An Anglian, Liberi homines The Shelley family lineage may appear to originate in the Germanic north. This is supported by DNA sample. They may have arrived in Britain before or during the Roman period. Interestingly, the family may originate in the area of Schleswig Holstein located on the Jutland Peninsula. This being very close by Angle (the birthplace of the English). The family name being derived word given to these people of the Schlei (Anglicised to Shelley). I proudly am…
Obelisk marking the location of the castle (30/04/26) From early Saxon times a fortified manor house of magnificent proportions existed in Tewkesbury. Known as Holm Castle it was located on rising ground close by the Abbey. It became a favourite residence of the De Clares, earls of Gloucester. While nothing now remains of the castle, a rather inconspicuous obelisk marks the spot. The castle stood between the vineyard and fishponds separating it from the Abbey. Originally constructed of timber before…
It is not now as it has been of yore; Turn where so’er I may. By night or day. The things which I have seen, I now Can see no more. William Wordsworth We look before and after, And pine for what is not: Our sincerest laughter With some pain is fraught; Our sweetest songs are those that Tell of saddest thought. P. B .Shelley I hear it now, nor dream of woes, The storm is settled to repose. Those…
Of Fortitude = ‘unconquered’, Out of the night that covers meBlack as the pit from pole to pole.I thank whatever gods may beFor my unconquered soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance,I have not winced nor cried aloud.Under the bludgeoning’s of chanceMy head is bloody, but unbowed. Beyond this place of wrath and tearsLooms but the Horror of the shade,And yet the menace of the yearsFinds, and shall find, me unafraid. It matters not how strait the gate,How charged with…
Plumpton Alumni of 1957 once again at Tirley, Gloucestershire. It must have been one of those miraculous moments of fate, when us three chums were put in a dormitory room together all those years ago. Youngsters full of enthusiasm, the three of us had been trained in basic farming by a YMCA scheme (BBBF) and the course we then attended at Plumpton College was in general agriculture and estate management. Tony, with his special interest in animals progressed through the…
Anthony Crittenden BSc, Chair and Hon. Company Secretary of the JapaneseAnimal Welfare Society Tony trained in agriculture, (my old roommate at Plumpton College) before joining the RSPCA’s inspectorate in 1962. He was engaged with frontline animal welfare work in Surrey, North Wales, Cheshire and Lancashire until 1995, when he transferred to the Society’s Legal department as Chief Superintendent of Prosecutions. In 1999, Tony became the Chief Officer of the RSPCA’s inspectorate, responsible for the recruitment, training, deployment and general standards of…
Family, Friends, Farming, Fonts, Folk-right & Freedom My biographical philosophy is pretty simple to follow. The family usually comes first, and everything emanates from that. I have luckily been blessed with outstanding good fortune and am well aware of this. However, I also humbly accept that all people and circumstances should be treated respectfully, conscientiously and with kindness. This to my mind has generally been the custom of English tradition. English heritage, its culture, landscape, and traditions has always been…
It is not always fully appreciated how the “square mile” is the model of English heritage. Established by the Romans and developed by Alfred the Great, William the Conqueror recognised its autonomy. He built his home castle on the outside of the city wall to signify the corporate independence. London has been self-regulated since records began. Governed by a Portreeve whose title under King John became Lord Mayor. The Mayor of London has complete control over the municipal wealth and…
During the 1990s rising discussion over public access to the countryside came to a head. It was particularly driven by a lady named Marion Shoard, supported by the Ramblers association. With such books as “ The Theft of the Countryside and “This is our Land” she captured the political aspirations of societies such as the Open Spaces Society intricately connected to the ‘National Trust’. The then Labour Government were obliged to develop an Act of Parliament namely the Countryside and…
Freedom in England and Wales There are many interesting traditions in England that date back even before the Norman Conquest. Laws applying to customs remain in force until they are displaced by statutory Acts of Parliament. Ancient rules and regulations apply to common lands, grazing rights, rights of way, to hunting and fishing, among others and especially to the defence of our personal liberties. It is not so long ago (1830s) that our country was very much governed by the…