Thoroton Society Research Group
In their responses to the Society’s membership questionnaire last year, a considerable number of members expressed interest in taking part in a research project. A Research Group has now been set up and the first meeting was held in the Thoroton Room at Bromley House on Saturday, 26 March 2011. Although attended by only a small number, the meeting was very positive. Members described their interests and a number of suggestions were made, including the setting up of a database of members’ interests, assisting members with getting their research published and the concept of mentoring for those members new to research. One objective of the database is to enable members to see what studies are currently being carried out and to make contact with other members of the Society with similar interests. Collaborative research projects discussed included the Millennium project to photograph every listed building, the Victoria County History project and the Southwell and Nottingham Diocese Church History project. With the approach of the centenary of the Great War, it may be possible to obtain small grants for groups studying the effects of the war on people at home.
Several members in response to the questionnaire, wished to have more Society lectures in addition to the current six. One suggestion was to have an additional Lecture meeting at which members of the Society could have 10-15 minutes to give a short talk on an aspect of their research.
The research database so far includes:
- various aspects of village history
- history of the parish of Bramcote (part of the Victoria County History project)
- early coal mining and related road, rail and water transport in Wollaton and surrounding areas
- war memorials, particularly from the Great War
- the history of Bromley House, including its garden
- Robert Taylor, the architect of Bromley House
- slate headstones
- origins of the ‘Belvoir Angels’ carvings
- church clocks made by Richard Row of Epperstone
- weather and human affairs
- aspects of disease and public health in the 19th and early 20th centuries
- history of J. A. Coombs and Co. Ltd., flour millers and purveyors of ‘health products’
If other members of the Society wish to join the Research Group and to have their interests included in the research database, please contact Dr Richard Jones (rlcg1@leicester.ac.uk).