A talk by our chairman - Brian Forshaw - There may have been a church here in the late Saxon period but the first written record we have comes from 1114 when Henry I granted the church at 'Cnaresburgh' to the canons of Nostell Priory. In 1318 Scottish raiders destroyed much of Knaresborough, including the church.… Continue reading The History of St John the Baptist Church, Knaresborough
Sir Thomas Ingilby of Ripley Castle inherited the Ripley Castle estate, aged 18 - I also inherited a colossal tax bill - so we turned the family home into a hospitality business and went from there. It was probably worse than Fawlty Towers when we started. The Ingliby's have been at Ripley Castle for over 700… Continue reading The Ingilbys of Ripley
Peter Lacey, local author of 'Tales of a Celebrity Hermit', will be talking about the life of St Robert (1160 – 1218), one of the most important but lesser-known characters associated with Knaresborough. St Robert’s Cave next to the river Nidd in Abbey Road is owned by Ampleforth Abbey estate but managed by the… Continue reading Saint Robert in His Time
A presentation at Knaresborough House where you can meet some of our members and find out what the society has to offer anyone interested in history.
A talk by Pete Finan Pete is the former Head of the History department at King James’s School
Talk by Paul Chrystal Paul Crystal our speaker this coming Tuesday appologises and has had to change his talk from Old Pubs of Knaresborough & Harrogate and will instead feature two of his recent books - A History of Britain in 100 Objects and York Through The Lens of The Press Paul blogs and podcasts,… Continue reading Two books by author – Paul Chrystal
By Dr Phil Judkins Please note we will be meeting in the Challenor Room at the rear of the school in the right hand gateway. 'Dr Phil Judkins is a military historian specialising in the First and Second World Wars. He holds a PhD from the Royal Military College of Science in the history of… Continue reading More Deadly Than The Male
By Gillian Waters Gillian Waters is an experienced educator with substantial experience of classroom, on-line and museum education, having taught in schools, universities and museums for over 25 years. This evenings meeting will be held in The Chaloner Hall - this is at the back of the school through the car park on the right… Continue reading John of Gaunt and the Forest of Knaresborough
This meeting will be held in the Chaloner Hall - Please note there is another meeting in the main hall so parking may be difficult, if possible park elsewhere. By Dr Hannah Thomas Hannah is the Special Collections Manager and research fellow at the Bar Convent in York the oldest convent in England.
By our own - Alex De Gier - Alex is a Committee member of Knaresborough Historical Society and also of Harrogate & District Family History Society - Please note this item has been brought forward from April.
By Malcolm Walker - Malcolm is a member of the Association of Voluntary Guides to the City of York and a York Minster Guide - Please note this date is provisional.
By Karen Adams Karen Adams originates from York, a city full of history, and although had first thought of becoming an architect and adding to the future landscape, instead her career path lead her to archaeology in 1986. In 2001 she moved to the East Riding and worked as a freelance archaeologist.In 2013 Karen became… Continue reading What Did The Romans Leave (for us to find)
By Brian Forshaw - The intriguing history of the family that lived at Scriven Hall from the 14th century for more than 500 years. Brian has been resident in Knaresborough since 1968 and a member of the Knaresborough Historical Society for most of that time. Author of the books - From Castle Yard to Stockwell… Continue reading The Slingsbys
By Rob Snow - A look at the reputations of Mary Tudor and Margaret of Anjou
Mark Anthony Smith will tell us of some of the more surprising facts that he has discovered about the area in his years of researching the history of the Forest of Knaresborough. He will examine the forgotten places and the famous and infamous people, who’s descendants remain amongst us today, highlighting fascinating stories that lay… Continue reading The Forest of Knaresborough
By Gillian Waters - The infamous Murder in The Cathedral when the Archbishop of Canterbury was murdered in 1170. Who were the men who committed the act and why?Gillian is a Medievalist by training, who is intrigued by the connection between families and local and national history and has taught in schools, universities and in… Continue reading Who Killed Thomas Beckett?
By Tony Morgan - Explaining the history of York in Tudor times, the people who lived there and the people who influenced their lives. Expect Royal visits, rebellions, religious unrest, plague and earthquakes!Tony is a resident of Tadcaster whose initial interest and fascination with the story of Guy Fawkes has led him to further research… Continue reading True Tales of Tudor York
On Palm Sunday 1461, in atrocious weather – howling wind, driving sleet and snow – the armies of two disputing Kings of England fought all day on a plateau of land a dozen or so miles south-west of the great medieval city of York. A talk by a representative of the Towton Battlefield Society
By Jackie Glew - The story of the 11 men from Knaresborough charged and jailed for rioting and the extraordinary response of the people of the town.Jackie researched the story of this episode in the town’s history for the Knaresborough Museum Association. Her book on the subject has been published this year.
By Peter Finan - The infamous First World War engagement which took place in Northern France from July to November 1916. 3 million men fought in the battle of which 1 million were killed or wounded. Pete will tell us the personal story of just four of those men.Pete is retired Head of History at… Continue reading A Walk on The Somme
