The travelling evangelist

Peggy Gye, our founder curator and a lifelong resident of Market Lavington always associated this picture with Market Lavington. It shows the caravan and horses of travelling evangelists.

The travelling evangelists included Market Lavington on their rounds

We do not recognise the location and are not convinced it is Market Lavington. Surely, if it is, someone will recognise that gable end behind the leading horse.

However, we are certain that these evangelists came to Market Lavington and set up ‘shop’ here for a while. We know that local kids, given something to do, flocked to hear the message they gave out.

Let’s just take a look at the bicycle near the back of the caravan.

One man and his bike – might this help date the picture?

Our curator recalls riding a very similar bike in the 1950s – and it would have been anything but new then. It had the same rod operated brakes and the Sturmey Archer gear system with the gear change on the crossbar.

Any information would be gratefully received.

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Postcards of Imber

Imber isn’t Market Lavington so why are we showing Imber Postcards?

The simple answer is that we were given them and they are, of course, lovely and they do have a tenuous connection with Market Lavington.

Let’s take a look.

Imber Street – no later than the 1930s

Imber, of course, was transformed twice by World War II. First, new modern houses were built for residents to replace these old and (we are told) damp cottages. The cottages were then demolished.

And not long afterwards the village’s life was terminated by the famous edict requiring residents to leave.

A hand written note above the chimneys points to ‘Granny’s Cottage. Granny was Caroline Davis (a married name) and her grandchildren became members of the Oram family in Market Lavington.

Nothing of that street remains, unless the second cottage with the decorated brickwork is the former pub in the village known as the Bell. That has similar decorative brickwork but a picture of the street from the other end shows it was a common feature in the village.

Imber Street. It looks like a motorbike half in shot.

A third photo from the same source may or may not be Imber. It shows a touring evangelist’s caravan.

An Evangelist’s caravan and participants. Is it Imber – or maybe Market Lavington?

‘My Granny’, marked at the right hands end is Matilda Oram, daughter of Caroline Davis and born in Imber. By 1901 she was married to Henry Oram and was living in Market Lavington This picture is, perhaps in the 1920s or 30s but we don’t recognise it as being Market Lavington so we wonder if Matilda might have returned to Imber.

We hope a reader will put us straight.

Here are some of the people considerably enlarged. Maybe you’ll recognise somebody there

We will not accession these cards but will keep them. But please, much as they are fascinating, no more pictures of Imber.  It really is outside our remit.