HISTORY OF THE PARISH
CONTENTS SO FAR:
1 Selsley and Rodborough Cricket Club (now known as Selsley Cricket Club)
2 Excerpt from “Churches & Views of Stroud & Neighbourhood” Historical Notes by E Hulbert & P L Smith
3 Excerpt from Official Guide to Stroud & District
4 Copy taken from "Our Village" - Series by the Stroud News, 1956 PRIVATE
SELSLEY & RODBOROUGH CRICKET CLUB
a little history of the club by President D R Wager
(typed up/with occasional additional information by Clerk to King's Stanley Parish Council, Mrs J Roberts)
I am indebted to the following elders of the Village, now, sadly, no longer with us:
Col. Lawrenceson*, Mr B Hogg, Mr C Coombes. *This was how Mr Wager spelled the Colonel's name.
Much of what also follows must be considered circumstantial but is supported in later years by fact.
There is some reason to believe that Selsley Cricket Club was playing cricket on Selsley Common as early as 1820 but the actual whereabouts of the pitch is unknown, although Mr C Coombes informed me that early Church records refer to this. (He said the early records were kept at Gloucester).
During the mid 1880’s the then Lord of the Manor Sir Samuel Stephens Marling who was a great “Cricket Man” (he also built the Church, finished in 1862) set out to prepare a square on Selsley Hill where it still exists. Mr B Hogg was told of this by his grandfather who actually worked on the creation of the square, literally from the hillside. All work was done by pick & shovel, horse & cart, horse roller & hand roller. Mr Hogg was not sure whether the finished square was turfed or seeded but whatever it was it remains the same today & provides one of the best village wickets in the County. Selsley Cricket Club first played on the ground at Selsley Hill in 1886 & cricket has been played there, except the war years, continually ever since.
I first became connected with the Club in 1956 when Col. Lawrenceson was Hon. Sec. & Mr Harry King was President - in fact my first match was for the President’s XI v The Club. Since 1956 the Club has been hampered by a shortage of players; there seems over the years to this day a shortage of young people interested in cricket in the village - in fact a shortage of young people anyway!
In the late 50s/early 60s it was necessary to keep the Club alive by an amalgamation with Nailsworth Rangers; they had players but no ground; Selsley had the ground but were short of players. The name of the Club then became Selsley Rangers & the Secretary was Gunther Humphries. (Col. Lawrenceson was returning to South Africa & was rightly concerned about the future of the Club, so instituted the amalgamation). The Club thrived for a few seasons but then the old problem of shortage of players reared its ugly head and the necessity to do something again became paramount.
It was during this period that the Beeching axe fell on the Railways and the local “Dudbridge Donkey” branch line became extinct. The Club applied for the redundant wooden waiting room at Dudbridge Station & obtained it to extend the old wooden Pavilion that had sufficed for many years. Unfortunately interest waned and the waiting room cum pavilion was never re-erected and was left to rot in the grass beyond the boundaries!
In the mid 70s an amalgamation was formed with Rodborough Cricket Club who had lost their ground and so the name Selsley & Rodborough Cricket Club was coined and remains to this day. (As of 2005 when the club was once more reconstituted the name was changed back to Selsley Cricket Club as it is no longer amalgamated with Rodborough)
The Club is stronger today having a reasonable number of players, but very importantly it has the backing of a fairly large number of Vice Presidents, many of whom actively work for the Club.
In about 1985 plans were made for building a modern Pavilion supported by the then landlord of the Bell Inn, Selsley. Work commenced in 1986 but lack of support by the players (only a handful were prepared to work) and the inability to raise funds quickly became a real problem. This was coupled with the fact that Mr R Sparry, landlord of the Bell, left the district so work came almost to a halt. Out of the blue a benefactor appeared in the shape of Mr Edward King who became a Vice President of the Club and with his other VP friends, took over the project and completed the Pavilion, literally with their bare hands. The new Pavilion was opened in 1989 by Mr Peter West (the Peter West) and has been dedicated to Edward King, alas no longer with us.
During the period 1900-14 the Club became involved in League Cricket and won the Stroud League Cup on at least one occasion. Photographs of this period were put in trust at the Bell Inn but owing to the time when there was a procession of landlords, some appear to have been lost, but at least one remains and can be seen in the lounge.
Modern photographs can be seen in the Pavilion. All old photographs appear to have been taken in the Vicarage gardens, modern ones on the cricket ground.Since the last war the Club has become an ardent supporter of non-league, non-competition Cricket and refuses to become involved with the rigours of the competition game. We now play only on Sundays but our fixture list is improving and expanding and we will continue with our present policies.
