Stow Parish Archive is a community archive that collects photographs, stories, and memorabilia of local interest. It is organised under the auspices of the Stow & Fountainhall Community Council so that any material collected will be assured safe-keeping.
The Stow Parish Archive operates through the efforts of a small group of people interested in local history and community memories. If you are interested in any aspect of the local history, please do get in touch – the more people involved, the better the collection, and the more exciting the events we can put on. The chair is Wendy Ball.
The Archive also has a Community Archivist – Mary W Craig – who’s role is to catalogue the materials in the collection, maintain the collection for the benefit of the community and to support any community heritage activities and initiatives.
We are located in the reading room of Stow Town Hall which is open between 9.30am and 4.30pm most weekdays. Mary is in the reading room most Tuesdays and Thursdays.
We are also on facebook where we regularly post the materials we receive and where others may post on the page.
Our intention is to inspire interest in the human history of the area and to build up a reference collection of material in the village that can be shared and enjoyed by all.
Pictured: Thomas Hope, second from left, outside his draper’s shop in Stow with his employees. The two little girls are thought to be his daughters, Ella and Mamie. The photograph was probably taken in the 1920s.
Photograph courtesy of Jean Webber.
To contact us:
Email : stowparisharchive@gmail.com
Wendy Ball – 01578 730560
Mary W Craig – 01578 730655
Or why not visit us on facebook and leave a message?
Thank you for the photo of AR Cook’s grave.
Near the far entrance to the cemetery, there is a gravestone to the Murrey(sp?) family. They used to own Allanshaws farm.
The name that is missing from the tombstone is William Murrey. Bill Murray was the son. He was a soldier in WW2 and fought against the Japanese and became a POW. His experiences as a POW on the Burma Railway traumatised him for the rest of his life and he spent most of it in Mental Institutions. Every time a door slammed he would hit the deck. I used to sell him cigarettes sometimes on tick, sometimes I would just give him the odd packet, from our shop in Gala. Bill did find happiness and married a lady called Mary. Mary was quite a bit younger than Bill. Bill died late ’80s early ’90s.