North Devon Creative Industries: online talk

Horse sculpture

With apologies for the late notice and to those who have heard about this through other channels, we will be staging our first online talk at 2 pm next Tuesday, 23rd June.



This will be of particular interest to anyone interested in North Devon’s creative industries, but any and all are welcome.



https://swheritage.org.uk/events/creative-north-devon/



Brian Carpenter

Community Learning Officer

Devon Archives and Local Studies Service

Devon Heritage Centre

Great Moor House

Bittern Road

Sowton

Exeter

Devon

EX2 7NL

01392 888712

07939 106549

Email: brian.carpenter@swheritage.org.uk

www.swheritage.org.uk
South West Heritage Trust is supported by Somerset and Devon County Councils

South West Heritage is a charity and a company limited by guarantee registered in England. Registered office: Somerset Heritage Centre, Brunel Way, Norton Fitzwarren, Taunton, Somerset TA2 6SF. Company number: 09053532 Charity Number: 1158791 VAT Registration Number: 197221592






COVID-19: Devon Archives and Local Studies is closed until further notice. We will continue to do our utmost to assist enquirers but please note that our ability to answer enquiries, as well as process research/copying orders and permission to publish requests, may be significantly curtailed during this period.  In some cases we may ask researchers to re-submit their enquiries at a later date when we are in a better position to help.  We apologise for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.



Please note that we cannot accept any payments by cheque while we are closed.  All payments must be by Paypal or BACS.





On 18 March 2020 all Trust sites closed to the public until further notice.  Sites include the Museum of Somerset, Somerset Rural Life Museum, Somerset Brick and Tile Museum, Somerset Heritage Centre, Devon Heritage Centre and North Devon Record Office.



We don’t yet know when we’ll reopen and we will be updating our website regularly.  Visit swheritage.org.uk.



Thank you for your understanding.

Volunteers please: Exeter Cathedral Archives and other projects

Exeter Cathedral in 1830 from wiki

Volunteers are required to assist with various projects taking place in the Devon Heritage Centre’s Conservation Studio in Exeter.

The first is a conservation and preservation project which involves both the Devon Archives and Local Studies Service and the Exeter Cathedral Archives. 

The aim of the project is to replace the existing brown envelopes and acidic boxes in which many of the Cathedral Archives’ early deeds are stored.  Some cleaning and survey work may be involved, and people who can dedicate one day per week (preferably Tuesday) to the project will be ideal. 

The project is likely to last for several years, but any contribution which anyone is able to make will be extremely valuable.

The project will be managed by Deborah Phillips, Senior Archive Conservator for the Devon Archives and Local Studies Service, and Ellie Jones, Exeter Cathedral archivist.

There are also a number of opportunities to assist with the repackaging of photographic material which is part of the Westcountry Studies Library collection here at the Heritage Centre, as well as a wide range of other work, as summarized below.  All training and equipment will be provided.

Cleaning, packaging and surveying 

Necessary skills: Dexterity, an eye for detail and patience.

Packaging involving sewing with an over-locker

Necessary skills: Familiarity with sewing machines and simple dressmaking.

Rolled document bagging/Bags for Plans in Strongrooms

Protective bags for seals.

Document cleaning using Bassaire hoover unit, brushes & Chem sponge

Necessary skills: Manual dexterity, an eye for detail and patience.

Cleaning of new accessions

Data inputting

Necessary skills: Ability to use Microsoft Excel

Making manila dust jackets

Necessary skills: Manual dexterity, an eye for detail, clear handwriting

Packaging photographic materials

Necessary skills: Understanding of a simple machine, patience

Bookbinding and book restoration

Necessary skills:  Bookbinding experience

If you are interested, please contact Brian Carpenter at the Southwest Heritage Trust

Brian Carpenter

Community Learning Officer

Devon Archives and Local Studies Service

Devon Heritage Centre

Great Moor House

Bittern Road

Sowton

Exeter

Devon

EX2 7NL

01392 888712

07939 106549

Email: brian.carpenter@swheritage.org.uk

www.swheritage.org.uk

South West Heritage Trust is supported by Somerset and Devon County Councils

South West Heritage is a charity and a company limited by guarantee registered in England. Registered office: Somerset Heritage Centre, Brunel Way, Norton Fitzwarren, Taunton, Somerset TA2 6SF. Company number: 09053532 Charity Number: 1158791 VAT Registration Number: 197221592

 

Devon Deciphered book signing and talk DATE CHANGED TO DECEMBER 4TH

 The Friends of Devon’s Archives have recently published a book called Devon Deciphered, by John Booker, a retired archivist and palaeography lecturer who has volunteered at the Devon Heritage Centre since 2011 and regularly teaches palaeography here.

Devon Deciphered approaches the art of reading old handwriting from a specifically Devonian perspective, using documents created and held in the county.

Between 2 and 4 pm on Monday 4^th December at the Devon Heritage Centre, John Booker will be talking about the process of writing the book, with reference to many of the documents, which will be on display. 

Copies of the book will be on sale, and John will be happy to sign them.

