Friends of Duddington
St Mary's Church - Dudington
We are a group of amateur local historians dedicated in the collective pursuit of the history of the Duddington Wyles family. As direct descendants of a prominent Wyles lineage originating in Duddington (the Wyles have lived in Duddington for over five-hundred years and longer) – it is our duty to record the history of Duddington and note-down everything we find of significance. As we are not currently citizens of Duddington ourselves – this is a strictly non-political and non-religious undertaking. Our job is to objectively observe Duddington – and not to directly interfere in its governance, religious belief, or cultural expression. Physical interaction with the current population (said to be around 115 personages) is neither required or recommended. Whenever I have approached the Parish Council or Church Authorities – I have always been met with a polite indifference – and ultimately achieved no meaningful research progression. After-all, these people do not know us – and we do not know them – even though we have been visiting Duddington around twice a year for the last 17-years (as of 2025).
As “Friends of Duddington” we must attempt to preserve its presence through the impartial and non-attached recording of Duddington’s dialectical history as it has formulated in the past, presented in the present, and speculate as to how it will unfold in the future. For instance, although we have been able to enter, explore, and leave with total freedom (as we act with decorum, respect, and discipline) – there may come a time when places like Duddington will be “gated-off” to the general public as a means to protect and preserve its old and historical structures from the ravishes of time and modernity. Even if this happens, we must not oppose or encourage such a development. This is why our work of cataloguing the area - in all its aspects - remains vitally important. We can do this because we are all academically trained in many other scholarly fields, and we use this knowledge to metaphorically “dig-up”, as it were, the history of Duddington. We cannot rely on any outside agency to assist in this task – as this task falls firmly upon our own shoulders.
The “Friends of Duddington” are always seeking-out ever more subtle and ingenious ways of looking anew at old problems, and extracting fresh knowledge where none seems to exist. Out of the old – comes the new. As we have matured and become ever more experienced as time has gone on, we have mastered our trade to an ever deeper degree. We share our work with anyone interested – and will assist others in their unrelated research if we are able to do so. In a very real sense, we are Social Scientists engaged in a historical project of great importance for the Wyles family. All the data lies all around us and is waiting to be recognised and retrieved. Once this happens, this data is then processed, analysed, and placed into its proper place and perspective. Nothing is set in stone – and yet so much of what we need is literally preserved within or upon “stones”. The “Friends of Duddington” are “Friends of Dialectical History”. All knowledge is valuable – even if we do not immediately understand its relevance or purpose. Eventually, all pieces of data fit together and a greater picture is formed. We have a right to associate ourselves with a historical Duddington because the Wyles family lived there for hundreds of years. They served Queen Elizabeth, they served Lord Burghley, they owned the Mill and the Wells, worked as Blacksmiths, and ploughed the local fields! In fact, we are still looking for the “Wyles Field” which exists somewhere within the farmland that surrounds Duddington.
15.8.2025
As “Friends of Duddington” we must attempt to preserve its presence through the impartial and non-attached recording of Duddington’s dialectical history as it has formulated in the past, presented in the present, and speculate as to how it will unfold in the future. For instance, although we have been able to enter, explore, and leave with total freedom (as we act with decorum, respect, and discipline) – there may come a time when places like Duddington will be “gated-off” to the general public as a means to protect and preserve its old and historical structures from the ravishes of time and modernity. Even if this happens, we must not oppose or encourage such a development. This is why our work of cataloguing the area - in all its aspects - remains vitally important. We can do this because we are all academically trained in many other scholarly fields, and we use this knowledge to metaphorically “dig-up”, as it were, the history of Duddington. We cannot rely on any outside agency to assist in this task – as this task falls firmly upon our own shoulders.
The “Friends of Duddington” are always seeking-out ever more subtle and ingenious ways of looking anew at old problems, and extracting fresh knowledge where none seems to exist. Out of the old – comes the new. As we have matured and become ever more experienced as time has gone on, we have mastered our trade to an ever deeper degree. We share our work with anyone interested – and will assist others in their unrelated research if we are able to do so. In a very real sense, we are Social Scientists engaged in a historical project of great importance for the Wyles family. All the data lies all around us and is waiting to be recognised and retrieved. Once this happens, this data is then processed, analysed, and placed into its proper place and perspective. Nothing is set in stone – and yet so much of what we need is literally preserved within or upon “stones”. The “Friends of Duddington” are “Friends of Dialectical History”. All knowledge is valuable – even if we do not immediately understand its relevance or purpose. Eventually, all pieces of data fit together and a greater picture is formed. We have a right to associate ourselves with a historical Duddington because the Wyles family lived there for hundreds of years. They served Queen Elizabeth, they served Lord Burghley, they owned the Mill and the Wells, worked as Blacksmiths, and ploughed the local fields! In fact, we are still looking for the “Wyles Field” which exists somewhere within the farmland that surrounds Duddington.
15.8.2025