Northcourt
In a record of 1609, we read of the "Manor of Norecotte". At the end of the last century, old residents still called the village "Norcot."
An important feature of Northcourt is the Tithe Barn, once the property of Mr J.S. Candy, (Candy Dairies) and originally belonging to the Abbey of Abingdon. This must have escaped burning when, in 1327, the undergraduates of Oxford came over to help the Burghers of Abingdon in their quarrel with the monks of Abingdon Abbey. "A multitude of Scholars, such that were a desperate condition, and glad of any diversion rather than too study . . .being all armed, and guided in their way with burning torches, came first to the Manor of Northcote belonging to the Abbey . . .and all the houses there that were inhabited by the tenants they straightway burnt and plucked down." Others went to the Manor of Berton, or Barton, which they burnt.
Barton Court had borne the name the 'Kings House," and its ownership carried with it the duty and honour of entertaining the King when he came to Abingdon. Sir Thomas Read entertained Charles I and Henrietta Maria there several times, and it is said that at Barton Court they said goodbye to each other for the last time, on April 17th 1644, when Charles accompanied the Queen as far as Abingdon on her journey from Oxford to Exeter and France.
Later, Northcourt became the property of the Bowyer family, though fields were also owned by Admiral Swinboume, the poet's father (hence the name Swinboume Road). Northcourt House, built in 1805, presumably on an older foundation - perhaps that of the old manor - was the Dower House of the mansion at Radley, now Radley College, in the same estate. Sir George Bowyer (Bowyer Road) built the Roman Catholic church and Convent, the Nuns living at Joymount whilst this was being built.
0 n May day, until t h e early years of this century, Northcourt used to have a visit from the Morris Dancers of Abingdon; four or six men dressed in cut away tail suits and bowler hats, with ribbons tied round their legs under the knees, would bring a tall pole with an ox's horns on the top of it; this they would set up before their dance; at the end of the dance they would produce a large wooden bowl, which was filled with beer; they then drank the beer and departed. On Christmas Eve or Boxing Day there was also a visit from the Mummers; performing the traditional Mumming Play; this continued up till 1939.
Elderberry wine. Cowslip wine and Dandelion tea were all made in Northcourt. In the Vineyard, the street leading down to Abingdon, several of the old houses still had vines growing on them, which were used to make wine. The vines may have originally belonged to the Abbey.
An old fashioned remedy, recommended by old Northcourt people for a cut finger, was to bind it up with cobwebs. For a sore throat - let a frog hop down it.
The field on Northcourt Road, just beyond the brook (the Stert) is called Lammas Close. (Now a road) The Stert comes from Boars Hill and passes further on under Stert Street to the Thames. Northcourt Common, used to be called 'Rush Common' or 'Snake Common', as grass snakes are often to been seen in the spring. The field path that crosses it, coming out on to the Radley Road near 'Pond Heath', close to what were once the Monk's fishing ponds. These are still traceable in the excavated ground called 'Daisy Bank' (now built upon), on the other side of the Radley Road.
At the end of the last century there were stories of the ghost of a highway-man on a white horse, to be seen in Bagley Woods on the old road level.
The text above was taken from 'The Berkshire Book', compiled in 1951 by the Berkshire Federation of Women's Institutes and first printed in 1939, from notes sent by the Institutes of the County and edited by Robert Gathome-Hardy. Published by The Berkshire Federation of Women's Institutes, Watlington House, Reading, Berks.
Wool and Tanning
Abingdon has long been recognised as a centre for wool. In 1327 representatives of the wool merchants travelled to York to confer with the King about our wool trade.The first wool market was held in the town in 1328 and in 1556 a charter was drawn up and granted, for a woollen market to be held on every Monday.
In was in 1337 that the importance of trading in wool was evident for during that year a member of the trade was summoned to Westminster.
During the year 1400 two testers of hides and two testers of beer were appointed amongst other assorted trades.
In 1558 a loan of £100 was made for setting up within the Borough, the art of weaving and the making of sailcloth. The weaving of flax and hemp also flourished in the town during the 18th century.
