Article on Chipping Local History Society and Longer Sen from “Live Ribble Valley” Magazine

Chipping Local History Society

 

The Society was founded 23 years ago to bring interested local people together to share information on local and family history.

This thriving Society meets monthly from October through to April in St. Mary’s Community Hall, where they are fortunate in attracting excellent speakers on a wide variety of topics. During the summer, visits and walks are organised.

Informal sessions of the Society are also held on the first Sunday of each month, with the exception of January, when the archive is available and presents an excellent opportunity for visitors and members to research and share information.

 

Since the early days, scrapbooks have been made of pictures and articles focusing on Chipping. Local residents helped identify the people and scenes portrayed and began providing further information, such as newspaper articles, funeral cards, account books and family photographs. This community involvement was the catalyst for the publication of a series of biennial booklets called ‘Longer Sen’, first appearing in 1989.

 

This year members have produced a new edition of ‘Longer Sen’, which is an illustrated miscellany of family and local history articles, with several thought provoking titles including ‘Were there really Peacocks?’ and the Chipping ‘Big Bang’!.

 

In 2007 this format was changed for the production of ‘Chipping in Pictures’, a fascinating in sight into village life with photos of street scenes, residents, schools, churches, industry and local events.

 

The Society’s range of publications is impressive, from the earliest, ‘Census of Bowland with Leagram’, covering the censuses 1841 – 1881, which was then followed by four more for the village and surrounding areas and the ‘Debt of Honour’ booklet commemorating those from Chipping and Whitewell areas who gave their lives in the two World Wars.

 

The biggest publishing challenge to date, resulted from information passed to the Society by Mrs. S. Lincoln, a descendant of Peter Walkden, the Minister at the Independent Chapels at Hesketh Lane, Chipping and Newton-in-Bowland in the 18th Century. She reported that Chester City Library had a manuscript of his diary. This manuscript was then temporarily moved to the Lancashire Record Office in Preston where a team of Society members transcribed the minute text and were able to publish in 2000 their much acclaimed ‘The Diary of the Reverend Peter Walkden for 1733-1734’. Since then many presentations of extracts from the diary have been presented to local clubs, schools and societies throughout Lancashire.

 

Full details of the Society, including all of its publications can be found on the new web site www.chippinghistory.org.uk

Copies of all publications are available from:                                                             The Publications Secretary, Chipping Local History Society, c/o Brabins Shop & Gallery, Talbot Street, Chipping, PRESTON PR3 2QE.

‘Chipping in Pictures’ costs £6 and ‘Longer Sen 2009’, costs £5.80, including post/packing. For further information contact 01772 864289.