The Unicorn is a mythical beast that has been used by the people in Abingdon for centuries.

There is the Unicorn Theatre (pictured above). There has been more than one Unicorn Inn in Abingdon. There was one on the west side of East St Helen Street, pulled down in the nineteenth century (1), and another at the Square that was to become the Rising Sun Inn(2) and is now Abingdon Fish and Chips. There is the Unicorn School on Marcham Road that specializes in educating students with dyslexia.

Recently I saw an interesting tweet by the Vernacular Architecture Group about Unicorn House on East St Helen Street …

There is also information about Unicorn House on the Abingdon Buildings and People website which says the name Unicorn House is modern.

There is a blue plaque to say the William III stayed her in December 1688 when on his way from Torbay to London to claim the Throne.

It is one of the largest houses in East St Helen Street and is between The Merchants House, and St Ethelwold’s House.

References:
1. A History of Abingdon - J Townsend (1910)
2. Inns and Alehouses of Abingdon - J Smith and J Carter (1978)

4th December
The Abingdon Bowling Club held a dinner on Thursday evening last at the Lion Hotel when the president (Alderman A E Preston) presided. Around 50 members sat down to an excellent spread. Toasts and songs followed, and an enjoyable evening was spent.

The Abingdon Cattle Market on Monday last was well attended and the supply of fat and store* stock penned improved. The 34 fat beasts realised from £44 to £57. A cow from the estate of the late Mr Randell Higgins, Burcote, fetched £79. Fat sheep realised from £6 15s to £7 6s. There was a limited supply of calves, but nearly 100 (mostly store) pigs were penned and realised good prices. * Store cattle are those that aren’t quite ready for slaughter. These cattle will be stored over the winter on a forage diet to keep them growing but not laying down fat then fattened up the following summer.

At the Board of Guardians meeting last week the Master reported that in the Union House there were 75 inmates from their own Union area, and 57 from Oxford, as against 73 and 59 respectively the corresponding period last year.

In an article in the Oxford Journal illustrated there are pictures of inmates returning and being reunited at Cowley Workhouse having been sent to other workhouses during the war.

The Comrades of the Great War held another enjoyable whist drive at their rooms, Ock Street, on Thursday evening last. The prize winners were Messrs H. Pabot, E Fisher and M Messenger, and Messrs “B 4” Edgington and H Smith.

The Abbey Lodge of Mark Master Masons held their annual festival at the Municipal Buildings, Abingdon, on Thursday last, when the installation of Mr E J. Belcher as the W.M. ** took place. ** Worshipful Master

It was reported widely in Ireland that ‘The funerals of the murdered cadets took place on Saturday 4th December with full military honours, in different parts of the country of the R.I.C cadets who were killed in the I.R.A ambush near Macroom. Of these Major F. Hugo, M.C., was buried at Southgate, and Captain W.A. Pallister, at Burngreave Cemetery, Sheffield. Lieutenant W. Hooper Jones was interred at Holcombe, near Bury; Captain Francis Crake, commander of the patrol, at Elswick, Newcastle; Cadet W. T. Barnes at Bexhill Churchyard, Sutton, and Cadet Noel Philip Graham at Abingdon.’
18th December
The annual Abingdon Christmas fat stock show and sale took place in Abingdon Market on Monday 13th December. There were over 60 fat beasts penned; fat sheep numbered about 130, calves 31 and pigs 154. There were also penned for sale about 300 head of geese and fowls, but there were no turkeys.

In a match at Abingdon in the North Berks Charity Shield Competition,between Abingdon Town and Brightwell, the home team won easily by 4 goals to nil.

A very successful sale of work, in aid of the Abingdon Congregational Church Funds, was held in the Schoolroom on Thursday evening the opening being performed by Mrs Rippon, wife of Councillor Claude Rippon, of Springfields, Abingdon, to whom a pretty bouquet was presented by little Miss Audry Greenwood. Amusements and a concert by an Oxford Party formed part of the programme. The proceeds amounted to over £70.

County Bench. Monday. Before-Messrs W. Brewer, M. T. Tatham, W. Hayes and E. H, Green.—Arthur Baden belcher, of Mill Street, Wantage was summoned for driving a motor car at Besselsleigh, on November 29th with insufficient lights. The constable in stating the case said that one headlight and one sidelight was lighted properly but the others were too dim to be of any use. The Bench fined defendant £6.

