, Miss M. Etty, and Miss M. Layng.

The count was greeted with enthusiasm, and each candidate received cheers when they stepped to the window . Tombs spoke of his pride as an Abingdonian and stressed his commitment to housing, while Woodley reflected on the support he had received from young people, pledging to continue working for better recreation and housing for them.

Plastigrams
Plastigrams, described as the screen’s greatest novelty, is coming to the Kinema next Monday for a six-day run. This remarkable film, viewed through red and green spectacles, become fully stereoscopic, making figures and objects seem to leap out of the screen to within an inch of the spectator.

Alongside Plastigrams, the first half of the week will feature The Daughter of Love, starring Violet Hopson – a British drama . In the latter half of the week will show Tom Mix’s action film The Deadwood Coach, full of Mix’s trademark stunts. The biblical epic The Moon of Israel will return by popular demand, with showings on Friday and Saturday.

Armistice Day in Abingdon

On Wednesday, Armistice Day was marked in Abingdon with the national two minutes’ silence in memory of those who died in the Great War. Crowds gathered at the War Memorial well before the service, with the area kept clear by the Abingdon School Cadet Corps and the O.T.C. under Captain J. H. Reynolds. The Mayor, Corporation, and many local organisations formed a procession near the Guildhall.

At 10.45 a.m., Mr. G. Stacey rang the bell at St Helen’s Church 227 times, once for each Abingdon man lost in the war. The large procession, led by the Mayor, reached the memorial, where the hymn “O God, our help in ages past” was sung. The service was conducted by the Rev. E. Dando, with prayers from K. E. Stilwell and Mr. Chappell, and a lesson read by Dr. Oldfield.

The Last Post was sounded, followed immediately by the Pavlova Works hooter signalling the start of the Great Silence at 11 a.m. Afterward, Reveille was played by Bugler Webb of the Wantage Contingent, 4th Battalion Royal Berks Regiment. Children from the elementary schools sang Sir Esme Howard’s setting of John of Gaunt’s speech from Richard II.

The Rev. W. Greener offered prayers of thanksgiving, and the hymn “Praise ye the King of Heaven” was sung, followed by the first verse of the National Anthem. The Mayor laid a wreath on behalf of the Corporation, joined by wreaths from school groups, the Girl Guides, and local organisations including the Pride of Abingdon Lodge.

Spaces around the memorial were reserved for schoolchildren and relatives of the fallen. The full Abingdon Platoon of the 4th Royal Berks Regiment under Sergt.-Instructor Eyre and the Girl Guides under Mrs. R. C. Wicks were also present.

Poppy Day

This year saw the first-ever sale of Flanders poppies in Abingdon, supporting Earl Haig’s British Legion Appeal for ex-Service men. After a broadcast address by H.R.H. the Prince of Wales on Tuesday evening, a strong response was expected. By early Wednesday morning, poppy sellers were at work, and many people gathering near the War Memorial were already wearing their poppies.

Humorists of Methodism

On Thursday next, Rev. S. Horton (former President of Conference and author of the Wentworth Stories) will visit the Primitive Methodist Church in Abingdon and will preach at the 3.30 p.m. afternoon service. A public tea will be followed by a lecture at 6.30 p.m. entitled “Humorists of Methodism.”

The Mayor of Abingdon

Councillor J. D. Godfrey was re-elected Mayor of Abingdon at the statutory meeting of the Borough Council on Monday, on the proposition of Alderman A. E. Preston, seconded by Alderman J. E. Cottrell. Councillor Claude Rippon was again chosen as Deputy.

The Abingdon Bus View of Oxford and the effect of Coal Smoke

A striking view of Oxford can be seen from the upper deck of the Abingdon bus as it leaves Bagley Wood and descends the slopes of Boars Hill. From this point the towers and spires of Oxford suddenly appear, with the dome of the Radcliffe Camera at the centre and Magdalen Tower standing apart.

Yet this fine prospect is usually marred by smoke, which is increasingly damaging Oxford’s buildings, just as it has already harmed much of London’s architecture. Domestic coal fires now produce smoke more harmful than factory chimneys. How long people will continue burning crude coal when its effects are so destructive to the city?

School Attendance Case at the County Bench

At the County Bench on Monday, before Mr. E. H. Green and Miss M. P. K. Etty, a case of school non-attendance was heard involving Samuel Taylor of the Wheatsheaf, Drayton. Taylor was summoned by the Berkshire Education Committee for failing to send his son to school on 12th October.