The old wooden Pavilion was erected before the second world war but when it was built is not recorded; it would seem that before the first world war they changed at the Vicarage! Before world war two the pitch ran east to west but post war it has been prepared north to south. (As of 2005 the pitch is once more played east – west. This at least prevents problems with the drop off at the north end of the oval but means that a net is required by the wall to head off balls going onto the road.)
I first played against Selsley at Selsley in 1935 & the old wooden Pavilion was already there. The playing area was very much smaller, the outfield almost unknown & very large elm trees bordered the ground. These were cut down 1954/55/56.
Selsley Cricket Field has become very well manicured & the playing area has been much extended since 1956. Plans are in abeyance for a small lounge to adjoin the Pavilion; hopefully funding to build this will appear in the not too distant future!
For many years, especially during the 70s/early 80s, owing to lack of village interest, the Club was run as a “benign dictatorship” but in 1985/86 a committee of Vice Presidents was formed which now, with player representatives, forms a Committee. The Club now also has an active band of Ladies who provide teas on match days. One is responsible for the beautiful hanging baskets & flower borders around the pavilion.
An annual Presidents Day is held when VPs & players get together and visitors & old players meet at a Presidents XI v Club Cricket Match. A VPs lunch and a general Social evening are also held on that day.
Many flattering comments have been made concerning Selsley Cricket Ground but Mr Peter West remarked that he had seen grounds all over the world but not quite as unique as Selsley. “a very pleasant place to play Cricket” was one of his comments.
PUBLIC NOTICE if anyone has any of the following:- old photos, minute books, score books, old records, any information please contact the Secretary Mr J Gardiner of The Green Selsley Stroud Glos.
Here Mr Wager concludes his account but the following points are now added by the Clerk to King's Stanley Parish Council to whom the information was given. There are also several updates in brackets in the text.
·
Mr D Wager himself died in late 1995.·
Mr Edward King died in May 1991.·
Mr Michael Gregory who took over care of the Pitch after Mr Wager died late in 1998.January 2008:
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Excerpt from “Churches & Views of Stroud & Neighbourhood”
Historical Notes by E Hulbert & P L Smith
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All Saints Church, the Parish Church of the Ecclesiastical District of Selsley, in the civil parish of Kings Stanley, was built from the designs of G F Bodley (Associate of the Royal Academy) and consecrated by Dr Thomson, Bishop of Gloucester & Bristol (now Archbishop of York) in 1862.
The building, which is unusually massive, is in the Early French Gothic style, & consists of an Apsidal Chancel, Nave, Aisle, Clergy-Vestry & lofty gabled Tower.
The stained glass windows, designed by Messrs Madox-Brown, W M Rossetti & Lewis Morris, are noteworthy. The fine chancel windows represent the Salutation, the nativity, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection & the Ascension. The subjects of the 3 south windows are: “Christ teaching His disciples”; “Paul preaching at Athens” and “Christ blessing the little children”. The Rose Window at the west end is a “Mystery”, illustrating the Creation and the 2 windows beneath it contain figures of 4 Old Testament Saints: Enoch, Abraham, Moses & Isaiah.
The Organ, by Messrs Nicholson of Worcester, has 2 manuals, pedals & 18 stops.
The Pulpit is of inlaid marble.
In 1887 2 bells, by Messrs Warner & son of London, were placed in the Belfry. The larger one is inscribed:
“In Dei gloriam et in honorem Sanctorum, Ejus me d.d. Gul Hen, Marling, Bs., anno jubileo Victoriae R, et I., MDCCCLXXXVII. Deum jubilo; festa decoro, vivos voco; mortuos plango.”
and the smaller one is inscribed:
“Given by friends and parishioners of All Saints’, Selsley, in the Jubilee Year of Queen Victoria, 1887. O be joyful in the Lord. God save the Queen.”
The alterations effected in 1888 by Sir William Marling include a west entrance with carved oak screen, the conversion of the north tower entrance into a Choir Vestry, the heating of the Church by Grundy’s warm air apparatus and many minor improvements. The north windows of the Choir Vestry have been glazed with escutcheons bearing the arms of the late Sir Samuel Marling (founder of the Church), his son (the present Baronet), the late Rev Samuel Lloyd (the first promoter of the Church) and the Rev A S Page (the present Vicar).
