Tag: Duddington

Rutland - Market Overton - Ancient Village Stocks!

Rutland: Ancient Village Stocks & Whipping Post on Market Overton Green! (25.10.2025)

In the old days, the local Courts would often sentence local people to a set-time in the Stocks. With their hands and feet firmly manacled into the device – the interested village population could take it in-turns to throw rotten fruit and vegetables – together with animal waste and other such horrible substances, at the condemned. This was at a time when long sentences of imprisonment were not yet used as a punishment. This treatment was designed to be so humiliating that a villager would not dare commit a similar crimnal act in the future – or at least that was the intention.

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Moses Roper - Escaped US Slave!

Email: Stamford Mercury [October 1839] Remembering English Civility and the Case of Escaped African-Slave – “Moses Roper”!

The village my father comes from is in this area of Northamptonshire (Duddington) – where the Wyles family has lived since 1500 and before. When visiting Stamford Library in 2009 on a research trip – I acquired this article – originally stored on microfilm. Here is the story of Moses Roper – an African slave who escaped from the US and made his way to England – where he was given his freedom and an education. Of course, none of this makes up for slavery, but given the crimes we have committed against Africans, every ray of light matters! 

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A Postcard from Duddington!

Sutton: Duddington 2nd Class Postcard Arrives in London After Just Two Days! (4.8.2025)

We acquired a few postcards from St Peter’s Church situated in the Deene (North Northants) countryside – on the Kliby Lane – not far from Kilby Hall. This Church dates back to 1060 CE and is no longer in regular use but is administered by The Churches Conservation Trust – which does very good work maintaining old Churches of immense historical value. This protects these old buildings from being sold-off, destroyed and built-over, etc. Another way of conserving old Churches involves what’s termed “Champing” – or old Churches converted for families and groups to stay in these old buildings overnight!

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Kai-Lin Collected the Apples!

Duddington: Scrumping Cooking-Apples, Liberating the Graveyard & Making Cakes in Sutton! (1.8.2025)

We taught Kai-Lin how to “forage” – a skill sadly lacking in today’s world – where “culture” is being crushed by the rich who live in gated communities (isolated from the destruction they are inflicting upon the all British people) and ordering their food imported from abroad and delivered by Ocardo – or something similar. My children have never heard of “cooking-apples” – or that such traditional fruit cannot be readily or easily eaten (due to its natural bitterness and hardness) without first being properly prepared and correctly cooked in suitably sweetened and heated water (simmered – but not boiled). My older relatives often used brown-sugar – before the apples could be placed into tasty apple-pies.

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Duddington Plaque Contains Our "Wyles" Ancestors!

Northants: Duddington [Area] War Memorials – Digitalised! (1.8.2025)

We have been travelling around Duddington and the surrounding area – research genealogical information for the local surname “Wyles”. Whilst carrying-out this vital historical investigation – we decided to gather data pertaining to the often forgotten War Memorials and Rolls of Honour. We include four such projects that we have completed this week (we are thinking of extending this to any area we find old Churches containing War Memorials).

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Duddington Postcard to Diane Wyles!

Duddington: A Special Postcard to Diane Wyles! (31.7.2025)

We visited (the 16th century) Kirby Hall today situated in the Northants countryside. On the way back – a solitary road-sign directed us to a “Historical Church”. This turned-out to be the 11th century “St Peter’s Church” (of Deene) – founded in 1060 – just six-years prior to the Norman Conquest of 1066. Well, this Church was unlocked and in it we found a selection of free postcards. On the way back to the place we are staying at in Easton-on-the-Hill – we stopped at the Highfield area of Duddington so that Kai-Lin could play in the adventure playground situated there. We wrote out the postcard, affixed a stamp (we only had 2nd Class) and popped it in the Duddington Post-Box – filming and photographing the entire process. The post will be collected tomorrow – at 9 am. The card will then meander its way to Paignton in Devon!

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