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    • OLNEY – A POTTED HISTORY
    • A CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF OLNEY
    • THE ORIGINS OF THE ‘COAT OF ARMS’, ‘BADGE’ OR ‘CREST’ OF THE TOWN OF OLNEY
    • OLNEY POST WW2 SOCIAL HISTORY
      • OLNEY POST WW2 SOCIAL HISTORY 1945 – 1960 (1)
      • OLNEY’S LEISURE PURSUITS 1945 – 1960 (2)
      • ANNEX TO PART 1 – A REMINDER OF SOME OF THE SIGNIFICANT NATIONAL NEWS EVENTS THAT OCCURED DURING THE PERIOD 1945 – 60
    • VE DAY 75 ELEMENTS COMPILED FOR THIS WEBSITE
    • BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR OLNEY HISTORY
  • FAM HIST
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  • TRAILS
    • ALL ODHS HERITAGE TRAILS
    • OLNEY MARKET PLACE – HERITAGE TRAIL (SMARTPHONE/AUDIO 2021 VERSION)
    • OLNEY HIGH STREET – HERITAGE TRAIL (SMARTPHONE/AUDIO 2020 VERSION)
    • OLNEY HIGH STREET – HERITAGE TRAIL
    • A LACE WALK AROUND OLNEY
    • TOUR OF OLNEY MARKET PLACE 1800s – 1950s
  • E KNIGHT
    • (Click here for) FULL LIST OF ELIZABETH KNIGHT’S ARTICLES
    • ELIZABETH KNIGHT’S SCHOOL RESEARCHES
      • SAMUEL TEEDON’S SCHOOL (1775 – 1798)
      • MRS SAMPLE’S BOARDING SCHOOL FOR GIRLS (c.1790 – c.1809)
      • MISS MABLEY’S AND MRS BEESLEY’S BOARDING SCHOOL (c.1811 – c.1870)
      • MRS MAYES AND OTHER VICTORIAN SCHOOL MISTRESSES
      • THOMAS HADDON’S AND OTHER SCHOOLS FOR BOYS c.1798 – c.1840
      • WALTER PENNINGTON STORER’S ST. GEORGE’S COLLEGE
      • THOMAS WRIGHT AND HIS COWPER SCHOOL (1882 – 1915)
    • MY INTRODUCTION TO THE LACEMAKING PAGES
      • A LACE WALK AROUND OLNEY
      • ELIZABETH KNIGHT’S TALK ON HARRY ARMSTRONG
      • HARRY ARMSTRONG AND THE BUCKS COTTAGE WORKERS’ AGENCY
      • CIS ELDERTON AT HARRY ARMSTRONG’S LACE FACTORY
  • FEATURES
    • (Click here for) THE FULL LIST OF FEATURES
    • OLNEY POST WW2 SOCIAL HISTORY
      • OLNEY POST WW2 SOCIAL HISTORY 1945 – 1960 (1)
      • OLNEY’S LEISURE PURSUITS 1945 – 1960 (2)
      • SIGNIFICANT NATIONAL INFLUENCES 1945 – 1960 (3)
    • TOM GARNER’S WW1 DIARY
      • TOM GARNER’S FIRST WORLD WAR DIARY – PREFACE
      • 1 SAIL TO ARCHANGEL 26 Nov 1915 – 31 May 1916
      • 2 ARCHANGEL TO THE TURKISH FRONT 1 June – 17 Oct 1916
      • 3 ROUMANIAN AND AUSTRIAN FRONTS 17 Oct 1916 – 12 Nov 1917
      • 4 JOURNEY TO BAGHDAD 31 Jan – 18 May 1918
      • 5 BAGHDAD & THE JOURNEY TO BAKU 18 May – 5 Aug 1918
      • 6 BAKU AND THE TURKISH FRONT 5 Aug – 11 Nov 1918
      • 7 THE LONG JOURNEY HOME 11 Nov 1918 – 15 Mar 1919
      • THREE OF TOM GARNER’S WW1 LETTERS HOME
      • REPORT IN THE DAILY TELEGRAPH – 4 OCTOBER 1916
    • J J GARNER – ‘DRAPER EXTRAORDINAIRE’
      • INTRODUCTION & SUMMARY
      • THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SHOP FRONT
      • ROMANCE OF A VILLAGE SHOP
      • DIARY ENTRIES (1) 1903 – 1941
      • DIARY ENTRIES (2) STAFF AND OLNEY PEOPLE
      • DIARY ENTRIES (3) WW2 & SHOPS IN MARKET PL.
      • CONNECTIONS WITH THE POET COWPER
      • JUBILEE OF THE BUSINESS
      • CHURCH HONOURS
      • MR J J GARNER’S FUNERAL
      • THE LATER YEARS
    • OLNEY ROLLER MILL & THE GUDGINS
      • OLNEY ROLLER MILL AND THE GUDGIN FAMILY
      • ALBERT GUDGIN & HIS FAMILY AT OLNEY MILL
