{"id":15666,"date":"2024-06-05T23:23:39","date_gmt":"2024-06-05T22:23:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/kenthistory\/?p=15666"},"modified":"2024-06-05T23:23:42","modified_gmt":"2024-06-05T22:23:42","slug":"from-the-stone-age-to-the-tudors-exploring-kents-past","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/kenthistory\/from-the-stone-age-to-the-tudors-exploring-kents-past\/","title":{"rendered":"From the Stone Age to the Tudors – exploring Kent’s past"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Before I come to the opening of the new gallery at Maidstone Museum<\/strong> with its official launch yesterday (Tuesday 5 June<\/strong>), I thought I would take the opportunity to mention more of the forthcoming events which will take us into early July.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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The new gallery at Maidstone Museum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Although firstly, I\u2019m delighted to record that today, Jason Mazzocchi<\/strong>, studying late Elizabethan\/Jacobean Faversham for his doctorate, has been at Queen Mary\u2019s, University of London <\/strong>at their \u2018Workshop on Medieval and Early Modern Cities in Europe and the Mediterranean\u2019<\/em>. His presentation was on \u2018The Fraternity of the Free Fishermen and Dredgermen of Faversham\u2019<\/em>, the day giving him the chance to meet a panel of experts and early career academics from Europe and beyond who are working on a wide range of urban communities and subjects \u2013 from the curfew law in late medieval London to the use of bilingual academic drama in a variety of urban communities across early modern Europe. Jason\u2019s presentation was well received and among the experts there was Dr Justin Colson<\/strong> who some may remember was a speaker as this year\u2019s Medieval Canterbury Weekend<\/strong>. As a result, Justin has contacted the archivist at the Leathersellers\u2019 Company and Jason now has an invitation to visit the Company\u2019s archives to see if he can find references to Christopher Finch from Faversham who seemingly had dealings with this London Livery Company in the early 17th<\/sup> century \u2013 so an excellent result! This day has been organised by Professor Miri Rubin <\/strong>who some may recall gave the CKHH Becket Lecture<\/strong> in 2022<\/strong>: https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/kenthistory\/becket-lecture-green-dragons-and-lossenham-project\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

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The opening ceremony, performed by Hugh Dennis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

As I mentioned before, next week will be very busy because on Wednesday<\/strong> it is the first of the two Kent History Postgraduates<\/strong> presentations in June, in this instance to be given by Lizzie Burton<\/strong>. Then on Thursday<\/strong> it will be Professor Louise Wilkinson\u2019s<\/strong> Historical Association<\/strong> Canterbury branch lecture here at CCCU in Old Sessions House<\/strong> at 7pm<\/strong>. Her title is \u2018Long Live the Empress! The imperial marriage of Isabella of England, Henry III\u2019s sister, and her progress through Kent in 1235<\/em>\u2018. Louise will tell the remarkable story of Isabella of England, the second daughter of King John, who in May 1235 travelled through Kent on her way to Europe to marry the Emperor Frederick II thus becoming Holy Roman Empress and Queen of Sicily, Italy and Germany. Admission is free for members and students. \u00a35 for everybody else. Membership for the year is \u00a310 and includes free entry to all talks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Friday<\/strong> and Saturday<\/strong> will be the University of Kent\u2019s MEMSFest<\/strong>, which comprises a full programme of papers and workshops given by postgraduates and post-docs, as well as a few staff members. Some of the paper givers are from outside Great Britain, and one of those who presented last year is now a MEMS Taught MA student and one of the MEMSFest organisers. As I said, there is a panel on the Saturday morning<\/strong> comprising three CCCU Kent History Postgraduates: Jason, Kieron Hoyle and Kaye Sowden,<\/strong> which is very exciting. If you would like to know more, please check out the webpage: https:\/\/memsfestival.wordpress.com\/<\/a> and consider registering to join them for this feast of medieval and early modern new scholarship.