We have secured Worldwide rights from the BFI (British Film Institute) to have this wonderful Social History film displayed and viewed for all to enjoy. Thanks go to the British Film Institute (BFI) for helping us achieve this.

Not only does it gives us a glimpse of the emergency fire call-out for the Voluntary Shere and Albury Fire Brigade but also show cases our local Shere man's Charles Goodwin Norton's work who has since become an internationally recognised pioneer of early cinematography.

Volunteer firemen at Shere, Surrey, harness a fire engine and ride away. This film shows the men and women of the village working together for the good of the community. This Film was shot in July 1899. The film ends with The Rev. Frederick C. Hill walkingupto and past the camera - Fascinating to not only see an image of what he looked like but to see him very much part of the Volunteer fireman of Shere - The Rev. Frederick C. Hill is photographed with the men on numerous occassions and can be viewed below - The Rev. Frederick C. Hill was the Hon. Secretary.

Some facts around the time of the erection of the Fire Station:
The Victorians invented the Fire Brigade as we know it in 1866.
The population of Shere in 1881 was 1,719.
Shere School, built in 1877, for 259 children; average attendance, 140.

The Shere Fire Brigade numbers 16 men;
Richard Askew, Shere and Albury Fire Chief.
Andrew Pables, Captain.
Thomas Langrish in Dec 1915 was issued the Fire Brigade NFBU 20 YR medal.
The medal is complete with box of issue and award confirmation slip.
(Thomas was born 1867 who was a Saddler at Shere and died in 1919).
There son, also named Thomas - Thomas Harvey Langrish was born in 1896 and went to Shoreham College where in 1912 he gained a Second Class Honours Pass with Distinction for London University Matriculation in Book keeping and Mensuration. In 1913 he gained a First Class Pass.
Thomas Harvey Langrishwent to fight for us in World War 1 (Rifleman Thomas Harvey Langrish ) and was sadly killed - Missing in action, with no known grave:
Arras Memoria, Bay 9
Pas de Calais
France

Rifleman Thomas Harvey Langrish. Service number S/16206; Regiment Rifle Brigade; Age 21; Died on 11 April 1917

LANGRISH, THOMAS HARVEY. Rifleman, S/16206. 13th (Service) Battalion, Rifle Brigade. 111th Brigade, 37th Division. Died Wednesday 11 April 1917. Aged 21. Born Shere, Guilford, Surrey. Enlisted London. Resided Sandwich, Kent. Son of Thomas and Susan Langrish (née Miles) of Shere, Guildford, Surrey. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 9. At the time of the 1901 census the Langrish family resided at Shere Street, Shere, Guilford, Surrey. Head of the house was 34 year old Thomas Langrish (senior) who was a Master Butcher, and a native of Chiddingfold, Godalming, Surrey. Mrs. Susan Langrish was aged 31 and a native of Farncombe, Godalming, Surrey. From 10 March to 5 April 1917, the13th (Service) Battalion, Rifle Brigade trained at Maisnil-St. Pol, three miles to the south east of St. Pol,training for the ‘Battle of Arras 1917.’ Originally the battle was planned to commence on 8 April, prior to which an artillery bombardment of four daysduration was carried out. On 5 April, orders were received by the units which were going to take part in the battle, to the effect that a change of plan had resulted in a delay of twenty four hours, which resulted in an extra day of shelling of the enemy positions, prior to zero hour at 0530 hours on 9 April. On the first day of the battle, Thomas’s battalion was in position in the corps reserve, and played no part in the costly assault on the German front line. As part of the same battle, Thomas was amongst the 45 other ranks deaths on the day that he fell. Source

The Allahakbarries was an amateur cricket team founded by 'Peter Pan' author J. M. Barrie, and was active from 1890 to 1913. Barrie rented a cottage in Shere and became friends with Edwin Lutyens’s (Lutyens was building a village shop and lodge for Reginald Bray at the time) - Barries cricket team, The Allahakbarries played one of their first matches against Shere Fire Brigade and the firemen won ‘by about 60’ runs.

The film clearly shows the Rector of St. James' Church, Fredrick C. Hill, watching on and offering encouragement and ending with a clear view of the man and how he looked. I have often sat in the church and looked at the Rector's Board on the wall, reading the names and dates from past times. It's so difficult to visualise or form an impression of the person without a photograph but seeing our Rector of the time, Frederick walking around in the film and up close smiling, has brought the past to life.

This prompted some research.
Frederick C. Hill is buried in St. James' Church

Frederick was buried in Shere on 10 December 1919 and his brother-in-law Rev Algernon Lucey officiated.

The grave is close to the gate leading from the swimming pool entrance

Frederick's wife Florence Catherine Hannah Lucey (1859-1930) is buried with him

The inscription reads:

Frederick Charles Hill
Rector of Shere 1893-1919
Passed away Dec 5 1919
Aged 63

"A workman that needeth not to be ashamed."

Florence Hill his widow
July 17 1930 aged 70

St. John 14.1-3

Volunteer firemen at Shere, Surrey, harness a fire engine and ride away.

Alice Norton (daughter of Film Director, Charles G. Norton) with her bicycle. Read more in the feature below.