      • MESSRS A GUDGIN & CO. – COWPER ROLLER MILLS
    • JW&E SOWMAN LTD – IRONMONGERS, ETC
      • FULL LIST OF ‘SOWMAN’ PAGES
      • INTRODUCTION TO PART 1
      • ESTABLISHING THE BUSINESS
      • SPONSORS & PARENTS
      • BROTHER FOUNDERS
      • THE TRIMMER CONNECTION
      • FOUNDERS’ CHILDREN
      • THE COWPER SCHOOL
      • EARLY EMPLOYEES
      • FIRM’S DINNERS, VISITS & SHOWS
      • EARLY ADVERTISING & NOTICES
      • SOWMANS IS SOLD
      • INTRODUCTION TO PART 2
      • LIFE IN THE OFFICE
      • THE BUSINESS
      • THE MAIN SHOPS
      • OTHER OUTLETS
      • AND FINALLY
  • ARTICLES
    • ARTICLES
    • THE OLNEY FLORAL FIESTA 1965 – 2006
    • A SELECTION OF OLNEY POSTCARDS
    • THE ‘COAT OF ARMS’, ‘BADGE’ OR ‘CREST’ OF THE TOWN OF OLNEY
    • RELIVE GEORGIAN LIFE – OLNEY
    • A CINEFILM VIEW FROM OLNEY CHURCH SPIRE IN 1971
    • NUMBERS 67 & 69 HIGH STREET – ORCHARD HOUSE
    • RATCLIFF’S BOOK ‘OLNEY, BUCKS’ 1907 – TURNING PAGE VERSION
    • COWPER’S JOHN GILPIN – AN ILLUSTRATED EDITION 1925
    • EDGAR R MOBBS DSO (1882-1917) – LEGENDARY SOLDIER SPORTSMAN
    • ALFRED CHARLES MILLWARD – WW1 FATALITY
    • LMS RAILWAY: NORTHAMPTON-OLNEY-BEDFORD : IVOR NEALE
    • BRIAN (CHARLIE) MYNARD’S WARTIME SCHOOLDAYS
    • CIS ELDERTON AT HARRY ARMSTRONG’S LACE FACTORY
    • JOHN LORD AND JOHN LORD (AND JOHN LORD)
    • OLNEY CONVENT SCHOOL 1903 – 1956
    • THE CALAMITOUS FIRE AT OLNEY – 26 JUNE 1854
    • THE ELECTRIC CINEMA, OLNEY
    • PERCY WRIGHT – THREE LETTERS TO FRIENDS ON LOCAL HISTORY
    • THE RUFFHEADS OF OLNEY
    • GREAT OAKS FROM LITTLE ACORNS GROW – RAY CLIFTON
    • DARTMOUTH HOUSE – NOTES AND DISCOVERIES
    • JANE JOHNSON (1706-59) – AVID OLNEY READER AND WRITER
    • OLNEY POST OFFICE IN THE 1940’s & 1950’s
    • PROGRAMME OF FESTIVITIES AT OLNEY FOR CORONATION OF QE11
    • OLNEY AMATEUR ATHLETIC SPORTS 1878
    • PIGEON RACE FROM OLNEY STATION ON 27 JANUARY 1873
    • THE LIFE AND WORKS OF THOMAS WRIGHT (1859 – 1936)
    • SUMMARY BLOGS – ‘IN LIVING MEMORY’ SERIES – OLNEY HIGH STREET
      • SUMMARY BLOG (No. xx) – OLNEY LACE FACTORY (1928 – 1943)
      • THE LACE FACTORY – SUMMARY BLOG
      • THE NEW HALL AND ELECTRIC CINEMA – SUMMARY BLOG
      • CLIFTON HOUSE – SUMMARY BLOG
    • PREFACE TO THE OLNEY PARISH REGISTER 1665 TO 1812
    • OLNEY PLATINUM JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS – A GALLERY
  • WAR MEM.
    • OLNEY’S WAR MEMORIAL
    • 1ST WORLD WAR
    • 2ND WORLD WAR
  • C&N MUS

FULL LIST OF ‘SOWMAN’ PAGES

The following is a full list of the ‘Sowman’ pages. To access a page please click the relevant title.

Introduction to Part 1, The First 50 Years (1880s to 1930s)

Establishing the Business

The Sowman Family Tree

Agricultural Engineering Article – 1922

Extract from Oliver Ratcliff’s 1907 Book

Sponsors and Parents

Brother Founders

The Trimmer Connection

Founder’s Children

The Cowper School

Early Employees

Firm’s Dinners, Visits and Shows

Early Advertising & Notices

Sowmans is Sold

Introduction to Part 2, Post WW2 to the 1960s (& to 1984)

Life in the Office

The Business

The Main Shops

Other Outlets and Stores

And Finally

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