Lionel organised two very popular visits – full details on the visits page
Summers Family 1873
The remaining gravestones in St.Mary’s Churchyard were surveyed by Frances Penney + Dood Pearce from 1982-1987. These records have now been digitised, and the gravestones re-photographed to create digital copies which can be sent anywhere in the world on request. The Newent Cemetery Burial Records have been transcribed from 1865-2014 and indexed; the Grave records have also been digitally copied to enable quick access and again can be sent anywhere in the world. The Old Section of the Cemetery (Plots 1-1484) have been surveyed, recorded, and photographed before the inscriptions disappear, as has New Section Plots B 1-148. Work is about to start on New Section C. The Churchyard at Cliffords Mesne, has also been surveyed and all the graves recorded and indexed. Their Burial records have also been digitally copied, transcribed, and indexed. If you would like to become involved with this work, please contact Martin Brown 01531 820 895 or Dood Pearce 01531 821 398.
The society had a very entertaining performance by Philip Collins (Mr Collywobbles) entitled ‘The History of Punch and Judy’. He told us its origins and history with much participation from members, and then erected his theatre. Dood had been ‘volunteered’ to be the Bottler. He played the pipe and drum with elan while collecting money from the audience, which will be given to charity.
St.Mary’s Church, Newent. Sun7June2015
The public meeting on October 27th at, appropriately, the Memorial Hall, about the proposed alterations to the War Memorial attracted approx 40 people. Dood Pearce gave a short presentation about the history of the memorial and outlined the mistakes and omissions that had occurred. A small group of members have been researching the names of the Newent men killed during the two world wars and have found twenty more who should be included but for various reasons are not. It was suggested that maybe some were missed off the Memorial because their relatives did not want their names included. There is no evidence that this was the case and the Rector said that in any case the Memorial was there as a mark of respect by the Town, and not as a personal remembrance. Keith Urch gave a resumé of the difficulties of getting permission to alter the Memorial but said that he was making good progress. NLHS is 75% through the research necessary to be able to produce a book about the 109 men and it is hoped to publish it in 2018