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New Mission Statement for Lancashire

Archives Jacquie Crosby, Archives Service Manager

‘Inspiring people and communities to explore their heritage; promoting and continuing

to collect Lancashire's archives while preserving them for everyone to use and enjoy,

now and in the future’

Lancashire Archives staff have developed a new mission

statement as we work towards becoming an accredited

archive service, aspiring to meet an exacting new national

standard.

I like the statement because it emphasises the positive

work we are doing and affirms our belief that we will, in

some form, survive the continuing local government

cuts. It refuses to dwell on the gloomy facts that user

figures are now back to the level they were at the end of

the 1970s, and that we will lose an archivist's post next

April.

Instead, it celebrates the imaginative and creative work, being led by our Access team,

to open up Lancashire's archive collections to new people - creative writing, a dramatic

production, vintage fairs, a mediaeval day and a programme of Tuesday talks. It also

seems very appropriate to launch it around the time of the new Explore Your Archive

campaign.

What do you think? Do come and explore your archive and let us know.

Inside

Festive Treat 29th November—Your Last

chance to book! page 10

Mr Langshaw’s Square Piano page2

Cheese and Wine Evening 14th March page 3

The OS comes to Lancashire page 4

Membership Matters page 6

National Archive Awareness Campaign and Lancashire

Day 27th November page 11

From Pencil to print in 70 Years page 7

Memories of the Home Front page 8

Evacuation in Wartime Britain page 12

2

“Mr. Langshaw’s Square Piano”

Author Madeline Goold will be the

guest speaker at our Cheese and Wine

Evening on Friday 14th March 2014 Madeline Goold is a British sculptor who trained as a lawyer.

She has also played the piano since childhood—and it was

this avocation that sparked her interest, a few years ago, to

look into buying a historical instrument. In her search, she

heard about "square pianos," early-19th-century instruments

that were produced during the transition from harpsichords

to modern pianos. She had wondered about this musical

curiosity but had never seen one. Then, idly surveying the

listings for an antique auction one day, she saw this entry:

"Two Square Pianos."

At the auction house, Ms. Goold was disheartened to find that

the first lot was a large rectangular wooden box that had been gutted and converted into a

chicken coop. Then she stumbled across a "dusty coffin" about six feet long. She was able to lift

the lid a few inches, enough to catch sight of a small keyboard. She reached in and pressed a

key. Nothing. Then another: "This time a muffled, sour little note came out. It was the oldest

voice I had ever heard."

A striking aspect of "Mr. Langshaw's Square Piano" is

the sense of how the sounds of the past can be heard

today in the instruments made two centuries ago by the

craftsmen of Broadwood (a company, by the way, that's

still in business— though its pianos are now made in

Norway). We can also still hear the hand of John

Langshaw. One of his many musical skills was the

crafting of barrel organs—giant music boxes, really, with

rotating metal barrels pierced by nails to signal which

tone should sound, whether a single note or four-part

harmony. Although the tune is mechanically generated,

the taste and judgment of the maker are permanently

recorded. Ms. Goold found one of Langshaw's barrel

organs. "When it plays 'See the Conquering Hero Comes'

it is probably as authentic a Handelian sound as one can

hear. Few people then or now, armed only with

hammer, nails and pliers, could produce music so

delightful, so enchanting."

This report is drawn from Rachel Mullen’s review

published in the Wall Street Journal online in November

2009

ISBN-10: 9781933346380

Mr. Langshaw from Lancaster City Museum

collections

3

Friends of Lancashire Archives

Charity Registration Number 518611

CHEESE AND WINE

EVENING With a wide range of drinks and nibbles

Friday 14th March 6.30pm for 7.00 pm

at the Lancashire Archives

Speaker: Madeline Goold, author of

“Mr Langshaw's Square Piano”

FLA members £9.50 / Non-members £10.00

To be held at Lancashire Archives on Friday March 2014

from 7.00 pm

Fee: Members £9. 50 Non-members £10

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Booking form for Cheese and Wine Evening

Please complete and return to: Brenda Fox, 12 Derby Road, Garstang, PR3 1EU.

Tel. 01995 604379

Name(s) ………………………………………………………………………………………

Address ………………………………………………………………………………………

Postcode ……………………………

Telephone ……………………….. Email……………………………………………

I enclose a cheque for ___________ made out to Friends of Lancashire Archives

4

The O.S. Comes to Lancashire Zoë Lawson

Whilst carrying out research into the silk industry in the Lancaster area in the 1841 census, I

came across an interesting entry. In the tiny hamlet of Marshaw, just east of Abbeystead on

the northern boundary of the Forest of Bowland, the census listed four Irishmen residing in

the Moorcock Inn (no longer there) whose occupations were designated as ‘ordnance survey’.

