Cataloguing our history

Remarkable finds that give a unique insight into the history of The Ernest Cook Trust and its estates are being unearthed as part of our move to new office premises this Spring (2025).

Tracey, Administrator & Document Manager, is working with us to painstakingly sort through decades of paperwork and cataloguing the most significant items.

With a records management background and a keen interest in local history, Tracey acknowledged the huge volume of material to sort through and check, as the Trust’s head office moves from Fairford Park to nearby Court Farm, Quenington.

Tracey’s role includes deciding what needs to be retained for legal reasons, what has historical importance and what can be safely disposed of.

The plan is to digitise the most important documents that need to be regularly referred to, while some of the most interesting pieces, including photographs of the farms, tenants and staff could be put on display in the new head office.

Tracey said there was a great deal of material which gave an insight into the social history of the Fairford Estate along with documents that reveal how Ernest Cook dealt with bequests to the National Trust, following his death.

A report for either The Times or The Daily Telegraph, dated March 16th 1955, just two days after Ernest passed away, reveals the National Trust is to be offered three country estates covering a total of more than 8,300 acres under a secret arrangement made during his lifetime.

But the reporter goes on: “The National Trust, I learn, would have been given eight other estates totalling 15,356 acres, but Mr Cook changed his mind following a difference of opinion.”

There is also a document describing the launch of the Trust’s Educational Schemes in 1953 when the priority was to provide “a better education and training for the youngsters who will one day be farmers.”

The document reads: “Every farmer knows how hard it is to spare from home and from the farm a promising son (or daughter). The Ernest Cook Trust schemes inevitably mean some temporary sacrifice in order that a youngster may come back better equipped for his farming career. The Trustees hope that parents will take the long view and that there will be no shortage of good candidates.”

The first educational scheme was to send farmers’ sons abroad, to learn about agricultural methods used overseas in countries like Denmark.  There was also a proposal to pay for the children of farmers to attend boarding school and undergo special training in agriculture during the school holidays.

The note says:  The first duty of the Trustees is to see the estates are properly maintained.  Obviously they must build up suitable reserves to meet the needs for proper improvements and new buildings.  But the Trustees are now in a position to find money for educational purposes.”

Also found were historical documents relating to the practical management of the estates including extensive and detailed records of fishing on a section of the River Coln owned by the Trust.

“These included records of the number of brown trout caught each season as well as details of how electro-fishing was employed as a measure to keep down the numbers of predatory pike,” she said.

“The files also included the rules for the ‘rods’ who had the right to fish. As time passed these rules relaxed slightly allowing ‘rods’ to wade and to bring their dogs – as long as they were supervised.”

Newsletters detailing the work of the Trust dating from 1965 to 1982 include reports from the Rabbit Clearance Societies, which were set up nationally to manage the vast population of wild rabbits which decimated arable crops and caused huge damage to pastureland.

“The 1965 file includes the quarterly newsletter that describes that there were 668 societies in England established to deal with this pest. However, the newsletter reported that many of these societies were having difficulties in retaining their members and suggests that the societies might diversify to deal with other pests including moles, wood pigeons, coypu and feral mink.

“On a lighter note, the letters page included a complaint that the cost of the lunch at the Society’s AGM was excessive and many members shared this view. The author added that many people left the meeting early and were certainly not able to get their money’s worth – the author stating that he would struggle to consume more than five shillings worth – about £4.50 today.

Tracey said she was learning a huge amount about The Ernest Cook Trust as a result of sifting through the documents in advance of our office move.  “I have lived in this area for ten years and I didn’t really know what The Ernest Cook Trust was all about,” she said.

All that has now dramatically changed as fascinating stories emerge, not only about the workings of the Trust, but the changing nature of rural life more widely and the valuable charitable work in educating young people that Ernest’s great legacy has provided.