Edward Fennell reports on David’s talk from April 2015

“My aim is to make stones interesting!” said David Spurling to a packed Hyde Parish Hall in late April. A tough challenge, you might think? But not really. David, who lives in Headbourne Worthy, is passionate about the stones from Hyde Abbey. He hunts them down with the true spirit of the adventurer, climbing ladders, peering into foundations and getting his hands dirty in rescuing them from the bowels of skips.

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Under the auspices of Hyde 900 there is a project afoot to research and document the lives of the soldiers of the First World War who are commemorated in St Bartholemew’s Church.

Apart from Regiment, Rank and Age, the intent is to explore the stories behind the names, to bring to our very comfortable and peaceful lives in Hyde today, a concept of the community during this time.

If you are interested in joining a working party; enjoy research –   ably assisted by Alys Blakeway and  would like to take part in what  promises to be a fascinating task, with an excellent group of  ‘ Hydeites’  please contact Caroline Scott on 01962853997 or e mail [email protected] or [email protected]

Equally if anyone has any information on any of the soldiers who so sadly did not return, all leads are welcome at this initial stage.     

Thanks to Steve Brine MP a group from Hyde900 was able to visit The National Archives (TNA) in Kew to examine key documents in the history of Hyde Abbey.

Hosted by Adrian Ailes, Principal Records Specialist at the TNA, the Chairman of Hyde900, Steve Marper, and Founder, Edward Fennell, along with five colleagues and Alison Lawrence from the University of Winchester, were able to look closely at some of the most important sources of information about Hyde in the sixteenth century.

The highlight of the display was the Valor Ecclesiasticus which was commissioned by Henry the Eighth so he would know how much wealth the Church had in England and Wales. This information was used to decide which monasteries should be closed and effectively sealed the fate of the abbey at Hyde because it revealed the considerable assets held within the monastic establishment (including those of the hospitality department!). The next step in the Hyde Abbey story was then represented by the ‘surrender document’ signed by the Abbot of Hyde, John Salcot, and the remaining monks when they departed leaving the abbey to be pillaged and pulled down by Thomas Wriothesley, a favoured henchman of the king. Read the rest of this entry »