Description

THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT – PLEASE SEE OUR OTHER EVENTS IN TEIGNMOUTH, TOPSHAM AND WATCHET

When – Saturday 21st March 2026 – 10.00am-3.30 pm
Where – Bideford Amateur Athletic Club, The Pill, Bideford EX39 2PF

Doors open 10.00 am for coffee + tea. Talks start at 10.30

History Day – including 5 talks on the Maritime History of the area

• The importance of heritage in the 21^st century
• The lost manor of Sir Richard Grenville in Bideford
• Trade, conflict and exploration: ships and shipping in Tudor North Devon
• What can Spanish Inquisition archives tell us about life in Elizabethan Devon?
• Elizabethan stories from Bideford Museum

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Take the opportunity for a walk along the river to see the Museum ship the SS Freshspring, starting at 9.00 and you will be back in time to join the talks at 10.00

Join us for a stimulating programme of talks, plus opportunities take part in a guided walk around the town and to visit Bideford Quay and the museum ship the SS Freshspring. The Burton at Bideford will be welcoming visitors during the lunch break.

Your ticket will entitle you to a free coffee and biscuits on arrival, and we will organise hot drinks through the day (donations welcome).

These talks will be given by local experts, hand-picked by South West Maritime History Society, working in partnership with Bideford & River Torridge Heritage Harbour and the Burton at Bideford Museum, who bring their local insights and expertise to the event.

Together they have selected 5 expert speakers to explore the maritime history of Bideford and North Devon.   As a Local History Society member, you benefit from a £2.50 coupon, details at the end of the email.

Please bring your own lunch – we will have hot and cold drinks available at the bar (cash/card) throughout the day.

The ticket cost of £12.00 (SWMHS and Local History Group members £10.00) includes coffee on arrival.  Please buy your ticket for the event by entering the number of tickets you would like in the gold box at the top of this page. 

We look forward to seeing you in Bideford

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Details about the talks, starting at 10:30:

The importance of heritage in the 21^st century,  Mike Teare, Chair of Bideford and River Torridge Heritage Harbour

The lost manor of Sir Richard Grenville in Bideford, David Carter, local historian.

Until very recently, no-one knew where or when Sir Richard Grenville was born, or where he lived. In the last ten years or so, local historians David Carter and Andy Powell have made groundbreaking discoveries into this important figure in both Bideford’s history, and the settlement of America. They have been able to prove Sir Richard’s exact birth date and identify the location of the Grenville Manor House in Bideford, where he would have been born. This talk sets out the research that was undertaken in order to add to this important chapter in Bideford’s history.

Elizabethan stories from Bideford Museum, Staff from The Burton at Bideford

Among the many fascinating artefacts contained in The Burton at Bideford is the 1573 Charter of Incorporation obtained by Sir Richard Grenville from Queen Elizabeth I. This document established a Mayor and Town Council, giving Bideford the freedom to expand and develop. Another treasure is a large-scale model of Bideford’s ancient Long Bridge, made in 1945, showing all the stages of development of the structure from its medieval wooden origins up to its widening in 1925. This talk will provide an introduction to these and other exhibits and the stories behind them.

Lunch – Bring your own – drinks available from the bar

Ships and shipping in Tudor North Devon, John Bradbeer, independent researcher

The Tudor period was one of great importance in the maritime history of North Devon and paved the way for later successes. Trade flourished, quays, maritime infrastructure were developed; privateers brought back captured ships and their cargoes, and there were early attempts to establish colonies in North Carolina and Virginia. This talk looks at North Devon involvement in overseas trade, conflict and exploration during the period and argues that privateering may well have helped the accumulation of capital to support the Newfoundland fishery of the succeeding century.

Seafaring, faith, and nationhood. What can Spanish Inquisition archives tell us about life in Elizabethan Devon? Teresa Tinsley, Honorary Research Fellow, University of Exeter

Following on from the previous session, this talk zooms in on the lives of local seafarers, merchants, smugglers and pirates during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. It does so from an unusual – not to say unexpected – source: the archives of the Spanish Inquisition. Several hundred men from Devon and Cornwall came into contact with the Inquisition during the period as prisoners accused of heresy, or as witnesses, litigants or collaborators. Those facing trial had to account for their presence in Spain, give details of their family background and life history, and answer detailed questions about their religious practices. Their stories provide a fascinating insight into the lives of local men caught up in the political and religious conflicts of the day.

After the talks, there will be an option to join a guided walk around Bideford.

Please buy your ticket for the event by entering the number of tickets you would like in the gold box at the top of this page. 

We look forward to seeing you in Bideford