Information relating to the history of the Parish and Church of Glemsford Anchor 11 Churches You are here: Home : Buildings and Streets: Church and Chapels Glemsford's Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin is a Grade 1 listed building and dates back to the early 14th century. The Methodist Church is at the other end of the village and dates from the Victorian Era. Below you will find a link to a collection of stories and facts relating to the history of the Parish and Church of Glemsford by Rev. Kenneth Glass. A Short History of Glemsford by Rev K. Glass St. Mary's Church A History talk 2002 by Clive Paine A History of St. Mary's Church Font by David Newell A Guide to St Mary's A TOUR AROUND THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST. MARY THE VIRGIN, GLEMSFORD Ebenezer Chapel (link to St Edmundsbury Local History) Text taken from the above link. By 1829 about forty of these Glemsford worshippers would start building their own chapel at Glemsford. The new Ebenezer Chapel at Glemsford was opened by Pastor Elvin in 1830 with a large congregation and the first resident minister appointed was Pastor Robert Barnes who ministered there for 27 years. Membership included Baptist leaning worshippers from Sible Hedingham, Clare and all the surrounding villages. A plaque over the door read, "Strict Baptists", and the congregation seems to have required strict rules of conduct for its members. The Ebenezer Baptist Chapel in Egremont street. An early C19 rectangular chapel faced with plaster There is a central circular panel with the words Ebenezer Baptist Chapel and the date 1829. The congregation had their own pastor, Mr, A. J. Ward in the late 1800's and the last, Pastor Laver, resigned in 1945. In 1859, 32 members left Ebenezer and built their own chapel, The Providence Chapel, at the top of Hunts Hill Link to Glemsford Local History Society Facebook GLEMSFORD CHAPELS Glemsford in the nineteenth century had a strong non-conformist interest and four denominations developed churches and built their places of worship. In 1828 Ebenezer Baptist Chapel was built in Egremont Street and opened in 1829, and through the years they maintained a strong Christian witness. They also were able to support their own ministers, Mr, A. J. Ward was Pastor in the late 1800's and the last, Pastor Laver, resigned in 1945, The sad dispute which troubled the Baptist denomination in the 1850's had its repercussions in Glemsford and in 1859 Providence Chapel in Hunts Hill was opened. Both Churches flourished whilst Glemsford was prosperous with a large population but grew less strong as the village declined and Providence Chapel is now closed and disused. A branch of the Long Melford Congregational Church was formed in Glemsford about this period and they built a small chapel off Egremont Street, It is interesting to record that the Congregationalists used the Chapel for a fortnightly midweek service on a Thursday, and rented the Chapel to a company of Methodists for use on Sundays. The Chapel was known as "Renters Chapel" for this reason. During the first World far the Congregationalist cause was revived and flourished again for a number of years, but the Chapel is now closed and used as a store. The company of Methodists mentioned above were a church of Primitive Methodists in the Sudbury Circuit and in 1914 they decided to build the present Chapel at a cost of £495, and it was opened on Whit Monday 1915; it has seating for 300 and useful Sunday School hall and vestries After the Union of Methodist Churches in 1934 it continued in the Sudbury circuit and remains today the most flourishing nonconformist church. Members of the Plymouth Brethren have a meeting place in Egremont Street and although small in number their influence in Christian witness has been felt in the village. Although Nonconformity came late to Glemsford it had a great impact and it is to be regretted that modern folk no longer take the interest in Chapel and Church that was shown during the nineteenth century, when these causes were formed and the last major restoration of the Parish Church took place. Reference "A Short History of Glemsford" by Rev K Glass (see above) Providence Chapel (Drapery Common) Link to Glemsford Local History Society Facebook Providence Baptist Chapel was built in 1859, when 32 people left the Ebenezer Chapel. Those headstones that are still visible are as follows:- 1) George Maxim of Stanstead (next village to Glemsford) died April 7th 1887 aged 52 Also on the same headstone William Robert Scowen died October 25th 1902 (born 1831 I think.) 