Tonbridge Historical Society
Introduction
The Society was founded in 1960 to provide a focus for local people with historical interests. Unlike some similar societies it is concerned with national history and with archaeology, as well as with the history of Kent and the local area. The annual subscription is a modest £7 per person (£3 for students under 18), and new members are welcome. If you would like to join, please download and print the Application form or apply to the Hon. Sec. via the contact page.
A programme of lectures by invited speakers runs through the winter months. Most of the meetings take place on Thursday evenings at the Adult Education Centre in Avebury Avenue, Tonbridge. In addition there is a Two-session Meeting, with tea, on a Saturday afternoon in November, allowing speakers to explore a topic in greater depth.
A programme of visits is arranged during the summer months, often to places of historical interest which are not normally open to the public.
The society's Research Group explores varied aspects of the history of the town and its inhabitants, and has produced six publications.
The society also maintains extensive collections of archives and pictorial material, and is starting to build a collection of three-dimensional artefacts.
Our secretary is also the local Archaeology Officer and keeps a watching brief on building works in the area which may reveal historic material.
Lecture programme 2008-9
Meetings are held in the Riverside Room in the Angel Centre, Tonbridge, usually on the second Thursday of the month. Non-members are welcome at a fee of £2 (under 18's £1), payable at the door.
Thursday, 9th October 2008 at 7.45pm
‘The Life and Work of Rudyard Kipling' – Geoff Hutchinson
Geoff Hutchinson, who is well known for his interpretation of historical figures in costume, will take us through Kipling's life from his childhood in India to his death in 1936. Kipling is still a controversial figure but many of his works, in particular his children's books and poetry, remain popular.
Saturday, 8th November 2008 at 2.30pm
‘The completest mediaeval town in England: Sandwich in the Middle Ages’ – Sarah Pearson and Helen Clarke
Today Sandwich, which lies two miles from the sea, is best known for its beautiful medieval buildings but it was a major port (and one of original Cinque Ports) before the River Stour silted up. In two talks, Sarah Pearson and Helen Clarke will tell us more about the medieval buildings in the town and the activities of the port and its ships in the same period.
Thursday, 11th December 2008 at 7.45 pm
‘A Country House Christmas’ – Pat Mortlock
A festive topic for our Christmas meeting.
Thursday, 8th January 2009 at 7.45pm
‘Plays and Players in Medieval and Early Modern Kent' – Dr James Gibson
The speaker is the editor for the Kent records of the Records of Early English Drama (REED), an international research project looking at drama in England prior to 1642. During this work he has discovered evidence of the existence of a playhouse in Tonbridge, one of only five playhouses that are known to have existed outside London before the Restoration.
Thursday, 12th February 2009 at 7.45pm
A talk on an Archaeological subject by Gary Brown
The speaker works for Pre-Construct Archaeology, and has been involved in a number of recent digs in the local area.
Thursday, 12th March 2009 at 7.45pm
‘Westenhanger Castle' – Terry Whitling
In medieval times Westenhanger Castle was a Crown property. Elizabeth I seems to have stayed there, and by the mid 17th century it was one of the largest houses in Kent. A period of decline followed though and when it was purchased by the Forge family in 1996 it was on English Heritage's 'Buildings at Risk' register. The family has now been working with English Heritage to conserve the building and its medieval barns and opened the castle to the public in 2007. The speaker will tell us about the castle's history and the restoration project. We hope to arrange a visit to the castle for members in the summer of 2009.
Thursday, 9th April 2009 at 7.30pm
Annual General Meeting, followed by
‘A closer look at Old Tonbridge’ – Pat Hopcroft and Anthony Wilson
New technology enables us to see more detail in photographs
from the Society's extensive collection.
Last year
Our lecture topics in 2007-8 were: 'British and German civilians in the Second World War', 'Lady Anne Clifford and Knole', 'Suffragettes: national and local', 'Christmas Antiques', 'Archaeology of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link', 'The British slave trade and abolition'.
Visits
Visits to places and buildings of historical interest are arranged during the summer months. Places selected include local buildings as well as some further afield. During the 2008 season visits were made to Bromley College and Sheppard's College, Chevening House, and the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. It is usual for visits to be accompanied by a guide with local knowledge.
Details of the 2009 visits programme will appear here in the Spring.
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