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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] 7