2) Eliza Relton died November 28th 1905 Also Charles Relton, husband, died March 30th 1909, aged 83 years. 3) Esther Prentice died 26th September 1910 aged 68years. 4) Alfred Fenn died 3rd December 1914 aged 71 Also Hannah Fenn, wife, died 16th March 1917 aged 69. 5) James Cook, died 30th March 1927 aged 60. Alice Cook, wife, 23rd November 1945 aged 76. Martha Elizabeth Cook, daughter, died 20th January 1912, aged 16. 6) Charles Smith, died 2nd September 1902, aged 54 Hannah (wife) died 10th November 1904 aged 54 7) Thomas Wordley died November 20th 1864 aged 58 years. 8. James Smith 61 or 71 years? 1864? 9) Samuel Kemp, 23 years a Faithful and Earnest Baptist Minister, died July 1874 aged 48 years. Also George Kemp, same headstone. Back to top

A list of streets of Glemsford, with photographs and details supplied where possible. Streets Heritage Room Pictures You are here: Home : Buildings and Streets: Streets Below is a list of streets of Glemsford, with photographs and details supplied where possible. Egremont Street "My grandmother Hartley lived in one of these cottages. She was widowed at the age of 42 with three young children to support. She earned her living as a silk weaver. She had a silk loom in the large room downstairs at the back and was presumably an out-worker of one of the factories. She had retired by the time I first visited Glemsford so to my regret I never saw the loom." by Fred Hartley A newspaper article , transcribed from the "South West Suffolk Echo", published in Haverhill puts an informed guess at a fire being between 1894 and 1896. More info regarding the family involved is in the People section. Egremont Street Bells Lane Bells Lane This view is of Bells Lane, taken from the corner of Park Lane, very close to the church . All the buildings seen in the picture still exist. The building on the left was owned by Mr Cook of Melford Riot fame. The background has changed a great deal, although the Horsehair factory buildings still exist. Hunts Hill Hunts Hill has changed a lot, but much is recognisable. The Draper's shop on the right is now an estate agent. The building on the left is now the Briars Nursing Home. Just beyond it is the site of the Social Club. More of this site is described in A Walk Through Glemsford.

How to contact Glemsford Local History Society Contact You are here: Home: Contact I want to subscribe for upcoming events information. Your details were sent successfully! Send Or contact: Margaret King GLHS Secretary Tel (+44) 01787 280996 marjonking@gmail.com

Jubilee Relay Arriving in Glemsford Hunts Hill Glemsford Primary School Submitted by Pauline Currie I felt so emotional seeing all the children outside the school. It wasn’t supposed to be me, and the poor kids had been waiting outside for an hour. It was such an honour to do it, albeit at the very last minute!They started at Haverhill this morning, went through various villages, Kedington, Hundon, Clare, Cavendish, and were expecting someone to arrive and get on the rickshaw at the farm shop, but no-one turned up! So they came up into the village (the van that was going ahead) and stopped outside here. I sort of volunteered and got on at the Briars. Quite a few people were outside our house, and some on Tye Green, then the school was amazing! The children had been waiting outside for an hour! They cheered and waved flags, I waved the torch, did several turns in the rickshaw up and down past them, they were on both sides of the road. I get tears thinking about it, it was wonderful, such an honour, and a wonderful Suffolk start to the Platinum Jubilee. From Glemsford they were going to Boxted and Hartest, then Lawshall, Lavenham, Long Melford, ending up in Sudbury and starting from there in the morning. The relay will finish on June 1st, they are covering 588 miles. I covered about half a mile! Arriving in Glemsford Hunts Hill Glemsford Primary School Saturday 4th June Entertainment provided at the Glemsford Social Club Saturday 4th June GLEMSFORD PLAYING FIELD COMMITTEE Marilyn Nash Well it was hot. We'd brought waterproofs rather than sunhats so a handkerchief and tea towel had to do! The Angel, Glemsford. Entertainment provided at the Angel public house Union Jack picnic / seafood / cream tea boxes available all weekend Thursday 2nd June Angel Children’s Party. A selection of pictures from The Angel facebook page for the children’s party held Thursday 2nd June. The Craft Cabin Decorated and Jubilee menu offerings. Kebbles street party. Jubilee Journal.pdf More pictures in the pdf

