RESEARCH is a wonderful thing. It can uncover snippets of history lost for generations and it can also be extremely exciting and stimulating.
When I offered to construct a web site reflecting the village of Hethersett during the two World Wars, I had no idea of the wealth of material that would be unearthed from the village archives. Hidden away in a collection of over 5,000 items were the village church magazines. Nothing greatly surprising in that you might say, but it was the content of these rather yellowing historic tomes that was to surprise and delight.
I began reading and gradually built up a mental picture of what life was like in the village both before during and after the World Wars. But the goldmine of information came in the shape of letters written by The Rector of Hethersett, the Rev Frederic JARVIS.
For this worthy churchman talked in great detail about the effect that the First World War had on the village and those left behind. He also talked at length about what was happening on the Western Front and then, for a period of a year, left the village to serve as a chaplain in France—at times getting very close to the action through serving at military hospitals.
Before “going off to War”, Rev JARVIS admitted to much soul searching at leaving his parish behind. But he felt that he had a calling and his letters home from the front give a flavour not only of the dangers and heartbreak of war but also some of the lighter moments that you somehow believe are documented to keep up the spirits of both troops and the writer himself.
On numerous occasions the Rector points out that by necessity his letters are subject to censorship, suggesting that he cannot fully reflect on the horrors of some of the things he has witnessed at first hand. He does point out that some of the things he had witnessed would remain with him for the remainder of his life. After a year on the Western Front the Rector returned to Hethersett (then a relatively small village of 1,000 people compared with the sprawl of 6,000 that we have today). He served the village until 193? when he made the short journey down the road to become vicar of Wymondham. He subsequently wrote a history of Wymondham Abbey which is still available in Norwich Central Library and which also turns up occasionally on the e-bay web site. For me the sheer joy of finding a previously hidden source of history and at the same time stumbling on a contemporaneous account, documented at the time, makes research such a powerful historic tool. To be able to bring this to a wider audience through modern Media underlines fully the links between our present world and the past. Now when I wander through the village I have a distinct feeling that I am walking in the Rector’s footsteps
In addition his letters bring many local residents and the village to life back and it is difficult when reading them to grasp the fact that what appears to be a living document was actually written 100 years ago. The problem for modern day historians and researchers is of course trying to place ourselves back into those times and pretend that any subsequent knowledge we have picked up just doesn’t exist. Sadly I have tried without success to find descendants of Frederic Jarvis without success. All I know is that he was married and had at least one child. I would love to hear from anyone who has any more information about Frederic.
You can read more about the Rev Frederic Jarvis and read what he had to say about the War and many other articles on wartime in a Norfolk village by visiting www.hethersettatwar.weebly.com Incidentally Frederic’s successor went on to write in the parish magazine about the Second World War
When I offered to construct a web site reflecting the village of Hethersett during the two World Wars, I had no idea of the wealth of material that would be unearthed from the village archives. Hidden away in a collection of over 5,000 items were the village church magazines. Nothing greatly surprising in that you might say, but it was the content of these rather yellowing historic tomes that was to surprise and delight.
I began reading and gradually built up a mental picture of what life was like in the village both before during and after the World Wars. But the goldmine of information came in the shape of letters written by The Rector of Hethersett, the Rev Frederic JARVIS.
For this worthy churchman talked in great detail about the effect that the First World War had on the village and those left behind. He also talked at length about what was happening on the Western Front and then, for a period of a year, left the village to serve as a chaplain in France—at times getting very close to the action through serving at military hospitals.
Before “going off to War”, Rev JARVIS admitted to much soul searching at leaving his parish behind. But he felt that he had a calling and his letters home from the front give a flavour not only of the dangers and heartbreak of war but also some of the lighter moments that you somehow believe are documented to keep up the spirits of both troops and the writer himself.
On numerous occasions the Rector points out that by necessity his letters are subject to censorship, suggesting that he cannot fully reflect on the horrors of some of the things he has witnessed at first hand. He does point out that some of the things he had witnessed would remain with him for the remainder of his life. After a year on the Western Front the Rector returned to Hethersett (then a relatively small village of 1,000 people compared with the sprawl of 6,000 that we have today). He served the village until 193? when he made the short journey down the road to become vicar of Wymondham. He subsequently wrote a history of Wymondham Abbey which is still available in Norwich Central Library and which also turns up occasionally on the e-bay web site. For me the sheer joy of finding a previously hidden source of history and at the same time stumbling on a contemporaneous account, documented at the time, makes research such a powerful historic tool. To be able to bring this to a wider audience through modern Media underlines fully the links between our present world and the past. Now when I wander through the village I have a distinct feeling that I am walking in the Rector’s footsteps
In addition his letters bring many local residents and the village to life back and it is difficult when reading them to grasp the fact that what appears to be a living document was actually written 100 years ago. The problem for modern day historians and researchers is of course trying to place ourselves back into those times and pretend that any subsequent knowledge we have picked up just doesn’t exist. Sadly I have tried without success to find descendants of Frederic Jarvis without success. All I know is that he was married and had at least one child. I would love to hear from anyone who has any more information about Frederic.
You can read more about the Rev Frederic Jarvis and read what he had to say about the War and many other articles on wartime in a Norfolk village by visiting www.hethersettatwar.weebly.com Incidentally Frederic’s successor went on to write in the parish magazine about the Second World War