Future events

Saturday 7th February 2026 – The status and economic agency of female landholders in the lordships of Ellesmere and Whitchurch, 1760-1860 by Sara Downs. Between the end of the early modern period and the Married Women’s Property Acts of 1870 and 1882 historians argue that the declining manorial court was a further restriction on women’s landholding. This talk illustrates how Whitchurch lordship’s customary court and copyhold land continued despite the tenurial changes of Bridgewater agricultural policy and nineteenth century law reforms. Customs of the manor still made provision for widows, and daughters continued to inherit land. Women of different marital status were evident in the court managing their land. However, in the Bridgewater’s lordship of Ellesmere women were highly affected by the changes. This talk discusses the differences in the women’s economic agency and socio-economic status by examining their visibility in the landscape, their business activities and the seat they occupied within the parish church and how these were affected by the land that they held.  2.30pm, at The Gateway, Chester Street, Shrewsbury, SY1 1NB

Due to the Gateway Centre being closed this Saturday, we regret that the lecture on Buildwas Abbey has been cancelled. We apologise for the short notice.

Saturday 10th January 2026 – Buildwas Abbey: History and Archaeology by Simon Turk. Simon is a volunteer at Buildwas Abbey and his talk will begin with an overview of the abbey’s history, its monuments and then move on to the water engineering works and Abbot’s House tree ring dating surveys undertaken in recent years, shedding more light on the history of this fascinating institution.  2.30pm, at The Gateway, Chester Street, Shrewsbury, SY1 1NB

Saturday 13th December 2025 – Winter Social Event. Join us for our regular informal seasonal get together for a chat, tea and cake. This year we will be meeting in Church Stretton. Penny Ward will give a brief demonstration of her ongoing project to attach grid references to Shropshire Archives’ online historic images so that they can be viewed via mapping interfaces, using data for Church Stretton, All Stretton and Little Stretton. Julian Wells will give a taste of a collection of Church Stretton images from the 1970s which have recently been donated to the All Stretton History Society. And Mary McKenzie will talk about the recent research undertaken by the Church Stretton History Group into the lives of the World War Two servicemen listed on the Church Stretton war memorial.  To help us assess how many to cater for, please email sahsmembership@gmail.com if you plan to attend. Payment (£5 a head) to be cash on the day. 2.30 pm at the United Reformed Church Hall, 75 High St, Church Stretton SY6 6BY Google maps