Sun, 14 Mar 2010 09:44:31 +0000Exploring Surreys Past Newshttp://www.exploringsurreyspast.org.ukSun, 14 Mar 2010 09:44:31 +0000Orangeleaf Systems Ltd SiteSync 6en-gbhttp://www.exploringsurreyspast.org.uk/news/000821.htmlhttp://www.exploringsurreyspast.org.uk/news/000821.htmlOckenden has always been a subject of local pride in Woking and the Woking Community Play Association will stage a specially written drama, The Vision, to celebrate the inspiring history of Ockenden. The Vision will be staged at Winston Churchill School, Woking, with the first performance on 27th April 2010. Tickets for the play or now available - click here for more details ( pdf): Book via The Ambassadors, Woking: Call: 0844 871 7645 www.ambassadortickets.com/woking Prices: £8.50 (Adult) - £6.50 (Children, Concessions or groups of 10+) If you think you can help in any way, however small, either with The Vision or Woking Community Play Association please contact Suzie Gortler, The Vision project manager on 07588 058503 or email enquiries@thevision.org or visit www.thevision.org.uk  The Vision also has an “information pod” at 7 Wolsey Place, The Wolsey Centre, Woking, which is open Wednesdays and Saturdays 10am – 4pm where you can see displays about the Woking Community Play Association and the Ockenden Venture Charity. Click here to see a copy ( pdf) of the The Vision's January 2010 newsletter. http://www.exploringsurreyspast.org.uk/news/000832.htmlhttp://www.exploringsurreyspast.org.uk/news/000832.htmlWant to know something about the archaeology and history of North West Surrey? Interested in visiting a museum? Find out about North West Surrey’s past from the prehistoric to the modern day. What’s changed and what’s stayed the same. Explore Bronze Age barrows, visit the Magna Carta Memorial, and much more. Pick up a free leaflet from a library, museum or council office in North West Surrey. Copies can also be requested by e-mailing info@exploringsurreyspast.org.uk or calling 01483 518730. http://www.exploringsurreyspast.org.uk/news/000830.htmlhttp://www.exploringsurreyspast.org.uk/news/000830.htmlThis interesting engraved print came to light when an album, containing about 600 Surrey 18th/19th century topographical prints, was being catalogued. 1786 engraved print "On Croyden Road near Stockwell Common" (SHC ref 2331/16/part1/65a) Balloon Detail At first glance it looks like a simple picture of Stockwell Common in the late 18th century. At the time Stockwell Common was part of Surrey. Look more closely at the top left hand corner and you’ll see a hot air balloon. This may be what the two figures are looking at. Although not an unusual sight for us now, in 1786 it would have been the source of amazement. This is only three years after the first manned hot air balloon flight. Pilatre de Rozier and the Marquis d'Arlandes made their first untethered flight in a Montgolfier hot air balloon on 21 November 1783, in the Bois de Boulogne, France. Illustration from Gentleman's Magazine, February 1785. Dover Castle to left. In 1785 the French balloonist, Jean Pierre Blanchard, and his American co pilot, John Jefferies, flew across the English Channel. The English Channel was the first test for long distance ballooning and a just year later a balloon was pictured flying over Stockwell Common. The Gentleman's Magazine for February 1785 (page 144) contains a "Particular Account of a Voyage in the Atmosphere, from Dover Castle to France, in a Grand Balloon". This flight took place on January 7th 1785. The Magazine also contains a sketch of the balloon, with Dover Castle in the background. The boat-like gondola (basket) bears a stricking similarity to the one in the engraving of a balloon over Stockwell Common. The phrase at the bottom of the image, “Publish’d as the Act directs”, confirms it was published on December 21st 1786, although we don’t know whether it appeared in a journal or a book or was sold as a single print. The Act had its origins in a statute of Queen Anne dated 1709 – one of the earliest copyright acts. Robert Sayer (1724 or 1725-1794) was one of the leading map publishers and printsellers working in England in the second half of the eighteenth century. His prolific output included maps and atlases of America, portraits and nautical engravings. This engraved print is from a collection of papers from the 16th to the 19th century put together by Frederick Arthur Heygate Lambert of Banstead, Antiquarian (1857-1929) (SHC ref 2331). Col F A H Lambert is perhaps best known as the editor of the Banstead Parish Registers (1896) and as author of Surrey in the Little Guides series (1902).  He was educated at Eton, was a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, Justice of the Peace of Surrey and a Colonel of the Middlesex Imperial Yeomanry. A montage of images, engraved from original studies by William Henry Prior (1812-1882) and produced for the part-work "Old and New London" (1873-1878), includes an almost identical view of the building. The caption on the engraving gives the name as The Old Inn on the Common. http://www.exploringsurreyspast.org.uk/news/000814.htmlhttp://www.exploringsurreyspast.org.uk/news/000814.htmlSurrey History Centre isn't usually associated with dodgy deals but a recent and unusual arrival in the archive is definitely a Shady Deed.    