bvhrs

The Bourne Valley Historical and Record Society, one of the oldest groups of its kind in the area, held its inaugural meeting on February 3rd, 1948. Initially, there were 12 founding members: Rev. and Mrs Blair, Commander and Mrs Skyrme, Mrs Sassoon, Mrs Piggot, Mr B F White, Mr A Bray, Mr John Musty, Mr S Rogers, Mr J E Rowden, and Mr C H Bray. Dr Stone, an archaeologist of international renown who had resided in the village since 1928, became the society's first President. The society's initial aims were to gather information about the district's history with the goal of publishing a comprehensive history, to aid in the preservation of documents, maps, prints, and ancient monuments, and to preserve any donated documents. For the first 38 years, meetings were held in members' homes, primarily focused on discussing new materials and transcribing them into record books.

A pivotal figure in the early days was Charlie Bray, the first secretary. An electrician at Porton Down, Mr. Bray dedicated his spare time to researching local history, even teaching himself Latin and Old English to transcribe ancient documents. In 1951, the first chapter of his book, “The History of Winterbourne Appeared,” was published, followed by 26 quarterly installments. Tragically, in 1959, Charlie Bray passed away after a cycling accident on his way to a BVHS meeting. As he died intestate, his possessions, including his extensive library and the Society's archives, were confiscated by the Treasury Solicitor but later reclaimed. The society continued its work, and in 1986, the significant task of cataloging its records began, concluding in 1989. The opening of the new Glebe Hall in 1990 provided a dedicated space for meetings and, eventually, proper storage for the archives after an extension was built. More recently, the creation of a website by archivist Tony Goodenough brought the Society into the digital age. Current Archivist, Angela Armstrong, undertook the mammoth task of digitizing the entire archive, creating a superbly well-organized and searchable database. As the society approaches its 75th anniversary, it continues to thrive and attract new members, a testament to the dedication of countless individuals throughout its history.