History Month Fact 17: Iron Age
17 May 2010
An excavation by Cotswold Archaeology in 2003 found a Bronze Age site at Hartshill with Iron working. The Iron dates to c.1000BC and thus pushes the start of the Iron Age back from 750BC to 1000BC.
Facts
History Month Fact 16: St. Mary’s Church
16 May 2010
Until the end of the eighteenth century, St. Mary’s Church was the only recorded place of worship in Thatcham, though dissenters had been meeting in private homes in the village for perhaps a hundred years or more.
History Month Fact 15: Reading Abbey
15 May 2010
Reading Abbey was dissolved in 1539 AD, and by 1540 AD the Borough and Manor of Thatcham were granted by King Henry to Sir John Winchcombe in the return for a payment of £2619 13s 4d.
History Month Fact 14: Royal Manor
14 May 2010
When Earldorman Alfeah died about 965AD, he left many bequests of land and property to religious houses, particularly the Abbeys of Bath and Maimesbury, but he left Thatcham to the King. Thus Thatcham became a Royal Manor.
History Month Fact 13: Population
13 May 2010
Some 649 households were recorded in 1881 in the parish and the number of persons in a household varied between 1 and 18.