SCORES of visitors attended Beoley’s family history and local heritage event, Monk or Murderer, over the weekend at St Leonard’s Church.

Family history buffs from as far as Malvern and Oxford visited the church to trace their ancestors and enjoy activities and displays and performances by Beoley first and Abbeywood pupils.

Many revisited their memories of old Beoley by looking at the collections of photographs, a unique set of postcards, old school registers from Beoley School, Beoley Hall and the old village hall, as well as parish birth, marriage and death records dating back to the 1600s.

A group of people braved the rain with Redditch Local History Society members Antony Green and Graham Smith to retrace some old pathways around the area and pick up local heritage landmarks such as the Old Chapel, which still survives but as a private residence.

And some of the old families of Beoley were able to re-establish connections, such as the Slade and Forman families, with the help of Birmingham and Midland Genealogical Society and Worcestershire Record Office.

Geoff Findon from Welford found many references in the registers to his family who were farmers in the area form the 1600s right up to the 1930s. He said that the whole day had been fantastic and well worth the visit.

And Lesley Miller, one of the organisers, found out by accident that her maternal great grandmother was christened at St Leonard’s in 1898 as well as finding a distant relative among the visitors.

The medieval supper at Beoley Village Hall was highly successful, entertaining 80 people with traditional food and a themed play.

The weekend concluded with an organ recital by Graham Moseley followed by a celebratory service on Sunday evening.

Time capsules created by Beoley First School were commemorated on Monday.