We recently unearthed a stack of magazines from Abinger that we thought we’d take a closer look at. We were looking for any information that we could link to our collections or archives.
Museum volunteer Melissa Schaupp read through each edition for us. Alongside the reports of local Cricket and Football matches and village outings, she discovered that the village was in an ongoing feud with the Rector which spanned most of the articles and was pretty amusing, culminating in burning effigies, costumes and impersonations.
Over the next few months, we’ll report on the story of Abinger, as told by its people.
August 1889 – “To climb steep hills requires slow pace at first” – Henry VIII, Act One, Scene One (Shakespeare)
An electioneering manifesto promoting the Abinger Rector is published, anonymously signed Puss in Boots. This begins a campaign war against the Rector and his supporters by the Abinger Record, the paper claiming it supports the community the Rector disregards and exploits, along with championing the Rectors main adversary Mr Evelyn of Wotton Manor.
The Rector opts to sell Glebe land almost exclusively to ‘Gentlemen’ to the displeasure of his parishioners and attempts to secure the role of ‘Poor-law guardianship of Abinger parish’.
Annual outing to Littlehampton of the Abinger Band of Hope (a temperance society) that still exists today as the Christian charity Hope UK. It aims to aid children’s welfare and has a strong anti-drug message.
Details of the Choir’s trip to Portsmouth. There were no adverse incidents.
There were, however, adverse incidents at the annual Abinger Fair. Held on the 25th July, was disrupted by a gentleman and four girls who believed the fair to be sinful.
‘A Relic of Old Abinger’ is found, the Bible of the old Abinger Workhouse. After 1834 unification it was pulled down and two cottages belonging to Mr Evelyn were built on the site in Abinger ‘Bottom’.
The complete version of August 1889 – Abinger Record.
