Key dates in the History of Swanbourne  A summary agreed by The Swanbourne History Group, containing links to relevant articles within the Website   792         First mention of ‘Suanaburna’ in a document relating to King Offa’s grant of land to St Albans. 1066         Norman Conquest – Saxon lands taken over by Norman warlords. 1086         The […]

Old Timer Reminiscence stories by Jean Dyke (born 1928 – died 2002) Originally written by Jean Dyke who (called herself ‘Old Timer’) for the ‘Swanbourne Newsletter’ from 1999 to 2001.  Jean lived at Spuddlespits (19 Mursley Road), Swanbourne.  Recently transcribed by Linda Rodgers. ‘Looking back’ (1920s – 30s) by Old Timer  (July 1999) There were no […]

Battle of Britain (1940) and Anthony Bartley. By Clive Rodgers Squadron Leader Anthony Charles Bartley DFC (28 March 1919 — 18 April 2001) was an RAF Hurricane and Spitfire fighter ace who was awarded the DFC after scoring eight victories against enemy aircraft during the Battle of Britain.  He was born in Ireland, the son of Sir Charles […]

The Swanbourne Agricultural Workers’ Strike of 1873 By Ken Harris For 3 weeks in March 1873, around half of the agricultural workers living in Swanbourne went on strike in a bid to raise their weekly wage from 12 shillings per week to 15 shillings. The story of the strike, its causes and its results has […]

An Evacuees Story As told to Ken Harris and Frankie Fisher My brother and I were evacuated to Swanbourne from Edmonton on the 27th September 1940. I was aged four years and four months; my brother was nine years old. When we arrived we were ushered into a hall where I remember food was served, […]

Swanbourne’s connections to early American History Connections may be made from 1763 to 1824 (summarised below), with dates of major historical events included:- 1763 February 10th – The Treaty of Paris ends the 7 Year War, with Britain victorious.  Canada and Florida are ceded by France and Spain to Britain. 1767 General Patrick George Tonyn (1725–1804), the […]

Swanbourne and the Crimean War By Ken Harris The Crimean War was fought between Russia and Turkey between 1853 and 1856, with Britain and France joining with Turkey in 1854.  Its most famous battle was the Battle of Balaclava, largely on account of the celebrated, although disastrous, ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’. Whilst we have no reason […]

NEWLY REVISED – Historical background – how Swanbourne was established in England. Overview of events summarised by Clive Rodgers The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles inform us of Angles and Saxons being invited to assist in keeping off  fierce  Pictish tribesmen  from  Scotland, as the Roman Army had departed to defend Rome.  The Angles were from Schleswig on the Danish/German border today, including the […]

Bucks men serving in British Forces By Clive Rodgers The local recruiting centre for Bucks volunteers was in Aylesbury, but in 1914  the existing Regulars of the Oxon and Bucks Light Infantry were first to see action soon after war was declared on 4th August.  Most subsequent volunteer soldiers recruited from Swanbourne also joined the Oxon and Bucks Light […]

Swanbourne’s links to the American Civil War Researched by Clive Rodgers Advice to Swanbourne residents, 1864:- “America is not at the present time a desirable place to emigrate to….” Article from ‘The Bucks Herald’ Newspaper Dated 26th March 1864 SWANBOURNE LECTURE ON AMERICA – On Tuesday evening, the Hon. W. Broderick endeavoured to instruct and amuse the […]