Please pass this message on to anyone who may be interested.

There’s no charge for attending, and it isn’t obligatory to tell me in advance that you’ll be coming, but, if you can do so, it will be helpful.

Brian Carpenter

Community Learning Officer

Devon Archives and Local Studies Service

Devon Heritage Centre

Great Moor House

Bittern Road

Sowton

Exeter

Devon

EX2 7NL

01392 888712

07939 106549

Email: brian.carpenter@swheritage.org.uk

www.swheritage.org.uk

South West Heritage Trust is supported by Somerset and Devon County Councils

South West Heritage is a charity and a company limited by guarantee registered in England. Registered office: Somerset Heritage Centre, Brunel Way, Norton Fitzwarren, Taunton, Somerset TA2 6SF. Company number: 09053532 Charity Number: 1158791 VAT Registration Number: 197221592

Villages in Action at the Exeter Heritage Centre

On Wednesday, 6 researchers from Starcross met up with Kate Green from Villages in Action 
 and 6 researchers from Whimple at the  heritage centre on the Sowton industrial estage .
Both groups are part of the Villages in Action project to unearth the histories of our communities.

Anyone can go to this centre, which is run by the South West Heritage Trust. There is access to all the documents and books AND, online; the British Newspaper Archive AND a family history website. All you have to do is fill in a very simple form and, if you have ID with you, they give you a card which lasts 4 years. This card is also valid at the North Devon Record Office in Barnstaple

If you want to photograph the documents you discover, it costs £5 a day, or around £80 for a year's photographic subscription.

Catalogues are freely available online. Here's a link to the details of the account book of THE STARCROSS BREAD AND COAL CHARITY from 1879 to 1903.

Add caption

The card indexes in the heritage centre can be freely searched. Starcross information tends to be filed under the parish - which was Kenton, until the 1980s when Starcross had its own Parish Council.

Here's some of the Starcross gems unearthed from the card index: all you have to do is ask at the desk, and someone will dive down into the archives, and bring out the map, plan or document.

MAPS AND PLANS
KENTON: Plan showing the space occupied by the
 new washing machine with specification of steam
laundry machinery - Western Counties Institution
Starcross

1903 - 1909

Maps and Plans - Kenton. plan showing new washing machine

MAPS AND PLANS
KENTON: Plans and specification for the Red House,
Starcross

1933

Maps and Plans - Kenton. Red House Starcross

MAPS AND PLANS
KENTON: plan of the Starcross and Kenton Gas
 Company's premises

1928 - 1929     

MAPS AND PLANS
KENTON:Starcross and Kenton Gas Company

MAPS AND PLANS
KENTON: plan of dry dock at Starcross

1809

MAPS AND PLANS
KENTON: plan of a house in Starcross near the
railway

1903

AGRICULTURE. Warrens
KENTON.  deeds relating to a rabbit warren and salt
works in Kenton 1704 - 1790

 

AGRICULTURE. Warrens
KENTON. Rabbit Warren
1703

AGRICULTURE. Warrening
KENTON: exclusive rights to rabbits in the warren
in the field below the Mount Pleasant Inn

1854

ART AND ARTISTS
Eland's Art Gallery, 234 High Street, Exeter.
Illustrated Catalogue "The West Country" depicted
by Devonshire Artists

1908

MAPS                         EXE,   RIVER
with Starcross, Powderham 1508m/Rivers 4
Exe      Bight                                                5
Exe  Canal                                                  pl1
"        "   (countess wear)                             6
Jame's  Weir    c.1750                                A1
Near Salmon Pool                                    A2
Lympsone Exmouth 1839

UNEARTH - a project from Villages in Action

What buried treasure is there in Starcross? Villages in Action will UNEARTH the histories of 8 Devon communities, including Starcross. A film about each village will be compiled from archives. Each film will be shown in its village's hall. AND there will be a professional, multi-media production about each place.

Kate Green from Villages in Action, will present the first stage of this Heritage Lottery funded project to the November meet of Starcross History.

 UNEARTH

Discovering the Hidden Histories of Devon’s Rural Communities

Kate will explain how the Villages in Action project will progress through the year and describe the various elements.  Printouts will summarise.

·       Brentor, Buckfastleigh, Chagford, Colyford&Colyton, Crediton, Rattery, Starcross and Whimple will research and explore their stories, customs and traditions, with a particular focus on their village hall.

·                 The research will be supported by the South West TV and Film Archive and the South West Heritage Trust. There will be a special film night in each village.

·                 Performers and artists will be commissioned to create original multi-media performance pieces to be performed in each hall.

Gerald Quinn

Gerald Quinn, a noted figure on the Devon local history scene, was killed in a road accident in Dorset last week.

His funeral will take place at 10 a.m. next Wednesday, 19^th August.at the Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady Help of Christians & St Denis, St.Marychurch, Torquay, then at Torquay Cemetery, followed by a reception at the Palace Hotel, Babbacombe Road, Torquay.

His family have said that they would love to see as many people there as possible.

 A35 Bridport death: Torquay man Gerald Quinn was 'devoted' teacher