Excerpt from Official Guide to Stroud & District
Selsley lies between Rodborough Common and Selsley Park - the last well-wooded demesne in which stands a 16th Century Mansion. Among the treasures preserved in this house is a Norman font of lead produced, so the antiquarians say, from the same mould as 5 others in Gloucestershire. This has 10 panels with unusual figures and scrolls.
Before having a look at the Church, do not fail to climb Selsley Hill, renowned for its numerous pit dwellings, for you will enjoy grand views from the summit. Selsley Church is a demonstration of the fact that the 19th Century could produce architecture worthy of the medieval masters. It was founded by Sir Samuel Marling in 1861, and the architect was G F Bodley, then rising into fame. The saddleback tower makes a well-known landmark. As for the windows, they are indeed “richly dight” but their panes and colours are so clear that they cast anything but “dim religious light”. They were the first to be produced at the William Morris studios and the designs were supplied by
Rossetti, Ford Madox-Brown, Burne-Jones & Morris himself.
Copy of inscription which accompanies the water-colour painting of the Church at Marling, a small village near Meran in the Austrian Tyrol (the artist A W Rimington 1905) hanging on the wall near the west door of Selsley Church, Stroud, Gloucestershire.
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It has always been a matter of wonder why a Church of this character should have been built on the top of the Cotswolds, so unlike any other Churches in the district. It is believed that Sir Samuel Stephens Marling, Baronet, who built the Church in 1862, must have heard of the church in the little village named Marling in the Austrian Tyrol (a name since changed to Marlengo when the parish was transferred to Italy) and that he instructed his Architect, a Mr Bodley, to reproduce a church, resembling as near as possible, the one in the Tyrol.
Mr Wallace Rimington, an artist, a nephew of Sir Samuel Marling, when he was in the Tyrol, visited Marling, and made a water-colour sketch of the church there for Sir Samuel, which was framed and is hung in Selsley Church.
Mr J W Colville, of the British Consulate in Milan, was asked in 1955 if he would kindly visit the village of Marling and find out what he could of the history of the church bells, to which some traditions are attached, and he reported as follows:
Marling Church has 7 bells of which the large one was cast in 1847 & contained a quantity of silver given by the villagers which accounts for its fine tone. The bell was specially blessed as a defence against hailstorms & the villagers had great faith in it & would have it rung for no other purpose.
When the Parish Priest died in 1927 the bell was not tolled, but by the time Pope Pius XI died in 1939, the villagers were convinced that the material effect of rockets against hailstorms was greater than the material and spirtual impact of the bell, which was, in fact, tolled on that occasion, and again when the last Parish Priest died. It is now rung constantly.
The present Parish Priest said that pure legend or superstition had led the villagers to protest against the use of the bell for any other purpose, except defence against hailstorms, and since the bell had been blessed for that special purpose he regretted that material progress had in this instance left no place for faith.
The bells at Marling Church are the original ones. They were considered historical and were not carried away for melting down during either of the 2 Great Wars.
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Copy taken from "Our Village" - Series by the Stroud News, 1956 PRIVATE
One shilling & a bunch of primroses was the annual rent paid by the Committee of Managers for the Public Elementary School, Selsley when it opened in 1865.
The schoolhouse & teacher's dwelling house were built by Mr Samuel Stephens Marling (later Sir Samuel Marling Bart.) in 1864 on his own land and let by him on a yearly tenancy. In 1876 a classroom was added and in 1882 this was enlarged.
On the death of Sir Samuel Marling in 1883, his successor, Sir William Henry Marling Bart., continued to let the premises on the same terms until March 1903.
There was a ceremony, now almost forgotten, connected with payment of rent. A boy & girl were chosen & sent to Stanley Park, one with a shilling, the other with a bunch of primroses which was presented to the then Lady Marling. The boy was given the shilling back for himself, the girl received a kiss.
With the passing of the Education Act 1902, Sir W H Marling let the schoolhouse (but not the dwelling house) to the Foundation Managers at the nominal rent of one shilling per annum. This agreement remained in force until the 1930s.
Until this time the school was part of the Stanley Park Estate, but on March 2 1938 Lady Marling signed a deed transferring the schoolhouse & dwelling house to the Vicar & Churchwardens. The school thus became a Church of England School for all time which had been the wish of Sir Samuel Marling. It was yet another illustration of the Marling family's generosity and of their affection for Selsley.
