The Cromwell Museum is delighted to announce the next series of its popular online lectures, with the Spring 2024 Lecture Series, again held via Zoom, on four successive Wednesdays, 29th May to 19th June, including a talk by world expert Professor John Morrill. For details of these and two author talks being held in May at the Town Hall, including one on Cromwell and Ireland by Tom Reilly, see the Museum website www.cromwellmuseum.org.
Huntingdonshire History Festival
The Festival willbe back in July, with a programme of talks, walks and events throughout the month, not just in Huntingdon but at other local sites including Ramsey and Kimbolton on all aspects of local history.
The opening weekend, Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th June, will see a First World War Living History weekend in the town centre on Market Square. Recruitment parties, Hunts. Cyclist Battalion members, a World War I cavalryman, YMCA tea stall and suffragettes will be present, as well as family activities 11am to 4pm both days. The full programme of events will go live on the Festival’s social media channels and website on Friday 17th May – visit https://huntshistoryfest.com/ for more details.
Landscape and Local History Research Group
This is a subscription free group, associated with the Cambridgeshire Association for Local History, for anyone actively engaged in research (broadly defined), centred on Cambridge but covering the whole modern county and beyond. The group meets by Zoom and also produces a digital bulletin. If you want to join, email evelynlord9@gmail.com
Summer 2024 Almanack – Excursion Programme Published
The Summer 2024 Almanack with the programme of excursions and events for the Summer of 2024 has been published and sent out to all members. To read and download a copy please go to Publications/Almanack Newsletter Tab or click on this link [Almanack Summer 2024]
New Year 2024 Almanack Published
The New Year 2024 Almanack with the programme of talks and events for the New Year 2024 has been published and sent out to all members. To read and download a copy please go to Publications/Almanack Newsletter Tab or click on this link [Almanack Autumn 2024
Tales from the Summer 2023
Society members and guests met to explore some of the little gems often hidden in Huntingdonshire, and a little beyond.
On the evening of the Wednesday 7th June we had an evening stroll around Needingworth under the expert tutelage of Peter Cooper.
The afternoon of Wednesday 28th June, we visited the medieval church in Diddington to explore its history and that of the village. Afterwards we descended upon Holy Trinitiy Church in Great Paxton to explore its history, and tea and cake with the church council members.
Thursday 20th July we ventured a little outside of Huntingdonshire to explore the Nottingham to Grantham canal and its importance to the industrial development of the Vale of Belvoir. (A hearty lunch in the Dirty Duck pub was most welcome!)
The adfternoon of Thursday 24th August we had an afternoon in Northborough to explore the medieval church, the Manor and the history of the buildings on Church Street.
On Saturday 2nd September, in a joint excursion with Cambridge Antiquarian Society and the Churches Conservation Trust, we had a personal tour of Lincoln Cathedral.
To read more about the excursions, please click on the link [excursion report]
Autumn 2023/24 Almanack available
The Autumn Almanack with the programme of talks and events for the Autumn 2023 and New Year 2024 has been published and sent out to all members. To read and download a copy please go to Publications/Almanack Newsletter Tab or click on this link [Almanack Autumn 2023]
Membership Renewal for 2023 Now Due
If you haven’t renewed your membership already and wish to do so then please contact David Smith by email info@huntslhs.org.uk or by phone 07886 640177. Membership this year is £10 for Single and £15 for a couple.
If you wish to join the Society please download the membership form, found by selecting the membership tab at the top of the page, and send the completed form and payment to David Smith, details on the form.
Almanack – New Year 2023 Published
A supplemantary edition of the Almanack covering the Society activities and lectures planned for the first half of 2023 has been issued.
In addition to our normal first Tuesday in the month lecture programme we have introduced two daytime activities in January and February.
January 19th an afternoon at Huntingdon Archives to view some of publications, documents and maps on the architecture of the Huntingdonshire landscape. Due to the available space in the Archives we have had to limit the numbers to a maximum of 20 people. There will be a small charge of £5 per person for tea and biscuits and cost fo the Archives.
February 22nd and afternoon at Huntingdon Methodist Church with MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology). MOLA representatives will give a short presentation and then lead us in a workshop to study a number of finds and research material related to the excavations alonmg the route of the new A14 road. Please note numbers wil be limited to 20 for the workshop. There is no charge for this event
If you want to book a place on any of these listed events please email David Smith on info@huntslhs.org.uk.
Goodliff Awards 2022
The Society is delighted to announce the Goodliff and Family History (genealogical) awards towards the following projects:
Mike Addis – for ‘The Victorian Entomologist@ – a personal project to teach children about the 19th Century discover of the natural world.
*Huntingdonshire Archives – for an archivist to re-catalogue to modern standards the first instalment of the records of the Duke of Manchester’s Kimbolton Estate.
The Norris Museum – to work with local youth charity KICK to create a local history ‘story mat’.
*Peter Cooper – for a will tramnscription (from records at TNA) and analysis project for Holywell-cum-Needingworth and making this available on website.
*Annie James – for further instalment of work on Huntingdonshire convicts who were transported.
The Cromwell Museum – for redesigned display of exhibits in the museum dealing with Cromwell’s early life, including new acquisitions.
Martyn Smith – for an A3 printer to support his Huntingdonshire Cyclists’ project
Dr. Ken Sneath – for publication of a volume of essays by different scholars on the ‘Long Reformation’ in Huntingdonshire.
Godmanchester Museum – for additional boards for display of cpied family photographs from local people.
Dr. Stephen Upex – to publish a facsimile editon of Edmund Artis’s seminal archaeological text ‘Durobrivae’
Huntingdon BID – for external display boards in Literary Walk Huntingdon on literary figures with Huntingdonshire connections
Ramsey Rural Museum – for audio-visual equipment to give introductory infomation about the museum collections
(*) Awards using in whole or in part the account created from transfer of funds by the former Huntingdonshire Family History Society aimed at projects of genealogical interest.