Frequently asked questions? - yes, even here! Click on the item in the list below, or scroll down the page to read all the FAQ's. Contact details are at the end.
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How do I pronounce the name Cavell?
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I'm using information from this site in a school or college project - how do I reference it?
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What about copyright?
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Where exactly is Swardeston?
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What happened at the Cavell Festival in 2009? NEWLY UPDATED
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Future Cavell Festivals.
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Do you know of any living relatives of Edith Cavell?
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Can you help to discover whether I am related to Edith Cavell?
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Where is the collection of newspaper cuttings compiled by J F Randerson of Canterbury?
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Is there an Edith Cavell museum at Swardeston?
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Can you help with a further enquiry about Edith Cavell's life or work?
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How can I contact you?
How do I pronounce the name
Cavell?
I'm using information from this site in a school or college project - how do I reference it?
What happens at the Cavell Festival? Impressions of the 2009 Festival
Do you know of any living relatives of Edith Cavell?
Can you help to discover whether I am related to Edith Cavell?
Where is the collection of newspaper cuttings compiled by J F Randerson of Canterbury?
Is there an Edith Cavell museum at Swardeston?
Can you help with a further enquiry about Edith Cavell's life or work?
Edith's father Frederick was adamant that the Cavell family name should not rhyme with 'hell'. The correct pronunciation therefore rhymes with 'travel'.
The website is based on a booklet originally published by Swardeston Parochial Church Council in 1985, written by Rev Phillip McFadyen; edited, converted for www and additional content added by Rev David Chamberlin 1997- .
As we understand it, the correct way to reference this website (as recommended in The Columbia Guide to Online Style by Janice R. Walker and Todd Taylor (Columbia UP, 1998)) is as follows (the reference shows today's date, so you can cut and paste it into your work if you wish):
McFadyen, Rev Phillip and Chamberlin, Rev David, "Edith Cavell 1865-1915 - A Norfolk Heroine" 1985, 1997- . http://www.edithcavell.org.uk
Your institution may have different format requirements, but this should be all the information you need.
Swardeston PCC retains copyright in the written content of this website, however the work is licenced under a Creative Commons Licence. Please click on the link to view the licence, which clearly sets out what you can and cannot do with the material. The question of copyright in the various photographs is more unclear. Those that have been submitted to us are clearly marked, and the copyright remains with the person submitting it: you must get permission from the copyright owner for reproduction. Other photographs are taken from material in the possession of Swardeston Church, none of which has any copyright information added to it. If, by publishing photographs on this website, we have unwittingly infringed anyone's copyright, we apologise, and would be grateful for the opportunity to remedy this by correctly attributing photographs in the future. Therefore, use under the Creative Commons licence of any of the remaining photographs on the site is at your own risk, however the probability is that the copyright on them has already expired.
Swardeston is located 4 miles South South West of the City of Norwich in the County of Norfolk in England, on the B1113 road. The Church is at the top of an unmade track off the West side of Main Road at the Southern end of the village, opposite Wood Lane. The Ordnance Survey grid reference is TG198024, and can be found on Landranger map no. 134 Norwich and the Broads. If you are using GPS or SatNav, Lat. 52.57487 Lon. 1.24375 will find the Church door. The postcode is NR14 8AD. If in doubt, ask a local - they're very friendly!
Each Festival has its special elements – the 2009 Festival one was no exception. The thirty beautiful flower arrangements on the theme 'Heroes and Heroines' were, as ever, amazing. The stalls were well patronised. To get a flavour of the weekend have a look at the YouTube presentation: http://www.youtube.com. Diana Souhami's talk on her new biography (due out next October), the joint exhibition of memorabilia from our archive and from the Norfolk Heritage Centre (see: http://www.norfolk.gov.uk - look for Norfolk Heritage Centre) and the Saturday evening concert were very well attended and worthwhile. Over fifty people joined in guided walks around Swardeston with information on the village in the 1880s.
Special visitors included five nurses who came from Yamaguchi in Japan where they have been working on a translation of Rowland Ryder's 1975 biography of Edith Cavell. A filmmaker came across from Wales exploring the possibility of making a new documentary about Edith Cavell. The owner of the railway running from Wells to Holt in North Norfolk came too - he is working on a new locomotive to add to 'Norfolk Hero - Lord Nelson'. This will be named 'Norfolk Heroine - Edith Cavell' and should be in service in 2011.
It didn’t pour with rain and the gust which temporarily collapsed the main gazebo at 11.30 on Saturday just after we 'opened' to the public must just have been to keep us on our toes...
We are grateful for all the effort of the large team of helpers in making the event go so well. The numbers being down on previous years doesn’t seem to have adversely affected the takings: we raised something around £3,000 to help cover the cost already incurred of the repairing the organ (about £1,000) and hopefully, in due course, the fixing of the loose plaster/ horsehair on the church walls and re-decorating - then roll in the promised new carpets!
The Cavell Festival is held in Swardeston every two years.
The next festival is to be held on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th October 2011 at St Mary's Church Swardeston where Edith Cavell grew up.
The central attraction is a Flower Festival, held in the church. The floral displays are prepared by local flower arrangers, following an overall theme, usually with a local flavour.
In addition, there is a display of Edith Cavell memorabilia, including original paintings and drawings by Edith Cavell, letters from her and about her, contemporary newspaper articles and numerous other items.
In the Church grounds, there are other stalls, including refreshments, usually a display of local arts and crafts, together with commemorative items.
On the Sunday evening, there is a service of thanksgiving for Edith Cavell's life and work.
The Festival is a relatively simple village affair, which attracts a good number of visitors from the local area, and others from further afield. All are very welcome, and any with special Cavell connections, or who have travelled some distance to be with us, will be made especially welcome.
As Edith never married, she has no direct descendants. There are a number of cousins of various degrees of remove scattered around the world, many of whom have been in touch with us, and we would be glad to hear from any others. However, please note the next FAQ item!
We regret that it is not possible to undertake any genealogical research, other than official searches in Swardeston Church records (i.e. Baptism, Marriage and Burial registers only), for which a statutory fee is payable. Please visit the parish website for contact details.
It is here in Swardeston, in the custody of the Parish Church, and can be viewed by prior arrangement. Please use the contact details below.
No - all we have here is a large box of Edith Cavell memorabilia - photographs, books, paintings, etc. The best items will be placed on display at the next Cavell Festival. At other times they can be viewed by prior arrangement. Please use the contact details below.
This website is intended to be a summary of Edith Cavell's life and legacy. For this reason, it does not go into great detail. It is not intended to expand the site much beyond what you see today. If you wish to delve deeper into Edith Cavell's story, please follow the links page on this site or make friends with your local library service. We regret we do not have the resources or the time to undertake research on your behalf, or to answer questions which are outside the scope of the website material. However, we do welcome your comments or suggestions!
NB We regret that questions already covered in the FAQ above will not be answered, so please re-read them before submitting your message! (Please note that Rev David Chamberlin still looks after this website and all initial enquiries, even though he moved from Swardeston to a new parish in Cambridge in 2004. Therefore it is very much a spare time occupation, so please be patient if replies to e-mails aren't immediate!)