Odd as it may seem now, it was not uncommon during the first half of the 20th century for old deeds to be made into decorative ornaments, including lampshades. It's quite likely that many similar items are relatively modern reproductions but not the one shown above. This item has been catalogued and included in the archive and the conservation team have restored and conserved it as shown below. To conserve and restore the Deed the conservation team looked at what had been done to it. They found it was covered in a clear PVC film attached with a solvent activated adhesive and stitched to the lampshade frame with a fine thread. The challenge then was to take off the covering and undo the stiching without damaging the Deed further. The stitches were cut to remove the Deed the frame. Fortunately the PVC covering had come away from most of the Deed and the rest was taken off without having to use any liquid. This was done without losing any of the writing on the Deed. Any old adhesive was cleaned off using isopropanol alcohol. The Deed was relaxed in a humidification chamber to help flattening and release creases. Finally the Deed was dried under light weights. If you want to know more about restoring and conserving old documents and photographs you may be interested in Surrey History Centre's talks and tours. Click here to find out more about talks and tours on offer. The deed (click here to see a (pdf) copy of the Catalogue entry: SHC ref: 8636/1) is dated 2 May 1794. It is a lease by Philip Wright of Ewell, brewer, and Elizabeth his wife to Robert Street of Ewell, butcher, of property and land in Ewell near the Green Man Alehouse in the road leading from Ewell to Epsom. The lease was for one year at a peppercorn (symbolic) rent. The property had previously been transferred to Wright by John Harris (amongst other premises) by lease and release of 9 and 10 May 1779 and in 1794 it was occupied by Philip Wright and James Chandler. This form of lease (for one year at a peppercorn rent) was actually the first stage in a two-stage process to convey (transfer) a piece of property in such a way as to satisfy the demands of the law at that period. On the day after the lease was made a further deed, called a release, would be executed which would give the purchaser of the property full ownership. This release often gives much more of the background to the transaction and might name other parties involved but sadly in this case appears not to have survived. http://www.exploringsurreyspast.org.uk/news/000818.htmlhttp://www.exploringsurreyspast.org.uk/news/000818.htmlA new name index to the Chertsey Board of Guardians admission and discharge registers, 1894-1932, might help. Compiled from 14 registers held at the Surrey History Centre with over 25,000 entries, details recorded generally include:     For admissions: date of admission, surname, forenames, occupation, marital status, year or date of birth, parish from whence admitted, any relevant notes or comments e.g. religion other than C of E, children born in house, inmates transferred from other institutions, magistrates’ orders etc and for discharges: date of discharge, surname, forenames, parish to which the inmate is discharged, reason for discharge (mainly at own request), who the children were in the care of, deaths (with time where shown), transfers to other institutions or into service or foster care A PDF of this name index is now available on the Surrey History Centre's website www.surreycc.gov.uk/surreyhistorycentre CD-Roms of this index can also be purchased from the foyer at Surrey History Centre £5.00 each For further details regarding the original registers, please contact Surrey History Centre 130 Goldsworth Road Woking Surrey GU21 6ND Tel:    01483 518737 Fax:      01483 518738 Email:  shs@surreycc.gov.uk Website: www.surreycc.gov.uk/surreyhistorycentre http://www.exploringsurreyspast.org.uk/news/000809.htmlhttp://www.exploringsurreyspast.org.uk/news/000809.htmlA specially written drama, The Vision, will celebrate the inspiring history of Ockenden (click here to read more about this internationally renowned charity that started in Woking). Anyone who wants to be involved with the Community Play is most welcome whether you have had acting experience or you might just want to help sell tickets etc, make props, sew costumes or paint scenery the list is endless. About 100 volunteers of all backgrounds and abilities are needed, so the more the merrier! Help is particularly needed with props and sourcing fabric from the 1950s, 60s and 70s - clothing, curtains, bed linen, even scraps will be of use! The Vision will be staged at Winston Churchill School, Woking, with the first performance on 27th April 2010. If you think you can help in any way, however small, either with The Vision or Woking Community Play Association please contact Suzie Gortler, The Vision project manager on 07588 058503 or email enquiries@thevision.org or visit www.thevision.org.uk.  The Vision also has an “information pod” at 7 Wolsey Place, The Wolsey Centre, Woking, which is open Wednesdays and Saturdays 10am – 4pm where you can see displays about the Woking Community Play Association and the Ockenden Venture Charity.   http://www.exploringsurreyspast.org.uk/news/000686.htmlhttp://www.exploringsurreyspast.org.uk/news/000686.htmlTagging is a great way of connecting items from our database together - whether this is information on a site or monument, an object, document or old photo! We need your help to build connections! The aim behind Exploring Surrey's Past is to link together different types of information. By using 'tags' or keywords to identify records, you can combine items on similar people, places or topics. On each record, you will find an 'add a keyword' link. Use this to tie records together. It's a quick and easy way of creating your own themes. Group together some items from your neighbourhood using tags and share them with the world! All items appears on our tag wall - which lets other people see what they can search for. Go on - give it a go!