Why is Glemsford known as Little Egypt? Why Little Egypt? You are here: Home : People & Memories: Little Egypt Fact, Legend, Urban Myth? An attempt to start unravelling the truth. This question pops up with predictable regularity, and has never been satisfactorily, or at least conclusively, answered. The favourite of the moment is that of the 1885 Melford Riot, the reason the name was adopted by the Morris Men of Little Egypt. That story has been rehearsed many times: It says that, at the time of the first "Working Man's" election, of 1885, the new voters of the village were prevented, by their "betters", from casting their vote in the village, through the simple measure of not providing a polling station. Instead, they were expected to walk to the neighbouring village of Long Melford. This, of course, would have meant the loss of wages. Nevertheless, the men insisted, and marched together to cast their vote. On arrival in Long Melford, the angry men of Glemsford proceeded, in time-honoured fashion, not only to vote, but also to slake their Glemsfordian thirsts at the various hostelries of their host village. As the day progressed, so did the level of inappropriate activity, including the looting of the odd pub or two and the concomitant terrorising of the fair burghers of Melford. In the end the authorities felt obliged to summon law and order assistance, in the form of troops from the garrison in Bury St Edmunds, who duly arrived, by train, in the late afternoon, to be met by the still-drinking and ever-so-slightly disorderly Men of Glemsford. The Riot Act was read, and arrests followed. The legend goes that the troops had lately returned from the Sudan where they had been fighting against the forces of the Mahdi. So fiercely did the Men of Glemsford fight that the troops are reputed to have declared that they fought like "them Egyptians". Since then, Glemsford has been known as "Little Egypt" - at least, that is one of the legends. This is not fully convincing, this possible early version of what we would today call an “Urban Myth”. There are too many inconsistencies: why should troops returning from the Sudan compare the Glemsford men with “Egyptians”? why not “Sudanese”? by the time the troops arrived from Bury late in the day, most of the Glemsford rioters were, apparently, so far and so deep into their looted liquor as to be unable to fight off a cold, let alone the British army; and so on. So, perhaps, we have to look elsewhere. Glemsford has never had a whole History Book devoted to itself. A previous rector of the village, the Rev. Kenneth Glass did publish a “Short History of Glemsford” in 1962, and it is reproduced in full in Andrew Clarke’s magnificent Foxearth website: http://www.foxearth.org.uk/GlemsfordGlass.html Inevitably, some of the research has been left far behind, but Glass does refer to two other possible explanations, although, interestingly, does not refer to the Melford Riot. The first is contained in a somewhat fanciful examination of the possible origins of settlement in the village: It is possible that the hilltop was fortified from early times, as it is known that these three races were continually involved in tribal war. The Iberians, as civilised as their neighbours, were wholly under the influence of Druidism and the locality abounds in references to the Druids and their Groves, It is a popular saying that the nickname of Glemsford, still used incidentally, of 'Little Egypt' dates from these times, 'Egypt' presumably referring to an Egyptian priest system. It is possible that the Romans may have given this name to Glemsford because of the priestly character of the settlement. However, perhaps Glass may get nearer to the point with another observation: Glemsford in medieval times was isolated from the life which passed by along the pack routes from Melford to Clare or Bury. Some have suggested that the nickname "Little Egypt" is a survival of the independent and unfriendly inhabitants of this period who kept very much to themselves as a self-sufficient unit upon their hilltop, viewing all strangers with grave suspicion. A characteristic which may well linger on and certainly was common in those days.

