News - Priories Historical Society AGM 2011

The Priories Historical Society's AGM was last night.

Annual membership will be kept at the excellent price of just £5 per year including £1 off every meeting attended and the free magazine.

Details of the 2011-2012 committee:

Chairperson: Alan Gisbourne

Vice Chairpersons: Fiona Green/Pauline Haslehurst

Treasurer: Maureen Broadhurst
Secretary: Pam Cook

Editor/Publicity: David Cook

Metal Detecting: Alan Gisbourne

Other Committee Members: Sarah Perry/

Society - The Grenoside Reading Room

This building, the only listed building in Grenoside was originally built as a school, being the second endowed school in Grenoside – the first endowed school, under the trusteeship of the Church wardens of Ecclesfield, was situated in Lump Lane. The exact date the second school was built is unknown, but it is understood to be between 1789 and 1791.

By a deed made on 22 January 1807, Thomas Walker conveyed the land on which the school was built, to the trustees of the Grenoside School Charity. Thomas Walker was the son of Samuel, former school master at the first endowed school; he was also instrumental in the development of the steel refining business on Cupola Lane, which later moved to Masborough. The trustees he appointed were all ‘Dissenters’ – Calvinists and Congregationalists and very much men of Grenoside, rather than Ecclesfield. Under the trust, the building was to be used to teach poor children and also as a public meeting place for religious worship.

Thomas Walker endowed the charity with an annual sum of ten pounds, a rent charge from property he had sold to Josiah Ashton on Lump Lane. Other endowments consisted of rents from properties, probably on Cupola, these rents bringing in seven pounds and ten shillings a year.lent by Benjamin Tingle, one of the trustees.

The school closed around 1890. In 1895 a meeting chaired by William Dronfield, a clog sole maker from the ‘Wood Yard’ petitioned the charity commissioners to allow the charity to continue. The building was to be used as a reading room and institute, particularly for the young men of Grenoside, who ‘when they left school had only the public house on one hand and the street corner on the other’.

So the Grenoside Reading Room and Institute was born. At the turn of the century Ecclesfield Parish council became the trustees of the charity and debates, lectures and concerts were held and a small selection of books and newspapers were provided. Until the 1970’s there were facilities to play card games, table tennis and darts, and more recently billiards and snooker.
In 2008, the trusteeship of the Reading Room passed from Ecclesfield Parish Council to residents of the village of Grenoside. Attempts are now being made with the help of a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to restore the building and turn it into a Heritage Centre, meeting space and community amenity for use by residents of Grenoside and the surrounding areas.

We would like your ideas on the development of the building, perhaps you are part of a group or society

Publish Post

who could use the space for your meeting or event? Please come along, everyone is welcome.

The website is located at: www.grenosidereadingroom.co.uk

wishing Brian Booth well

It's with great regret that January's meeting has had to be amended as Brian Booth from Warsop Metal Detecting Society has had a nasty accident.

We've booked in a replacement meeting with our society's very own Kenneth Elliff - The subject of the talk is yet to be determined.

Here's wishing Brian a swift recovery.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone, I’m really looking forward to this coming year despite the economic cutbacks which are affecting archaeology projects across the country (both in the amount of money available for grants and the lack of building work meaning less PPG16’s are being carried out). Hopefully the Priories Historical Society will be attending more archaeology days and heritage events this year so if you see us come over and have a chat.

I’m hoping to get a proper website up and running in 2011 too if we can get a grant or funding.  This will help us post more than just news stories and little bits and bobs. I’ve been amazed at the amount of people visiting the blog this month and am happy to note we’ve now had more than a thousand visitors.

If you see any news story you think should be on the blog or if you have any articles you’d like to publish in our magazine please e-mail us at priorieshistoricalsociety@rocketmail.com

Happy New Year
Dave Cook

Wanted: Magazine Articles

The fourth edition of the Priories Historical Society Magazine is due out at the end of January.  If you have an article/photograph which you would like printing please e-mail the society at Priorieshistoricalsociety(at)rocketmail.com


The cost of the magazine is £1 for non-members and free for members (Membership is £5 per year and also gets you a pound of each meeting attended.  We produce the magazine three times per year)

Radford Priory in the Snow

Priories Historical Society talks 2011 (Part 2)

11^th April 2011

 DEATH & DYING. The resurrection Men - Talk by Joan Grundy

Have you recently seen the film Burke & Hare? This is the true story of the grisly trade of body snatching, once a huge problem for churches and mortuaries to deal with.

9^th May 2011

LIFE OF A NATIVE AMERICAN - Talk by Roger Boshauer.

Another amazing insight by this real life descendant of the native American Pocahontas.

Come and find out the REAL history of the Native Americans!

20^th June 2011

ANGLO SAXONS & THEIR DRESS – Talk by Sam Glasswell

The history of the Anglo-Saxon period in England, their lives, dress and decoration.  Sam is the Head Curator of the Bassetlaw Museum at Retford. www.bassetlawmuseum.org.uk/

 

18^th July 2011

THE FURNIVAL FAMILY. A MEDIEVAL DYNASTY IN YORKSHIRE & NOTTINGHAMSHIRE – Talk by Ron Clayton

One of the local important families of Norman descent, many of whom are buried in the priory at Worksop. They were Lords of the Manor at Worksop and Hallamshire for many decades. A return of this excellent speaker. 

12^th September 2011 - TBA

10^th October 2011

LIVING IN HOPE – Talk by Sue Allen

This talk coincides with the launch of the new book by this internationally known author and expert. The lives of three women including the wife of a Napoleonic Soldier are brought back to life in this amazing talk.

7^th November 2011

MONTHLY MENU OF MIRTH - Talk by Margaret Harrison.

Margaret is a very popular and well known speaker. This talk takes a look at the calender months with their history, myths and legends.

When did you last see a church dedicated to St. Valentine?

19^th December 2011

CHRISTMAS SOCIAL

Come on by relax and talk about whatever you want to.  Make sure to bring some cake!