Author: Colin Such

The Gunpowder Plot is always associated with Guy Fawkes, but what is not always appreciated is the prominent part played by Midlands Catholic families, in the planning for, and aftermath of, 5th November 1605. This talk will seek to address this. 

Mairi Macdonald was formerly Head of Local Collections at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Stratford-upon-Avon. She took an MA in Medieval History at the University of St Andrews, followed by a postgraduate diploma in Archive Administration at University College London. In addition to teaching classes on local history sources and paleography, Mairi lectures extensively on local and social history topics. She has contributed to Shakespeare Quarterly, the new Dictionary of National Biographyand the new Oxford Companion to Shakespeare. Her edition of The Register of the Guild of the Holy Cross, Stratfordwas published in 2007 by the Dugdale Society. Mairi is a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and General Editor of the British Records Association series; Archives and the User.

We live only a stone’s throw from the Fosse way, one of the major transport highways of Roman Britain and nearby is Chesterton, rich in the evidence of occupation by the Romans. Here in Lighthorne there have been many finds of Roman artefacts, especially at Hill Farm. This illustrated talk investigates the Roman presence in Warwickshire.

Dr Paul Grigsby is a Warwick Classics Network Research Fellow in Outreach and Impact in the Department of Classics and Ancient History at the University of Warwick. He has a BA in Classical and Archaeological Studies from the University of Kent, Canterbury and an MA by Research and PhD from the University of Warwick.

The Lighthorne archive is continually expanding and contains diverse and interesting material. This presentation explains some of the most interesting items in the archive.

• What disaster befell the church in 1905?
• In 1939 which Lighthorne resident was the organiser of an attempt on the World Speed Record, using a modified Spitfire?
• Why was a Lighthorne youth transported to Norfolk Island and Australia in 1844?
• What did we see when we opened up the Verney vault in 2015?

The answers will be revealed in a general interest presentation by our archivist, Colin Such.

A Powerpoint supported talk on the romantic, chivalrous and tragic story of a superhero – facts, fiction and tradition – a legacy of the town of Warwick in literature, folklore and music.

Trevor Langley is a retired teacher with 40 years experience, specialising in teaching hearing-impaired children. He regularly speaks to societies on many topics associated with his home town of Warwick.

Emma shares her research on this Elizabethan manuscript for the Corporation of Warwick Town Council. Originally intended as a minute book, it evolved into a personal diary of the Town Clerk, John Fisher, who recorded notable events in the Council’s activities. The book provides a fascinating account of life during the Tudor period.

Local historian, Emma Bromley, produced a thesis on this Black Book as part of her degree in Medieval English and History at the University of Birmingham. She is producing a current edition of the Black Book for the Dugdale Society.