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Wingrave
The name Wingrave is said to be based on the name of a local Saxon land owner in pre-Conquest England named Withun. In the Domesday Book the name appears as Withungraue which is interpreted as Withun's Grove where perhaps Withun owned woodland for timber, fuel, grazing or hunting. (see entry in Wikipedia)
Jeffreys map of 1777 shows that the name was written as Wingrove at that time.
Jeffreys map of 1777
The family name Wingrove is widely distributed around the world and it may be that it is derived from an individual who originally came from Wingrave or Wingrove. Further details can be found on the WWW at "Wingroves of the Wide World"
Books about Wingrave
"The Vale of Aylesbury" by Ken & Margaret Morley. Examines some of the events of the last 1500 years from the Saxon invasions to modern housing policy and tells the story of the Vale's involvement in such dverse matters as the Reformation, Enclosure, the Decline of Cottage Industries, Education, Transport and Farming. Published by the Book Castle, Dunstable
"The Great Upheaval" by Ken & Margaret Morley. An account of the agricultural enclosure of Wingrave with Rowsham and local life in 1798. 62 pp, Published by Kenneth C. Morley, ISBN 0 9515751 2 0. Price £6.95 in the UK including postage and packing.
"Grass Roots Democracy in Action" by Ken & Margaret Morley. A note on the formation of the first elected Parish Council for Wingrave with Rowsham in 1894. 5 pp, unpriced.
"Wingrave: A Rothschild Village in the Vale" by Ken & Margaret Morley, ISBN 1 871199 99 9, 309 pp Published by the Book Castle, Dunstable Price £25.00 in the UK.
"The First 100 Years" edited by Bill & Gladys Phillips. A record of the lives of the individuals who worked on the Wingrave with Rowsham Parish Council since 1789 and put its plans into execution. 37 pp, Price £4.00 in the UK.
"Wingrave with Rowsham 2000" edited by Robin Moat. A snap-shot of the life, work, culture and environment of Wingrave and Rowsham at the end of the Second Millennium. Published April 2000. Please send an e-mail to the Editors if you would like to purchase a copy priced at £12.50 in the UK.
Ken and Margaret Morley
Many of us believe that the Vale is a very special part of England. For many of us it is also our workplace and playground. When the people of the Vale were fighting the proposal to establish the third London airport in it, Sir Arthur Bryant wrote:
It is hard to define the beauty of the Vale, for it is compounded of ever-changing light, but whether seen from the Chiltern escarpment or from the hills which rise like islands in the midst of an undulating plain, that chequered landscape of soft greens and browns, enclosed by hedgerow elms, oaks, ashes and sycamores, with reflected clouds and far blue horizons, beautiful villages and a wealth of historic houses and cottages is unsurpassed anywhere in England..........
Much local history is determined by (or at least influenced by) major events, over which the local population has little or no control, and Aylesbury Vale is no exception. So our book examines some of the events of the last 1500 years, from the Saxon invasions to modern housing policy. It is clear that the Vale's tranquillity has been repeatedly shattered by outside influences including such things as: war and disease; the ambitions of royalty; the search for wealth in this life, and a place beside the Almighty in the next; the inspiration of inventors in agriculture and industry; the emigration and immigration of people; and the import of goods. So we tell the story of the Vale's involvement in such diverse matters as the Reformation, Enclosure, the Decline of Cottage Industries, Education, Transport and Farming.
Two of our previous publications about the Vale ('The Great Upheaval', and 'Wingrave') have been much appreciated by both readers and critics. One of the latter described 'Wingrave' as "the Millennium book which stands head and shoulders above the rest". We have tried to maintain that standard in 'The Vale of Aylesbury'. Certainly, compared with our earlier publications, we have raised the level of presentation considerably. The book will be hardbound and run to over 300 pages. There will be about 200 illustrations, including 39 in colour, innumerable contemporary quotations, and twelve longer Recollections. Whenever possible these are the views of ordinary people in their own words. In addition, 34 visits are suggested, which will add reality to the book's word pictures.
Based on five years of detailed research and writing, this book should provide an enjoyable and intriguing read for all who are interested in local history and the welfare of the Vale. It will also be very relevant to fifth and sixth formers facing examination which (we are assured) will increasingly be focussed on English history.
The publisher is Paul Bowes, whose bookshop, the Book Castle at Dunstable http://www.book-castle.co.uk/, has published over a hundred books on the local area. The book-shop price will be £25, but the pre-publication price will be £22. Please order as soon as possible. However, provided that orders are received not later than 31st August 2007 the purchasers' names will be recorded in the book on a Subscribers' List. The launch and publication are planned for 7.30 pm, Friday 9th November 2007, at the Community Centre, Wingrave.
Orders should be sent to:
The Book Castle, 12 Church Street, Dunstable, Bedfordshire. LU5 4RU
I want to order .....copy/copies of "The Vale of Aylesbury" at £22 each (pre-publication price)
I enclose cheque for £...... payable to The Book Castle. OR
Please debit my visa card, details as below *(plus p & p if appropriate, £5 UK, £7 Europe, £12 Rest of world, per order)
Card no........................... ...................Expiry date... ...... ....Sec No............
Signature.......................................................................................................................
** Note: names will appear in the Subscribers' List in the book exactly as stated below.
Name (in capitals). Address..............
Postcode.................. Tel. no:....................................................................................,....
Please delete either 'I hope to collect my volume at the launch', or 'Please deliver free to my address
within Wingrave with Rowsham parish*.
# If you have any queries, please call at 121 Winslow Road, Wingrave, or phone: 01296681155
WINGRAVE: A ROTHSCHILD VILLAGE IN THE VALE
We think that Wingrave is a very special village. We know that most villagers feel the same. And with The Great Upheaval selling 600 copies it seems that many of you want to know more about Wingrave's past. So our new book continues the story of Wingrave for another l50 years from the time of the great upheaval in 1798 when the parish was enclosed. It tells the story of the desperate struggle against poverty and disease. It includes an account of how strawplaiting, a cottage industry, helped to supplement family incomes and describes how others resorted to emigration in the quest for a better life. It relates how the tide began to turn when Hannah de Rothschild came to the rescue in the mid-1870s. Other topics include: church and chapel, schooling, farming, the Rothschilds, amusements and recreational activities, everyday life and village characters. A chapter is devoted to Rowsham.
Wherever possible we have included the recollections and views of people
living as far back as the 18200s in their own words. They include a generous
helping of Hilda Roberts memories rescued from an attic in Worcester !
Seventeen of our senior citizens have contributed recollections of Wingrave in
their youth, including Moatin' the Ref (Joyce Sinnott). Helping on the Farm
(Vic Clay, Frank King and Norman Brackley), Growing up in the Twenties (Ron
Bignell) and Discipline at School (Frank and Grace King). Many more have
provided photographs, comments and information.
While emphasising what went on in the parish, we have also looked at it
in the context of the Vale and Buckinghamshire. And we haven't ignored the
trivial ! So find out: Why the lads shot the cats that ate the rats; which
preacher told his congregation to "Go on" fourteen times; who thought the
forward's heads were footballs; which vicar demonstrated ploughing to the
allotment holders...........
Based on four years of detailed research, this book should provide an
enjoyable and intriguing read for villagers and all those who are interested in
local history; a cherished memento for those we have moved elsewhere; and an
invaluable source book for pupils studying the local history elements of the
national curriculum.
The publisher is Paul Bowes, formerly of Wingrave, whose bookshop, The
Book Castle at 12, Church Street, Dunstable, Bedfordshire LU5 4RU also
publishes attractively produced books on the local area.
Ken and Margaret Morley.