Here were some of the men who worked tirelessly to measure our landscapes to produce the

first detailed map of the county by the Ordnance Survey (O.S.) and who built the iconic trig

points so treasured by walkers.

The background to the first edition 6 inches to 1 mile map of Lancashire and how these four

Irishmen, Michael Corran, William MacFaran, Charles Morran and Michael Hannon, came to be

in Marshaw is interesting. The origin of the O.S. as an agency for mapping lies back in the mid-

eighteenth century with the military surveying of the Scottish Highlands in order to subjugate

the clans after the Jacobite Rising. However, it was the publication in 1805 of the first edition 1

inch to1 mile map of Essex (sheet no. 1) which marks the birth of the O.S. as we know it today.

This was the beginning of the systematic mapping of the whole country by means of a

trigonometric survey, known as the First Series. Unfortunately, this was suddenly interrupted

in the mid 1820s before the northern counties could be surveyed. The mapping of Ireland

became a priority and the O.S. not only moved its operation in 1824, but started surveying on

a much larger scale of 6 inches to 1 mile.

The reason for this change of scale was that the Irish maps were ostensibly produced for

taxation purposes. The Irish ‘cess’ tax, used to fund local services such as jails, road and bridge

repairs and officials’ salaries, was assessed on the value of ‘Townlands’, local districts similar

to Lancashire townships. However, the precise acreage and valuation of these townlands were

in many cases vague, leading to inequalities and disputes. Hence the need for a precise large

scale survey.

To begin with the O.S. project in Ireland was manned completely by British military

Marshaw on the 1844 OS Map from Marshaw on the 1844 OS Map from Marshaw on the 1844 OS Map from Marshaw on the 1844 OS Map from MARIO maps onlineMARIO maps onlineMARIO maps onlineMARIO maps online

5

engineers (sappers), as Irish citizens were deemed

to be lacking the skills and untrustworthy. In the

event it was the low grade, ill-educated and

frequently drunken British army personnel who

were not up to the task and by 1825 Irish country

labourers were being employed at one shilling a

day. By the end of the survey in 1841 Irish labourers

outnumbered British army surveyors 4 to 1. The

Irish performed the more manual tasks involved

such as digging and laying out the measuring

chains.

With the Irish survey finished, the O.S. returned to

the mainland to complete the remainder of the First

Series. But in the twenty-year period since the last 1

inch to 1 mile had been produced, industrialisation

had drastically changed the landscape of Britain

and it became clear that the larger scale mapping of

6 inches to 1 mile was more appropriate. The

Ordnance Survey Act of 1841 made way for the 6

inch County Series with the northern counties being

the first to be surveyed and the resulting maps

reduced to 1 inch to complete the First Series.

Lancashire was, in fact, the first county in England to be surveyed at the larger scale and it

seems from the evidence of the census that the O.S. must have retained the experienced Irish

labourers who were familiar with surveying at this larger scale. However there is an anomaly.

The Lancashire survey was said to begin in 1842 and the map containing Marshaw (sheet 35)

states that it was surveyed in 1844. Yet the Irishmen were clearly there in June 1841 at the

time of the census. There was an earlier 2 inches to 1 mile survey carried out and subsequently

abandoned for the 6 inch but this was confined to south Lancashire. The only explanation is

that these Irishmen represented the vanguard O.S. contingent preparing the ground for the

surveyors.

Life for these labourers was harsh. They often had to live in tents but in this instance they

were residing in an inn, surely a welcome reprieve and one providing a good trade for the

publican, William Pye. There is no doubt that the O.S. could not have managed without the

good will and cooperation of local people who were required to give place names and other

information. In some areas the surveyors must have been treated with suspicion but mostly I

suspect communities were curious and intrigued by their activities.

Little research, if any, has been carried out on the O.S. in Lancashire and it would be

interesting to find out if there are any further examples of O.S. workers in the 1841 census in

other parts of the county.

Marshaw Bridge and old weir from Geograph

6

Membership Matters

Subscriptions for 2014 are due on 1st January. The rates remain unchanged at £10 for

a single member, £12 for family members, £15 for associate members and £10 for

overseas members.

There is a space on the form for you give details of your email address. If you com-

plete this you will be giving your consent to receiving communications, newsletters

and AGM material by email. The number of email recipients is increasing little by lit-

tle. Over half our members now receive their newsletter this way.

