Our professional historian, Louise Rylan-Epton, has been busy researching and writing up the economic history of Bremhill Parish. She has found that women played a surprisingly influential role.

In the early/mid 19th century, 8 out of 61 local farmers were women. They farmed 750 acres and between them employed up to 26 labourers. The farms included Westend, a 153 acre mixed dairy and arable holding run by Sarah Hancock. The smallest was just 16 acres run by ‘Mrs Pegler’. While these women wielded economic power, they are likely to have enjoyed it by virtue of the fact they were widows. Apart from the Foxham schoolmistress, Martha Burgess, other women were mostly employed as domestic servants or governesses. However, one surprise is Ann Collar, a blacksmith in Bremhill! We will be further researching these women and other interesting characters we uncover in the project.

Upcoming events:

• 2.30 pm on Thursday 17th October - our next workshop at the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre in Chippenham, led by our professional historians, will look at examples of local parish, tithe, enclosure and estate maps and various online maps. To register or join our mailing list, please contact xsarahjones@gmail.com
• 7 pm on Saturday 19th October – talk and music at the Moravian church – see below for details.

Local History Talk, Music and Refreshments

Saturday 19th October at 7 pm, at the Moravian Church, East Tytherton

The Moravian church was founded in 1742 and its school in 1794. Nigel Pocock has agreed to kick off the evening with a short introductory talk on the history of the East Tytherton Moravians and stories of some of the children who went to school there. There will also be a display of artefacts which he has found as part of his extensive research.

Music was an important part of Moravian worship and recreation. Dr Christopher Kent has been researching the music which would have been played at the Moravian church, here in East Tytherton. And following on from our hugely successful Bach in the Barn concert last year, Christopher and his Avon Consort of musicians have agreed to perform some of these pieces for us.

After the interval Christopher will introduce the Moravian minister, Christian Ignatius Latrobe, who visited East Tytherton in 1797 and promoted the playing of music from composers such as Bach, Handel, Haydn and Mozart.

Tickets are £15 each (£5 for students/children) and include refreshments during the interval. All funds raised will go to the Bremhill Parish History project, so please support us.

Contact Helen Stuckey on helen_stuckey@btinternet.com or 07710 397614 to reserve seats.