According to the school attendance officer, Mrs. Taylor stated that the boy was fourteen and that she could not send him to school. The Bench imposed a fine of 5 shillings, ordering that the boy must continue attending school until the end of the term.

Arts and Crafts Demonstration

An arts and crafts demonstration featuring an expert from London will be held next week at Messrs. Leach’s shop on Bath Street, Abingdon. The free event will show how to make a variety of items using crepe paper and sealing-wax, including costumes, lamp-shades, flowers, hats, and table decorations. It runs daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with an additional session on Thursday from 2–4 p.m. in Royce’s Room. With Christmas approaching, it’s expected to be popular among local residents.

Acknowledgements

Thanks are due to the British Newspaper Archive for the article from the Oxford Chronicle and Reading Gazette (06 November 1925) about the Abingdon Bus, and the Faringdon Advertiser and Vale of the White Horse Gazette (school attendance case). Thanks also to the British Newspaper Archive for the Oxford Journal, which provided the photographs of elected councillors, the Mayor, and Armistice Day in Abingdon. Thanks to the Daily Mirror for the Cherry Blossom / Poppy advert.

Also thanks to the North Berks Herald Library microfilm for the stories covering the election, Armistice Day, Poppy Day, Plastigrams, the crepe paper demonstration, and Methodist humour. The Plastigrams advert came from Ebay.

October 1925 saw Abingdon, filled with dances, fairs, football triumphs (and defeats), and a mystery death on the railway line.

Michaelmas Fair fills the Square

The Michaelmas Fair drew large crowds on Monday and Tuesday, 5th and 6th October 1925. The Faringdon Advertiser reported that “the weather was brilliant, and the fair attracted many people,” with amusements filling the Square and adjoining streets.

The Oxford Journal Illustrated photographers captured the scene: the fairground booths and rides on the Square and the chair-o-planes, which “had their usual large quota of patrons.”
Football Fever

Abingdon’s footballers were busy throughout the month:

Abingdon Town opened October with a 3–3 draw away to Witney, then hit fine form, defeating Morris Motors 6–1.

Their Amateur Cup tie brought less success: a heavy 7–0 defeat to Windsor & Eton, whose “sharp-shooter Norris” scored four goals. The team was photographed above by Warland Andrew.

Abingdon Pavlova, the factory team, had mixed fortunes: a 1–0 win at Thatcham, a 1–1 draw with the R.A.O.C. (Royal Army Ordnance Corps), then a 2–0 defeat at Newbury.

Other local teams also featured in the North Berks League, with the Abingdon Liberals beating Sutton Courtenay Reserves 4–2. Abingdon Albion were heavily defeated by Hendred Reserves by 7—1 in the North Berks League.

Abingdon’s golfers travelled to Faringdon in stormy weather at the end of the month, winning narrowly 4½ – 3½. Here is the scorecard, which may mean something to golfers:

Dancing in the Corn Exchange

The Corn Exchange appears as Abingdon’s social heart. The Young Liberals, Territorial Social Club, and Bowling Club each held dances there during October 1925, all with music by Rowlinson’s Dance Band.

Civic News and Elections

As the Borough Council elections approached, interest grew. Four councillors were retiring, and by the end of the month nine candidates were nominated, including Miss M. Etty, Miss L. M. Laying, and Mrs. E. C. Reynolds – an interesting moment, as women’s participation in local elections was relatively new.

The poll was set for Monday 2 November 1925. We shall find out in November how those women got on.

A Local Mystery

A darker story came with the report of the “Abingdon Mystery.” An inquest in Oxford heard how Donald Geoffrey Clarke, a Worcester College undergraduate and captain of the boat club, was found dead on the Steventon railway near Abingdon. Having arrived by motor cycle and booked a room at the Queen’s Hotel in Abingdon, he disappeared overnight, leaving his bed unslept in. His shoes were muddy, and his gown was found around his neck. The coroner recorded an open verdict, remarking that it would remain “a mystery how and why Clarke got to the railway line.”

Things Old and New

The Oxford Journal Illustrated of 7 October 1925 ran a feature entitled “Things Old and New.”
It recalled that it had been founded as Jackson’s Oxford Journal in 1753 by William Jackson, who edited it for forty years, and that its early pages often carried news from Abingdon, then still the county town of Berkshire. There followed some items which may have shocked and and amazed readers in 1925:

At the Berkshire Assizes, March 10, 1764, John Herbert, for obtaining goods under false pretences, was ordered to be whipped round the Market Place at Abingdon.

