Buckinghamshire Archaeological Society

PICTURE (TOP):
Workers at
Marlow Brewery
around 1900.

  • Robert Kemp's ‘Memorandum’ – a Maltster's life

I Robert Kemp worked as a boy for Mr Daniel Baseley, four or five years in Nearton in the Parish of Swanbourne; then went along with him at Lady Day up to Dodley Hill, in the year 1805. I lived there for two years and a half and drove his horses, then went to my brother William Kemp at Leighton [Buzzard] for malt-making for one season.

I Robert Kemp came to Mr Thomas Simonds’ of Mursley at the end of July or beginning of August 1809, to harvest. Mr Simonds erected another Malting that year, so Mr Simonds hired me for one as he had two Maltings and two Maltsters. He drove on a deal of business, made six or seven hundred pounds per year. After being with him seven years he died. Then his son came over from Hockliffe.

I Robert Kemp was Maltster for him for nineteen years, then he died and his son Thomas Simonds succeeded him.

I Robert Kemp was still Maltster for him for fourteen years, then he died on October 27th, 1849. Then still for Joseph Simonds as Executor for a time.

I Robert Kemp was Maltster for the family for forty years and seven months, and now for Mr William Pitkin who has bought the maltings.’

•  The above extract is taken from Robert Kemp's Bible, a New Testament in which he filled blank part-pages. It was sent to us by Andrew Kemp, who is a member of the society, with notes on Robert Kemp's family and descendants.
Click here to read more...
.

And other historical resources...

17th-century pub on site of a medieval moat
An excavation report from the former White Swan public house at Westcott (pictured above right) – in Records of Bucks volume 50 (2010).

Recording Buckinghamshire's historic public houses
Our Historic Buildings Group recorded 124 pubs in seven villages.
Check out the Historic Pubs Survey. Can you add your local historic pubs to the results list?

From beer to bombs:
Wethered's Brewery in Marlow in World War 1, by Andrew Ford
– in Records of Bucks volume 57 (2017).

First archaeological evidence for medieval Marlow:
Excavations at the former brewery site on High Street,Marlow, by D Bonner and J Parkhouse
– in Records of Bucks volume 60 (2020).

  • Who we are:
  • The society focuses on all aspects of our historic county, working to protect and record our heritage and historic environment. Historic buildings and ancient churches, documentary research and landscapes of the past, local history – as well as archaeology and fieldwork – all are within our remit.
  • We are just as concerned about the present as the past: our members are active in assessing the impact that the HS2 high-speed rail line and the Oxford-Cambridge Express Way will have on the county's historic buildings and landscapes.
  • Our activities:
  • Our Winter programme of Saturday lectures is usually held in the County Museum in Church Street, Aylesbury. But since the onset of the Covid-19 epidemic our talks and presentations have moved on-line using Zoom, opening them up to many people beyond Aylesbury, beyond Buckinghamshire and even beyond the UK.
  • So the talks programme extended through Summer, in part replacing the annual Summer Outings to places of historical and archaeological interest. Instead we had ‘virtual guided tours’ of Hedgerley, the Grand Junction Canal and Brill, all on-line. Our Winter Lectures programme will be out soon.
  • Each year the society hosts the BLHN Conference – and this year is no different: we're just on-line instead. On Saturday 21 November there will be another on-line conference: HS2 Archaeology, with speakers from the sites along the line – watch our website for details.
  • Our Active Archaeology Group runs archaeology projects, including field-walking, site surveying, desk-based research and small-scale excavation. The group also holds a programme of evening talks and practical sessions.
  • Our recent publications:
  • Our annual publication is Records of Buckinghamshire, which members received free and others can buy on-line. It has been recording our county's history and archaeology since 1854.
  • HOW ONE MAN TRANSFORMED A TOWN: WINSLOW 1640-1770 AND WILLIAM LOWNDES is the new book for 2020 by David Noy. It is the story of an extraordinary man – and an extraordinary picture of how a Buckinghamshire town changed in the 18th century. Order your copy here.
  • POTS, POTTERS AND POTTERIES OF BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, by Michael Farley and Barbara Hurman, was out book for 2019. You can see and order this and all our publications on-line. Click here to view our publications list.
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