Col Sir Percival Marling, VC, CB., in his book "Rifleman and Hussar", wrote: "The earliest record of the Marling family is of Edward Marling of Minchinhampton, whose will was dated 1554, and there are a lot of records of Marlings in the old Church of Frocester (now demolished) including one of John Marling of Frocester who died in 1582 and his brother Thomas of Lasborough whose will was proved in 1585."
Stanley Park, which was the home of the Marlings for more than a century was described by Sir Percival as a "lovely Cotswold manor house dating from 1584". It possessed "one of the most beautiful group of stables I have ever seen, with the date on them 1692."
It was in August 1952 that Sir John Marling announced his "hard and difficult" decision to sell the Park. "The rising costs of repairs together with the high rates of taxation" he said at that time, "make the continued ownership of an estate like Stanley Park a luxury which we can no longer afford."Sir John, however, made special arrangements for the cricket ground, the estate workshops as a site for a village hall in case the Long Room could no longer be used for Parochial meetings, & the small orchard to the west of the Church as an extension to the churchyard to be still available to the village. The Estate, which comprised 4 farms & many houses & cottages, amounted to 600 acres, the woodlands extending to 85 acres.
Queen Mary paid a 2 hour visit to Stanley Park in April 1941 when she took tea with the late Beatrice Lady Marling. Also present to welcome the late Queen was Mr Stanley Marling, a son of the late Sir William Marling & brother of Sir Percival Marling, who now resides at Amberley & recently celebrated his 92nd birthday. A member of the Marling family built Selsley Church, which in 1889 was described as "unusually massive". Until the present Church was built, what is now the parish of Selsley formed part of the parish of Kings Stanley, both ecclesiastical & civil. It still forms part of the civil parish, but by an order dated June 11 1863 the district of about one square mile with a population of about 700 named the district chapelry of All Saints, Selsley, was separated from the ecclesiastical parish and assisgned to the newly-built Church..
Although we are told there is a locality known as "Old Church", there is no record of a previous church in the village & only a vague tradtition. The Church commands a glorious view of the Stroud & Severn valleys & it is because of this that the village gets its name - the Celtic "sel" to see and "ley" an open space.
About £1,250 was raised by subscription due to the work of the late Rev Samuel Lloyd of Stanley Hall, former Vicar of Horsley, who was the first to take active measures to promote the work. The additional cost was defrayed by Sir Samuel Marling who also gave the site. The patronage of the living was vested in him. The foundation stone was laid by the Rev John Gibson, then Rector of Kings Stanley, early in 1861 and the Church was consecrated in November 1862.
The style of the Church is early French Gothic, one of its distinctive features being the 107ft high tower, terminating in a saddle-back roof. The building is an exact counterpart , only smaller, of a church in the village of Marling, near Meran, in the Austrian Tyrol.
In 1888 Sir William Marling effected a number of improvements including a new entrance at the west end with a finely carved and panelled oak screen containing 4 doors.
The stained-glass windows are also noteworthy. The 5 chancel windows represent the Salutation, the Nativity, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection and the Ascension. (The windows were commissioned from William Morris in 1861 by the architect, Bodley)
Until 1885 there were perpetual curates at the Church. The first recorded Vicar, the Rev Douglas Middleton, was appointed in 1862. The Rev A B Allen, who was inducted last week, is the 11th Vicar. he follows the Rev J G P Habgood and the Rev W F Harley. Mr Allen, who was formerly curate at Stroud Parish Church, and who in 1954 accepted a living at Enmore with Goathurst parish in Somerset, is a former schoolmaster & was ordained about 5 years ago. He is also a well-known author. His Warden is Mr C G Coombe & the people’s Warden is Mr H P Steel. The latter has farmed at the Home Farm for many years & was a noted Shire horse breeders. His daughter, Mrs Betty Pullin, after the war gained some outstanding awards for cattle judging. Mrs Coombes is also actively associated in several church organisations.
The first Vicar Miss Rose Herbert (81) can remember is the Rev A S Page, a well-known cricketer in W G Grace’s time, & a grandfather of D A C Page who captained Gloucestershire some 20 years ago. Miss Herbert is a native of Selsley, born in the house where she now lives at the east end of the village. She is a staunch member of the Church & is a former member of the Mothers’ Union.. Though for some time she belonged to the Stroud Friendly Circle, it is now more convenient for her to travel to Kings Stanley. From her long life she can draw on many memories, among them the Old Drum & Fife Band which thrived in Mr Page’s time. It was led by a Mr Vick.