For larceny, at the Assizes, August 4, 1764, prisoner Hone was burnt in the hand; and in July 1769, for stealing tools and bedclothes, prisoners were sentenced to the pillory and seven years’ imprisonment. Six years afterwards, at the same Assizes, the sentence of death was passed on one man for stealing a grey mare, on another for stealing a hog, and on another for robbing a woman on the King’s highway of one shilling, some halfpence, and a metal ring.

Abingdon Races were held on Culham Heath until 1811, and from 1812 until 1875 on Abingdon Common. A steeplechase meeting was held in the meadows by the Thames near Sutton during the last quarter of the nineteenth century.

In 1767, the Abingdon race meeting lasted for three days, and a town purse of £50 was run for on the first day — the best of three heats, two miles to each heat. There were balls at the Council Chamber on the first and last nights.

Cockfights were a very popular diversion. Here is one referred to in the Journal of March 28, 1772: “A cock match at Abingdon between the gentlemen of Berkshire and of Warwickshire, to show 31 cocks on each side in the main, for ten guineas a battle and two hundred guineas the odd battle, and 15 cocks for bye-battles at four guineas a battle.”

There are many references to the distribution by the Member of Parliament for the Borough of sums of £50 and £100 for bread and beer, on account of the excessive high prices of all kinds of provisions.  In October 1774, “John Mayor, Esq., the worthy Member of Parliament of the time, entertained at dinner in the Council Chamber the Corporation and 150 voters, at the same time returning them his warmest thanks for their independent, disinterested and affectionate support during the late very severe contest with the dissenters for a representative in Parliament.”

Thank You and Sources

This blog post draws on reports from the Faringdon Advertiser and Vale of the White Horse Gazette (issues of 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31 October 1925) and the Oxford Journal Illustrated (7 October 1925).

These newspapers are made available through the British Newspaper Archive, whose digitised pages allow Abingdon’s old stories to be rediscovered and shared here on the blog.

Photographs of the Michaelmas Fair, and Abingdon Town FC are reproduced from the Oxford Journal Illustrated, courtesy of the British Newspaper Archive. The three adverts for the International Stores, showing family life in 1925, are from the Faringdon Advertiser and appeared on the same page as the Abingdon news.

Empire Pageant at Caldecott House
The Empire Pageant, organised jointly by the Abingdon Constitutional Associations and the Empire Pageant Committee, was held on Thursday in the grounds of Caldecott House, by kind permission of Mrs. Bailie. The event was highly successful, featuring numerous stalls and competitions such as bowling for ham and cake weight guessing. The Abingdon Town Band provided music throughout the afternoon and for dancing in the evening.

The pageant emphasised unity, cooperation, truth, and love, and was staged by Miss Green of Hermitage on the lawn at the back of the house. Characters represented included Britannia, Liberty, Justice, Spirit of Progress, Spirit of the Flag, and representatives of England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland, South Africa, West Africa, India, West Indies, Malay, and Ceylon. At the close, Major Glenn MP thanked Miss Green and congratulated the performers. .(They included Morris Dancing by boys from the Church School)

Earl of Oxford and Asquith Stung by Wasp
While motoring through Abingdon on Thursday, the Earl of Oxford and Asquith was stung rather severely on the arm by a wasp. On his doctor’s advice, he remained indoors for a day or two and was unable to open the Liberal fête at Faringdon, which was instead opened by Mr. Anthony Asquith.

First Sod Cut for Abingdon Church Hall Extension
Last evening, Lady Gore-Brown cut the first sod for the extension of Abingdon Church Hall, which is expected to be completed within four months. Plans for extending the hall have been discussed for several years, and last year’s major fundraising effort made this possible. The building contract was awarded to Messrs. Randall & Son for £2,720. The committee already has £1,140 7s. 10d in hand, including £59 raised at the sod-cutting event during which The Mayor of Abingdon released balloons as a fundraising competition.

Abingdon Free Library Expands Collection
Abingdon Free Library has recently added 500 modern fiction titles, with a similar number of non-fiction books expected soon. Last year, 30,000 volumes were issued to a population of 7,167. The library encourages public use, free selection from shelves, and provides reading lists to foster a reading habit. Not everybody realises they can find books themselves from the shelves and continue the old way of requesting books from the catalogue.

