Percy Manning Blue plaque

From a simple blue plaque, a life unfolds. This is the Percy Manning plaque, commemorating a man who dedicated himself to preserving the heart and soul of Oxfordshire. Percy Manning, born in 1870, wasn’t just an antiquarian, archaeologist, or folklorist. He was a collector of stories, a weaver of history, a man who understood that the true spirit of a place lies not just in its stones, but in its whispers and echoes. The Percy Manning plaque marks his home at 300 Banbury Road, where he lived from 1912 until his death in 1917. His life’s work became a treasure trove of Oxfordshire’s past, bequeathed to the Bodleian Libraries, the Ashmolean, and the Pitt Rivers Museums. Imagine Manning meticulously documenting May songs and morris dances, even reviving the Headington Quarry Morris Dancers in 1899. This revival, witnessed by Cecil Sharp, sparked the English folk music revival. Manning’s collection isn’t just about artifacts. It’s about the people of Oxfordshire. He captured their superstitions, their folklore, their everyday customs. He hired Thomas James Carter to collect local tales and traditions. This dedication extended to documenting the changing landscape, amassing thousands of prints of Oxford and Oxfordshire, showcasing the evolution of the built environment. The Percy Manning plaque is a testament to a man who understood the importance of preserving the past, in all its forms. It’s a reminder that history isn’t just about dates and battles, but about the lives of ordinary people and the stories they tell.