In 1559 regulations were introduced with regard to the price stall holders had to pay for the privilege of setting up their stalls in markets and fairs. These events included tanners stalls and it is recorded in 1583 that ‘any foreign tanners who bought raw hides within the market of the Borough of Abingdon should, for every two raw hides, buy one tanned hide of good leather.
New Borough laws in 1600 stated that it was an offence for:
- shoemakers not to make their boots of well tanned and well liquored (made soft and supple by the addition of fats and oils), leather to keep feet and legs dry.
- a cordwainer or a currier not to ensure that the leather he had for sale was well dried, marked and sorted when sold on the open market.
- glovers or white leather tanners of white doeskin to make leather other than that which was well tanned and dried. Also it had not to be tainted, well sorted and sold at a reasonable price.
- a white tanner may not tan calf skins except that they be put to him to be tanned upon paying 20 pence for every calf skin. (In other words the tanner had to pay for the privilege of tanning such skins).
At this time The Square which now sites the War Memorial was the sheep and cattle market.
In 1609 a wool market held on Mondays was established within the town. Woollen clothes were said to have been made in Abingdon in 1343 by John de Bruyn, a burgess of Ghent, but it was in 1648, when the mills of Abingdon were in ruins, that the surveyors of the Abbey lands begged Oliver Cromwell to make provision for the people of the town to make cloth.
In the 17th century the organisation of the Freemen into companies began. Each company, butchers, grocers, skinners ect., had a Master and two Wardens and these gentlemen would fiercely police and punish anyone who infringed their rules. The Skinners were the last Freemen of the town and existed until 1835. In 1669 the group consisted of tanners, cordwainers, glovers, parchment makers, leather sellers, belt makers, cutters, saddlers and rope makers.
In 1689 a new law was passed making it an offence to lay raw hide on the newly paved flooring of the market. The penalty for not adhering to this law was a fine of three shillings and four pence to be paid to the Corporation.
A wool fair was sanctioned in 1838, to be held in the sheep market. Items sold included fleeces and skins and many, if not the bulk of carcasses were sent to London.
Transportation to London was achieved mainly by 100 tonne barges. Above Abingdon the barges were limited to seventy tonnes. The journey took four to five days with a return journey time of seven to ten days. Valuable and perishable goods were sent by wagons pulled by horses which took about thirty six hours each way.
Glove making later became a major employer in Abingdon, both from a factory and by out workers. The Savernake Glove Company sited in the Pavalova Leather Factory later moved to the Botley Road in Oxford.
Lamb fairs were held from 1850 until 1860 during the months of August, September and December. A toll of one penny was levied for every six sheep brought into the Borough for sale. To satisfy the thirsts of skinners and tanners in the town there were sixty four public houses in Abingdon in 1863.
First written by L.R.Liddiard December 1991 with kind permission to publish.
Abingdon United History
The club was formed in 1946 when a group of ex-service men decided that the town could support two football clubs. The first meeting to form the club was held in the local Anchor Public House on the bank of the River Thames, as there were no club facilities. They joined the North Berks League and within two seasons had won its Charity Shield. The following year 1953/54 they won the league and cup finalists.
The club had its sights on higher things and five years later entered the Hellenic League. Since then it has remained in this league and during this time had success in the lower divisions. In 1965/66 they won the Division One Challenge Cup and the following season were the cup finalists.
No further honours came the clubs way until winning promotion in 1976/77 to the Premier Division. After a struggle at this level, relegation back to Division One came after four seasons. With a more ambitious approach, the club bounced back into the Premier League where it has remained ever since. It also won the Division One Cup in the same promotion year. Senior status was achieved in 1985 allowing it to be eligible for the F.A. Vase, County Senior Cup and in 1989 entered the F.A. Cup for the first time.
A Members Room, Function Room, Covered Stand and Floodlighting were built in the following years to improve the off pitch facilities.
1996/97 saw the club complete its 50th season and its most successful. United won the final of the Berks and Bucks Senior Trophy and also winning the League’s Floodlit Cup. The highest ever league position was attained when finishing as Runners Up in the Hellenic Premier Division.