Oxford Cricket League – Division 1
Semi-Final (Abingdon Pavlova vs Woodstock): Played at Abingdon, the match was drawn, with Abingdon Pavlova scoring 126 and Woodstock 104 for 8. Play continued until 8 pm, when Woodstock appealed for poor light and the umpires upheld their claim. Woodstock refused to complete the match on the following day and asked for a replay instead. And so it was judged that Pavlova should have a pass to the final.

Final (Abingdon Pavlova vs Morris Motors): Played on the Hertford College ground, the final was completed on Sunday after rain delayed the Saturday start. Morris Motors won decisively by an innings and 77 runs, before a large crowd.

Prolific Tomato Plant at Caldecott House
A remarkable tomato plant, grown by Mr. Juggins in the greenhouse at Caldecott House, bore about fifty tomatoes, weighing over 71 lbs in total.

Primitive Methodist Church Harvest Thanksgiving
The Primitive Methodist Church celebrated Harvest Thanksgiving on Sunday, with large congregations attending morning and evening services. Mr. W. Bramwell Hill of Swindon preached on the theme “In an Ancient Garden” in the morning and “Until the Harvest” in the evening. A public meeting on Monday evening presided by Mr T Leach featured Reverend G. E. Wallace on the text “Thou crownest the year with Thy goodness.” Decorations were arranged by Mr. and Mrs. Franklin and Mr. A. J. Argyle and others, with musical contributions by Mr. H. Horsley on the violin. The celebrations concluded with a sale of goods.

Angling Societies Visit Abingdon
Several angling societies visited Abingdon recently. Over 400 anglers from Birmingham fished Appleford and Wilsham Reaches, and other area, with modest catches of dace and gudgeon. A smaller group returned the following Sunday, enjoying good sport along Wilsham Reach, bringing 28 bags to the scales. Both societies expressed appreciation to the town.

Master Bakers’ Annual Outing
The Abingdon and District Master Bakers’ Association held its annual outing on Thursday, with 300 members enjoying a day in London. Some visited Wembley, while others attended the Bakers’ Exhibition.

Abingdon Cycle Dealer Bankrupt
Mr. Thomas F. Cavey, cycle dealer of 15 Bath Street, Abingdon, was declared bankrupt. Mr. Cavey began business in 1921 with £90 capital but cited declining trade, strong local competition, and high expenses as reasons for failure. His debt totals £88. A public examination of Mr. Cavey is scheduled for October 5 at County Hall, Oxford.

Thanks to the Oxford Journal Illustrated for the photographs of Abingdon events from the British Newspaper Archive. Also thanks to the Oxford Chronicle and Reading Gazette from the British Newspaper Archive for story details and the North Berks Herald microfilm in the library  for story details and the underwear advert..

Heritage Open Days returned to Abingdon this weekend, with Saturday as the main day of events. This year’s national theme was architecture, and many local organisations opened their doors to show off Abingdon’s historic buildings. In the Market Place there was a Heritage Open Day stall providing maps and guidebooks for visitors, along with entertainment from The Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers.

The event attracted people from far beyond Oxfordshire – even from as far away as New Zealand. These visitors were photographed in the Guildhall.

The Mayor of Abingdon, Cllr Rawda Jehanli, toured the exhibitions, pictured here with two of the event organisers who were showing her round.

At Trinity Church, welcomers greeted people and answered questions.

There was also a friendly welcome at St Helen’s Church, where among other things was an old parchment tithe map from 1842.

The Abbey Buildings go even further back and hosted re-enactors dressed as Roman citizens, bringing the era to life.

A couple of soldiers were recovering after a re-enactment battle. They had one at 11 am and one at 2 pm.

As part of Heritage Open Days, the Abingdon Artists ran their Landscape in a Day event, with artists painting views of the town’s buildings and streets.

Some venues were especially popular. The tours of the Sophos building were fully booked when I applied.

I was, however, able to visit the Old Gaol Atrium, a space that combines the historical with modern glass and concrete.

I also explored the offices of West Waddy, the local architecture firm based in a spectacular old building with views of the River Thames. The day was mostly sunny but there were some cracks of thunder and occasional showers.

Heritage Open Days carry on tomorrow, Sunday, with more walks, exhibitions, and hidden corners of Abingdon to explore.