The STOKE GOLDINGTON ASSOCIATION ARCHIVE has grown and evolved continually from its creation in 1987.

The comprehensive records are housed in the Village Reading Rooms – shown below with the late Derek George, one of the original founders.

The 3 main sections are :-

A)  CHRONICLES

Assorted material filed in date order, covering notable events & activities in the village  and local area, from earliest times to the present day :-

Church magazines, newspaper cuttings, photographic diaries, Parish Council minutes, PCC Records, School Correspondence, Village Hall Records,  Events/Fetes/Fund Raising etc.

B)  DOMESDAY

Files for nearly every property and building in the parish.  The files hold details of historical owners, sales and major works including extensions, with many photographs.

ALSO Estate Agent’s details, when properties have come on to the market for sale.

The records are arranged in several sets –

  • Properties on the WEST side from Town End Crescent, up the High Street  to the Church and Purse Lane – the B526 road towards Northampton.
  • Properties on the EAST side from Springbank and Mount Pleasant down the High Street to the Village Hall  and the road to Olney – the B526 towards Newport Pagnell.
  • Eakley, a distant northern part of the Parish near the County boundary

Information on some of the largest properties in GAYHURST, Tyringham & Weston Underwood are also included:-

  • Historic Property Sale Documents :- Gayhurst Estate 1850 & 1912/ Tyringham House and Estate 1920 & 1999 /Horton Estate 1847
  • Farm Sale documents :- including Church Farm from 1918/ 2001/ 2023
  • Stoke at the Millennium :- – 3 large folders of photographs  showing properties and occupiers at the start of the New Century

C)  VILLAGE PEOPLE

Individual files for many inhabitants where either photographs or family history is available. Some files have comprehensive details of family histories; others contain the odd photograph or two.

PLUS Census and  Electoral details; recollections and  writings of older villagers.

  1. Census details :- 1841 -1851 -1861 -1871 -1881 -1891 -1901.   Cross-referenced by name and profession.
  2. Electoral Rolls for Stoke Goldington,  with some for Gayhurst
  3. Bliss Family Genealogy (local Innkeepers) by Bob Bliss
  4. The Works of Bernard Barton :- Contributions to “This England “and other publications – Correspondence – History of family – Grandfather’s photograph collection..
  5. John Boyden’s  Story of his time as an Evacuee in Stoke Goldington
  6. The Ron Kightley Photograph Collection :- Photographs of local houses including records of the building of the M1 motorway.
  7. The Jack Gould Archive  (The collected papers of a retired headmaster):- Northants Railway History – Wolverton Works – Canals Road Transport – Newport in The Civil War – Castle Ashby -Lace making – History of Salcey Forest.
  8. The Poems of William Moat :- The recorded works of the village poet.
  9. The Percy Bellamy Collection :- An assortment of his writings.
  10. The Gladys Clarke File :- Thesis on countryside matters – Lacemaking
  11. The Christopher George Photograph Portfolio :- A large collection of black & white and colour photographs of Stoke Goldington.
  12. The Kathleen (Kay) Thompson Collection :- Original artwork by the esteemed village artist   –  including scenery for the Pantomimes, the design and organisation of the Millennium Tapestry; covers for the Village Newsletters, the Village Sign and commissions for the Co-op Society with which she was actively involved. Also many photographs of Kay at work on the largest pieces.           (Received in  July 2024 after her sad death, aged 92)
  13. Samantha Mitchell :- A study of the Socio-Demographic Analysis of Stoke Goldington. 1989

D)  GAYHURST ARCHIVE

  • Gayhurst Papers :- Made available by The Trustees of the late Lady Carlile, which includes a set of 29 full plate photographs taken in 1893.   Various Wills, Letters of Appointment, Family papers and newspaper cuttings.
  • Gayhurst Manor History and its residents :- including the Mulso  & Wrighte families –  Everard Digby – the Carliles

In addition there are:-

E) PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORDS of  large local group events e.g. The Steam Rally;  Pantomimes; Scouts; Gardening club & National Celebrations

F)  MAPS & PLANS :- A large collection of O.S. and local maps showing topographical changes in the area and plans for alterations to buildings over the years;  Flood Protection Plans drawn up after serious flooding in 2007 and 2018

