Newspaper article about the cancellation of 2023 Shirt Race, which had been one of Oxfordshire’s most popular social events was cancelled in 2023 , The historic Great Shirt Race at Bampton, organised by the Spajers (the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Junketing) - has delighted hundreds of people annually for seven decades. Cancelled because three committee members had resigned. Don Rouse, one of the organisers still in post, was Master of Ceremonies at this race since 1970. The modern version began in 1953 when village gasman John Quick, farmer Doug Read and fishmonger Paul Bevington dreamed up the idea of a pram race through the streets to celebrate the Queen’s Coronation.
These are a collection of records compiled by Lloyd Hughes Owens and cover many aspects of local life and people. 1247 local tithes; 1275 extract from Quo Warranto Roll concerning tenures; 1288 Bond of obligation to pay rent for Vicars' house; 1262 Grant of land in Chimney; 1307-8 Confirmation of the rights of the D & C to manorial privilege in Bampton; 1318 Composition concerning common pasture; 1308-19 Records in suit - depositions of witnesses etc - concerning the tithes of Standlake and concerning the burial of the people of Standlake in Bampton parish church; 1360 Judgement in a suit against the chaplain of Standlake; 1406 Memoranda about the burials of the people of Standlake and Herdwyck away from Bampton parish church; 1445 Copy of an earlier grant, exemplified by Edmund Lacy, bishop of Exeter by the Bishop of Lincoln of portions of the parish church of Bampton to the D & C of Exeter; mid 15th century Draft letter recommending Richard Daber as Vicar of Bampton; late 15th century Group of letters about the manor of Bampton, addressed to the bailiff of the manor; 1503-4 Reference to the rebuilding of the chancel of Bampton church; Repairs made in 1496 at a cost of £20 in the accounts spread over 20 years; late 15th century? Reference to a suit between the Earl of Shrewsbury and the D & C concerning common of pasture in Bampton; 1670 Certificate by Bishop of Oxford re William Hodge's resignation of the vicarage; 1691 Receipt by Mr Veysey for the court rolls of Bampton. There is much more information in this collection of papers.
In October 2012 the Bampton Environmental Watch Group had a wonderful talk given by John Leighfield on the history of maps and in particular maps of Oxfordshire and Bampton. It was very interesting to note that the first maps of Bampton showed the rivers and streams but no roads, showing the importance of waterways. It really is worth looking at the maps of Bampton carefully, you'll see just how old some buildings are, where the mill was in Bampton and Kerwoods Yard which was one area for the very poor with dwellings that had no land with them, they afforded the occupier a roof as opposed to 'the park bench' but no land on which to produce any food. It's referred to in early census forms and people come to Bampton asking where it is - it's on page 15 of this pdf
Scanned copy of old document containing extracts from Gardener's Gazetteer of Oxon 1852, Lascelles' Gazetteer of Oxon 1853 and Kelly's Directory of Oxon 1895. Listing businesses and trades in Bampton and surrounding villages, and the following surnames are included Adams Andrews Arkell Baines Baker Bateman Beckinsale Beechey Beresford Biddulph Bradshaw Bryant Bullem Burrow Butt Carter Chandler Clack Clifford Clinch Collins Cook Cook Cowley Cox Coxeter Cripps Croft Dewe Dickens Dipper Dumbleton Dutton Edgington Eldridge Evans Forest Fox Frampton Francis Frederick Gerring Giles Gillet Grove Hambridge Hardman Harris Holliday Hollis Hudson Hutchings Jackson Jeeves Jones Knight Lambeth Leforestier Long Lord Luckett May Miller Newport Oakey Patt Perkins Pettyfer Pinnock Pinnocks Plaster Pnnock Prior Pusey Reed Richards Robins Rose and Bullen Sellard Shepherd Smith Southby Sparrowhawk Spiers Spurret Steede Stevens Stone Swinburn Taylor Teall Thompson Townsend Trafford Vesey Waite Walker Walsh Ward Werman Whitaker Widdows Wilkins Williams Winstanley Winterborne Young
