5. Emberton Words and music by Kevin Adams
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The name of ‘Emberton’ comes from Old English[1], a language that developed after the Saxon invasions of England from the 5th century onwards. It describes its rural origin: the farm – berewic – means ‘belonging to Eanbeorht’. By 1086[2], 20 years after the Norman invasion, it was recorded as ‘Ambretone’ with 13 separate households; it was assigned to the then hundred[3] of Moulsoe and the county of Buckinghamshire. In 1650, soon after the English Civil War, the ‘Parish of Emberton’[4] was the annexation of the village with two others - Petsoe and Ekeney; the former is now the hamlet of Petsoe End and the latter has disappeared. Despite its encounters with all of England’s invasions and wars, Emberton had been peopled for well over a thousand years by the end of the 20th century; and in 1996 it became part of the Metropolitan Borough and Unitary Authority of the New City of Milton Keynes.
In the 2011 census there were 720 residents in the village, but no shops for them. The trading communities of Olney town and Central Milton Keynes served them instead. However, Emberton’s heritage is acknowledged in a dozen listed buildings in the village, including the 14th century church of All Saints and a former 17th century pub and restaurant, the Bell and Bear; this closed permanently in 2020, despite its many awards and much local support to keep it afloat. Also listed is the Clock Tower, in the heart of the village. It was erected originally ‘in honour of the men of this parish who served in the war 1914 – 1919’. A poem inscribed on it signed ‘G.F.S.’ is thought to be the Reverend GF Sams, Rector of Emberton whose eldest son was killed in 1915. His words underline both the rural origins of the village and its encounter with war: ‘…Those whom we knew as breakers of the clod, Fired in the furnace, tried by battle-thunder, Rose to great deeds and found the face of God…’ Kevin’s lyric focuses on the ‘quiet heritage’ of the ‘families who lived and died’ in Emberton. In 1994, the song featured in The Fabric of Milton Keynes - a one-off unforgettable event, recorded live on BBC radio from Christ the Cornerstone Church in Central Milton Keynes. It had a specially written fifth verse (as in the score) to celebrate this. People from all over the New City came with their tapestries, dance, sculptures, paintings, and specially commissioned songs from the Living Archive Band - including Emberton – to celebrate the city’s varied communities[5]. [1] Old English: The earliest recorded form of the English language spoken in England brought by Anglo-Saxon settlers from West Germany between the 5th and 11th centuries. [2] The Domesday Book: ‘A manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William the Conqueror.’ (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/) [3] Hundred: ‘Unit of English local government and taxation, intermediate between village and shire, which survived into the 19th century. Originally…probably referred to a group of 100 hides (units of land required to support one peasant family).’ ( https://www.britannica.com/topic/hundred-English-government) [4] Parish details from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page [5] The performance from this event is on the MK Song Book website |
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