G)  EDUCATION  – Various Historical Papers And Registers

  1. Stoke Goldington Village School :- School Registers 1869 to 1974 – Log Books 1869 to 1958 – Various Annual Yearbooks – School Managers Minute Book 1903 -1915 – Evening School Records – School Correspondence various dates. Many folders of photographs from the 1960s
  2. The History of The British School :- Written as a thesis by Christine Kitchener recording the history of the first school in Stoke Goldington 1836 to 1847.
  3. Stoke Goldington Evening School :-  Registers 1885 to 1915

H)  CHURCH papers, including details of:- 

  1. Rectors 
  2. Church documents held in the Bucks County Record office
  3. Births Deaths and Marriages :- Transcripts of church records 1913 to date.
  4. Churchyard Memorials and Inscriptions :- complete list
  5. Bells and Bell ringers
  6. Sunday School Papers and Registers :- Various.
  7. Parochial Church Council :- A selection of records and record books
  8. Congregational Chapel
  9. Newport Pagnell Deanery Newsletters
  10. News From The Villages :- Complete collection of the monthly village newsletter, for the villages of  Stoke Goldington, Gayhurst,  Ravenstone  & Weston Underwood which became:
  11.  The Gate Group Church Magazine :- Monthly newsletter for the villages above  (which is now issued bi-monthly)

I)  LAW & ORDER – Civil Administration

  1. Parish Council :- Registers and Files Declaration of Acceptances 1895 to 1949 – Accounts 1896 to 1951 – Receipt books 1895 to 1938 – Minutes Various – Correspondences – miscellaneous
  2. Village Constables :- Service records with some photos
  3.  Magistrate reports of wrong doing by locals in local Newspapers
  4. Tales of Poachers

J) OCCUPATIONS – past and present occupations in the village

  1. Farming :- Church Farm, West Side Farm, East side Farm, Chestnut Farm, George Inn Farm
  2. History of Coaching in the village – to the 1840s
  3. Wesley’s Bluebell Coaches :- The history of a local company with over 300 photographs of their fleet. which began in 1921
  4. Coaching Inns and later Public Houses
  5. Garages :- Springbank / Gardner & White
  6. Stoke Goldington Water Company (set up in 1882):- Records – Maps – Plans – Minute Books – Correspondence.
  7. Lacemaking in the village &  The Armstrong Family
  8. Construction :- Brickmaking – Thatching – Woodyard 
  9. Dicksons’ Rose Growing fields and later Wilson’s Boat transport company, at Old Park Farm

K)  SOCIAL LIFE – Archived documents from the various past and present social groups

  • Pantomime Archive :- Scripts, Photographs and records of the two pantomime groups:-  The Newport Pagnell  “Bunch of Locals” who operated in the late 1940’s (involving many locals) and the GADS Group who  presented annual pantomimes from 1993 to 2007.  Programmes – Scripts – Songs
  • Steam Rally Files :- Stoke Goldington & Gayhurst jointly held a two day Steam Rally and Country Fayre from 1978 to 2007.    The S.G.A. produced the official photographic record of all aspects of the rally each year,  including aerial shots – approximately 350 photographs per annum. Also many Committee papers and marketing material.
  • Village Hall Files :-  A comprehensive set of files containing all the correspondence covering the period from the original committee was set up in 1965, through the period of construction to Jan 1976, and the 2 later extensions.  Also many committee papers.
  • Stoke Goldington Stitchers :-   7 x folders showing work on the Millennium Wall Hanging 2000 – 2002
  • War Memorial Committee :- Minute Books and Accounts from 1921 to 1948.
  • Allotment Association Records :- Minute Book 1903 to 1952 .
  • Village Social Club Papers :- 1939-1952 & 1950 to 1968.
  • Sports & Social Club :- Records for Football, Cricket, Tennis and Drama sections
  • Stoke Goldington Cricket Club
  • Stoke Goldington Football Club :- Account Books 1938 to 1948.
  • Thursday Club :- Assorted papers (passed to SGA when the club ceased in 2022)
  • Mothers Union :- Assorted papers
  • S.G.A. Records :- History,  Events,  Correspondence, Research  & Financial Records
  • Royal Commemorative local events :-  from Victoria 1887 to Charles III 2023

 

Gayhurst and Stoke Goldington (including Eakley) had been linked under the ownership of Gayhurst Manor since 1265 ,when Isabel de Goldington married William de Nowers    read more…

This formal connection was ended by the Great Sale held by Walter Carlile in 1912, but the villages have remained very close to this day. read more…

The archives reflect this with a large amount of material covering both Parishes, and some on nearby villages: Ravenstone, Tyringham and Weston Underwood