Events - Season 2024-25 A large audience braved a very chilly January evening to hear speaker Terry O’Donoghue’s talk on ‘The English Civil War in Bury St. Edmunds and Suffolk’. A complex subject, emanating from Charles I’s adherence to the Divine Right of Kings; his idea of government was diametrically opposed to that of both Parliament and army. Charles was often in Newmarket being very keen on horse racing and it was here that Parliament asked him to sign a militia bill. His refusal to do so, plus his obstinacy on other matters, meant that the ‘die was cast’ and unrest, rebellion and finally war was inevitable. Suffolk in the 1640s boasted a prosperous, advanced economy; a thriving merchant class which, like the majority of the East, supported the Parliamentarians. In the larger towns such as Bury there were some rich families still loyal to the king, however the area saw little real action – the famous battles being elsewhere. In 1645 General Fairfax and the politically astute Puritan, Oliver Cromwell, set up the New Model Army, a strict and disciplined force which subdued any local aggression and skirmishes around Bury and Newmarket. Fairfax, a man of military action, went on to control the 1648 eleven week siege of Colchester, whilst the Earl of Manchester, another strict Puritan, proceeded to purge the ‘papist’ clergymen. Charles and the Royalists were defeated by 1646. The King became a fugitive in disguise before being taken back to London to face his January 1649 execution. Parliamentarian Puritanism did not sit kindly with the English who were to endure the banning of Christmas, maypole dancing and all kinds of fun, as well as the destruction of much beautiful religious idolatry and stained glass in Suffolk churches by the ‘butcher’ William Dowsing, whilst the hunt for witches by Matthew Hopkins went on unabated! It was not until the 1660 Restoration of King Charles II that some semblance of normality was reinstated. From - https://www.suffolkvillagesigns.co.uk/glemsford The current Glemsford sign was made by Graham Chaplin from Buxhall of painted galvanized steel in 2009 replacing the original sign at the same location. There are three buildings on the sign starting with the church of St Mary on top of the sign, this is connected by a winding road down to the old boarding school which is now the Glemsford Primary Academy. The road to the left leads to the 16th century Monks Hall. Below the school is a horse and cart representing agriculture in the area. In the centre of the sign is a group of Morris dancers, known as the Morris Dancers of Little Egypt set up in 1992. There is also a wig at the top of the post representing Arnold and Gould wig makers which were set up to process horsehair in 1907. On the other side is a guardsman helmet. A teachers mortar board and quill pen are there to represent the old college from the Middle Ages. The gap in the middle is the river Glem. The flowers at the bottom of the sign look like Wood Anemones. Another excellent turnout of 53 members and visitors who were held really spellbound by Bryan Thurlow’s dramatized presentation of the sensational, yet tragic, story of the poor village maiden, Maria Marten, and the Red Barn. We were taken to 1820’s Polstead to meet Thomas Marten, the molecatcher and father to pretty Maria, at that time working at the rectory as a child minder. She soon attracted the attentions of the wealthy Corder boys from the big hall. The eldest, Thomas gave her a child, another babe arrived from one, Peter Matthews, and it was not long before she was pregnant by the youngest, Wiliam Corder. All records show that the young squire William was a thoroughly ‘bad egg’ – a liar, a cheat, a deceiver and a habitual thief (pigs being a speciality!), to name but a few of his endearing qualities. The baby died shortly after birth and William, perceiving the situation as socially unacceptable, saw fit to dispose of the body whilst, to appease Maria, offering to marry her on the day following an evening rendezvous in the Red Barn, one of their romantic venues. The rest is history. Maria was never seen again; William, now in London, explained her disappearance with a fistful of lies. Eleven months later, after her step-mother’s prophetic dream, her bullet riddled body was discovered buried in the Red Barn. William was arrested and duly hung at Bury St. Edmunds jail in front of an enormous cheering crowd enjoying a glorious day’s experience! Ghoulish pursuits and a host of money making schemes to view the dissected corpse and skeleton followed, whilst in later years the story was to become the stuff of legend via books, plays and numerous productions of horrific melodrama. April speaker, Ashley Cooper, kept a very large audience thoroughly engaged with his entertaining talk on ‘Heroes and Villains of our Locality. Part 2’. This was further enhanced by the lively and amusing paintings of Benjamin Perkins. Following a detailed resume of Part 1 starting with the great Roman chieftain, Caractacus and the warrior queen Boudicca, down through the centuries to the martyred King Edmund, the (probably less than sainted) Archbishop Simon of Sudbury, on to the Witchfinder General, Matthew Hopkins, one of the most cruel villains of all, we arrived in the days of Oliver Cromwell when a Puritanical obsession reigned. This led to one, William Dowsing and his band of thugs, who systematically ravaged and defaced our churches. Medieval stained glass windows were smashed and every semblance of decorative effigies and carvings were destroyed. Moving on, John Winthrop from Edwardstone migrated to the nascent United States with other Pilgrim Fathers to help found Massachusetts. The 17 th and 18 th centuries saw discovery and identification of flora and fauna led by John Ray whose meticulous drawings of orchids are still revered. Botanists Joseph Andrews and Sudbury born Mark Catesby followed, the latter exploring in Florida, Carolina and the Bahamas. The 19 th century saw a pair of local tight-fisted misers; one, William Jennens from Acton, whose huge wealthy estate took so long to sort that only the lawyers were the beneficiaries, was said to have been the inspiration for Dickens in his darkest novel, ‘Bleak House’. Subsequently, Hardy was inspired to write ‘The Mayor of Casterbridge’ upon hearing of a local man who had sold his wife! Murderer, William order,from Polstead, he of the Red Barn fame, was another villain, whilst on the plus side, Thomas Clarkson from Wisbech was instrumental in abolishing the slave trade. Ashley concluded his talk by nominating his own 20 th century heroes, namely Fred Pawsey and Sue Ryder (Cavendish residents) and those WWII soldiers sent to Singapore only to be captured and imprisoned in the infamous Japanese camps. The relatively recent excavations at Clare Castle proved a most interesting subject for the last talk of the present season. During 2018 – 2021 speaker, Jo Caruth, worked with Suffolk Archaeology and a large number of local volunteers digging trenches in both the outer and inner baileys of the well-known Clare motte and bailey castle which was built just after the Norman Conquest. Jo itemised the finds from the earlier digs of 1951 and 2013, plus the railway construction dig of 1865 when the gold reliquary cross, the most notable find of all, was discovered. This was possibly dropped by castle visitor and later owner, Cecily Neville, mother of Kings Edward IV and Richard III, in the 15 th century. Probably the most famous resident was Elizabeth de Burgh (b.1295 – 1360) who inherited the castle and spent a great deal of money on it. Evidence from the dig, assisted by the geophysicists, showed thriving occupation, many clay ovens, a large building, kitchens, possible stables, kennels and chapels, also signs that further ramparts once existed. A good number of human remains, male, female and children, were unearthed, some from the Anglo Saxon period which supported the theory of a probable cemetery for the Saxon town. Piles of animal bones confirmed the meat-based diet of the Medieval period. More esoteric finds included beautifully decorated floor tiles, colourful pieces of stained glass, parts of an unusual comb, a 7/8 th century brooch, a very rare Saxon coin and, most strange of all, the claw of a bear; he/she must have been imported for entertainment purposes!

Events - Season 2023-24 A chilly January evening saw an amazing audience of nearly 80 members and visitors turn out to thoroughly enjoy a scholarly, erudite and entertaining talk on ‘The Black Death in Suffolk 1348 – 1500’ given by speaker, Mark Bailey. The Black Death was the greatest catastrophe in recorded history, a terror which struck communities worldwide. Believed to have originated from ground boring mammals such as marmots, the disease mutated to the human race becoming airborne and spreading rapidly. Shown firstly(1346) in European shipping routes, by 1349 it had moved to Suffolk along the main arterial routeways. Records show that 46% of parish priests died and were replaced, whilst in dense areas of poverty struck populations with poor nutrition, the disease reigned supreme! Coupled with a time of dramatic climate change (1351 was extremely cold), the vulnerable and frightened population had only one choice and that was to turn to God. Believing He had brought this horror upon them as a punishment, their faith strengthened, and to appease Him, avoid purgatory and protect their souls they turned to the church. The period from 1350-1530 in Suffolk saw money spent on the building and enlarging of many fantastic, large perpendicular churches, Long Melford and Lavenham, to name just two. This was made possible also by Suffolk’s prowess in the sheep and wool trade, and later with ‘ cheap and trendy’ textile production, which generated the enormous wealth needed. Mark concluded his talk by itemising the significant changes wrought by the Black Death many of which led to a much better life for the smaller communities of survivors. In fact, during the later period, records show that Suffolk, along with London and its proximity to the continent , became the most dynamic and flexible economy in the UK. An excellent much appreciated talk!

