4th February
At the Borough Court on Tuesday, six lads, aged 16 – 19, were summoned for sliding in Bury Street on Jan 17th. They all pleaded guilty and were fined 2s each.

A very successful concert was given on Wednesday evening in last week at the Abingdon Corn Exchange in aid of St Dunstan’s Hostel for blind ex servicemen. The entertainment contained items from several London artistes, and raised £25 10s.

Over 400 employees, and friends, from the Pavlova Works were given a concert last week, by an excellent Pierrot troupe, in aid of the North Berks Athletic Association.

The Old Berks Hunt Ball held in the Abingdon Borough Buildings on Thursday night, last week, attracted a company of about 200. The scarlet coats of the Master and other members of the hunt blended with the gorgeous dresses of the ladies.

11th February
The rainfall in Abingdon for the month of January was registered as 2.36 in., and rain fell on 2 days.

The Labour Exchange return for last week shows that the unemployed numbered 84 men, 14 women, 5 boys and 3 girls. On short time there were 21 men and 118 women.

The Abingdon Chamber of Trade has now been formed and rules drawn up. The Mayor, Councillor C. Rippon, has been elected President, and a strong committee of Abingdon tradesmen formed.

At the County Court, four lads were summoned for throwing stones and damaging a notice board at Marcham. The damage was 30s and each lad was ordered to pay for the damage and a fine of £7 6d.

At this Borough Court on Tuesday all the licensee in the Borough were renewed with the exception of “The Nelson,” the Wheatsheaf,” and the “Black Swan” which were adjourned with the view of being referred to the County Compensation Committee. Mr Andrew Walsh appeared for the owners Messrs Morland and Co.

18th February
A Church Parade of the B Company of the Berks Detachment of 4th Battalion Royal Berks Regiment was held at Abingdon on Sunday last, when the Detachment attended St. Michael’s Church for the 11 o’clock service.

On Thursday evening in last week a meeting of the representatives of the various trade unions took place at the Bee Hive Inn, Stert Street, Mr W. Mott presiding, when it was decided to form the Abingdon and District Trades and Labour Council.

The death took place at Oxford Radcliffe Infirmary on Wednesday in last week of Alfred Harry Roberts, at the age of 44 years, who had been for 17 years Relieving Officer for the Abingdon Union (workhouse). He was taken ill last October and quite recently was moved to the Oxford Infirmary. The funeral took place at Abingdon on Saturday afternoon. The first portion of the Burial Service was said at St. Helen’s Church

The Abingdon Fire Brigade held their annual meeting last week. Chief Officer W. M. Coxeter presiding. The financial report was very satisfactory, and the general report stated that the Brigade had been called to 14 fires during the past year- three in the town and eleven in the district.

On Saturday local football included a match at Ardington for points in the League, between Ardington and Abingdon. Abingdon was playing four reserves, and after some good play on both sides, the visitors won by one goal to nil.
25th February

At the market on Monday there was a fair supply of fat stock, store stock being prohibited. Fat beasts made £43 10s and calves £8 7s 6d. Fat sheep made up to £5 19s. Porkers made up to £4 10s and fat hogs realised £10 2s 6d.

The Abingdon Women’s Conservative Association held an enjoyable social evening on Wednesday in last week in the Corn Exchange, when a large gathering attended. The hall was decorated with evergreens, plants, flags, etc. The proceedings opened with a meeting, when Miss Costello, from the Headquarters Association gave an address on “Communism or Individual Freedom.” and Mr A- T. Loyd, M.P. for the Abingdon, gave an address on “Economy and the Geddes’ Reports on Shipbuilding”. The Social portion of the programme followed, and included a short humorous play, musical items, refreshments, followed by a dance.

Thank you for the extracts to the Faringdon Advertiser and Vale of the White Horse Gazette on the British Newspaper Archive.

Adverts brought to you with help from the Nork Berks Herald.

The town maps, produced as a Choose Abingdon project, look out of date. The original maps were designed digitally so they could be updated.

At least four things have changed in this section, and a spider has got stuck under the glass.

The information board outside the Abbey Gardens has come unstuck. It was probably created by VWHDC (Vale of White Horse District Council), being so close to their park. There is another information board nearby that is part of the Heart of Abingdon Heritage Trail.

7th January
The High Sheriff — Sir Mortimer singer K.B.E., of Milton House, High Sheriff for Berks, has undergone an operation in London, and is now progressing favourably.

The free-will offering scheme for the financial purposes of the Abingdon Churches amounted last year to £201 10s. The Parish Magazine says ‘In a parish of over 7,000 with 700 communicants, only 160 support this fund,’ and that ‘the sum collected is quite inadequate to supply the large demands made upon it’.

The local matches played on Saturday included Abingdon Town and Abingdon Pavlova in the North’ Berks League. The game and the teams were very even, the result being victory by one goal for Abingdon Town. In the second division of the League, the Abingdon Y.M.C A. team met Radley on the latters ground, the home team secured one goat to nil. The Y.M.C.A. had one of their players injured temporarily, and the goal was secured during this players absence.

