Southam on Fire
Southam on Fire - Dr Roland Raffell - Jan 2024
‘…it pleased Almighty God to lay a heavy affliction upon him by a sudden and fearful fire…his house burnt to the ground.’ Thus the local Justices of the Peace described ...
The Long Arm of the Law
The Long Arm of the Law - Dr Roland Raffell - Dec 2023
In Southam, the role of the local constable is evident from the seventeenth century, as responsibility for local administration moved from the Lord of the Manor towards ...
Smallpox in Southam
Smallpox in Southam - Dr Roland Raffell - Nov 2023
In the early part of 1765 in Southam, a series of tragedies involving the deaths of many people affected the town. The majority of these ...
Southam Zoo
Southam Zoo - Linda Doyle - Oct 2023
I moved to Southam in October 1975 and was interested to find the Zoo on the Daventry Road on the edge of town. It had been open to the public since 1966 ...
The ‘Battle’ of Southam 1775
The 'Battle' of Southam 1775 - Dr Roland Raffell - Sept 2023
In 1774 the building of the Oxford Canal reached Napton. The canal was routed around three sides of Napton Hill to save building ...
Southam Heritage Collection: How it all began
Southam's Heritage Collection: How it all began - Bernard Cadogan - Aug 2023
On Friday 18 August the volunteers of the Southam Heritage Collection invite you to one of their regular coffee mornings at St James’ Church. For anyone who has not previously attended ...
From Poverty to Vagrancy, Crime and Punishment
From Poverty to Vagrancy, Crime and Punishment - Roland Raffell - July 2023
In 1530 the government of Henry VIII passed into law an Act designed to deter vagrants from roaming from parish ...
Early Southam Medicine
Early Southam Medicine - Linda Doyle - June 2023
Of the many greatly acclaimed individuals in Southam’s history Dr Henry Lilley Smith, who developed the Eye and Ear Hospital in Warwick Road, was ...
The Coronation 70 Years Ago
The Coronation 70 Years Ago - May 2023 - Richard Clarke
Adapted by Richard Clarke from Rene Cardall’s article of June 2003. Following on from the Coronation of King Charles on 6 May, it is interesting to look back on the way the town celebrated the Coronation of the late Queen Elizabeth ...
Nuisances in Southam
Nuisances in Southam - April 2023 - Dr Roland Raffell
We have all doubtless suffered from ‘nuisances’ in our lives; however, we might like to spare a thought for our ancestors and neighbours living in Southam and the surrounding villages in the nineteenth ...
Civil War Loss Accounts in Warwickshire
Civil War Loss Accounts in Warwickshire - March 2023 - Linda Doyle
Much is known about the soldiers and battles of the 17th Century English Civil Wars, but far less is known about how the lives of ordinary people ...
Southam Union Workhouse
Southam Union Workhouse - Feb 2023 - Dr Roland Raffell
On the site of Southam Primary School in Welsh Road West, Southam, there once stood a red bricked and imposing Victorian building known at the time as Southam Union Workhouse. Built in 1837 ...