Facilities Telephones and Exchanges Glemsford first had a manual telephone exchange which opened in late 1907 or 1908. Pictures below show the first ATE and the telephone box located at Fair Green. The tired looking but much loved telephone kiosk at Fair Green had a thorough makeover during the summer of 2024 complete with new windows, signage and paintwork. Volunteers from Glemsford Local History Society undertook the work with a grant from Babergh District Council, courtesy of Cllr Stephen Plumb. The kiosk has been owned by the Parish Council since 2011. In keeping with a village heritage asset, vintage photographs will be displayed in the kiosk capturing the immediate street scene of days gone by. Below; The K6 Telephone Box - https://www.the-telephone-box.co.uk/kiosks/k6/ Photograph as recorded by the K6 project on March 25th 2023. Photograph by kind permission of Paul Bottomley. Link to K6 Project Two photographs from an earlier refurbishment completed in 2012. Interesting to see The Little Cottage at 13 Fair Green in the background, that has been considerably remodelled in recent years! The kiosk after refurbishment by history society members as at October 2024 The first Automatic Telephone Exchange (ATE) in Glemsford was located in Egremont Street. The exchange came into service in about 1930 replacing a manual exchange opened in late 1907 or 1908. It ceased operation in February 1974 when lines were taken over by the current exchange. It is now privately owned. Glemsford Telephone Exchange is located in Angel Lane and serves Glemsford and the surrounding area. It came into service in February 1974, taking over lines from the former exchange. Back to top

Public Houses in Glemsford and their history Pubs You are here: Home : Buildings and Streets: Pubs This house in Egremont Street is an excellent example of a "Yeoman's House", it was built about the year 1420. It was restored earlier this century and has a wealth of old woodwork. It has an original window of the type made before glass was used which is complete with slots and shutters. For many years it was the Greyhound Inn and the old brew house at the rear still has an old wooden mechanism for the control of ventilation during the brewing process. It lost its licence in 1907 and a fine story is told of the final night at the Greyhound. Apparently a coffin complete had been obtained, and after closing time a procession carried it, and presumably the spirit of the old Inn, to the churchyard. The quantity of free beer consumed on this occasion is still the subject of comment in the village. The Black Lion, opposite the School. The Crown Inn: one of several fine hostelries in the village, it was closed in 2009 by a brewery company, but re-opened by enterprising new owners in 2011.

Requests for Information We have a request for information regarding this picture. It was brought to one of our meetings by a visitor in the hope that someone can identify the people in the photo. She is able to identify the person in the back row 5th from left as Cyril Watkinson from the Bakehouse and Victoria Sterry in the front row 2nd from left. This snap shot was taken from a glass frame so not the best quality due to reflections. If you are able to help, please pass any information you have to one of the committee or complete the form on the contacts page on the web site

An account of a teenage lamplighter in sudbury following world war one. The Young Sudbury Lamplighter You are here: Home: People & Memories: The Lamplighter A fascinating account of a teenage Lamplighter in Sudbury just after the Great War. by George Boreham. Foreward by Steve Scott My uncle, George Boreham, was born at Glemsford on 10 October 1904, son of Charles and Eliza (they were at Brook St 1901). He left c.1925 to live in Halifax, Yorkshire and in 1928 moved to Keswick, Cumberland where in 1931 he married my Grandmother's sister, Elsie Robinson. He was a great story teller and never lost his Suffolk accent, some of his stories he wrote in a note book, and I thought you might be interested in this one, it is as written by him. He continued to work as a gas fitter until his last few year when he was sexton of St John's Church, Keswick where he is now buried. The Lamplighter The First World War was over and I was fifteen. I had served two years of my seven year apprenticeship with the Sudbury Gas Company. The air was pregnant with the expectancy of things what’s (sic) going to happen now that peace had come. The better place for heroes was being launched and the town’s progressive group were demanding that the street lamps should be lit: their slogan was “the Zeppelins are gone, don’t keep us in the dark any longer ". The two fitters and myself at the gas works felt the impact of this demand as we were urged by the boss to overhaul all the street lanterns and public lighting equipment as quickly as possible. This urgency was exciting for me we had laid low during the