Last Friday morning at about 10 o’clock the Abingdon Fire Brigade received a call to Tubney, where two thatched cottages, one of which was occupied by the local policeman, were on fire. The roofs and other considerable damage to the effects of the cottages was the result. It is supposed that a spark from steam roller engine set fire to the thatched roof.

The Abingdon Angling Society’s annual Christmas competition took place last week, and 39 members entered. There were only seven bags brought in to the scales, and the first prize (£1), was for three roach, won by A. Hutchens,

Mr Bromley Challenor, coroner for North Berks, has sustained a bereavement by a fatal accident in the hunting field of his father-in-law, Mr J. T. Duncan, shipowner, Cardiff, who was hunting with the Duke of Beaufort’s hounds last week. The horse failed to jump a stone wall, whereby deceased was thrown and sustained a broken neck.

The Abingdon Union inmates concluded the Christmas festivities on Thursday evening in last week with a capital concert provided by local talent. Several Guardians were present, and at the interval each inmate received a Christmas present.

14th January
At St. Helen’s Church, on afternoon last, there was a large congregation for a programme of sacred music, when the organist was the talented young local musician, Mr A. Emerton. The soloist was the Rev. C. L. Bradley, Vicar of Tubney.

At the Cattle Market on Monday last, there was good supply of fat and store cattle, sheep and pigs. Beasts realised up to £44 5s, cows in calf £34. Tegs up to £5 14s, and fat hogs reached £10 17s 6d.

The Abingdon Church Sunday Schools had their annual treat in the Corn Exchange on Wednesday last, when capital entertainment was provided, and the prize giving took place. The infants of the Abingdon Baptist Sunday School were entertained with their annual treat on Wednesday evening in last week, and enjoyed a capital tea and a Christmas tree.

Mr A. L. Smith, who was for ?(unreadable)? years supervisor at the Abingdon Post Office, has been awarded the Imperial Service Medal for long and faithful service.

21st January
On Thursday last there were over 600 spectators to witness a match on the Abingdon Ground between Berks and Bucks V Oxfordshire. The home team won by 4 goals, to 2. The teams dined together after the match at the Crown and Thistle Hotel, the Mayor of Abingdon presiding.

The death is announced of Mr Edward John Harris, formerly of Park Crescent, Abingdon, He was for several years Alderman of Abingdon, and filled the office of Mayor on three or four occasions, but resigned through ill health, and left Abingdon.

The number of unemployed given by the returns of the Abingdon Labour Exchange last week was 102, viz., 83 men, 11 women, 4 girls and 4 boys. The number on short time was 166, vis., 40 men, 118 women, 6 girls and 1 boy.

The surveyor, at meeting last week of Abingdon Rural. District Council reported that there were 23 men engaged at work for the unemployed at stone breaking, and to engage more men shortly. In reply to a Councillor the Surveyor stated that the average earning the men at stone breaking was £1 per week, and last week two men earned 37s each.

Mr H.G. W. d’Almaine, Town Clerk of Abingdon, has been elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, in recognition of his research work.

At the County Bench Monday. Ernest Stone. 21, East St. Helen’s, Abingdon was fined £1 for riding a bicycle without a light at Milton on January 7th. P.C. Wood said the defendant when stopped was very abusive.

Thomas George West. cycle agent, Walton Street, Oxford, was fined £1 for failing to enter in a book the dates of using a motor cycle.

28th January
The Old Berks Hunt Ball was held in the Borough Buildings on Thursday night, when the company numbered about 200 and everything passed off most successfully.

The death took place last week Mr Joseph Ivey, at the age of 68 years, and the remains were interred in the Cemetery Wednesday. For many years the deceased had carried on the business of baker and confectioner in Lombard Street. From 1896 to 1905 be was a member of the Abingdon Town Council.

Borough Police Court, Tuesday. Henry Tyrrell, farmer, Steventon, and George Bonner, Pommy Farm, Radley, ware each fined 10s for not having names on their carts at Abingdon Cattle Market on Jan. 9th

Thank you for the extracts to the Faringdon Advertiser and Vale of the White Horse Gazette on the British Newspaper Archive.

Adverts brought to you with help from the Nork Berks Herald.

In December 1988 fossil bones were found at a gravel pit at Oday Hill, Abingdon. A small group of archaeologists investigated and identified the front half of a huge ichthyosaur. (The composite picture, above, of the crushed up skeleton is on display in Abingdon Museum).

The bones were put together with the help of staff from Oxford University Natural History Museum and can be viewed in the attic gallery at Abingdon Museum.

The museum blog has more about the Abingdon Ichthyosaur.

The attic gallery has other fossils showing how the changing climate has influenced life in Abingdon.  The ichthyosaur ((Ancient Greek for “fish lizard” ) lived here during the Jurassic period when this region was under water. In the museum basement you can find out about how humans have influenced the changing climate in recent times in what some are calling the Anthropocene epoch (proposed geological epoch where human impact on Earth’s geology and ecosystems has become significant).