If you have an email address please opt for this method as it gives us a significant cost

saving and enables more money to be set aside to help Lancashire Archives.

Postal recipients should retain the mailing label. You will notice these have been

coded. Your membership number followed by ‘C’ means you pay by cheque, and your

membership number followed by ‘S’ indicates you pay your subscription by Standing

Order. A renewal form is not included for those who pay by Standing Order. If you

wish to amend any particulars please get in touch with me .I hope this makes it easier

for you to avoid duplicating your payment.

E-mail recipients

The renewal form will be emailed separately to those members who pay by cheque.

GiftAid

To remind you if you have made a GiftAid declaration the letter ’G’ has been added to

your membership number on the mailing label.

If any more members are taxpayers and wish to enable us to reclaim tax on their sub-

scription please contact me for a form.

To make a GiftAid declaration you must pay sufficient income and/or capital gains tax

to cover the amount that can be reclaimed by all the Charities to which you make a

donation. So you must consider all your charitable giving as a whole.

If your circumstances have changed and you should withdraw your declaration please

let me know.

Janet

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The FLA is doing its bit to save costs by sending out the Newsletter by email to as many

members as possible.

The email edition of the Newsletter is in colour, and the savings made in postage, print and

stationery go towards the work of the Lancashire Archives. Support provided by the FLA is

essential to their work.

So to join the email list send your email address to our Membership Secretary, Janet Lane

jclane1@btinternet.com

7

From Pencil to Print in 70 years Allan Seabridge, report by Janet Lane From the study day Home Front and Beyond: Lancashire’s experience of

WW2.

Allan Seabridge talked to us about the work involved in bringing the letters

of his father-in-law, Cliff Greenwood, to print.

Cliff was a journalist with the Blackpool Gazette who was called up to

serve in the Royal Navy in 1943 at the age of 40. He was initially posted to

HMS Royal Arthur (aka Butlin’s holiday camp) at Skegness before being posted to the frigate HMS

Byron on Arctic convoy duty. Over the next 2 years he wrote to his wife every day. Their daughter

Sue has covered this aspect in our February 2013 newsletter.

Sue found the letters in 1969. They were written in pencil, not always dated and in places hard to

read. So the first step was to put them in chronological order and transcribe them.

This was followed by personal research, tracing, contacting and meeting surviving members of

HMS Byron, and other sources to flesh out the restricted comments Cliff was able to make about

events that took place during his tour of duty. This included sourcing a selection of photographs-

both personal provided by Sue and of HMS Byron and its crew.

Next came the selection of material, followed by writing in collaboration with others and finding a

printer and publisher. The whole process took over 40 years from discovery of the letters to print.

This was followed by the irony of the publisher going into liquidation!

In November 1944 the captain developed acute appendicitis. The boat carrying a surgeon from

another ship capsized in high seas. All the crew of that boat managed to grab a line except the

unfortunate surgeon who was eventually dragged on board unconscious and suffering from

hypothermia. Both he and the captain recovered.

The following month Cliff was called to the

bridge as ‘unofficial shorthand writer’ to

record interviews the captain was carrying out

on an incident that Cliff was unable to relate

to his wife. Subsequent research showed HMS

Tanatside mistook HMS Byron for an enemy

vessel and attempted to ram her. Byron took

evasive action but a collision occurred. One

man was killed and both ships were damaged.

Tanatside was damaged so severely that she

had to return to port but Byron continued its

convoy duty.

There was one entry Cliff was able to describe

to his wife in detail. A couple of days after VE

Day he was again called to the bridge as

unofficial shorthand writer to record the surrender of German U-boats at Loch Eriboll in Scotland

and had ‘a front seat in the stalls’ to watch about 30 U-boats surrender.

Mass U Boat surrender from IWM

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/3224

8

Memories of the Home Front: recordings from the collection

of the North West Sound Archive

Andrew Schofield, report by Brenda Fox

From the study day Home Front and Beyond: Lancashire’s experience of WW2.

Andrew Schofield of the North-West Sound Archive, based in Clitheroe,

was the last speaker of the day. He told us the North-West Sound Archive

was set up in 1979 and anything that can be recorded is recorded. They

have a huge archive and if we listened to recordings for 10 hours per day it

would take 100 years for us to hear them all! He encouraged those of us

who know someone with an interesting story to tell to get in touch. They

are recording, not only for the present, but also for future generations.

Most people who attended the Day school were born around the outbreak

of, or during, the war, and all had some memories of it.

