Farnsfield Local History Society Visit to Nottinghamshire Archives

Those members of Farnsfield Local History Society who visited the Nottinghamshire Archives office in April had a most interesting afternoon. The staff had taken the trouble to look out various documents relating to Farnsfield, including not only old maps, but school records, the diary of a lady who visited the village in the early nineteenth century, the Will of Emily Benson who lived here in the 1500s, school records, cricket club score books. Also we saw a Charter granted by Henry II in about 1155 granting the Burgesses of Nottingham certain rights. There were notes made by Dame Laura Knight in January 1946 when she was attending the Nuremberg Trials as official artist, including a sketch of Goebbels, with a note in margin saying “Dark hair – dyed?” and that he wore make up, lipstick. After we had been shown the rooms where the records are stored and told how they are preserved and how they can be accessed by the public we went into the Conservation room and were shown how some of this is done.
Whilst the Archives Office does not have as many visitors coming through the door, with the internet it has far more enquiries by email and they receive about four times as many documents as they used to have deposited with them (possibly 5000 a week), many because of the closing down of a company, club or society.

Our next meeting in the village centre will be on Wednesday 10th May when one of the deputy Lieutenants of the County, Tom Huggon, will be telling us about “Our Lord Lieutenant and his Deputies, Past and Present, their Roles and Duties”. 7.30, lower hall. Visitors £3.00.

The coach visit to the National Memorial Arboretum on 31st May leaves the church at 9.30 We still have a few seats on the coach. £14 for non-members of the Society.
For more information telephone David and Judith Milnes on 01623 882454