The Time Travel Challenge - Tuesday Feb 5th

Personally, I'd be tempted to go back to visit Norwich Castle

in, say, 1450 and talk to the prisoners who were carving figures

like this one... but I can't make my mind up!

Imagine you have a time machine and you have one return journey to go and visit Norwich at any point in its history: 

• What period/year would you travel back to?
• Where in the city would you go to?
• Why?

That is what we are going to discuss in groups at the next meeting of the History Club. 

I've 'played' this game before, and it's a really good way:
(a) To make you think about what really matters to you historically
(b) For us to get to know more about each others interests
(c) For us to interact and get to know each other better

It's not a test or a trial. In my experience, folk always end up having a good laugh doing this one. It also helps me plan a programme of activities that satisfies members interests. 

~ Colin Howey ~

Next Meeting, Tuesday 29th January: Understanding a Medieval Church

Late medieval writing within St Peter Mancroft church, Norwich
(please click on image in order to enlarge)

As you may have noticed, there are lots of old churches in Norwich. In fact, there are more medieval churches surviving in Norwich than do so in London, York and Bristol, combined. If we are to understand this city's history, then, we need to explore these wonderful survivors and begin to interpret why they were built, by whom and for what purpose. With this in mind, next Tuesday, we are going to be visiting the grand church of St Peter Mancroft - the very large and impressive church that stands in the heart of the city, next to Norwich market. 

As ever, we will be meeting in Marzanos cafe (ground floor in the Forum), where we have tables reserved. After refreshment and my, now customary, book 'review', we will be travelling the short distance to the church. This 'exploration' will be a team effort, shared between myself and History Club member, Dr. Carole Hill. 

I will do the introduction, set some context and then talk about the first and last plagues in Norwich, and some evidence we have connecting this to St Peter Mancroft. I will then, briefly, talk about some of the fascinating epitaphs to those who lived and died in this parish. Carole - who is the author of, 'Women and Religion in Late Medieval Norwich' (2010) - will then explain how the church would have appeared before the effects of the Reformation(s) (1530s-mid 1600s), and, in particular, how women would have interacted with the space during this period. 

Finally, our thanks to the staff and volunteers at St Peter Mancroft, who are always welcoming and keen to encourage access to their church. 

~ Colin ~

Medieval Graffiti Training - Saturday 26th January

Graffito, found at Norwich Cathedral.
Please click on image in order to enlarge

As part of the award winning archaeological project, the 'Norfolk Medieval Graffiti Survey', I am offering training for volunteers interested in joining the survey. This will take place this Saturday (26th January), starting at 11:00am at Norwich Castle museum. We will be meeting at the museum's main entrance. The session will last up to 2 hours. 

I will be demonstrating some simple techniques for identifying the marks left by common folk hundreds of years ago. The survey material, which will include Norwich Cathedral, will be added to the county's Heritage Environment Record for the benefit of future generations. 

There are still are a few places left, but they are filling rapidly. If you wish to attend, please contact me on:
howeychoosetouseit@gmail.com 

Best Wishes,
Colin

Colin Howey

Medieval Graffiti Training - Sat 19th January

Please note: the Norfolk Medieval Graffiti Survey training at St Peter Mancroft church will be taking place tomorrow (Sat 19th January, 10:30-12:30). Please enter church via the Octagon cafe entrance.

Thanks,
Colin

Visiting Norwich Castle Museum

Club members listening to storyteller, Dave Tong, in Norwich

Castle Museum keep ground floor basement

I must admit, due to the weather conditions, I was a bit worried about the turnout for today's session. However, my worries were soon allayed as, once again, we had a fantastic response, with over twenty people coming along. 

Our visit to Norwich Castle Museum was really enjoyable. We split into two groups: one 'led' by me, the other, by my former museum colleague, and friend, Dave Tong. Knowing all too well that the two of us have voices like foghorns, we started on different levels in the keep and gave very different tours. I can't speak about the content in Dave's sessions, but, obviously, I'm pretty well placed to share a bit of my one. 

One of the things I covered were accounts of prisoners alleged crimes in the early 1300s. Using, as my main source, Barbara Hanawalt's 'Crime in Medieval East Anglia' (Norfolk Record Society, 1976), I shared some of the material from the Norfolk Gaol Delivery Rolls from this period. For instance, Gervaise de Swanton and his wife, Joan, were asleep in bed when a gang of burglars broke into their room. One of them - William of Mileham - was wielding a 'hatchet' (an axe). He went to strike Gervaise as he lay in bed. However, Gervaise must have somehow deflected the blow, for the record described how the hatchet got stuck in the (presumably, wooden) head of the bed. In the meantime, Joan, leapt out of bed and, knife in hand, stabbed William of Mileham in the head. He died instantly. She was subsequently arrested and taken to Norwich Castle Gaol to await trial. I asked the group what they thought the outcome of the trial was, and then shared the outcome with them. That's just one of several cases we examined.

