Email: belvoirangelssociety@outlook.com

Constitution and Mission Statement

including terms and conditions

(August 2024)

Please find, below, the opening paragraphs of the Constitution document. The full document can be read by clicking on the button (above) or: click here.

1.   Introduction.

The Belvoir Angels Society emerged from discussions in 2023 and 2024 between local history groups and those with expertise and/or interest relating to the Belvoir Angels slate headstones local to Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Rutland and centred on the Vale of Belvoir.

A well-attended discussion event in Hickling Village Hall on Sunday May19th 2024 brought together a number of interested parties to discuss the compelling reasons to do all we can to preserve these unique pieces of local history. Attendees felt the best way to achieve this would be to form a Belvoir Angels Society.

2.   Name.

“The Belvoir Angels Society”

The Belvoir Angels Society is an ‘unincorporated association’; this is an organisation set up through an agreement between a group of people who come together for a reason other than to make a profit (for example, a voluntary group). An unincorporated association does not need to be registered (Gov.UK).

Founding Committee:

• Chair:                 David Powell
• Committee:      Ann Schmidt
•                              Jane Fulford
• Secretary:         Jane Fraser

3.   What is a Belvoir Angel?

The Belvoir Angels Society has been formed with a specific focus on this local example of a folk art tradition originating in the Vale of Belvoir and its immediate surrounding areas.

At the most simplistic level they generally share these fundamental characteristics:

• Swithland Slate – rough hewn on the reverse (unless double-sided) and low in height.
• One or more angels with down-turned, feathered wings
• Symmetrical triangular angel shape
• Stylised head & wings – front-facing with a ruff around the angel’s neck
• They are not ‘prettified’ – some are quite sinister looking.
• Current understanding dates the headstones between the 1680s and the 1750s.

4.   Mission Statement.

The Belvoir Angels Society seeks to preserve the affectionately-styled Belvoir Angels by broadening our knowledge and raising awareness of these unique treasures of the Vale of Belvoir.

5.   Aims.

The aims of the Belvoir Angels Society are based on three principles:

• Exploration of the Past
  • We have some fine records and catalogues (amongst the best known is Heathcote’s survey completed in 2009 and the most recent and most comprehensive is by Ann Schmidt). Recording where the headstones are located, who they commemorate and what state each headstone is in represents an early priority.
  • Known for the beauty and longevity of the Swithland slate, the Belvoir Angel headstones were carved during the reigns of Anne and three Georges and provide an insight into local life at that time. They have generated interest and wider studies (including the origins of the slates, nature of the design, and speculation as to who the stonemasons were) and offer a wide range of opportunities for engagement and study.
• Fostering Interest in the Present
  • What can we do in the present?
  • The Belvoir Angel headstones attract interest from a variety of perspectives – archaeology; social, religious and family history; art/folk art; literature/linguistics/symbology; masonry working/geology; churchyards and landscape.
  • The Society aims to support members in their chosen areas of interest, bringing members together to work on specific projects and sharing information and skills to build knowledge and datasets.
  • The Society aims to bring the communities linked to Belvoir Angel locations together through events and a Belvoir Angels Trail to encourage interest, awareness and engagement.
  • Could the Society coordinate a ‘warden’ scheme to support recording and conservation in individual parishes?
• Ensuring a Future through Conservation and Preservation
  • What could we do in the future?
  • Who is ‘responsible’ for them and can the Society offer support?
  • Can they (should they) be preserved? If so, how? If so, all or a sample?
  • Should we attempt to gain formal recognition for the surviving headstones in the form of Grade II listing? At present, some are listed but not all.

The Belvoir Angels Society aims to hold events around the Vale of Belvoir to give members of the Society the opportunity to explore different locations linked to the Belvoir Angel headstones.

In addition, the Society aims to support smaller projects/study groups choosing to focus on specific areas of research and/or activities. Sharing expertise and resources will be an important feature of the activities of the Society.

Please note that by engaging with the Belvoir Angels Society, you are assumed to be in agreement with the Society’s aims and guidelines as outlined in our Constitution. In addition, we ask that you respect the Ts & Cs of the Hickling (Notts) Local History website. Thank you.