5 May 2009
In more recent times the people of Thatcham have been justly proud of three men of the village, two of them brothers, who won the Victoria Cross for gallantry in action. In 1900AD, William House received the award for rescuing a wounded soldier while under enemy fire during the Boer War. In 1915AD, Alexander Buller …
4 May 2009
One of Thatcham’s best known celebrities is the world famous astronomer Francis Baily, who was born on the 28th April 1774 in Newbury, but having strong ties with Thatcham. He braved many hazards charting huge tracks of unexplored land in America, later returning home to become a successful stockbroker. His interest in astronomy led him …
3 May 2009
The people of Thatcham suffered terribly during the period of the bubonic plague, better known as the Black Death, which struck between 1348 and 1350AD. Almost the total population of the Manors of Greenham and Crookham perished. In Crookham the customary tenants (tenants of land held by custom and not by the will of the …
2 May 2009
Thatcham reached the peak of its medieval prosperity around 1300AD and it was possibly granted a borough charter by King Edward I though there is no longer any record of this. Certainly during the reign of King Edward III (1327-1377) it was classed as one of the four boroughs of Berkshire, the others being Windsor, …
1 May 2009
There is evidence of occupation within Thatcham dating back to 7500BC. This period of history is known as the Mesolithic or Middle Stone age. Indeed evidence exists throughout the area for most periods including the Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman Occupation and on through to modern times.