Glemsford Brass Band

The Glemsford Brass Band does not occur very often in the written annals of the village's History, but those references that do occur provide fascinating glimpses:

• Richard Deeks has a picture of the Band in 1893 in the Introduction to "Glorious Glemsford";
• in "The Matmaker and the Magistrate", Richard describes the Band leading the marchers as they set off to Melford;
• he also describes the Band greeting Henry Cook back to the village after his trial;
• and, again, Henry Cook is described as inviting the Band to play outside his house at Christmas - http://www.glemsford.org.uk/2008_03_01_lhsarchive.html;
• in the correspondence between Minnie Brown and Mrs Savage, the Band is shown as not being universally welcomed (!);
• there is an oblique reference to the Perseverance Brass Band in the Board School Minutes;
• and there are references to the Band in the newspaper extracts held on the Foxearth site.

Now I have been approached by David Cawdell, of the Lexden History Group, who says:

I am a brass band historian and am researching the histories of 'lost' village brass bands in Suffolk.

In the 1900's there estimated to be around 20,000 brass bands in the UK; nearly every village had one, towns had several, cities had dozens. Today there are only about 2,000, so somewhere there must be an awful lot of instruments, and memories, tucked away in attics and cupboards.

The village brass band was an important element in the social and religious life of the village, playing at fetes, harvest festivals, Christmas carolling etc. and it is an aspect that, I feel, should be recorded in print for future generations of historians.

I have recently finished researching the histories of the 'lost' village bands in North Essex and have written up their history in a book entitled "Grandad played the Cornet". I would now like to do the same for village bands in Suffolk.

I believe that your village had a brass band ... . Any further details or photographs or the name of a local resident who could help in my research would be greatly appreciated.

I have already sent him details of what I know, but if anyone has any other information, however small or seemingly unimportant, perhaps you could let me know, and I will forward it to David.

SC

Lest we forget

At this time of year, it seems apt to remind visitors of Glemsford's own contribution to the two World Wars.

The village war memorial acts as a constant pointer, and I hope the notes here are appreciated too: I am updating them as I receive more information.

SC

110 Years Ago - a snapshot

Pursuing, yet again, the lives of ordinary Glemsford people, doing ordinary things, in ordinary ways, I ran across another set of entries in the Glemsford Infants School Logbook, for October/November 1898:

31st October
Of the three girls from the Girls' School, who were appointed "on trial" at the last Board Meeting, Laura Copsey only took up the duties for one week, not wishing to return; Pollie Playle has done fairly, and Constance Reeve well. The latter shows both aptitude and liking for the work, so far.

Nov 7/98 School Inspected

[signed] HWClaughton

Nov. 8. 1898 School visited during H. M. Inspector's visit yesterday, by Rev. H.Hall.
Constance Reeve was appointed on Nov. 1 (at the Board Meeting) Monitress, with a view to becoming probationer at the commencement of the next school year.

Nov. 11. 1898 The customary half holiday after the Head Inspector's visit, was granted for this, Friday afternoon. School was therefore closed at 12 o'clock, noon.

In those days, Schools could expect annual inspections, normally from the same Inspector year on year, and the financial security of the School and Head Teacher could depend on the outcome.

All three of the girls "on trial" as would-be teachers appear in the Census of 1901, and their entries make interesting reading compared with these career ambitions 3 years earlier!

Laura Copsey, who only stuck at it for a week, was the younger daughter of Cornelius and Hannah Copsey, who lived on Tye Green. In 1901, Laura's occupation is not mentioned, but her age is given as 16 - so: she was 13 at most when she decided teaching was not for her! Not that the work was unusual for the family. Her older sister Bessie was a "pupil teacher" in 1901, and Cornelius was "Attendant [sic] Officer and Caretaker".

Pollie Playle ("Polly" on the Census) lived, in 1901, on Fair Green, when she was 15. Having done "fairly" at the time of the 1898 Inspection, she seems not to have pursued the career either - no occupation is listed. She was living with her parents, William, a "Horse Hair Curler", and Sarah. Also at home were her brothers Walter (28) and Wallace (18) - a "School Teacher".

Wallace Playle is named on Glemsford's War Memorial. Although I have no precise details (nor absolute proof) at present, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission web site lists a Corporal Wallace Edward George Playle, of the London regiment (First Surrey Rifles) as one of the many without a known grave, having died 8 October 1916, and commemorated on the memorial at Thiepval. Since the birth registers for 1883 record the birth of Wallace Edward G. Playle in the Sudbury district, I strongly suspect this is Polly's brother. The Somme accounted for so many.

Constance Reeve was the daughter of Police inspector Robert Reeve and his wife Rachel. She had a sister Hilda and brothers Albert and Leslie. The family lived in the Police House on Fair Green. In line with what one might expect from such work, the family seem to have moved around. Robert was born in Blythburgh, his wife in Hengrave and the children in Whepstead. I find it particularly interesting that, in 1901, Constance was only 15, but was a School Teacher - Pupil.
So, when she'd been assessed as having aptitude for teaching, in 1898, she would not have been much more than 12 years old!

Ordinary people, ordinary lives, but fascinating.

Further details of Glemsford's Infant School are available here: http://www.glemsford.org.uk/school1.html

Steve Clarke, November 2008