Download The Fabulous Fifteens

The Wychwood February 2015
The Wicked Wychwood Guide to History…
The Fabulous Fifteens
900 years ago this year, in 1115, a
momentous event occurred in world
history, St Mary’s Church in Shipton was
founded. Actually there was already a
Saxon minster on the site but that does not
count. What we celebrate this year is the
church much as we see it today.
All initially went smoothly with a new
tower added but then disaster struck.
In 1315, Shipton was caught up in the
European-wide famine, caused by
lowering wheat yields and increased
population. It was a period of climate
change, the Medieval Warming Period,
and incompetent European bureaucracy.
A commentator of the time writes:
When God saw that the world was so over
proud, He sent a dearth on earth, and
made it full hard. A bushel of wheat was
at four shillings or more, of which men
might have had a quarter before...
And then they turned pale who had
laughed so loud and they became all
docile who before were so proud.
A man's heart might bleed for to hear the
cry of poor men who called out, “Alas!
For hunger I die ..!”
All came well a hundred years later in
1415, when the first round of the
European Championship was played
against France. This was when the socalled Agincourt Gesture or two-finger
salute first appeared at English matches
and contributed to a decisive victory. The
final match, in 1815, on the playing fields
of Waterloo (or was that the battle fields
of Eton?) was just as decisive. I am sure
St Mary’s bells rang out when this news
was received.
In 1715, frustrating their knavish tricks
and crushing the rebellious Scots was all
the rage and the Old Pretender was
roundly defeated. But some of Oxford
University grandees were on the side of
the Stuarts and one wonders whether the
living at St Mary’s, which was in the
grace and favour of Oxford University,
was quite so comfortable then.
Nearer to our time, 1915 saw the birth of
The Women's Institute movement in
Britain, actually an import from Canada.
It was formed to encourage
countrywomen to get involved in growing
and preserving food to help stave off
another famine.
Oh yes, I almost forgot, there was an
event in 1215 that also helped change
history - the Sealing of Magna Carta. But
that is another story.
Mike Watson
The Story of St Mary’s Church, Shipton
The church is joining with the History
Society to present Tim Porter’s lecture
on the History of St Mary’s in the church
on Thursday 19th February at 7.30pm.
Tim has a special interest in the Middle
Ages and is a guest lecturer at museums,
including the Ashmolean. History Society
members are admitted free of charge on
production of their membership cards.
www.thewychwood.co.uk
Tickets for others will be £10 each
including wine and nibbles following the
lecture All are welcome.
Tickets can be obtained from:
Mike Brooks: 01993 830014
[email protected] Alan Vickers
on: 019993 830102 [email protected]
James Walmsley on: 01993 830842
[email protected]
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