The following season again saw success come to Northcourt Road with retaining the County Senior Trophy, Hellenic League Reserve Championship and Allied Counties Youth League winners.
The last few seasons have seen United remain one of the top Hellenic sides but not quite challenging for the top spot.
Off the field great strides have been made over the last 10 years with improved social facilities.
With the help of an FA grant the old changing rooms were replaced 2 seasons ago with improvements including match officials having two rooms in case of mixed sex referees. Also a Committee room and bigger team changing rooms, kit room etc as well as the required outside toilets and first aid facilities.
Plans are now in hand for a new stand for 200 spectators
ABINGDON UNITED PROFILE
Founded:- 1946
County:- Berks and Bucks F.A.
Leagues:- Hellenic Football League Premier Division
Suburban Football League
Allied Counties Youth League
Honours:- 1952/53 North Berks Charity Shield Winners
1953/54 North Berks League Champions
1965/66 Hellenic Division One Cup Winners
1966/67 Hellenic Division One Cup Finalists
1981/82 Hellenic Division One Champions
1983/84 Berks & Bucks Senior Cup Finalists
1989/90 Hellenic League Premier Cup Finalists
1993/94 Berks & Bucks Senior Trophy Finalists
1996/97 Hellenic Premier League Runners-Up
Hellenic League Floodlit Cup Winners
Hellenic - Hungerford Cup Winners
Berks & Bucks Senior Trophy Winners
1997/98 Berks & Bucks Senior Trophy Winners
Hellenic League Reserve Champions
Allied Counties Youth League Winners
1998/99 Hellenic League Reserve Cup Winners
2001/02 Jim Newman Trophy Winners
Hungerford Cup Winners
COMMITTEE
President: P Evans
Vice President (Honorary): S Evans
Chairman: D Turner
Vice Chairman: A White
Football General Manager: J Blackmore
Treasurer: D Blackmore
Secretary: W Fletcher
Committee Members: D White, R Yuill, W Janes, B Watson
FOOTBALL MANAGEMENT
First Team Manager: A Slater
Coach: N Shepherd
Physio: C Janes
Reserve Team Manager: A Lovegrove
Assistant Manager: C Jones
An important feature of Northcourt is the Tithe Barn, once the property of Mr J.S. Candy, (Candy Dairies) and originally belonging to the Abbey of Abingdon. This must have escaped burning when, in 1327, the undergraduates of Oxford came over to help the Burghers of Abingdon in their quarrel with the monks of Abingdon Abbey. "A multitude of Scholars, such that were a desperate condition, and glad of any diversion rather than too study . . .being all armed, and guided in their way with burning torches, came first to the Manor of Northcote belonging to the Abbey . . .and all the houses there that were inhabited by the tenants they straightway burnt and plucked down." Others went to the Manor of Berton, or Barton, which they burnt.
Barton Court had borne the name the 'Kings House," and its ownership carried with it the duty and honour of entertaining the King when he came to Abingdon. Sir Thomas Read entertained Charles I and Henrietta Maria there several times, and it is said that at Barton Court they said goodbye to each other for the last time, on April 17th 1644, when Charles accompanied the Queen as far as Abingdon on her journey from Oxford to Exeter and France.
Later, Northcourt became the property of the Bowyer family, though fields were also owned by Admiral Swinboume, the poet's father (hence the name Swinboume Road). Northcourt House, built in 1805, presumably on an older foundation - perhaps that of the old manor - was the Dower House of the mansion at Radley, now Radley College, in the same estate. Sir George Bowyer (Bowyer Road) built the Roman Catholic church and Convent, the Nuns living at Joymount whilst this was being built.
0 n May day, until t h e early years of this century, Northcourt used to have a visit from the Morris Dancers of Abingdon; four or six men dressed in cut away tail suits and bowler hats, with ribbons tied round their legs under the knees, would bring a tall pole with an ox's horns on the top of it; this they would set up before their dance; at the end of the dance they would produce a large wooden bowl, which was filled with beer; they then drank the beer and departed. On Christmas Eve or Boxing Day there was also a visit from the Mummers; performing the traditional Mumming Play; this continued up till 1939.
