Enstone through the years
The History | World War One | World War Two
Enstone is an important parish on the main Oxford to Stratford road and is the largest parish in Oxfordshire, and includes the villages of Neat and Church Enstone, and the hamlets of Cleveley, Radford, Gagingwell, Broadstone Hill, Chalford and Lidstone.
Enstone was originally spelt ENNESTAN or ENSTAN. This spelling denotes Saxon origin, and means GIANT'S STONE and was either named after its situation on the River Glyme which, centuries ago, was known as the Enis or from the fact that their is an ancient burial ground at the uppermost point, situated at the corner of the Charlbury-Fulwell road. On this sacred Druidical burial ground (believed to be pre Roman: 55 B.C, pictured below) there stands three stones, One very large, one medium and one small and the legend is that many years ago a local man, riding his favorite horse and accompanied by his dog, was caught in a severe storm and all were struck by lightening and turned to stone. On a full moon they are said to return to their original state and roam the parish for an hour or so before returning back to stone.
The first Lord of the Manor for Enstone was Sir Thomas Pope, founder of the Trinity college, Oxford - Afterwards came three Earls of Downe until 1668. A sister of the last of the three Earls had married Sir Francis Henry Lee of Ditchley, and on the death of the Earl the Manor passed onto the Ditchley family. A descendant of the Lee family was created the first Earl of Litchfield and later on the Lord of The Manor became the Viscount Dillon when the families became intertwined (The Dillon-Lee's or/and Lee-Dillon's)
Up until the early part of the 19th century the Coaching industry to which Enstone was heavily involved withered with the onslaught of the Industrial Revolution and the coming of the railways. This meant that many people had to move away to find work elsewhere (such as to the Black country and up North) Main industries then were Coaching, Farming and Mills. In 1636 King Charles I and his Queen Henrietta came to visit the then famous Enstone Water Gardens (these were destroyed during Cromwell's rule after the Civil War)
The two important mansions near to Enstone are Ditchley and Heythrop - Ditchley belonging throughout the Centuries to the Earls of Litchfield, and Heythrop to the Earls of Shrewsbury, and later to the Brassey family who acquired it in 1870. Around this time, in the parish there were no less than eleven inns, five water mills, five bakers, three blacksmiths, two tailors, one saddler's shop, one Vet/Butcher, three carpenters, two saw pits, one slater and plasterer, one plumber and glazier, one house thatcher, one midwife and a Wart Charmer. The average Farm Workers wage in 1900 was 12/- for a working week of about 80 hours.
And so, on to War...
The Crimean War (1854-6)
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The Boer War (1899-1902)
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The First World War (1914-1918)
On the 4th of August 1914 this country declared War on Germany and the first B.E.F was sent to France - The German Kaiser dubbed the poorly equipped troops as the 'contemptible little army' From then on the members of this force were known as 'old contemptibles'. The county regiment was the Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry, which eventually raised no less than 17 battalions. Kitchener posters stating 'Your King and Country Need You!' sprang up in all the villages in Oxfordshire until in January 1916, conscription was introduced and all men between the ages of 18 and 45 were called up unless they were either unfit or had necessary work to undertake.
Food became very short and rationing was introduced later in the War, Women had to help on the Farms with Harvests and The Women's Land Army recruited Women from Towns and Cities such was the shortage of Local labour.
There were no Army camps in the parish, but the main road carried Military convoys and equipment from the Midlands and the North. Soldiers from Remount depots searched farms for suitable horses for the Artillery and Supply regiments. Farmers were compensated and later large numbers of Wild Horses from Canada were imported for army service. These were first billeted with Farmers until they could be ridden and shod when they were passed on to the army.
The Litchfield Arms Public house (pictured below) was used to house German prisoners of War who were loaned out to work on the land, such was the labour shortage.
178 men went to war from the Parish and 27 never came back. The War ended on 11th of November 1918 and life was never to be the same again with the introduction of machinery with the need to produce greater quantities of food and materials. Wages at near the end of the War for a Farm Worker were £1- (£1 was equivalent to 20 shillings ''/-'', there were 5 pence to every shilling) per week, rising to 25/- in 1918. For the next Twenty years of peace became known as 'The hungry twenties and thirties' with mass unemployment and poverty. This period started to break up the large areas of land owned by the few as they sold off sections to small land owners and tenants for valuable needed income.
The Second World War (1939-1945)
In 1937 War seemed imminent and factories and shipyards were put back into action as the country braced itself for another War. As 1939 approached every piece of land was ploughed up for food production (an extra approx. 1,000 acres were ploughed up in Enstone alone). Conscription was brought in and approx. 25 young men between the ages of 18-21 were called up - if you volunteered you had to remain in the armed services for not less than 5 years. Those who volunteered as Special Constables, Air Raid Wardens, and other civil defense duties included nearly all able bodied men between the ages of 45 and 70.
The W.I were given the task of assessing the Parish for accommodation for the reception of evacuees approx. two weeks before the War started. Accommodation for 200 was earmarked (over 50 stayed at the Primary School). At 12 noon on Sunday September 3rd 1939 the people of Enstone heard through their Wireless sets that this Country was at War with Germany.
Gas masks were issued to everyone as it was widely thought that on the outbreak of War that Gas bombs would be sent over - A gent in Enstone had been reported to still carry his mask until 1957! A complete blackout was also imposed - As there were no streetlights in Enstone this made little difference to anyone!
Conscription for men was extended to 50 years, single Women between the ages of 19 and 30 (no less than 45 Enstone Girls were called up)
Another important event was the construction of an airfield in Enstone - located on the Church Enstone to Bicester road - It was an important feature throughout the war.
After Dunkirk everyone expected a German invasion and so the Home Guard was formed and Guns were given up for the cause by Local farmers until proper weapons were issued. Road blocks were set up, property and Bridges were guarded and night patrols were made to look out for airmen.
One pig per family could be kept for your own consumption and you were encouraged to dig for victory to help the War Effort. Flowerbeds disappeared to be replaced with small vegetable plots and many children were encouraged to grow small amounts of food.
Once the War had ended there was a tremendous feeling of relief and little celebration - this war had been too close to everyone and, if it did emerge unscathed, Enstone had been well and truly in the front line. Rationing and conscription remained in place long after the War had ended and pretty much all aspects of Rural life had changed forever.