At the end, Dave - being a professional story teller - kindly agreed to share a story with us about an old and wily man who gave some powerful officials in a (fictional) castle good reason to consider carefully what they wish for. He received well deserved applause for his tale. Afterwards, Club members I spoke with said how much they had enjoyed the experience. 

We would like to thank the Norfolk Museums & Archaeological Service (particularly, Colly Mudie from the Education department) for facilitating our visit and for making us feel so welcome. Thank you NMAS for enabling access to our group!

Here is some of the feedback members gave in our comments book as we enjoyed a cuppa afterwards:

"Really enjoyed it! Very interesting and nice for me to keep learning more knowledge"
"Always learning new things and meeting new people"
"Fascinating! Very enjoyable and a I learnt a lot."
"Informative, exciting, different day. Good storytelling from Dave 'Ding Dong' Tong."

Ding Dong Tong! I haven't heard that one before, but his name seems to ring a bell. If anyone else who attended wants to leave any further feedback please feel free to do so - either, via the comments section below (all comments are moderated) or via my email: colin.howey@norfolk.gov.uk)

Thanks!
Colin

Norwich Castle Museum Visit - Tuesday 15th January.

Please click on image in order to enlarge

Next Tuesday, the Norwich Community History Club will be visiting Norwich Castle Museum. If you wish to attend you have two options. Either:

1. Meet, as usual, in Marzanos cafe in the Norwich Forum at 10:30 (we have tables booked, to the right of the cafe counter). We will then walk up to the castle, departing c10:50-10:55am
2. Meet near the Castle Museum entrance at c11:10 and wait for the other club members to arrive

Once inside, we will split into two groups. Historian and professional storyteller, Dave Tong, has very kindly agreed to assist me by leading a group around the castle keep. I will lead the other exploration of the keep, looking at the 'hidden' history of this fascinating building (including medieval graffiti and a selection of medieval prisoners' cases). 

If you are interested in joining us, please do come along. 

Best Wishes,

Colin

A Wycliffite Bible

At our last meeting, as well as discussing Reginald Dack Baker's scrapbooks, we also had a good look at the wonderful hand-written and illuminated bible that once belonged to Anne Boleyn's uncle (dated, early 1400s). I think that Club members felt a sense of privilege to be so close-up to such a rare and ancient survivor. I explained a bit about the background to this, the first English translation of the bible, and some of the consequences this had for the wider late medieval/Early Modern Society.

As a Club, we are certainly very fortunate to have access to such amazing historical material, due to our partnership with the Norfolk Museum & Information Service. In addition to viewing this, Community Librarian, Clare Agate, also took members to view some of the Norfolk Heritage Collection that is held at the Millennium Library.

Overall, once again, the feedback was really positive:

"Very interesting - wonderful to look at the archives and the bible."
"Getting more interesting week by week."

An 'Insane Delusion'

A very pleasing turnout for today's meeting. Thanks to everyone who came along today. It was particularly pleasing to see new members. I hope you enjoyed it! 

Anyway, one of the things we looked at during today's session were the remarkable scrapbooks of Reginald Dack Baker, a man from Norwich who emigrated to Australia before the First World War and, subsequently, signed up to the Royal Australian Field Ambulance, serving in several theatres of war, before being pensioned off with 'neurasthenia' ('shell shock') in 1918. Although the scrapbooks themselves make very little reference to that experience, that is the backdrop against which his books need to be understood I think. 

Post 1918 he returned to his business as a grocer wholesaler in Brisbane, Australia, and then suffered a breakdown which led him to be sectioned and incarcerated in the Goodna Asylum in that city. Upon release, he returned to Norwich. He died in the North Walsham district, aged 84 in the spring of 1972 (*thanks Liz!). 

Basically, the seven scrapbooks known to survive reveal an obsession with the notion that the medical establishment of the time were killing people by the use of death-rays. It is a poignant record of a man's mental illness in the wake of huge trauma, and contains many poignant elements, such as letters from his former sweetheart who he left behind in Australia. 

I acquired six of these volumes about five years ago, buying them from some builders who were restoring an old bookshop in Norwich. I took two volumes in today and members of the club had the opportunity to look at some historic primary material. Initially, I deliberately didn't explain what I knew about these, as I wanted the members to start searching for the clues contained therein. I think that they fully understood the rather confusing task that faced me when I first acquired them, in deciphering their meaning (many elements still remain a mystery). 

Anyway, back in 2009 I created a blog (that I have not updated since) about the volumes that contained my findings up to that point. Here is the link to it:

Inside the Mind of Reginald Dack Baker

Perhaps this material might be something that club members would want to try and do some further work on in the future. 

*Postscript: Archive Specialist, Liz Budd, has very kindly done some additional research about Baker, and has filled in some more 'pieces of the puzzle'. I'll add these to this blog in the near future. Thanks Liz!