Unlocking Hampshire’s History:

CELEBRATING ITS HISTORIANS & ARCHAEOLOGISTS

Saturday 19th September 2026 from 9:30 for 10:00 start, to 16:00.

St Peter’s Pastoral Centre, Jewry Street, Winchester, SO23 8RY

Background:

“Writing good local history depends on finding the best sources and remembering to cite them!”

Sir William Cope, University of Southampton, Special Collections

These words echo the theme of this meeting, which is based on the more than 200 profiles of individuals in HFC’s landmark project “Celebrating Hampshire Historians” (CHH). It highlights the lives and work of many of those who, in various ways, have contributed to the story of the county. Although CHH literally “celebrates” the historians covered, a wider aim has been to encourage awareness of their work, and thereby “unlock” the county’s history and its wealth of sources, printed, audiovisual and online. All local historians will benefit from new insights into the range of materials on Hampshire that wait to be used

The meeting will last one day and be open to all, with a special price for HFC members. Refreshments will be available.

Provisional Programme

There will be eight talks of 30 minutes by experienced speakers on a wide variety of topics drawn from CHH, as well as providing a platform for local history groups and other organisations to set out a stall. It will be run on a come-and-go basis, so people can explore the stalls.

• Barry Shurlock: A cast of hundreds – they wrote the county’s story!

• Roger Ottewill: Popularisation – ‘It happened in Hampshire’, and much else!        

• Karen Robson/Jenny Ruthven: Cope and other Special Collections - Southampton University        

• Jean Morrin: VCH Hampshire - then and now        


• Tom Watson: Churchmen – a cohort of pioneering local historians           


• Dave Allen: Archaeology and history – two soul-mates  


• Zoe Burgess/Viney: Film and tape – the pioneers of audiovisual media  


• Chris Hobby: Hampshire's oldest local history group - the story of Milford-on-Sea   


• Open Session: General Discussion
  

Cost

Attendance: HFC Members: £15.00; Non-members: £20.00. To book your place, please use TicketSource.

Stallholders: A table will be available at the cost of £20.00; the price will include attendance at the lectures for one person. Please email CHH-Conference@hantsfieldclub.org.uk to book a table.

If you are unable to use TicketSource, please download the booking form and send to the name and address shown on the form. (If you have no email address, please include an SAE for confirmation of your place.)