History

New display details Stonehenge’s parallels with Japanese circles

A NEW exhibition at Stonehenge will feature ancient Japanese artefacts – none of which have been displayed in Britain before.

The atrefacts - including a 5,000-year-old Jomon Flame Pot - will feature in the ‘Circles of Stone: Stonehenge and Prehistoric Japan’, Britain’s first ever exhibition about Japanese stone circles.

The display, through more than 80 objects, aims to tell the remarkable story of prehistoric cultures, 6,000 miles apart.

The star of the show, the ‘Flame Pot’, is designated in Japan as a national treasure and is a highly decorated type of Jomon ceramic made in central Japan about 5,000 years ago.

The Jomon period in Japan spanned the European Mesolithic, Neolithic and early Bronze Age periods put together and the pot’s fantastical shape evokes blazing flames, flowing water, or perhaps the crests of

Ancient Japanese artifacts will be on show. PICTURE: English Heritage

cockerels.

This is the first time it has gone on display outside Japan.

Also featured will be fragments of exquisite clay figurines, known as dogu in Japanese.

These have been found at Jomon settlements and stone circles and it has been suggested they may have represented earth goddesses or spirits, for use in fertility or healing rituals.

It is believed that many dogu were intentionally broken and scattered during ceremonies.

The exhibition also explores more recent connections between Stonehenge and Japan through the art of Japanese woodblock printer Yoshijiro Urushibara who worked in Britain in the 1920s and British archaeologist William Gowland.

Gowland used the techniques he had learnt in Japan to influence the way in which he carried out excavations and interpreted the evidence at Stonehenge at the dawn of the 20th century.

Martin Allfrey, senior curator for English Heritage, said: “Exploring what is happening elsewhere in the prehistoric world is key to understanding the significance of Stonehenge.

“It’s tantalising to look at what these extraordinary objects from Japan tell us about the similarities between these communities who, while thousands of miles apart, were perhaps ideologically closer than one might imagine.”

Admission to the exhibition will be free to Stonehenge ticket holders, English Heritage and National Trust England members and Local Resident Pass holders.

Holmes at stones

THE world’s most famous detectives will be at the world’s most famous stone circle as they bid to solve a monolithic mystery - and you could join them.

Sherlock Holmes, Dr Watson and Mrs Hudson are returning from Dartmoor, where the ‘great man’ has just solved the mystery of the Hound of the Baskervilles.

Now, he is turning his attention to Stonehenge.

Dr Watson has been reading up on the origins of the monument but will they be able to solve the ‘Mystery of the Stones’?

The Mystery of the Stones will take place on Tuesday, October 25 and Friday, October 28 at the Visitor Centre and will include British Sign Language interpretation.

Performances take place at 10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm, 2pm and 3pm on both days.

For more details, and to book, log on to https://www. english-heritage.org.uk/visit/ whats-on/stonehenge-mysteryof-the-stones.

Halloween ‘Henge

FAMILIES are being urged to gather their little monsters for a ghoulishly good day out at Stonehenge this half term.

Visitors can follow Beano stars Dennis, Gnasher and friends to solve creepy clues on a fun family quest around the site.

The Halloween attraction runs from Saturday, October 22 to Sunday, October 30, between 9.30am and 5pm.

For more information and to book, log on to https://www. english-heritage.org.uk/visit/ whats-on/Stonehengehalloween-2022.

King Henry VIII and the colourful history of the parish register...

by Laura Manning

The Blackmore Vale Family History Group welcomed the secretary of the Somerset and Dorset Family History Society to open its new season of talks at The Exchange, Sturminster Newton, when Ted Udall gave an entertaining and illuminating presentation on ‘Parish Registers: A Social History’.

It is hard to overestimate the amount of information contained in these registers but, as Ted explained, they are ‘not the whole truth’.

Henry VIII introduced the registers in 1538 after he became Head of the Church of England and incumbents were ordered to record baptisms, marriages and deaths. However, widespread scepticism surrounded the order – perhaps it was to herald a new tax? The official explanation was to ensure that lines of sanguinity were adhered to – certain relationships were not permitted then which are not regarded as problematic nowadays. As always, laws were easier to enforce in London than in more far-flung parts of the country. And, as ever, local people devised ways to pay lip service to the decree – while, generally, ignoring it.

From time to time, laws were enacted requiring every entry into the new register to incur a charge – this was waived for paupers and thus a generous minister was sometimes inclined to write the letter P next to entries, which indicated that the family was unable to pay the fee. Penalties were levied against defaulters with half of the fine being paid to the informant.

Under the Henry VIII law, clergy were required to enter the details of all church activities into their register on a Sunday, after the morning service. However, weddings, funerals and baptisms could have happened at any time throughout the week – it is probable that many entries were not made and were forgotten about due to adherence to the Law.

Ted showed examples of register entries – including one from Gillingham in which the vicar confirmed that the unfortunate person who had committed ‘self-murder’ was interred, as the law required, away from the main church burial ground between the hours of 9pm and midnight. However, by this time (1834), the requirement to drive a stake through the heart had been repealed.

It is worthwhile taking the time to translate any Latin phrases and entries researchers may find in a parish register – at a time when few people could read or write in English, the clerics felt safe in inserting sometimes scurrilous remarks into the register. Several humorous examples were given – including one from Shillingstone Parish Register in

Shllingstone Church of the Holy Rood

which the vicar was exceedingly rude – in English – about two people he had just married.

It was not until 1753 that the format of recording marriages was standardised and parishes were obliged to record more than the bare facts, for example, not just the names of the people getting married. As the church was required to buy these special books from the Government, many preferred to use every page of their current register – although most did, then, enter all the required details. Marriages could now only take place by banns or by licence – and this had to be noted. The names of witnesses were also required, along with the names of the fathers of both the bride and the groom. These details make family history research much easier, of course.

Ted explained where parish registers are now kept and how they may be accessed – although some were destroyed during the Civil War. He said ‘typos’ are a feature of any modern transcription – his advice was to read the transcription and compare with the original document, if possible. • The group’s next meeting is on Wednesday 19 October at 7pm in The Exchange – an earlier start than usual. The speaker, Dr Penny Walters, who is attached to Bristol University, will talk about UK censuses from 1801 to the present. Members are looking forward to hearing about the 1921 census taken after the First World War and the flu epidemic – the data from this was only released this year. Further details from blackmorevalegroup@gmail. com or Felicity Harrison on 01258 472942.