war and veiled everything from the Zeppelins, and now suddenly we had become important, now we could make light, as much as possible and as quickly as possible. I worked with enthusiasm caught up with the land fit for heroes to live in. It was hard work as the four years of neglect to the lanterns was not to be put right in 3 or 4 weeks and besides the old pre-war naked light were (sic) to be replaced by the new incandescent mantle burners; the heroes were not to have died in vain! Although we were in a hurry, the progressives were in a (sic) even bigger hurry to have the streets lighted, as I was cycling home from work one evening I saw a motor car going slowly up the street, stopping at each lamp post, on top of the car was a coffin with two hooded figures sat astride, as they stopped at a lamp post one of the figure bent down and from the coffin brought out a little lighted Chinese lantern which they hung on the lamp post - these lanterns were all different colours and looking back down the street the effect was picturesque and fairy like . I did think them very daring and cheeky to hang them on our lamp posts, what would Grimwood our boss at the gasworks say? This was the first public protest I had seen, a new way to get things done, “the war had liberated the slaves ". Next morning at the gasworks was all hustle and bustle, my mate told me to get the big handcart and fix the lantern rack onto it, it held a dozen lanterns, we were to get some Lamps ready for lighting that week-end. The hand cart was loaded with a dozen repaired lanterns, dozen new mantles and burners, ladders and tools for the job. What a load it was, typical of those days if it could be loaded on a cart then a man could pull it. By the end of the week the first lamps were ready; these were the ones on the outer edge of town, crossroads and market square. It had been a busy week and I was glad when Saturday came with its half day off work. My enthusiasm had been sorely tested by the hectic week with the lamps so as I entered the workshop on Saturday morning my mind was pleasantly occupied with thoughts of freedom to do what I liked, I was suddenly brought down to earth when as soon as I stepped inside the workshop my mate said “The boss wants to see you”. "What does he want to see me for?" "You’ve got to light them lamps tonight." "What me, light them lamps?" "Yes, you lights them about half past four and puts them out starting at ten o’clock." "What? Ten o’clock at night!" "You’re not afraid of the dark are you?" "No I’m not afraid of the dark." "Well that’s settled then, you tell the boss you’ll light them lamps and you’re not afraid of the dark, any way you’re the only one who knows where they all are and you’ll get paid extra." So at the age of fifteen I was the first Sudbury lamp lighter after the First World War, I did this for the whole of that winter but by the next winter with many more lamps lit they employed a full time lamp lighter. This was one job I was not sorry to lose as I was often afraid when I put out the friendly gleam and left myself in the dark and isolation on the edges of town, and especially on Saturday nights when the pubs were turning out, the drunks would stand arguing and brawling round the lamps you can imagine the reception I got when turned up to put the light out!

A connection to windsor castle Windsor Castle Connection You are here: Home : People & Memories: Windsor Castle Connection The following brief reference appears in the printed Calendar of Patent Rolls:"1352: May 9th: John de Glemesford & two others are appointed to select from Berkshire, Bucks., and Wiltshire, carpenters and sawyers to work on Windsor Castle". If any are "rebellious", they have power to arrest them and put them in gaol. The "History of the Kings' Works" is a 7 volume work giving details of all work carried out on royal castles over many centuries. Work from 1350 was mainly on St George's Chapel and its surrounds. Work on the stalls was carried out, the roof was completed and a pew made for the queen. Lodgings for 25 clergy were constructed to the south of the chapel and at right-angles thereto, beginning in 1352, and being contracted to 3 carpenters, John de Glemysford, Simon Hurle and John Dunstaple, at a total cost of £107 6s 8d. These houses were plastered in 1354, so appear to have neared completion by then. Another interesting point to come to light was that there had been a former royal residence about 5 miles south of the present castle, built in 1244 when the park was created - this being the nucleus of the present Great Park. A survey of 1329 lists the many defects in the building, and between 1394 and 1396 a total of £1 164 was spent on repairs. A new drawbridge was constructed by one Robert de Glemsford, carpenter. Was he a relation, or descendant, of John one wonders? Another employee was John Goldyng, a master carpenter. He was employed from 1426 to his death in 1451. The accounts of