The Bampton Beam publication was produce 3 and sometime 4 times a year. This edition from August 1993 contained the following articles and advertisers. The August Fair The Charter to Hold a Fair CBL Electric Vehicles Bampton Horse Fair The Bampton Festival Letters to the Editor Flower Garlands May 1993 McKenzie Brown - Plumbing Electrical Bampton Fax Bureau The Romany Inn Quality Secretarial Service Bubbles - Dog Grooming Corner Cottage Services - Typing/Amin Janice Radley - Chiropodist J Temple - Hardware, DIY, Fancy Goods and Toys Bampton Driving School Just when did Morris dancing begin Small medieval houses in Bampton Bampton Horticultural Society Gardening Local Profiles - Hilda Kent, Margaret Howes Curtain Choice Andrew Bowman - Master Thatcher Health Matters J Godfrey - Funeral Directors Wendy Ellison - Massage SPAJERS Bampton Pre-school Playgroup The Children’s Society Oxford College of Further Education Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary Mother’s Union Badminton Bampton Youth Centre Batricar - Dawn Mansfield Bampton Environmental Watch Group Bampton Village Hall Step Aerobics The MS Society Bampton Cricket Club Fun Aerobics Class Paul Lappin - Decorator Arts Page Summer Opera & Organ Surprise Oxford Stage Company Pericles and The Comedy or Errors The Talbot Hotel MH Thomas - Building, Landscape Gardening and Fencing Contractor The Appliance Doctor Marks Kitchen Post Office Affordable rented housing New road playground Patient Charter Centre for Complementary Medicine A Fisket-a-Tasket - Flower Designs Proze Crossword R Cooper - Builder Road Safety School Children A Simmonds = Baker E Taylor - Funeral Directors Grey Gables Garage N Woodley Building Maintenance The Complete Engraver Ltd Diary of Events Bampton Directory
The Beam publication was produce 3 and sometimes 4 times a year. This edition from December 1992 contains the following articles and advertisers. Homelessness Bampton Schools The Library Letters McKenzie & Brown - Plumbing & Electrical Bampton Fax Bureau Stephen Hailes Plumbing MH Thomas - Building, Landscape Gardening and Fencing Contractor Bubbles - Dog Grooming Paul van Aardt - Chiropodist J Temple - Hardware, DIY, Fancy Goods and Toys Bampton Driving School The Misses Pombroy’s Establishment for Young Ladies CBL Electric Vehicles Ltd Bampton Badminton Club Mother’s Union Cancer Relief Macmillan Fund The MS Society The Pumpkin Club SPAJERS National Blood Transfusion Service Royal British Legion Bampton Boys Football Club Traffic Speed Constable Steve Patrick - Community Policeman Prize Crossword R Coopers - Builder The Talbot Hotel Curtain Choice Andrew Bowman Health Matters J Godfrey & Son - Funeral Directors Martin Drew - Chiropodist Windfall Apples The West Oxfordshire Observer Land Adjoining the Bampton Youth Centre A Simmonds - Baker E Taylor - Funeral Directors Grey Gables Garage N Woodley Building Maintenance A Fisket-a-Tasket - Flower Designs John King - Plumber Diary of events The Romany Inn
The Beam was produced 3 and sometimes 4 times a year. This edition from April 1992 included the following topics and advertisers.
A decade of change in Bampton: An appraisal Low Cost Homes latest Annual Shirt Race The Deanery: Restoration & Exploration Lime Trees in Broad Street Parish News Speeding Traffic Traffic Calming Parish Council Minutes McKenie Brown - Electrical Plumbing Bampton Fax Bureau Stephen Hailes - Plumbing MH Thomas - Building, Landscape Gardening and Fencing Contractor Home Made Labrador - Printing R Boland & Sons - Fresh fruit & vegetables J Temple - Hardware, DIY, Fancy Goods and Toys Bampton Driving School The Bush Club: Plans for the future Easter Services A New Sunday School Wanted: Singers for Church Choir The Gardening Column CBL Electric Vehicles Ltd Bampton Village Hall Bampton Youth Centre Bampton Environmental Watch Group Bampton WI The MS Society The Bampton Bush Club Bampton Swimming Pool Appeal Bampton Brownies Low Cost Housing Supplement: From Appraisal to Action Ridge & Partners - Chartered Surveyors Coleman Hicks Partnership - Architects Fisher & Townsend (Contractors) Ltd - Building Contractors New Playground Site map of Bampton Site plan for low-cost housing scheme Hedge Your Bets - Environment Appraisal Questionnaire Oxford College of Further Education Bampton Horticultural Society The Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal Bampton Pumpkin Club Bampton Wives Club SPAJERS Bampton Pre-school Playgroup Bampton Drama Group Arts - West Oxfordshire Arts Association Charles McCord Mussett Junior Beam Crossword R Cooper - Builders The Talbot Hotel Curtain Choice Andrew Bowman - Thatcher Health Matters - Welbeing J Godfrey & Son - Funeral Directors Martin Drew - Chiropodist Medical Matters Oxfordshire Community Care Plan 1992/93 Painless Surgical Operations at Bampton Centre for Complementary Medicine Happy Memories - Girl Guides A Fisket-a-Tasket - Flower Design A Simmonds - Baker E Taylor - Funeral Directors Grey Gables Garage N Woodley Building Maintenance Witney Grass Cutting John King - Heating Engineer The Romany Inn Bampton Directory
The people of Bampton always pull together when push comes to shove. Residents got fed up with the litter about the paths and lanes and organised a mass clean-up. This article gives much more detail about it.