| An 1866 thank-you letter to go on display |
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Sutton Veny website
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The exhibition:
 Venue: The Village Hall, Sutton Veny.
Time:
Saturday 6th April
10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday 7th April
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Admission £2 for adults and 50p for children. |
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| | A village near Warminster is reaching into the past in order to raise money for the future.
Sutton Veny village hall needs modernising, and an exhibition of local memorabilia is being staged to boost funds.
Jill Russell, one of the exhibition's organisers, has been interviewing residents and gathering information about the village's past and its people for many years.
The result is a formidable collection of memorabilia including photographs, letters and documents showing over a century of village life before 1960.
"It's my particular interest and passion - I'm more interested in the everyday life of everyday people," says Jill.
 | | Soldiers at Sutton Veny Military Camp in 1916 and nurse Mary Pleydell Bouverie of Heytebury, one of three sisters who nursed there. |
One of the centre pieces of the exhibition is a copy of a 4'6" long roll of parchment.
The scroll is a 'thank-you' letter written in 1866 by the whole village.
The letter is a thank-you to a Mrs. Joseph Everett for her generosity in buying a new parish church - St. Johns the Evangelist - for the village.
The letter was signed by over 150 residents and local dignitaries including Jane Major the landlady of the local pub.
Jane signed her marriage certificate with just a cross. By 1866, however, she had learnt how to write and her full name appears on the parchment.
Other exhibits come under headings ranging from childhood and home to wartime and the arts.
School photos from 1872 onwards are part of the childhood in the 1940's display and news clippings, local accounts and snapshots are included in the Parish Panorama section.
An arts section highlights work from local artists such as Sir William Nicholson.
Sir William was commissioned to create murals for Queen Mary's Dolls house and was knighted for his efforts.
It is hoped that admission charges and commission on the sale of some of the exhibits will cover the cost of modernising and improving the 30-year-old Village Hall.
The organisers are hoping to be able to provide proper facilities for the many people who use the hall. | | | |
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