Heritage Open Day

The headquarters of the Yorkshire Archaeological Society “Claremont” will be open for Heritage Open Day on Saturday 11 September 2010 http://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/

Claremont is a Georgian villa with Victorian additions. It is the former home of the eminent physician and townsman Dr John Deakin Heaton (1817-1880) who christened the house “Claremont”. The YAS moved into Claremont in 1968 and this former residence is now used to house the Society’s library and archive collections and as a venue for meetings and lectures.

Many of Claremont's original Victorian and Georgian architectural features have been retained and visitors will be able to look around the property. Visitors will be able to view an exhibition on the history of the house and the Claremont estate and there will be conducted tours of the building.

Claremont will also be the start and finish of a guided walk around the boundaries of the estate of the 18th century boundaries of the Claremont estate organised by Little Woodhouse Community Association on Friday 10 September. For more details see http://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/directory/HOD010460E/

 

Claremont windows repair

The first phase of the programme to repair the windows at Claremont is now complete. The second phase of repairs will begin on Monday 13 September.

Workmen will be repairing the windows in the following rooms over a number of weeks: lecture room, Inventory Room, Henry Jenkins’s Room, Old Kitchen, Butler’s Pantry, Local History Room and Octagon Room. The Thoresby Society rooms will also be affected.

During this time there may be reduced access to some book cases. If you are planning a visit to Claremont in the next few weeks please ring us before you visit on 0113 245 7910. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

To donate to the Claremont Windows Appeal click here

Friends of St Andrew Weaverthorpe

Illustrated lecture by Professor Dominic Powlesland
‘Reflections on the Archaeology of the Great Wold Valley’
7.30pm Friday 17th September
St Andrews Church Weaverthorpe

Tickets (to include refreshments) - £6 Adults, £2.50 Children
Admission on door if places available

From Friends of St Andrew Weaverthorpe, Rarey Farm, Weaverthorpe, YO17 8EY
01944-738282

 

Duke of Leeds Collection featured in new publication “Sisters of Fortune”

Jehanne Wake's "Sisters of Fortune: The First American Heiresses to take Europe by Storm" follows the fortunes of the Caton sisters, Marianne, Louisa, Bess and Emily.

Marianne married the Duke of Wellington's brother the Marquess of Wellesley, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Louisa married the Marquess of Carmarthen heir to the Duke of Leeds.

The YAS archives hold the Duke of Leeds collection which contains deeds, legal papers, correspondence, accounts and personal papers of the Dukes of Leeds. Correspondence between the Caton sisters and other members of the Caton family from this collection were used in Ms Wake's research.

"Sisters of Fortune" is published by Chatto and Windus.
http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/catalog/book.htm?command=Search&db=main.txt&eqisbndata=0701173084

If you are interested in finding out more about the Duke of Leeds collection (DD5) please contact the archives on 0113 245 6362 or yas.archive@googlemail.com

Celebrating Claremont

On Friday the 9th July an event was held at the YAS’s headquarters at Claremont to highlight the importance of this former residence in the history of Leeds and the local area, raise the profile of the YAS among local groups and institutions and promote the Claremont Windows Appeal. Guests were drawn from our affiliated societies, the local community, local businesses and local historical societies and institutions. Hilary Benn, MP was also in attendance. Read More

 

Journal articles

For details of how to submit articles for consideration for the YAJ, please contact the YAS Secretary by email or post.

 

Historic Day for the YAS

We are pleased to announce that at the Annual General Meeting on Saturday 26th June 2010, Mrs Sylvia Thomas was elected President of the Society. She is the first woman to be elected to that position, and was warmly welcomed by the retiring president, Dr Richard Hall, and the meeting.

Members may remember that Mrs Thomas retired recently from her position as County Archivist for West Yorkshire and has a long standing connection with the YAS and its archives, having served as the West Yorkshire Archive Service representative at Claremont when our archive was closely associated with that Service.

Mrs Thomas thanked Dr Hall for his inspirational leadership and hoped that she could continue his work in the next five years. She was also aware of the tremendous honour and privilege of her election, following in the footsteps of so many eminent Presidents. She added that she hoped that people would continue to enjoy coming to Claremont and using it's facilities, and the development of the web site would play a crucial part in the future of the Society.

 

 

THE BATTLE OF WAKEFIELD REVISITED: A FRESH PERSPECTIVE ON RICHARD OF YORK’S FINAL BATTLE, DECEMBER 1460

By Helen Cox

the book will be available online by 30th June at the latest, from York Publishing Services, www.YPD-books.com .

The Victorian Home

Several photographs of Victorian Claremont, now the YAS's headquarters, are featured in "The Victorian Home" by Kathryn Ferry. It is available from Shire Publications

 

The End of the Roman North:
Roman to Anglo-Saxon in Northern England

Roman Antiquities Section YAS; Yorkshire Archaeological Society;
Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies: Centenary Programme &
AD410: 1600th Anniversary of the End of Roman Britain Programme
jointly present a day-conference

The End of the Roman North:
Roman to Anglo-Saxon in Northern England
followed by a Special Keynote Lecture from 'north of the border' on
The Traprain Law Hoard

13th November 2010
Temple Hall, York St John University,
Lord Mayor’s Walk, York

Programme and Booking Form

The National Monuments Record's

archives catalogues, with some images, describing over a million photographs and other archives, are now online at www.englishheritagearchives.org.uk

The Society for Church Archaeology will be holding their annual conference

DOCUMENTING DESTRUCTION IN YORKSHIRE: THE DISPERSAL OF MONASTIC ARTEFACTS

at the Bar Convent in York, September 17th-19th 2010.

Speakers will include Professor Richard Morris (University of Leeds), Pam
Graves (Durham University), Leslie Johansen (University of York), Kevin
Booth (English Heritage) and Andrew Davison (English Heritage). They will
be discussing the re-use of the monastic landscape and material culture in
the aftermath of the Dissolution.

There will also be an extensive series of tours, to Holy Trinity Priory
and St Mary’s Abbey in York, the Yorkshire Museum, Byland and Rievaulx
Abbeys, and to English Heritage’s store of monastic material in Helmsley.

Further information and a booking form can be obtained from www.britarch.ac.uk/socchurcharchaeol/

 

English Heritage and the National Trust

are publishing today a report on the results of the consultation, and a report on the results of a public opinion survey. As set out in our summary report, we have decided that the reburial request should be refused and the prehistoric human remains in the Alexander Keiller Museum, Avebury, should be kept in the museum for the benefit of public access and understanding, for four main reasons:

· the benefit to future understanding likely to result from not reburying the remains far outweighs the harm likely to result from not reburying them

· it does not meet the criteria set out by the DCMS for considering such requests

· not reburying the remains is the more reversible option

· the public generally support the retention of prehistoric human remains in museums, and their inclusion in museum displays to increase understanding

These reports will appear on our website later today (06/04/2010) at:

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.19819

David Thackray
Head of Archaeology, National Trust

Sebastian Payne
Chief Scientist, English Heritage