The presentation began with a recording of the radio announcement made by the Prime

Minister, from 10 Downing Street, stating that the country was at war with Germany. The rising

and falling wail of a siren followed, indicating that bombers were on their way and that people

should make their way to the shelters.

We heard people recording their memories of the blackout, ARP wardens

and the Home-guard, rationing and the exchange of coupons e.g. tea

coupons for sugar coupons, the black market, dig for victory, wings for

victory, air raids, double summer time, bomb shelters, war work for

women at de-Havillands, the Manchester blitz of 1940 and other events.

Andrew said there were so many topics that could have been covered that

he had had to be selective. He purposely omitted evacuees as that topic

had been covered by earlier speakers.

The presentation ended on a happy note with people recording their memories of VE day

(Victory in Europe). We heard of the announcement on the radio, of people going into the

streets shouting, 'the war is over', the church bells ringing and the

street parties. Tables were brought out and put in a long line down

the middle of the street. Cakes were baked with reconstituted egg,

dried milk powder etc. and decorated with sweets from the sweet

ration. Jam sandwiches were the order of the day and jellies

appeared in a wide range of colours. The jellies had probably been

saved for a special occasion, and what could be more special than

the ending of the war? Wind-up gramophones provided music, and

flags and bunting appeared as if by magic. The last time they had

had an airing was probably the Coronation of 1937.

Andrew's presentation ended with the long continuous one note wail of the siren indicating the

air raid, or in this case the war, was over. Thanks go to Andrew for the efficient way he organised

and presented memories of what happened on the Home Front during World War II.

9

Should I stay or should I go? - the story of how 65 Liverpool

evacuees returned 'home' 60 years on Roger Blaxall , report by Brenda Fox

From the study day Home Front and Beyond: Lancashire’s experience of WW2.

Each year the Dark Horse Venture, of which Roger is a member, chooses a project to work on. In

September 2005 a reunion of 65 evacuated children (now adult) was held in Ormskirk. At

2.00pm they were met by the town clerk and given a reception in Ormskirk Civic Hall. The town

crier was in attendance. BBC TV and Granada TV spent the day with them. The programmes on

TV were presented first in black and white, as they would have been over 60 years ago, and then

in colour as programmes of today are recorded. A World War II meal was laid on for them,

together with Sarsaparilla and Dandelion and Burdock.

The evacuated children arrived in Ormskirk from

Liverpool at very short notice. The billeting

officer just went around Ormskirk knocking on

people's doors and asking if they could take in

children. Some of the Ormskirk children had

been told not to associate with the Liverpool

evacuees as they had crude manners. However

the two types of children were forced together

and had to mix at school. He told us some of the

stories they recalled. Initially some children

thought they were going on a great adventure

and would be home before Christmas.

One girl was billeted with a wealthy bank

manager and his wife - and they had a Lanchester car! She was often taken for a ride in the

Lanchester and remembered on one occasion seeing Italian prisoners of war picking potatoes.

We were told of five children met by a chauffeur and a large Rolls Royce at the train station.

They were taken to West Tower, Aughton, where a spinster lived. She was of a ship-owning

family. As the children entered the house she shook hands with each child in a polite manner;

that was how gentry lived, there were no cuddles. Although they were allowed in all the rooms

the ascent of the tower was forbidden. One of the children, now aged 70, was taken back to the

house and was, at last, given the opportunity to go up the tower.

A boy called James (Jim) was evacuated together with his four sisters. Their mother was a fire

watcher on Liverpool docks. Jim lived with three different families. His second billet was with

Emma Birtwistle, the agent of Harold Wilson MP. She would only take Jim. He has made it his

mission to go into schools telling today's children what life was like as an evacuee, and today's

children just love to hear the stories.

Find out more about how the Dark Horse Ventures scheme operates from this link:

http://www.smallwonders.org.uk/?folio=the-dark-horse-venture-award-scheme

Liverpool children being evacuated

www.liverpoolblitz70.co.uk

10

Friends of Lancashire Archives Charity Registration Number 518611

Preston Market Place by J. Harwood (1831)

Festive Treat

Markets to Supermarkets: 200 years of shopping in Lancashire

a talk by Dr Michael Winstanley

followed by a festive buffet

To be held at Lancashire Archives on Friday 29 November from 7.00 pm

Fee: Members £9. 50 Non-members £10

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Booking form for Festive Treat Please complete and return to: Brenda Fox, 12 Derby Road, Garstang, PR3 1EU. Tel. 01995 604379 Name(s) ……………………………………………………………………………………… Address ……………………………………………………………………………………… Postcode …………………………… Telephone ……………………….. Email……………………………………………

11

What were striking cotton workers

eating in 1867?

