An online journal for the North Devon Athenaeum
Yesterday we celebrated 5 years of Tales From the Archives by counting down our Five most read posts. Today we thought we would bring you 5 posts you may have missed over the years... 5. Discover the Effects of Beeching's Axe...On Our Shelves! Part of our Discover...On Our Shelves series, this post was written by …
The 6th February is the centenary of Parliament passing the Representation of the People Act that allowed women over 30, who owned property, to Vote. One of the arguments of the Suffrage movement was that women had to pay taxes on property but were not allowed to vote for how that money was used. Before …
Continue reading "Votes for Women – Suffragettes and the Devon connection with the movement."
When you think of Jane Austen, Devon is probably not the first thing which comes to mind. It is more likely to be the novels she wrote, the characters she created and the world she and they inhabited. Elizabeth and Mr Darcy of Pride and Prejudice, Anne and Captain Wentworth of Persuasion, Elinor and Edward …
One of the most popular collections in our care is the RAF Chivenor Collection. The military base next to the river Taw has been a part of North Devon life for over 70 years and many locals have fond memories of the base. Our collection covers the history of Chivenor as an aerodrome and airport …
On this day in 1917, a Royal Charter was given establishing what is now known as the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC). The cemeteries and graves the Commission look after can found across the world. The Commission was the brainchild of Sir Fabian Ware who, being too old to fight in World War One, commanded …
Continue reading "100 Years of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission"
Today marks the 50th anniversary of RAF Chivenor's involvement in the effort to prevent the oil pouring out of the stricken tanker, Torrey Canyon, drifting to land. In the days leading up to the Torrey Canyon's grounding the local newspapers reported on several vessels being caught out in the rough seas and holes being punched …
We have had Indigo on work experience with us this week and she has been using both Ancestry and Find My Past, which can be accessed via our partner department (the North Devon Record Office) to find out about her ancestors in other parts of England, starting with her Great Grandmother Nancy Drew... This week …
Our Assistant Librarian, Sandi, takes a look at the effects of Dr Beeching's closure of the Railways in North Devon... This year sees the fiftieth anniversary of the closure of the Devon and Somerset Railway, the rural line that connected Barnstaple and Ilfracombe to Bristol and the rail network to the rest of the country. …
Continue reading "Discover the Effects of Beeching’s Axe…On Our Shelves!"
In a field in France, lie the remains of Hector Hugh Munro, author and playwright who was also known to many as Saki. The youngest of three children, Munro was born in Burma on the 18th December 1870. In 1872 his life changed dramatically when his mother died after being charged by a cow in …
The Castle Mound in Barnstaple, just outside our window, is a reminder of an event which took place 950 years ago in the modern day fields of Sussex. The Battle of Hastings in 1066 was the last time Britain was successfully invaded and is a key turning point in British history. The circumstances which led …
Continue reading "Discover the Battle of Hastings…On Our Shelves!"
Tales From the Archives 