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Exploring in Hereford, an Australian visitor to our shores, a reader of The Daily Telegraph, purchased by chance a copy of The Times of 24th May, 1996
On that day was published a letter written by a member of our Society, which reported the recording, in 1980, of the memorial inscriptions then still to be read in the churchyards of the Lower Arrow Valley. The writer commented upon the increasing illegibility, with the passing of time, of the texts on the gravestones as their surfaces crumbled away, and upon the value of our records to researchers of family history.
Reading through the letter, our visitor's excitement mounted: her great, great grandfather and his father, were buried in Haselor churchyard. Might she discover, from our records, more about her ancestors and their resting place than she had found during her previous visits? She knew that John Lane, his son, John, and their wives had lain close by the south wall of the church since the first quarter of the 19th century. She had seen their tombstones; tried to read the crumbling inscriptions; and desperately wanted to know more about Haselor's past.
Gloria Hewitt lives in Brisbane. A lifelong Anglophile, she has almost "bankrupted herself" with her trips to England. Two 'Cook's Tours' -lunch in Oxford, tea in Cambridge - inclined her to be more independent, and subsequent visits were made under her own steam. Months are spent in corresponding, planning and arranging visits so that time can be spent lingering in out-of-the-way places which are the essence of the Englishness she so much enjoys. Cathedral cities?, yes; but the tiniest village or hamlet gives her the greatest joy. A spirited traveller, the use of public transport and an occasional taxi-cab add to the intrepid nature of her visits.
Returning from Hereford to her London hotel, Miss Hewitt telephoned her enquiries. She was assured that the Society had recorded Haselor's monuments; a copy of Edward Saville's 'A History of Haselor' was available; and, yes, Alcester could be reached by 'bus.
Within a few days, the lady was lodged in town and possessed of the texts she sought. An exciting time was spent in Haselor churchyard, photographing, note-taking, soaking up the atmosphere; and simply enjoying the nostalgia of that special place.
The primary objective of the Society's recording of inscriptions, one of many projects undertaken by members over the years, was to ensure that they should not be lost as memories fade and stones decay. Here was an example of the use to which they would be put, even if by chance.
Before leaving, Gloria said that she'd spent her money on visits to England; now, she can leave to her family their real inheritance. "And all thanks to the members of your Society". Something of an accolade wouldn't you say?