What is the best way to keep yourself

beautiful?

How do you cook a puffin?

Come to Lancashire Archives and find

out.

This autumn sees the launch of a national archive awareness campaign called Explore Your Archive.

Archive services across the country have been encouraged to create themed story boxes containing

interesting, inspiring and enticing items from their collections. With such a diverse and delicious

heritage to work with, Lancashire County Council's Archive service has chosen a food theme, and

two unusual boxes are about to appear in the searchroom at Lancashire Archives on Bow Lane,

Preston.

As an appetiser, Saturday 16 November will see the new food themed interactive exhibition The Hive

and the Basket make its debut at the Ashton on Ribble Farmers Market at St. Michael's Church Hall

9am – 1pm.

The Hive and the Basket will then take its place in the searchroom in the build up to the main feast

day, Lancashire Food Day 27th November 11am – 4pm at Lancashire Archives on Bow Lane Preston.

For starters join us at Café Archives for a hot drink and a nibble from a range of Lancashire delicacies.

As a main course, browse the mini market, unwrap the food exhibition and leave your own

Lancashire recipes.

To accompany your menu listen to a reading of the Lancashire Day proclamation and enjoy sound

recordings of food memories form the North West Sound Archive.

For a final course, Lancashire historian and food enthusiast Dr. Alan Crosby makes your taste buds

tingle with a talk on Food for Lancashire's Feasts and Festivals between 6pm and 7pm

All the events are free and there is no need to book – just be sure to bring your appetite for

discovery!

For any information please contact Vicci McCann or Kathryn Newman on 01772 533033

vicci.mccann@lancashire.gov.uk or kathryn.newman@lancashire.gov.uk

FLA Contacts

Chair

Nigel Neil nigelrjneil@googlemail.com 07968 621530

Membership Secretary

Janet Lane jclane1@btinternet.com 01253 725323

Events

Brenda Fox 12 Derby Road Garstang PR3 1EU 01995 604379

Newsletter

Maggy Simms msimms@ntlworld.com 01254 208128

All committee members can be contacted in writing c/o Lancashire Archives, Bow Lane, Preston PR1 2RE or using

the contact forms on our website: www.flarchives.co.uk

12

‘Departure, arrival, and return: evacuation and place in Wartime Britain’ Dr. John Welshman, report by Nigel Neil

Dr John Welshman’s poignant opening contribution to the Home Front and Beyond study day

on 17th September, was based on his book Churchill’s Children: the evacuee experience in

wartime Britain (Oxford University Press, 2010). John, a History Department lecturer at

Lancaster University, began by explaining some of the

constraints imposed by the publishers of this type of

book aimed at a wider readership than purely

academics. So, whilst 350 former evacuees responded

to newspaper advertisements, the experiences of only

13 people were used, nine of whom were evacuees.

The others were politicians and professionals involved

in the formulation and implementation of the national

evacuee policy. These included G.M. Bland,

Lancaster’s public librarian, who was a billeting officer.

John used Bland’s papers in Lancashire Archives (DDX

2743, acc 10851, box 1) during his research.

Some of these stories were very close to home indeed for me; I live a couple of minutes’ walk

from station where the children first set foot in Lancaster, one of the Reception Centres was my

children’s school (Dallas Road), and I know the present owners of some of the houses where

they were accommodated. A number of other places in my own past also featured in John’s

book, if not in his talk.

In a chilling quotation, John showed how the British Government in the 1930s, having seen the

huge increase in wartime reliance on aerial bombardment between the First World War and the

Spanish Civil War (1936-39), summed up the inevitability of German bombing as ‘the need to kill

more women and children, more quickly, than the enemy and to save yourselves’.

We learned about the chronology of the

evacuations and that there were three waves of

mass-movement of people: in early September

1939, (approaching 2 million evacuees),

September 1940 (1.25 million, at the time of the

London Blitz), and again in September 1944

(300,000 from London only, during the V2

bombings).

Unsurprisingly, we see a very biased picture from

the press coverage of the time. Most of the

surviving images are of the orderly departure of

evacuees, rather than the often chaotic and

downright humiliating treatment that these people endured on arrival. The ‘pick a child’ system

of allocating evacuees to families came as a shock to the audience, and many foster parents

were clearly unsuited to the task, and were knowingly or obliviously cruel. Fortunately, there

were some uplifting stories to redress the balance a little.