Sibford Scene Archive

During recent electrical and building works at Holy Trinity Church an old shoe was found hidden under the floorboards in the north transept. It appeared to be a well-worn hobnailed boot in poor condition. Part of the heel and side leather were missing. Having photographed it we looked into the history of concealed shoes in homes and buildings. In the past, when shoes were no longer fit to pass on or able to serve their purpose, they were sometimes hidden in locations such as chimneys, roof spaces, walls, under floorboards or above lintels. They were thought to be infused with the good spirits of the wearer and would avert evil influences or bad luck – and that they were connected to notions of good luck and hope and would ward off any evil spirits that might harm the house or its occupants.

We sent photographs of our hidden boot to Northampton Museum where the Curator keeps a special register and index of all reported concealed shoes. The digitised Index contains a total of 2980 separate find entries detailing over 3,000 individual shoes. Her reply included: – “How interesting it was found in a church. We do have listed shoes found in churches but not that many. It is indeed a man’s front lace boot. It has a closed galosh which means the eyelet area sits smooth on the boot and is sewn in unlike a Derby where these areas are loose. It would have had a stacked leather heel. With the hobnails it is an example of a working man’s boot and would date to the 1860s or thereabouts. It is good to hear that it has gone back with a contemporary example too.”

Holy Trinity Church was built in 1840 – could our boot have been concealed by someone involved with the construction of the original building? We will never know but decided that once the 2025 building work was completed, the old shoe should be returned to its original hiding place together with a contemporary gentleman’s shoe belonging to the project manager to indicate the completion of additional building work along with the hope that the building would continue to be a place of hope for future generations. After the blessing of the new facilities in the church, which include a kitchen servery, social area, toilet, level floor and good disability access to the building and amenities, the old and new shoe were hidden once again. How long might it be before they are rediscovered?

Maureen Hicks – January 2026

Finally, the squelching of boots in mud comes to an end. The new hens are settled in, are laying well, and the Friday egg round has resumed. Any surplus eggs will be put into my ‘shed shop’ for passers by. Alan and Boris will be out and about together on the delivery runs while the weather is nice.

We’ve started lambing, with five born since Sunday, they’re enjoying the sunshine and exploring their temporary new field by the stables. These new lives remind me why it’s all worthwhile. Sadly, no goslings this year as my wellintentioned selection of the two geese to remain after Christmas has resulted in a bromance, a real disappointment in this case. I now turn my attention back to the polytunnel, readying the ground and planting tomatoes, with lots of small hands of Grandchildren to help. The idea is less variety but still a full crop, things that will grow by themselves.

In all honesty. the winter has been tough. so wet and grey – with every animal and job feeling almost-done. I’m looking forward to the months ahead with the hope that energy and enthusiasm for this commitment is renewed, which is already being helped by bouncing lambs.

Sue Sabin

A great insight into the life of the village school can be found in a series of Log Books diligently written by Trustees to the charity and former head teachers who have recorded, in beautiful copper-plate handwriting, details of learning and the social influences in their time. Sadly, the earliest Log Books prior to 1835 were inadvertently destroyed in a bonfire following the death of a Charity Trustee who had them in his custody. However, later Books are still available and in 1835, we can read that the school was provided ‘rent free to the schoolmaster,’ part being used as a garden, part as a close, and a small portion as a playground. The schoolmaster received £30 a year plus a clear third of the rents due to the charity generated from land it owned. From this sum the master was to educate all the 59 children, boys and girls, of Sibford Gower and Burdrop between the ages of five and eleven years of age. The schoolmaster and mistress were expected to be ‘good and acknowledged members of the Church of England’ and the Trustees noted that almost half of the £500 needed to rebuild the school in 1866 was collected by the Vicar. The school, although ‘endowed’ by the charity, never became a Church of England School despite attempts in 1891 by the Vicar to make it so.

The children of Sibford Gower and Burdrop were taught free but had to provide their own books and writing materials. However, children from the adjoining parish of Sibford Ferris did not benefit from the Town Estate Charity and they had to pay – one penny a week for the poorest and tuppence a week for the better off. By 1876 these rates had risen to six pence a week for the children of farmers and master tradesmen, and three pence a week for shop-keepers and journeymen. Objections to these increases were noted in the Log Book. The pauper children were paid for by the Relieving Officer until the managers accepted the ‘Fee Grant’ in 1897.

In 1885 the school had been provided with a ‘good new gallery’ for the infants. This apparently, was a raised area in the corner of the main schoolroom unscreened from the rest of the older children. The school was placed under Government Inspection and in 1896 the Inspector threatened to close the school due to overcrowding. The managers provided a new and separate classroom for the infants. There were now about 100 children in school and the main schoolroom could be divided by a wooden partition ensuring that each child had the required 80 cubic feet of air space. There were two small cloakrooms and a range of bucket lavatories outside, which, it was recommended, should be subdivided! The staff consisted of the headmaster, his wife and a monitor and once again the fee was withheld until the new infant room was finished and an additional adult teacher had been appointed. By October 1900 these conditions had been met and school life continued into the new century.

Maureen Hicks