The only case before the Judge at the County Court Wednesday last week was that a claim for wages, £2 4s 2d, Nora Matthews, a domestic servant formerly employed by George Dulake, of Boars Hill. It appears that plaintiff went home to Abingdon and failed to return the same evening through missing the Oxford bus and so stayed at home during the night, and in consequence Mrs Dulake told her to go back home. The plaintiff’s mother appeared for her, and said her daughter was now at Rugby in service. On being questioned as to the terms of engagement Mrs Matthews said her daughter made the terms and she did not know what the terms of service were. His Honour said that plaintiff should have attended to give the information, but probably thought it was not worth her while to come from Rugby and therefore thought the best thing to do was to non-suit *** her. *** non-suit – stop (a lawsuit or the plaintiff bringing it), either by voluntary withdrawal by the plaintiff, or by a finding by the judge that the plaintiff has failed to make a legal case or bring sufficient evidence.

A peal of 720 changes of Cambridge Surprise Minor was given on St Nicolas Church bells last week for the first time by local bell ringers. The ringers were W. Holifield, treble; J Honey,2; Mrs A. E Lock, 3; H Holifield, 4; A.E. Lock, conductor 5; and F. Barret, tenor.

The Abingdon Charity Trustees proceeds from the sale of Rouny Meads, Kennington: was £699 6s 0d. which they have invested in Metropoli an consolidated Stock. The Trustees are giving the usual gifts of clothing at Christmas, being four men’s overcoats and four women’s gowns at £1 10s and £1 5s each respectively.

The Abingdon Choral Society gave a capital rendering of Joan of Arc in the Abingdon Corn Exchange on Wednesday evening last week to a good audience. The soloists were Miss Ivy Sheldon Peach and Messrs E Young, W. Bevir and W. James. A capital orchestra accompanied, assisted by an organ.

An inquest was held by Mr Challenor on Monday on the death of Selina Sutton, aged 83 years, living by herself in a cottage at Sutton Wick, Abingdon, the Friday previous. It appears from the evidence that deceased was found sitting in the chair downstairs bleeding from the head and a wound in the temple. Medical assistance was secured but the deceased died from haemorrhage from the wound, caused by the deceased falling downstairs.— Verdict accordingly.

Thank you for the extracts to the Faringdon Advertiser and Vale of the White Horse Gazette on the British Newspaper Archive, and Oxford Journal Illustrated for the pictures. The advertiser had no Abingdon news in the editions of 11th and 25th December.

Saturday 28th November marks 100 years since the Kilmichael ambush – an event in 1920 during the Irish War of Independence.

Cadet Philip Noel Graham from Abingdon was one of 17 men from the the Auxiliary Royal Irish Constabulary killed in the IRA ambush.

Sinn Féin had won a large majority in the 1918 general election in Ireland. The growing popularity of independence led to a war with Britain that began in 1919 and ended in 1921 when leaders of Sinn Féin and the British government agreed to set up the Irish Free State.

Philip Graham grew up in Abingdon and attended Abingdon School. He joined the army at the outbreak of WWI in August 1914 and became a Captain in the Northumberland Fusiliers. He was wounded in France. After receiving a discharge he, along with other ex-servicemen, joined the Auxiliary Royal Irish Constabulary, a unit set up by the British government as they tried to impose order and counter Sinn Féin’s military wing – the IRA.

Cadet Philip Noel Graham was buried at Abingdon Cemetery on December 4th 1920.

Thank you to the Oxford Journal Illustrated for the first and third picture and biographical details.

William Mandeville, of Abingdon, led an early rising of ordinary folk. An account can be read in Chronicles of London Bridge by Richard Thomson, available in google books ( https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=n2MuAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA238&lpg=PA238#v=onepage&q&f=false  ).

It is diffuclt from this account to judge the justice of his cause. A rebellious association was formed in Abingdon by William Mandeville, a weaver and bailiff of the town (April 1431) who called himself Jack Sharp, of Wigmore’s lands in Wales. The object of this rebellion was ostensibly against the priests, for Mandeville confessed when examined, that it was ‘intended to make priests’ heads as plenty as sheep’s heads – ten for a penny,’

William Mandeville is commemorated in a short street in Abingdon – off the Oxford Road

Perhaps fitting for a rebellion that ended in execution, Mandeville Close is a Cul-de-sac. There are half a dozen houses on one side of the road, and a Beech hedge on the other.