Thursday 23rd October 2025 – Club Meeting – Speaker Tony Bostock who gave a talk “The Dogs of War”
Tony began by explaining his title which is part of a phrase spoken by Mark Antony in William Shakespeare‘s play Julius Caesar. His talk however was about 2 Cheshire men, Sir Hugh Calveley and Sir Robert Knolles who made their names and a considerable fortune by plundering the French during the ‘100 Years War’ between England and France back in the 14th century. Both men had gained considerable experience in fighting against the Welsh and Scots in conjunction with the Cheshire Bowmen. The Bowmen were a formidable troop with the best possible reputation within the English army.
There are some probable indications that Calveley and Knolls were related to one another. These two men are known for taking part in battles across Brittany and Normandy along with Sir John de Montfort however there is no evidence they took part in the more famous battle at Crécy led by King Edward III although lots of Cheshire bowmen were known to have taken part.
A particular battle, ‘The Battle of the 30’ was one that made the pair famous or even infamous! Robert Knolles went on to command a massive company of men and a supporting team of logistics. His success was often attributed to the wages and good nurture he provided for them. He eventually went on to lead The Royal Army of England for the King but he was reprimanded for failing in certain areas and lost many of the Royal Grants as his punishment. He successfully appealed these accusations and had his Grants restored.
Hugh Calveley later returned to Cheshire’s village of Bunbury where he established a Religious College and is buried in the Bunbury church which he financed. Robert Knolles chose to live in London with an extensive portfolio of estates in Norfolk. He died in 1407 but there is no account of his place of burial.
Thursday 16th October 2025 – Walk – Mersey Valley Flood Basin
The Knutsford Rex Probus Walking Group ventured into the Mersey Valley Flood basin at the wonderful Sale Meadows in Greater Manchester. It’s a fantastic country area so close to the commuter townships of the city where one can see nature at its best but here the group stumbles across the work of Mersey Banksy on an derelict old building.
Thursday 9th October 2025 – Golf – Annual Match versus Tatton and Plumley
The Annual Inter-Probus Golf Tournament was held as usual at Knutsford Golf Club. The Rex team ended in Bronze Medal position. It was won by Plumley in a very close match where Rex were only one and a quarter points behind the winners. The team are now practising for the next 12 months!
Thursday 9th October 2025 – Club Meeting – Speaker, Jenny Collis, who to give a talk about ‘The Knutsford Workhouse’.
Photo: [l-r] Jim Flett (Club President; Mayor Bryan Hartley; Speaker Jenny Collis; Terry Parkinson (Club Chairman)
The Club Meting was honoured with the presence of the Mayor of Knutsford Bryan Hartley.
Jenny started off by asking members if they knew where the Knutsford Workhouse was situated? There was a short silence before Jenny put up a view of Cranford Lodge, a part of the Knutsford Community Hospital, and she explained the buildings in the picture were originally part of the Workhouse facility back in the 19th century.
The Workhouse was set up for the benefit of the sick & infirm, the disabled, the orphaned, the elderly as well as abandoned children. This type of care was previously only available from the Religious Orders and Craft Guilds as ordinary people had no money or possessions. Some help came from the Lords of Manors but usually in return for their labour.
Jenny detailed some alternatives such as Alms Houses and highlighted some existing in Knutsford but which didn’t become properly available until as late as 1961. Things really started to improve in the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1st under the ‘Act for the Relief of the Poor’ but it took another century before ‘The Workhouse Test Act’ in1723 began to bring about improvements.
Jenny showed members where these original buildings had existed when Knutsford looked a lot different to how it appears today. There were other places of refuge in the town such as the ‘Night Asylum’, situated where ‘Hooked on the Heath’ stands now. People had to form a queue for the 20 available places at a cost of 4 pence per night. In 1834 several local towns formed a grouping to provide Workhouse facilities under the name of ‘Altrincham Union Workhouse’. Situated near to the Prison on Bexton Road, It segregated Men & Women with a total capacity of 300 and was Knutsford’s first public building in Victorian times. The Workhouse diet for residents comprised mainly of Bread, Gruel, Broth and Cheese. If a resident wanted to leave they had to give 3 hours notice. Jenny detailed various other hostel facilities which appeared in the town finishing with the hosting of Prisoners of War during World War 2.
To end on a personal note, Jenny brought back her image of modern day Cranford House and happily disclosed that it was where she was born back in 19??.
Thursday 2nd October 2025 – Walk – Bollington Vale
The Walking Group members met at the Ranger’s Station in Bollington Vale for a walk northwards along the Middlewood Way towards Bridge 12 at Adlington to meet up with other members for mid-walk refreshments and then the group returned along the Macclesfield canal to Clarence Mill at Bollington Vale. The Group then took a descent to The Vale Inn for a nice relaxing lunch.