the Clerk of the Works from 1351 to 1356 have been transcribed in full in Hope's "Architectural History of Windsor Castle" and if and when I obtain this, perhaps I will be able to give more details of the work carried out by our men of Glemsford. Do these houses still exist? A visit to Windsor would obviously be profitable! More about John de Glemsford's work at Windsor Castle by Eileen Lynch The alterations to the Chapel of St Edward and St George commenced in 1350 and the accounts of Richard Rothley, surveyor of the King's Works, are translated from entries on the Pipe Rolls in the Public Record Office. From these we learn that John Dunstaple, Simon Hurle, John Glemesford and 10 others were employed there "both on the works of the stalls of the chapel and the repair of "del trasour" (probably the tracery, as a footnote adds that this was the drawing office of the master mason) there for the same time, to each of them 6d a day, namely for six days £1.19. 0. (3/- each). "The chapel was being altered to accommodate the Knights of the Garter and the foundation of the College of Canons and Vicars. The wood for this work - and no doubt for most of the alterations and buildings - was felled in Windsor Park. Whitsun appears to have been a general holiday and the accounts state that after Whitsun in 1352, wood was begun to be felled for building the Canons' chambers, and £40 was due to "John Glemsford, Hurley and Dunstaple in part payment of £107. 6s. 8d. for the carpentry of the Canons' chambers made at taskwork" (under contract). The full sum was paid in 1353 "for the carpentry of twenty-three chambers of the King's timber, for the canons of the College of the King's Chapel of Windsor at taskwork in accordance with an agreement made with them by the Ven. father Dom William of Edington, the King's Treasurer". The materials bought for the building work are listed in detail - nails, estrich boards for the roof (boards from Norway or the Baltic, probably pine or spruce), tiles, laths, solder etc.. Later in 1353 the building was obviously nearing completion, as plaster of Paris was bought for chimneys and walls; indeed the accounts for 1353-4 refer to the buildings being plastered and the roofs leaded. The Pipe Roll for the following year shows accounts for work in the High Tower, involving (inter alia) John Glemsford who received 3/6d. a week. The accounts for 1362 detail the sums spent on building the Spicery and the Inner Gate-houses, and rebuilding the Royal Lodging. "To John Gleymesford in part payment of £40 for constructing a certain house called "le pasterye" ...£30" (This was one of the Queen's apartments). John was paid another £40 the following year in "discharge of his task". He was then employed in constructing two chambers on the south side of the castle, and was paid £11. 13s. 4d. towards his "task" of £100 and a further £88. 6s. 8d. on completing his contract. He was afterwards paid 36s. 8d. for making four "spere"* for "divers rooms there" including the tower called "La Rose", and in 1367 for making the "carpentry work in the aforesaid Gerard's Tower". Eleven years later, he constructed the gate between the "Blacktour and Gerard's tour for 53s. 4d. This is the last reference to John de Glemsford. Hope adds a note that "this gate was the principal entrance into the upper ward from the Great Park. The crooks (hinges or hangings) for these great doors still remain" (early this century). There has been a great deal of alteration and restoration since that time; but it is obvious that John was a first class carpenter who carried out much of the work done between 1350 and 1378, when a major part of the restoration and building of the Canons' lodgings was carried out. Do any of his stalls remain - or any of these houses - or the towers? And did John himself come from Glemsford, or was it one of his ancestors? There was a later Robert de Glemsford who could have been his son, also a carpenter at Windsor, and the fact that a John Goldyng, carpenter, was employed there from 1426 until his death in 1451 would seem to confirm the Glemsford origins. If only their wills survive! I haven't given up hope of finding yet more information on them to complete the picture. The plans of the castle were fascinating, but confusing rather than helpful, and my curiosity will not be satisfied until I have visited Windsor to see for myself whether any of John's work remains. I am sure the stalls in St George's Chapel must be the 14th Century ones, and when I do visit, I will gaze with admiration on the carving, and be proud that I, too, albeit some 600 years later, come from Glemsford. ©Eileen Lynch 1994 *Since writing the above, I have found that a spere truss is a carved wooden arch with enormous pillars - usually whole tree trunks - for supporting a screen. I have in fact seen such a spere arch recently in Rufford Old Hall, Lancs., the Great Hall of which dates from the 15th and 16th centuries. E.L.