In the previous post on notable hill dwellers, it did occur to me that one of the more interesting historical figures, or should I say historian figures was Colonel A.H. Bagnold, who lived in a nice big house in Oxleas Woods, and wrote the first local history in the Articles on Shooters Hill extracted from the parish magazine of Christ Church, Shooters Hill by A. H. Bagnold from 1936-38 which is still available at the local libraries – I hope to report on these at some point, but here are the locations in case it takes me a while to get round to it (as these things generally do):
| Location | Section | Dewey Index |
|---|---|---|
| Greenwich Heritage Centre | Reference Library | 942.61 |
| Greenwich Heritage Centre | Reference Library/reserve | 942.61 |
| Woolwich Library | Reference Library/local | 942.61 |
I did find a little excerpt of bagnold on the internet however on the greenwich-guide website for August the 5th
Further experiments in the velocity of electricity, 1748 on Shooters Hill. Not being satisfied with earlier results (see: Aug 14) the experimenters arranged a circuit of two miles of wire [the Leyden Jar phial being in the middle of the circuit] . . . several discharges were made but the observer who held the two ends of the wire “always felt himself shocked at the very instant of making the explosion”, which was within his view. The conclusion was “that the velocity of electricity was instantaneous”. (Articles on Shooters Hill by Colonel A.H. Bagnold, Parish Magazine of Christ Church, Shooters Hill 1936/1938)
Actually colonel Bagnold was father to one of the hill’s most famous dwellers, Enid Bagnold, who’s first book Diary Without Dates was written in the turret of the old house, and was about her experiences volunteering at the Herbert Hospital around the first world war. She went on to write National Velvet, among other notable/notorious works, and in fact she really should join Boy George and Fanny Craddock in the list of notable residents. (Another thing that I could get round to doing).