The Forest of Dean has many people that have played a huge part in our history, and now the Foresters’ Forest National Lottery Heritage Funded programme is looking to recognise some of these local figures with a plaque – and they need your votes!
Who do you think should be remembered with a special Blue or Green Plaque, displayed within the Forest of Dean?
The plaques are being introduced as a Foresters’ Forest legacy to officially recognise notable historic individuals who died over 20 years ago, that lived or worked in the Forest and who made an important contribution to the Forest’s natural, built or cultural heritage. They also had to have achieved their ‘fame’ within the Forest of Dean’s ‘Hundred of St Briavels’ area because this is where the National Lottery funds can be spent.
A Blue Plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place to commemorate a link between that location and a nationally famous person or event.
A Green Plaque is very similar but it commemorates a link between that location and a person famous within the Forest (but not nationally well known).
Foresters’ Forest previously requested public nominations for individuals who should be proudly remembered and celebrated in this way within the Forest and 18 plaque ‘nominees’ have been shortlisted.
The plaque nominees cover significant and wide-ranging aspects of the Forest’s cultural history.
Examples include, in the Blue Plaque category: David & Robert Mushet (1847-1891) ‘The men of iron and steel’, Dame Muriel Powell (1914-1978) ‘A British nurse ahead of her time’ and Flora Klickmann (1867-1958) ‘Author and journalist who captured village life’. Whilst in the Green Plaque category we have Dr ML Bangara (1881-1927) ‘Well-loved community doctor’, David Richard Organ (1876-1954) ‘Miner who fought for rights’ and Warren James (1792-1841) ‘Freeminer and champion of Forest customs’.
The other nominees are:
Blue Plaques:
- Billy Midwinter (1851-1890) – Paving the way for professional sports players
- Dennis Potter (1935 – 1994) – Dramatist for some of the most popular plays in TV history
- FW Harvey (1988-1957) – Innovative poet and broadcaster
- James Horlick (1844-1921) and William Horlick (1846-1936) – Inventors of baby food and malted drink
- Sarah Siddons (1755-1831) – Actress who found fame in London’s West End
- Sir John Wyntour (1602-1685) – Royalist and ironmaster
Green Plaques:
- Caroline, Countess of Dunraven (1790-1870) – Benefactor of Clearwell
- Edward Machen (1783-1862) – First modern woodland manager
- Sir Francis Brain (1855-1921) – Pioneer of electricity in coal mining
- Thomas Sopwith (1803-1897) – Surveyor, civil engineer and geologist
- Timothy Mountjoy (1824-1896) – Pioneer of trade union for miners
- Sir Charles Dilke (1843-1911) – Liberal Forest of Dean MP
Your help is needed now to decide the final 10 Foresters who should be remembered with a plaque.
The five people who receive the most votes in the Blue category will receive a Blue plaque and the five people who receive the most votes in the Green category will receive a Green plaque.
How to vote:
Please vote for your favourites by viewing this page of the Foresters’ Forest website: https://bit.ly/BlueGreenPlaques
You can also send your votes by email to info@forestersforest.uk with your chosen blue plaque and green plaque recipients (your five favourites for each category).
The results will be announced in August.