How it started

PictureThe Old Post Office 1912
The Society was started in 1994 from a suggestion by Gillian Selley. She had asked, through the Woodbury News magazine, if anyone in the parish was interested in a local history society. We began with about six members, including Eric Ware, Nigel Tucker, Esme Thomson, Margaret Parkinson and Pippa Thompson. Each month we gathered in more members. Our early meetings were held in the small room in the Village Hall on Tuesday evenings, but after one claustrophobic meeting we decided we would have to book the main room in the future. Nigel Tucker was our first chairman, followed by Reg Brown, Arthur Harris (who died in office), John Kirkcaldy, Michael Wilson and then Roger Stokes. The secretary for all the time, apart from a two year respite when Margaret Wilson took over was Gillian Selley. Margaret Wilson was the first treasurer, followed by David Elphick and David Bowers.

Since these early days the Society membership has increased to an average of around 70 members, and we have bi-monthly meetings with quality speakers, and arrange an annual outing to a place of interest each summer. Throughout the period, the Society has held several exhibitions in the Village Hall on matters of local history. The Society has also built up a large reference library where members, and members of the public, can research matters of interest. 

This website is being set up so that some of the information we have in our reference library can be shared by a greater audience. We also welcome information from Woodbury ex-pats living in all parts of the world, and to date this has proved most interesting.

This site is still under construction, so some pages may not yet be complete. There is a lot more to be added!

Last  updated: 20.09.2017                                                                                               You are visitor No:

Latest updates to:
Publications: The Nigel Tucker Collection
                     Society newsletter 2016
                     Photo Booklet 3
                     Photo Booklet 4
                     Photo Booklet 5
                     Photo Booklet 6
Archives: Harry Stokes Ledger No.3 1911-1916
                The Valuation of Woodbury Parish 1859
                Two missing Overseers files
                Harry Stokes Ledger No.2 1924 - 1933
                Harry Stokes - Bellhanger, Carpenter, Undertaker, Blacksmith, Ledger No.1 1899 - 1905
                John Stamp audio interview 2003 parts 1 & 2
                Bob Miller and wife wartime story (audio)
                Diane Moger wartime memories of Woodbury (audio)
                Esme Thomson wartime memories (audio)
                Eric Ware wartime memories (audio)
From the archives:  Public Hall inauguration and subsequent sale documents