Cotesbach Educational Trust

Those of us who volunteer to work on the Cotesbach archives tend to work in ones and twos. We rarely all meet up and the person we all rely on to keep us on track is Sophy who provides the overview and ensures forward progress. Sue Turner and I spend Wednesday mornings entering  indexed archives onto the computer, and we also take boxes home to index and transcribe. Just occasionally we discover we are making progress, the computer records are inching upwards towards 2000!  I think when we reach that number we might celebrate!

Amongst the sermons and religious correspondence there are some gems. A delightful account of a Victorian Wedding which took place in 1882 and sounds so very familiar, with borrowed veils, bustle, borrowed cutlery and cooks and lots of visiting relatives to be put up!   Also a schoolboy project on Greek History, written I presume by Rowland Marriott ( the dates fit) when he was in the Upper VI at Tonbridge School in 1917.  How strange that in the middle of that dreadful war students were writing about the history and wars of ancient Greece in such amazing detail. We keep digging!!

I started volunteering at Cotesbach in October 2010.  It has been an interesting first year. We have very nearly finished entering the 18th and 19th Century sermons on to Paula’s wonderful data base. I am now getting to grips with entering Receipts, estate, family, church etc. boxes and boxes of them to go !

Most exciting document for me so far? The handwritten Boer War  chart recording every camp of the 7th Dragoon Guards during their two year campaign in South Africa, a unique find. Sue Turner discovered the connection with Cotesbach, Major W. Maurice Caillard, (Sophy’s great grandfather) Even more exciting the Bodleain Library has letters which he wrote to his parents during the campaign. Oxford here we come ……… ?  Heather

You may have been curious as to whether we completed the 100 mile ride on Sunday 11th September.

Despite the displeasure of our legs, necks and shoulders and strong winds on the day, we are glad to confirm that we managed to complete the ride in 8 hours.  Simon’s performance was particularly impressive given his chain kept slipping every time he went up a hill.

Thanks to all of you for making such kind pledges, which came to a grand total of £555.  With your help the CET will take a few more steps closer to realising the vision.

“I don’t think you realise exactly what you’ve taken on,” said my husband when I told him I had volunteered to temporarily take over the admin for the CET website.  A week later and I’m grudgingly admitting that maybe he was right.  But after the heavy lifting it looks like we’re up and running on the squeaky new website with a brand new blog.  So let the blogging commence…  I’m Paula, by the way and I volunteer at the CET – mainly helping Sophy digitise some of the 200 year old sermons and annoying her with techno talk!