I have been contacted by Judith Norton (December 2022) with a major update to the above photo.

"I am looking at the picture of Charles Goodwin Norton and the photo above says that the man on the left is G.A. Smith BUT Norton was born in 1856 and Smith in 1864. Norton only started photography around 1896 which would make G.A. Smith 32 in this picture.  The young man in that picture is Charles Douglas Norton - Charles Goodwin Norton’s eldest son. He is my husband’s grandfather". Judith Norton

I can actually see the facial resemblance now between Charles Douglas and Charles Goodwin, so a huge Thank You to Judith for contacting us. In a follow-up e-mail from Judith:

"I can verify that the picture is of Charles Goodwin Norton on the right and the young man on the left is Charles Douglas Norton, the eldest son (1882 - 1958). This picture had to be taken prior to 1900 as Charles Douglas emigrated to Canada in 1899. He married Mabel Egerton of the Gomshall Mill in 1911. Hope this clarifies everything". Judith

Charles Goodwin Norton was born 8th April 1956 in Anchor Cottage, Upper Street, Shere. He was educated at the village school and then attended Guildford School.

A pioneer exhibitor and film maker who had been exhibiting films since 1896, was Charles Goodwin Norton, also a celebrated lanternist. From 1898 onwards, he began to devote more of his time to film production, for which G.A. Smith did much of the laboratory work. It is from Smith's account books that we are able to identify some of the films he made in 1899. Some of these survived and form part of the bequest made to the National Film Archive known as the Norton Collection.

In July of this year, Charles Norton made three films, one being 'Fire Brigade turn-out in the country'. This film survived and is number 11 in the Norton collection. The description given is as fllows:

"In a village street firemen run up to a small fire station, lead out the horses - fire engine, harness the horses, mount and drive off watched by a policeman and several onlookers, including a dog."

Alice Norton (daughter) in a letter dated 5th March 1961 states that this film was taken at Shere and has personal connections by which it is thought that she herself appears as one of the onlookers. As there is only one woman in the film, I can only assume that she is featured riding her bicycle.

Another film by Norton that sadly has NOT survived is 'Train Entering Shere Station'. A train enters station and Miss Alice Norton is met off the train by two little girl cousins. On a positive note, its great that we do have the 'Fire Station' film that did survive. This has given us a greater insight into social history of that time, before motor vehicles and two villages, Shere and Albury who came together as volunteers for the good of the community.

A camera used by Charles Goodwin Norton was presented to the Science Museum in London by his daughter Alice in 1950 and is probably the very camera used in the 1899 films.

Credit © Science Museum / Science & Society Picture Library -- All rights reserved.

Charles Norton also wrote a very short biographical note under the heading "The Life of Charles Goodwin Norton", which exists in typescript only. For some reason the published account makes no mention of his Film work, although it does touch briefly on his Magic Lantern activities. For instance, he recalls how he first became interested in the subject:

"I often went to book sales, and bought up remaiders, mostly novels, and on one occasion there was a magic lantern and a lot of slides, which I purchased for 7s 6d. I gave several private shows and then launched out a bit and bought a double lantern and limelight apparatus complete, and with it gave my first public show in my native village - Shere."

Norton became well-known for his public lantern entertainments, introducing films into his programme in 1896, and producing a number of films on a Velograph camera. Norton also gave shows for the Empress Eugenie, 1896, the Royal Family at Buckingham Palace, 1897, and King Edward VII and family in 1901. He may also have been a projectionist for Harrods department store at this period.

Charles died in 1940 at the age of 84.

©2015 above research

CHARLES GOODWIN NORTON FILMOGRAPHY

DIRECTOR:

• 1900 A Game of Snowballing

• 1899 Street

• 1899 Foundling Hospital Sports Day

• 1899 Fire Brigade turn-out in the Country

• 1899 Cycle Corps Exercise

• 1899 Expressions

• 1899 The Postman and the Nursemaid

• 1899 The Bill Poster

  PRODUCER:

• 1899 The Butcher and the Tramp

• 1899 A Game of Snowballing

• 1899 The Distracted Bather

• 1899 A Reminiscence of War

  PHOTOGRAPHY:

• 1899 Washing Sheep

  DIRECTOR:

• 1898 Street Panorama

• 1898 Tram Ride

• 1898 Good Night

• 1898 Girls Packing Soap

  PHOTOGRAPHY:

• 1898 Waves Breaking on the Sea Shore

• 1898 Good Night

• 1898 Organ Dance

  DIRECTOR:

• 1897 Railway Traffic on the L.N.W.R.

• 1897 Children Dancing

• 1897 Country Sports

• 1897 A Country Cattle Show

  PHOTOGRAPHY:

• 1897 Country Sports

More information can be found here:

Found at Shere Museum, this mahogany and brass 'magic' lantern.

This and other information on Charles Goodwin Norton can be found at the SHERE museum.

VISIT SHERE MUSEUM

Thank you to the Shere Parish Magazine for also help and encouragement to secure this piece of archive Film by raising awareness in both the January and July 2015 Parish magazines.

PARISH MAGAZINE PAGE