Launton Historical Society

The June meeting of Launton Historical Society was treated to an excellent talk about the Ascott-under-Wychwood martyrs, whose 150th Anniversary is being marked this year. The Ascott Martyrs were a group of women - two with very young babies - who were sent to prison in Oxford over a century ago for supporting their farm worker husbands in trying to get a living wage.

Wages in this part of the country were very low, 10 shillings (50 pence) per week. In the north, farm wages were much higher where employers had to compete with textile mills, and everywhere cheaper agricultural produce was being imported from north America, Australia and New Zealand.

A fledgling farm workers Union had been formed and it was decided to try and get a raise of two shillings a week in the Ascott area. The men refused to go to the fields, after giving their employer several days warning, and there was a stand-off for three weeks. The farmer next employed two lads from a nearby village at a wage of 7s 6d per day (32 pence) to do hoeing, work often done by the women to bring in extra money to feed their families. On 21 May 1873 the women gathered and tried to get the lads to understand how they were making a difficult situation worse. After a couple of hours, the lads went and told the farmer’s wife what had happened; she sent for the police, who arrested the 17 women and took them to Chipping Norton police station. There the local magistrates decided that all the women (including the two babies) must be sent to prison. However, while they waited in the police cells for the next train, word quickly got around and the townsfolk surrounded the police station and caused quite a riot. Nevertheless, the Ascott women and babies were sent to Oxford, to prison. The women had no legal representation, and the magistrates did not seem to realise that they had other options.

However, a local resident wrote to The Times newspaper recounting what had happened. This caused a great stir: journalists from far and wide descended on the village to find out more; questions were raised in the House of Commons; there was outrage that the women had to undergo hard labour in prison, and that 26 children were left motherless. A collection was made to support these women, described as ‘martyrs’ by an influential journalist.

Seven women were released after a week, and the final ten on 31 May. A wagon was sent to take them home via Blenheim Park, where a lunch was laid on in their honour, and on to Chipping Norton for huge celebrations. The women were each awarded £5 from the collection started by the press. However, wages for farm workers did not improve, so many of the families emigrated or moved to the industrial parts of Britain; there was a 25% fall in the population of the Wychwood area in the following decade. Sadly many of the women involved - who were all related by blood or marriage - died young (they were all aged between 17 and 46 at the time these events took place). It was a very inspiring story of courage and determination by women who had had little or no education, and was given by a member of the Ascott-under-Wychwood Society, Carol Anderson.

In July we had an outing to Upper Heyford, the former RAF/USAF camp, with a tour of the USAF command centre and the exhibition about the camp over the years. Afterwards we went to the pub - the Bell at Lower Heyford - where they put on a good spread for us. As it was July we imagined that we would sit in their garden but we had forgotten about the British summer. It was cosy inside this lovely pub.

In August we gather in Pat’s garden (we hope) and on 28 September we’ll be again in the Parish Hall at 7.30pm to hear Stephen Barker speak about the Oxon and Bucks Light Infantry on the Somme in 1916. All are welcome.

Pat Tucker and Gwen Skinner