The Scottish Soldier in the Fens

In the seventeenth century, under Cromwell, Scottish prisoners of war were marched to the Fens and made to work on the increased drainage project. The Museum occasionally gets enquiries about family history which may relate to some of these men, but many died in the back-breaking work of digging the drains, many of which are still keeping us safe.

A project involving local people and coordinated by Jean Rees-Lyon of The Word Garden did a lot of research, held a meeting attended by members of the Thorney Society (Michael, Margaret, Dorothy) and also produced a play performed at Welney in summer 2019. This was then developed into a film which is now available on YouTube. It is based on contemporary records, though the main character is an "unknown soldier". There are many interesting details in it - and it could be a good way to spend a quiet evening, as it is quite long!

https://youtu.be/zjHhtrC9q5M takes you to the film