In the same row lives Mrs Frances Lucy Harrison, now in her 79th year, who has lived in Selsley for 53 of them, and another elderly person, Mrs Mary Knight, a native of Minchinhampton who came to Selsley in 1924. One of Mrs Harrison’s most vivid recollections is the bomb which dropped near the New Inn above here home during the last war. “I thought the end of the world had come”, she says. For the record, a second bomb fell on Selsley Common. The New Inn is unique locally in possessing an outdoor skittle alley.
She also remembers the Selsley Jazz Band, but for information about this disbanded organisation one must see Mrs Mary Hogg who started it. Mrs Hogg is now 77 & has lived in Selsley for 55 years, having been born at Woodchester. She will show one, with obvious pride, photographs of the band, from which it would appear that it consisted mostly of women. it was in existence for about 15 years & during that time competed in several local shows. Mr Burnall Hogg, her son, & Mrs Melles, her daughter, were also ardent members of the band, and almost next door lives Mrs Cratchley, another original member.
Near the Bell Inn, which has been run by Mr A G Williams since 1931 & before that (from 1902) by his father, a new bungalow is nearing completion. it is to be the home of Mr & Mrs Albert E Cooke, who in 1954 celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary. Mr Cooke, now 80, has lived in Selsley for the past 50 years. In his youth he played cricket for Kings Stanley & since then has been an ethustiastic pigeon fancier, being a former member of the Stroud Club. He is also a member of the Selsley branch of the Conservative Association. His wife, who lived at Bussage until her marriage, is one of the hundreds of local residents who have taken part in the “Stroud News” Treasure Hunt - with immediate results. Moving from an 8-roomed house to a 4-roomed bungalow, she has had quite a few articles to dispose of.
Close by the farm owned by Mr Harry King, whose story was told by the “Stroud News” last week in the “Personality” feature, lives Mr Percy H Hall, a native of Slimbridge, who found Selsley 60 years ago. For all but the last 6 years he has lived in the eastern part of the village, first working on the farm owned by his uncle, the late Mr William Hall, and later taking it over himself. Though he has officially retired, Mr Hall is still very active & a few weeks ago, unknown to the village, he started tidying up the Churchyard for last week’s induction.
Selsley has changed little during the lifetime of Mr Frederick Smith,79. He is a retired bricklayer & mason, last employed by Sir John Marling. Being a widower he is now looked after by his daughter, Mrs M L Jefferies. The only real change has been the felling of the trees on the left of Selsley Hill below the vicarage to make room for a batch of attractive bungalows. Mr smith is waiting for Wilfred Pickles to come to Selsley to retell his most embarassing experience which happened in the shadow of this former avenue.
It was about 60 years ago when a Russsian was roaming the district with a large bear. Mr smith was coming up the hill after working a late shift. There were no street lights - the only guide one had in the dark was to keep the stars between the 2 rows of trees. With his head in the air Mr Smith suddenly fell over the bear, losing his hat in the process. “I ran” says Mr Smith, shortly, “and I didn’t wait for my hat.”
About the oldest villager is Mr William Knee, 85 next month. He was born at Kings Stanley but has lived at Selsley since he was a lad of 12. Mr Knee has had varied occupations but tree-felling seems to have been his favourite. 5 generations of the family have had this job - his great grandfather, grandfather, father, himself & his son. He has also done miles of dry stone walling.
His son-in-law, Mr Alfred Elliot, was a machine hand at Erinoid for 20 years & for 20 years previous to that was a cloth worker. He played cricket for the Selsley Club for about 25 years from the age of 13. The Cricket Club is one of the few remaining organisations still thriving & its ground is one of the oldest in the village. Mr Harry King is the president, Mr A W Cook is Chairman, Col Lawrenson is Secretary & the Captain is Mr M Lusty.
On the outskirts of the village, near Mr Knee’s home, is Stanley Hall. In the second half of the last century it was the home of the late Col James Collier, a prominent resident of the Stroud disstrict. Later, for many years up to 1927, it was occupied by the late Mr Paul Jolly & then for a short time by Mr Patrick Bruce & then by Col & Mrs W H Long. During the last war it was it was the headquarters of a searchlight unit & was later used as a nursery.
Despite its size Selsley has no village hall. Numerous meetings have been held to discuss it but nothing definite has yet been decided. It was in November 1946 at a general meeting called, at the request of & on behalf of the village, by the British Legion, that the decision to proceed with a project was made & a committee appointed. At the outset the total cost of a hall was assessed at £3,000.
It is something the young people of the village could strive for so that when the next history is written the omission can be rectified. MSW Village.doc
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