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The main medieval display case<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The week after features the CKHH\u2019s 10-year celebratory event<\/strong> at which Dr Claire Bartram<\/strong> and I<\/strong> will take the opportunity to thank representatives from the many different organisations and groups the Centre has worked with over the last decade since it was established by Professor Jackie Eales<\/strong> and Dr Stephen Hipkin<\/strong> in 2014 with an exhibition and talks at Maidstone Museum. We\u2019ll also take the chance to thanks colleagues and doctoral students who have been involved in CKHH and associated activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Towards the end of June, on Monday 24th<\/sup><\/strong> there is the Association for Manuscripts and Archives in Research Collections (AMARC) Summer Meeting<\/strong> and AGM at Canterbury<\/strong> on \u2018Canterbury Cathedral: Manuscript and Print in Archive Collections\u2019<\/em>. This is an excellent opportunity to bring together Canterbury Cathedral Archives & Library<\/strong> and the two Canterbury-based universities in the form of MEMS at Kent<\/strong> and CKHH at CCCU<\/strong>. If you are interested, please contact Dr Alison Ray<\/strong> at alison.ray@spc.ox.ac.uk<\/a> .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then two days later, on the Wednesday<\/strong>, Kieron Hoyle<\/strong> will give the second Kent History Postgraduates <\/strong>presentations on her research including exploring with her colleagues some ideas about relational databases as research tools.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Bringing excitement to an exploration of the past!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Moving into early July, there is the Medieval Pageant<\/strong>, including its parade through Canterbury<\/strong> on Saturday 6 July<\/strong>, which will feature several giants as in previous years. The CKHH will be back in St Paul\u2019s church<\/strong> again to provide activities for families and this year we will be offering craft your own animal facemasks and paper plate unicorn horns. This is the official website, so please do check it out: https:\/\/canterburymedievalpageant.co.uk\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The day will be very busy because in the evening it is the St Thomas More Commemoration Service<\/strong> at St Dunstan\u2019s church<\/strong> at 7.30pm<\/strong>. This annual event on the anniversary of the day More was beheaded is marked by a commemorative civic service, which is attended by the Lord Mayor, local Catholic clergy and members of the legal profession, as well as parishioners and members of the public \u2013 all welcome, refreshments after the service. The service includes an address and last year the guest speaker was Dr David Rundle<\/strong>, a specialist in the Renaissance in England at the University of Kent. His subject was \u2018From St Dunstan to Thomas More: Canterbury, learning and sanctity\u2019<\/em>, whereas this year I\u2019ll be giving it under the title \u2018Thomas More\u2019s Canterbury\u2019<\/em>, specifically 1520s Canterbury because it is a fascinating period in the city\u2019s history.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The Lambeth Bible, produced in Canterbury<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Now returning to the opening ceremony of the new \u2018Lives in our Landscape\u2019<\/em> gallery at Maidstone Museum<\/strong> that yesterday was opened by Hugh Dennis<\/strong>, who amongst other tv programmes has presented The Great British Dig<\/em> on Channel Four. As he said, \u201cMaidstone Museum has really achieved something quite outstanding with this immersive and exciting gallery. I would encourage everyone to come and see it and experience the changing landscapes of Kent for themselves.\u201d According to the Museum\u2019s press release, \u201cThe new gallery tells the story of how people have lived in the area with objects dating back more than 600,000 years, including the earliest stone tools in a forested landscape, up to the medieval period, when Maidstone became a bustling market town.\u201d And having seen it yesterday, I agree.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Lindsey Buster and Andy Ward (KAS Curator)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The Museum’s curatorial staff, with the KAS curator, Dr Andy Ward<\/strong>, have done a great job of taking the finds identified from the Museum\u2019s various collections by a series of experts, including CCCU\u2019s Dr Lindsey Buster<\/strong> from Archaeology who worked on the Bronze Age material, while I<\/strong> did the same for the Museum\u2019s medieval artefacts, to produce a series of well-lit, clearly labelled display cases with plenty but not too many finds and artefacts, as well as several other features that together provide fascinating insights into the lives of people in the past. These, I believe, will indeed engage families, schoolchildren and adults. Furthermore, the amount of detail on offer will draw people in to want to find out more about the history of Maidstone and Kent more broadly. Therefore, all the team should be congratulated, including the sponsors such as the William and Edith Oldham Charitable Trust, the Maidstone Museums\u2019 Foundation, Maidstone Council, the Kent Archaeological Society and others, for all their efforts and I hope it will be a great success, bringing people to Maidstone from other parts of Kent, and from beyond the county boundary, as well as those from Maidstone itself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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