An Anglican Sisterhood at home and abroad

We are pleased to announce the completion of cataloguing of a very large addition to the records of the Community of the Companions of Jesus the Good Shepherd (or CJGS) (D/EX2398). Although the community was formed only in 1920, some of the records are for predecessor organisations for Anglican women teachers going back to 1876. The Sisters did educational and parish work, much of it overseas, most notably in Borneo and the Caribbean, and many of the new records reflect this side of their work. They eventually joined up with the better known Community of St John Baptist at Clewer; the last Sister sadly died in 2019. Watch out for more about the CJGS in future RBA blogs. Coincidentally, we acquired separately some mid 20th century postcards showing CJGS properties, including St Gabriel's School, Sandleford Priory, a private boarding school for girls they established and ran for many years (D/EX2881).

Mushrooms and sand for lunch

A small miscellaneous collection has been deposited relating to the Mecey family of Thatcham, solicitors, 1859-1946 (D/EX2982). It includes a notice of the stopping up of entrances or gateways into, and footpaths through, Thatcham Churchyard, 1859; a printed souvenir magazine on the life so far of Edward VIII on his accession to the throne in 1936 (with no mention of Wallis Simpson). Regrettably too fragile to be handled at present is E J Mecey's copy of The Vistula Weekly Newspaper, a publication produced by British prisoners of war at Graudenz PoW Camp in what is now Poland, 1918. It includes information about the bread substitute (allegedly composed of mushrooms, potatoes and sand) served in the camp, and its many non-food uses.

Meeting houses, mansions and flats: new for house history

We have catalogued deeds of properties in Bray and Reading acquired in the 1930s by Dharam Chand Wadhwa of London (D/EX430); these include the Braywick Lodge Estate, 1900-1929, and a block of 20 flats called Kendrick Court, Kendrick Road, Reading, 1937-1938. A small miscellanous collection (D/EX2623) included a sale catalogue of the Buckhold Estate, Bradfield, 1882; and deeds of The Meadows, Moulsford, 1934-1936. Another small collections of deeds of property in Charlton, Goosey, Harwell, East Hendred and Wantage, 1571-1864, includes Charlton House and Princes Harwell manor house (D/EX701). A mixed collection comprises deeds of premises in West Street, Reading, 1741-1893; and deeds and papers of the Ford family of Wyvols Court, Swallowfield, 1771-1931 (D/EX2989). Another small collection is of deeds of property in Clewer, Eton, Windsor, and Old Windsor, 1767-1936 (D/EX1050).

Another miscellaneous collection is mainly of deeds for properties in Wallingford and surrounding area, 1761-1953, including Brightwell and Long Wittenham (D/EX2876). The probate of John Wells of Slade End, Brightwell, gentleman, 1802, opens with the statement, 'It is my wish and desire that the meeting house at Slade End may be connected with the Baptist Church at Wallingford and preached in as usual after my decease without any Rent being paid for the same’. This was probably a meeting house registered for worship in 1796, partly in Sotwell and partly in Brightwell, to which John and his wife Ann had been among the signatories. Also in this collection are four apprenticeship indentures for Wallingford pauper children, 1761-1788.

A lease of part of the mansion house called the College [probably the manor house of the manor of the College of Shottesbrooke and later College House], Shottesbrooke is dated 1668 (D/EX2849). We have also received a small collection of papers relating to Caversham Rectory (the house later called Caversham Court) and Toots Farm, Caversham, 1796-1799 (D/EX2879).

Other newly catalogued deeds are for a cottage and land in Ascot, 1405 (D/EX2948); property in Burghfield and Reading, 1742-1844 (D/EX1015); Dyson’s Cottages, Spital, Clewer, 1839-1923 (D/EX2857); property in Drayton, 1833-1845 (D/EX2886 and D/EX2947); a house and land called Oaken Hedges in Enborne, 1625-1852 (D/EX2437); East Ilsley manor, 1882-1888 (D/EX139); property in Newbury, 1790-1973 (D/EX453, D/EX2963 and D/EZ219); property in Reading, 1831-1998 (D/EX2918, D/EX2919, D/EX2983); a mansion called Forest End in Sandhurst, 1887 (D/EX2933); Ruscombe House, Twyford, 1799-1893 (D/EX2891); and land in Upton-cum-Chalvey (now Slough), 1844 (D/EX2580).

We have acquired sale catalogues for a nursery at Calcot Gardens, Bath Road, Reading, 1903 (D/EX2927); and for various parts of the Craven Hill estate in Hamstead Marshall and Enborne 1976-1984 (D/EX2928). More unusual is the sale catalogue for the lordships of various manors sold by the Earl of Craven in 1966, which also affected the ownership of some of the manorial documents we hold (D/EX2984).

You can find out more about these records by searching our online catalogue. Simply enter the collection references given above in the Catalogue Reference field.