Reference
AU10/80/3
Title
Letter from Edward Fielder at West Kilburn [Middlesex] to Andrew Underwood:
- he could not remember many names in photographs sent him by AU except the teachers [George Andrew] Ferraby, [Herbert] Studman and Miss Crick;
- Ampthill National School had a half holiday each 29 May - Oak Apple Day - marking the date of the return of Charles II to England from exile in 1660; unemployed men in the town handed boughs bearing oak apples out and later demanded largesse for them, the act symbolising Charles II hiding in an oak tree in Boscobel [Shropshire] after the Battle of Worcester in 1650, despite the fact that this happened in September and not May;
- a headmaster of Ampthill National Boys School was [William Slade] Day who was afterwards headmaster of a church school in Paddington [Middlesex] whose widow only died a few years ago in Kensal Rise, she had a sofa made about 1866 by John Ramsey of Ampthill;
- Arthur Low of Maulden [see AU10/80/2 as Tom Low] was taught how to play cricket by William Henry Anstead and became a noted bowler and wicket keeper for Ampthill whose team was formed by Mr.Lowther's sons from Ampthill Park House with "university chaps from Cambridge. It included an Indian Prince we called Ranji [presumably Kumar Sri Ranjitsinhji, Sussex and England middle order batsman] a wizard at cricket. Everybody knew him well. he went in first & to everybody's surprise, Arthur Low bowled him out first ball. The prince did not like it at all.";
- Samuel Swaffield attended Ampthill National School at the same time as the writer
Date free text
7 Jun 1956
Production date
From: 1650 To: 1956
Level of description
item