Elderberry wine. Cowslip wine and Dandelion tea were all made in Northcourt. In the Vineyard, the street leading down to Abingdon, several of the old houses still had vines growing on them, which were used to make wine. The vines may have originally belonged to the Abbey.
An old fashioned remedy, recommended by old Northcourt people for a cut finger, was to bind it up with cobwebs. For a sore throat - let a frog hop down it.
The field on Northcourt Road, just beyond the brook (the Stert) is called Lammas Close. (Now a road) The Stert comes from Boars Hill and passes further on under Stert Street to the Thames. Northcourt Common, used to be called 'Rush Common' or 'Snake Common', as grass snakes are often to been seen in the spring. The field path that crosses it, coming out on to the Radley Road near 'Pond Heath', close to what were once the Monk's fishing ponds. These are still traceable in the excavated ground called 'Daisy Bank' (now built upon), on the other side of the Radley Road.
At the end of the last century there were stories of the ghost of a highway-man on a white horse, to be seen in Bagley Woods on the old road level.
The text above was taken from 'The Berkshire Book', compiled in 1951 by the Berkshire Federation of Women's Institutes and first printed in 1939, from notes sent by the Institutes of the County and edited by Robert Gathome-Hardy. Published by The Berkshire Federation of Women's Institutes, Watlington House, Reading, Berks.
Wool and Tanning
Abingdon has long been recognised as a centre for wool. In 1327 representatives of the wool merchants travelled to York to confer with the King about our wool trade.The first wool market was held in the town in 1328 and in 1556 a charter was drawn up and granted, for a woollen market to be held on every Monday.
In was in 1337 that the importance of trading in wool was evident for during that year a member of the trade was summoned to Westminster.
During the year 1400 two testers of hides and two testers of beer were appointed amongst other assorted trades.
In 1558 a loan of £100 was made for setting up within the Borough, the art of weaving and the making of sailcloth. The weaving of flax and hemp also flourished in the town during the 18th century.
In 1559 regulations were introduced with regard to the price stall holders had to pay for the privilege of setting up their stalls in markets and fairs. These events included tanners stalls and it is recorded in 1583 that ‘any foreign tanners who bought raw hides within the market of the Borough of Abingdon should, for every two raw hides, buy one tanned hide of good leather.
New Borough laws in 1600 stated that it was an offence for:
- shoemakers not to make their boots of well tanned and well liquored (made soft and supple by the addition of fats and oils), leather to keep feet and legs dry.
- a cordwainer or a currier not to ensure that the leather he had for sale was well dried, marked and sorted when sold on the open market.
- glovers or white leather tanners of white doeskin to make leather other than that which was well tanned and dried. Also it had not to be tainted, well sorted and sold at a reasonable price.
- a white tanner may not tan calf skins except that they be put to him to be tanned upon paying 20 pence for every calf skin. (In other words the tanner had to pay for the privilege of tanning such skins).
At this time The Square which now sites the War Memorial was the sheep and cattle market.
In 1609 a wool market held on Mondays was established within the town. Woollen clothes were said to have been made in Abingdon in 1343 by John de Bruyn, a burgess of Ghent, but it was in 1648, when the mills of Abingdon were in ruins, that the surveyors of the Abbey lands begged Oliver Cromwell to make provision for the people of the town to make cloth.
In the 17th century the organisation of the Freemen into companies began. Each company, butchers, grocers, skinners ect., had a Master and two Wardens and these gentlemen would fiercely police and punish anyone who infringed their rules. The Skinners were the last Freemen of the town and existed until 1835. In 1669 the group consisted of tanners, cordwainers, glovers, parchment makers, leather sellers, belt makers, cutters, saddlers and rope makers.
In 1689 a new law was passed making it an offence to lay raw hide on the newly paved flooring of the market. The penalty for not adhering to this law was a fine of three shillings and four pence to be paid to the Corporation.
A wool fair was sanctioned in 1838, to be held in the sheep market. Items sold included fleeces and skins and many, if not the bulk of carcasses were sent to London.
