Local History

We did not meet in January. In February and March we considered the development of the railways in Buckinghamshire, beginning with the lines around Aylesbury (which included the first ever branch line in England, from Cheddington. on the London to Birmingham Railway to Aylesbury which opened in 1839) and then in March those in the South of the county with particular reference to Wycombe. In February, since our meeting was deferred for a week because of the snow, we also looked briefly at the records of Lacey Green village school to see how often this was forced to close because of snow during the latter part of the 19th century.
I would also like to take this opportunity to draw members' attention to a loan exhibition of Victorian narrative paintings which takes place in the County
Museum, Aylesbury, from 4 April to 11 July, based on a recent acquisition, a painting of an Aylesbury jury, by John Morgan, who lived and worked in Aylesbury in the 1860s. This should be well worth a visit, and will cost nothing as entrance is free.