Romsley & Hunnington History Society -

Memories of St Kenelm's C.E. Primary School

For the one hundredth anniversary of St. Kenelm's C.E. Primary School, Romsley in 2015, past pupils and members of staff were invited to contribute memories of their time at the school. Their recollections have now been published as a series of articles. You can read them here.

Meeting Report - September 2017

On Tuesday 26th September, Paul Harding and Helen Lee gave a fascinating talk to Romsley and Hunnington History Society on Medieval Medicine and Surgery. Paul, dressed as a Medieval Surgeon, complete with a blooded apron, explained, with his tongue in cheek humour, that the dirtier the clothes and instruments the more experienced and therefore the more qualified the surgeon! Hygiene was not a priority in medieval times!

If you were ill in those days the first place you visited was the Church, where prayers and faith were put to the test. Superstition too played a part and a visit to the Wise Woman of the village, with her charms to protect you from the plague, a dead man's shirt to cure a chest infection, or a dead mouse to cure an earache might be just what you needed! However, Wise Women were becoming rare as they were being eradicated as witches! Knowing your birth sign might have helped to make a diagnosis, as ancient charts showed that each sign of the Zodiac was afflicted by a certain weakness. Paul Share, a Capricorn, confirmed that he definitely had trouble with his knees!

Perhaps a visit to the Apothecary might have helped. He could cure but not diagnose. With a selection of plants and herbs, weighed on his scales, potions were made up to cure various ailments. Willow bark was used and we still use part of the willow, in the form of asprin, as a pain killer today. The Physician was the next person who might help. He looked into the inner man, analysing urine samples and blood letting with gruesome instruments, although they had hardly any knowledge of the circulatory system! He was also good at getting rid of the Tooth Worm, which ate into your teeth, thought to be caused by eating too much sugar,

Finally, when your illness became so bad that you were beyond caring, you would visit the Barber Surgeon. Paul showed us an array of surgical knives and saws, all faithful replicas of the originals, made for him by a blacksmith. There were curved knives for amputating arms and legs, and specially made pincers for extracting arrows. The patient sat in the dreaded Barber's Chair, held down by burly men, and without anaesthetic, the surgeon would cut off the offending limb. Remarkably, many of the unfortunate recipients recovered after their awful experience.

Thank goodness our health is in safer hands now and maybe the N.H.S. is not so bad after all! Paul looked at a different aspect of history and presented it in a very in a very entertaining and enjoyable way, much appreciated by members of the Society.

The next meeting of the History Society will be on Tuesday, 24th October, when Margaret Bradley will give a talk on, "The Cradley Women Chainmakers' Strike of 1910." The Court Rolls Group will meet on Wednesday 1st November at 2.30pm in the Church Hall.

Pat Evans

Programme 2017-18

Our meeting season for 2017-18:

Autumn 2017

• 26 September - Medieval Medicine and Surgery, Speakers: Paul Harding & Helen Lee Meeting Report
  
• 24 October - The Cradley Women Chainmaker's Strike of 1910, Speaker: Margaret Bradley Meeting Report
  
• 28 November - Himley Hall: Past, Present and Future, Speaker: Alan Peace Meeting Report
  

2018

• 27 February - Darling Elizabeth, Speaker: Mary Bodfish Meeting Report
  
• 27 March - Water from Wales, Speaker: Paul Harrison Meeting Report
  
• 24 April - Alfred the Great: England's most fortunate king, Speaker: Max Keen Meeting Report
• 22 May - AGM  Meeting Report
• 26 June - Mills in the Bellbroughton Valley, Speaker: Julian Hunt Meeting Report
  
• 24 July - The History of Dudley Castle 1071-1933, Speaker: Max Keen Meeting Report
  

Court Rolls of Romsley 1279-1643

Wednesday 13th September was a very auspicious day for the Romsley and Hunnington History Society. It was the day the book, Court Rolls of Romsley 1279-1643, edited by Matthew Tompkins, was launched. Many members of the Worcestershire Historical Society, who published the book, and members of Romsley and Hunnington History Society gathered in the Church Hall to celebrate the occasion.

Matthew Tompkins gave a talk explaining how it took him 10 years to transcribe and translate the rare Court Rolls of Romsley, which remarkably had survived for over 300 years. Fortunately, he had modern technology in the form of a digital camera to help him, but his task was by no means easy. The result is the very interesting book, which gives an insight into the lives of people living in Romsley over 700 years ago.

Meeting Report - June 2017

At the meeting of the Romsley and Hunnington History Society on 27th June, Tim Bridges, the Conservation Advisor to the Victorian Society, gave a talk on Victorian and Edwardian Buildings in Birmingham and the Black Country. He illustrated his talk with a beautiful collection of slides, which I’m sure reminded many people of Birmingham after the war, with its wealth of impressive old buildings.

The city began as a small market town, but after the canals were introduced in the 18th century, and the railways in the 19th century, it became an industrial centre, with raw materials coming into the area and manufactured goods being distributed all over the country. Birmingham began to grow, and with new materials becoming available, architects were inspired to build grand buildings, in many different styles, which showed the skill and craftsmanship of the builders of that era. The Civic Buildings were built with pride and meant to be admired. However, after the war, much rebuilding took place, and it was felt that Birmingham should have modern shops and offices. Many of the old buildings, which were built to last and still in use, were demolished. It was only afterwards that people realised that they were part of our heritage and should have been preserved.

The old Central Library, where you studied in splendour, has been replaced twice in recent years, amid much controversy over the latest building. On the other hand, the Grand Hotel has been restored and refurbished in keeping with the period, as these old buildings were built solidly and the workmanship was second to none. Tim Bridges gave a very enlightening talk, stressing that the emphasis should be on preservation and not demolition.

Wednesday 13th September will be a very important day for the Society. Julian Hunt’s book on the Court Rolls is due to be released and to celebrate everyone is invited to the Church Hall, between 2-5pm, for tea and cakes.

The next meeting will be on Tuesday 26th September at 7.30pm, in the Church Hall, when Paul Harding and Helen Lee will give a talk on, “Medieval Medicine and Surgery.” Paul’s talks are usually vividly dramatised and are always fascinating. Why not come along and see for yourself?

Pat Evans.