Transportation to London was achieved mainly by 100 tonne barges. Above Abingdon the barges were limited to seventy tonnes. The journey took four to five days with a return journey time of seven to ten days. Valuable and perishable goods were sent by wagons pulled by horses which took about thirty six hours each way.
Glove making later became a major employer in Abingdon, both from a factory and by out workers. The Savernake Glove Company sited in the Pavalova Leather Factory later moved to the Botley Road in Oxford.
Lamb fairs were held from 1850 until 1860 during the months of August, September and December. A toll of one penny was levied for every six sheep brought into the Borough for sale. To satisfy the thirsts of skinners and tanners in the town there were sixty four public houses in Abingdon in 1863.
First written by L.R.Liddiard December 1991 with kind permission to publish.
Abingdon United History
The club was formed in 1946 when a group of ex-service men decided that the town could support two football clubs. The first meeting to form the club was held in the local Anchor Public House on the bank of the River Thames, as there were no club facilities. They joined the North Berks League and within two seasons had won its Charity Shield. The following year 1953/54 they won the league and cup finalists.
The club had its sights on higher things and five years later entered the Hellenic League. Since then it has remained in this league and during this time had success in the lower divisions. In 1965/66 they won the Division One Challenge Cup and the following season were the cup finalists.
No further honours came the clubs way until winning promotion in 1976/77 to the Premier Division. After a struggle at this level, relegation back to Division One came after four seasons. With a more ambitious approach, the club bounced back into the Premier League where it has remained ever since. It also won the Division One Cup in the same promotion year. Senior status was achieved in 1985 allowing it to be eligible for the F.A. Vase, County Senior Cup and in 1989 entered the F.A. Cup for the first time.
A Members Room, Function Room, Covered Stand and Floodlighting were built in the following years to improve the off pitch facilities.
1996/97 saw the club complete its 50th season and its most successful. United won the final of the Berks and Bucks Senior Trophy and also winning the League’s Floodlit Cup. The highest ever league position was attained when finishing as Runners Up in the Hellenic Premier Division.
The following season again saw success come to Northcourt Road with retaining the County Senior Trophy, Hellenic League Reserve Championship and Allied Counties Youth League winners.
The last few seasons have seen United remain one of the top Hellenic sides but not quite challenging for the top spot.
Off the field great strides have been made over the last 10 years with improved social facilities.
With the help of an FA grant the old changing rooms were replaced 2 seasons ago with improvements including match officials having two rooms in case of mixed sex referees. Also a Committee room and bigger team changing rooms, kit room etc as well as the required outside toilets and first aid facilities.
Plans are now in hand for a new stand for 200 spectators
ABINGDON UNITED PROFILE
Founded:- 1946
County:- Berks and Bucks F.A.
Leagues:- Hellenic Football League Premier Division
Suburban Football League
Allied Counties Youth League
Honours:- 1952/53 North Berks Charity Shield Winners
1953/54 North Berks League Champions
1965/66 Hellenic Division One Cup Winners
1966/67 Hellenic Division One Cup Finalists
1981/82 Hellenic Division One Champions
1983/84 Berks & Bucks Senior Cup Finalists
1989/90 Hellenic League Premier Cup Finalists
1993/94 Berks & Bucks Senior Trophy Finalists
1996/97 Hellenic Premier League Runners-Up
Hellenic League Floodlit Cup Winners
Hellenic - Hungerford Cup Winners
Berks & Bucks Senior Trophy Winners
1997/98 Berks & Bucks Senior Trophy Winners
Hellenic League Reserve Champions
Allied Counties Youth League Winners
1998/99 Hellenic League Reserve Cup Winners
2001/02 Jim Newman Trophy Winners
Hungerford Cup Winners
COMMITTEE
President: P Evans
Vice President (Honorary): S Evans
Chairman: D Turner
Vice Chairman: A White
Football General Manager: J Blackmore
Treasurer: D Blackmore
Secretary: W Fletcher
Committee Members: D White, R Yuill, W Janes, B Watson
FOOTBALL MANAGEMENT
First Team Manager: A Slater
Coach: N Shepherd
Physio: C Janes
Reserve Team Manager: A Lovegrove
Assistant Manager: C Jones
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