THERE appears to have been an existing North Hampshire Agricultural Society in 1840 which made some proposal to the Alton farming community, the details of which are not recorded. However, at a meeting held at Alton town hall on Tuesday, February 25, 1840, this proposal was “declined with thanks”.

“The object of this meeting being to establish a society more exclusively confined to this neighbourhood,” the meeting heard.

Reverend C James then proposed “that this meeting conceiving that it would lend to the advancement of agricultural knowledge and, at the same time, be the means of stimulating honest industrious labourers to further exertions, do consider it advisable to establish an Agricultural Association of North East Hampshire”.

This was agreed and Edward Knight, of Chawton House, the nephew of Jane Austen, was elected president, a post he held for 39 years. Thirty-four members were enlisted and a membership of not less than 10 shillings or more than £5 was agreed. Among the original members were Baigent, Turvill, Woods and Messenger – all familiar names today. Not less than two thirds of the subscriptions were to be applied for the benefit of the labouring class and premiums to be given for the exhibition of stock. Other awards included for large families, long service, single labourers and old disabled labourers.

These main objects remained for many years and a ploughing match was soon established as well as the first Christmas fat stock show taking place in Alton’s Market Square on December 1, 1840. A grand dinner was held annually to present awards and prizes for ploughing and other competitions. There were as many as10 toasts and in 1871 music was introduced to the event.

In 1860, hop-drying classes were added and in 1877 dairy cattle miked at the show were added. In February 1878, Arthur J Scott, of Rotherfield Park, wrote to the secretary, Mr Boyland, asking the Association “to consider mounting an exhibition in the summer months for one day in some fields near Alton where a combined agricultural and horticultural show, together with an exhibition of dogs and poultry, would attract together people of all tastes and pursuits. For this purpose it would be necessary to combine with the horticultural society.”

This was not taken up immediately but by 1880 Mr Scott had become the second president and the Alton Show was born.

The summer show was suspended during hostilities from 1916-18 but restarted in 1919. At the annual meeting, in April 1938, discussions took place as to where to celebrate the centenary of the Society in 1940. Suggestions included a visit to the Royal Show at Windsor, which itself was celebrating its centenary in 1939. It is not clear what was decided as a meeting on October 3, 1939, again suspended the Society’s activities for the duration the Second World War and makes no mention of the celebrations. The next entry, in the minutes book, is for a general meeting on March 19, 1942, when accounts for the celebrations were approved and showed a surplus which helped the troubled finances at the end of 1939 to become a surplus in 1942, despite suspension of all activities in 1939, 1940, 1941 and 1942. Many subscriptions had continued and donations of prize monies, not awarded, meant that a financial crisis was averted.

The summer show restarted on August bank holiday 1944 at Courage’s sports ground in Alton. The ploughing match was also reinstated with a revised schedule, including the wording that women “could compete in every class with men, but in the tractor ploughing competitions could, in addition, have prizes segregated to them”.

Among the various competitions were sugar beet singling and hedge laying. The social changes brought about after the two world wars meant that many of the awards to poor employees ceased in favour of awards for stock and practical skills. Many trophies were donated over the years and the Association now has a large collection of silver cups.

Mr Aylward took charge of the summer show and was ably supported by Mr Lucas and a group of members dealing with trade stands, livestock lines and road signage. This system meant that the show appeared each year almost automatically thanks to the efforts of this group of senior members giving their time and energy.

The summer show was first held on The Butts in Alton and then on various sites including Courage’s sports ground (entry one shilling and to the grandstand 2/6), Chandos Lodge and Anstey Park. Gradually, with numbers attending growing, an accident involving a member of the public and a rent increase from the council forced a re-location and land at Froyle was rented. Unfortunately, this meant a change of date from August bank holiday and whereas previously crowds would walk from town to Anstey Park the journey to Froyle seemed to be too much for many despite the promise of a free bus service. Attendance declined for some time but had picked up over recent years.

With the huge changes in farm practices and mechanisation and subsequent decline in staff numbers the entries for the ploughing match declined and became less of a competition for employees and more of a meeting of self-employed enthusiasts. The demise of the Hops Board closed that element of the autumn event. The grand dinner became a beer and sandwiches event. The reduction in the labour force caused problems with the construction of the show site as there were fewer men, tractors and trailers available. The change in date also contributed to the attendance problems as the July date clashed with harvest and other farm operations and member attendance began to fall again.

An educational programme for primary and junior schools was introduced in 2008. This involves school visits to members’ farms and has its roots in the early years of the association when practical training was part of the activities. Subsequent to the farm visit, the schools undertake a project based on what they learned during their day on the farm to compete for the Association’s Education Cup.

The sale of the site at Froyle by Lord Mayor Treloar’s to a developer led to conditions being introduced which made it impossible to continue the show on that site after 2013. No feasible alternative site could be found in the area and so ended a truly traditional agricultural show which had relied on volunteers from the farming community, as well as supporters from the villages and the town, to do everything, including preparing the site, manning the gates, stewarding livestock and craft areas and selling programmes.

Members voted in 2016 to dissolve the Association and pass over its assets to the neighbouring Alresford Agricultural Society.