About us
OUR PAST MEETINGS
Below you will find yearly lists of our past meetings.
Talks highlighted in blue are clickable to see more of the topic
2003
February
James Crook The history of 'Egloshayle'
March
Cynthia Gaskell Brown 'Windmills of the Rame Peninsula'
May
Tony Carne 'Smuggling pre-1815'
June
John Gask 'Local Geology
July
Vera Grey ' Pilchard Palaces of Kingsand and Cawsand
August
Peter Lemon of Millbrook and Sir Francis Drake
September
Tony Carne 'Smuggling after 1815'
October
Nigel Overton 'History of the Plymouth Dockyard
November
Cdr. Charles Chrighton RN., Supporting the Fleet
2004
January 12th
AGM and Paul Buet 'Historic Village Buildings'
February 16th
An address by 'the Cornwall Association' Carol Vivian
February 22nd
'Research Workshop' led by Cynthia Gaskell Brown MA AMA FSA
March 15th
John Gask 'The Defences of the Rame Peninsula'
April 19th
William Ellis, the 'Cawsand Capitalist' by Cynthia Gaskell-Brown
May 17th
' A study of Cornish Domestic Architecture' with Veronica Cheshire
June 21st
'Nelson's Navy' - - By John Burgess
July 19th
'The Port of Plymouth' Cdr Ian Hugo, Queen's Harbour Master
August no meeting
September 5th
'A walk along the beach at Kingsand exploring the geology in this compact area'
September 20th
Martin Read about 'The Wreck of the Liberty Ship 'James Egan Layne' in Whitsand Bay
October 18th
Jack Spence talks on 'John Pollard of Cawsand - Nelson's Avenger at Trafalgar'
November 15th '
Tracing Family History' with Gillian Kempster
December no meeting
2005
January 17th
Annual General Meeting and the 'Cawsand & Kingsand Historic Buildings Survey'
by Paul Buet
February 21st '
'The story of the Carews of Antony' with Dennis Russell
March 21st
Cliff Cooper presents 'Three Local Men of Trafalgar'
April 18th '
'The Historic Churches of Maker and Rame' by James Crook
May 16th '
'The 2004 Archeological Study of Cotehele' by Rachel Hunt
June 20th
Colin Bull tells of his experiences 'investigating the history of 'A 14th Century House,
'Sheildhall Manor', Lower Anderton'
July 18th
'Local History Quiz'
August no meeting
September 19th
'The Museums of SE Cornwall' by Kate Johnson, Museums Development Officer,
October 17th
'The Tudor Defences of Plymouth' Dr Mark Brayshay, Plymouth University
November 21st
'Local History Research' Joyce Brown, Plymouth Local & Naval History Librar
2006
January 16th
'The Wreck of the Catharina Von Flensburg by Jon Parlour
February 20th
Cynthia Gaskell Brown shows us Mount Edgcumbe through the Artists' eye
March 20th
The Ropemakers of Plymouth Dock by Martin Read
of the University of Plymouth
April No meeting
May 15th
Village Life in Cawsand & Kingsand 1840 to 1860 by Jack Spence
June 16th
The History of Millbay Docks by Nigel Overton,
Maritime Heritage Officer, Plymouth Museum
August no meeting
October 17th
The Cornwall Centre, Redruth by Terry Knight
November
Stuart House, Liskeard Tony Wood tells us about this
local building and its use
2007
January
Paul Buet - 'Village buildings Survey - update'
February
Sidney Pickering 'Antony House'
March
Michael Tisdall 'Cornish Church fonts and their Carvings'
April
Cynthia Gaskell Brown 'Cremyll and its Ferry'
May
Roger Collins 'Photos of the Rame Peninsula'
June
SW TVA Members - 'Films of the Rame Peninsula'
July
Jo Gardener 'Plymouth and South Devon Records Office'
September
Ray Evans 'Nelson's Women'
2008
January
'Village family tree project' by Tony Carne
February
'20th Century visitors to Rame' by Mike Bennett
March
'The Rame Coastwatch' by John Hammond
April
'The history of the Cornish Lifeboats' by David Nichol
May
'Bronze age Horns at Mt Edgcumbe' by Cynthia Gaskell Brown
June
'Early Visitors to Cornwall' by Carol Vivian
July
'The Historic Gardens at Mount Edgcumbe' by Ian Berry
September
'Village life from local newspapers' by Jack Spence
October
'Historic photos of the Rame Peninsula' by R Collins and J Burgess
November
'The Historic families of Kingsand and Cawsand' by Gillian Kempster
2009
January
'AGM, quiz and survey'
February
'Bronze Age horns in Mount Edgcumbe Country House An archaelogical detective story'
by Cynthia Gaskell Brown
March HMS Fisguard and the Rame Peninsula' John Burgess tells us of the history of the two
April 'Plymouth, the spice trade and 2 East Indiamen wrecks in Plymouth Sound' Martin Read
from Plymouth University unravels the story.
May 'The 16th century Tide Mill' at Inswork Cynthia Gaskell Brown explains the history of
this often ignored local landmark
June ' Summer Walkabout - exploring the history of Millbrook Lake' A gentle stroll looking
at the kilns, and the tide mill. Meet at the Millbrook Dam
September Darwin in the Rame Peninsula' Cynthia Gaskell Brown
2012
16th January John Hartley The S130 - Restoration of the German E boat at Southdown
20th February Mike Baskott looking for the Romans in the Tamar Valley
19th March 2012
19th October Postal Services in 16/17th Centuries' Mark Brayshay
2010
15th Feb Stephen Tyrell Pentillie Castle.
15th March Richard Hewlings Mount Edgcumbe - The Historical Context.
19th April Micheal Swift Stories in Stained Glass
18th Oct Cynthia GB Royal Silver Mining in the Tamar Valley
15th Nov Roger Collins The Great Blizzard of 1891
2011
17th January Pilchards and Pilchard Pallaces Ron Smith
21st February Mike O Connor The Edgcumbes and Musical History of the Tamar
21st March Sue Andrews Sin & Salvation Medieval Roof Bosses in Devon etc
21st November Dr Helen Doe 19th Century Shipbuilding in Cornwall
2012
16th January John Hartley The S130 - Restoration of the German E boat at Southdown
20th February Mike Baskott looking for the Romans in the Tamar Valley
19th March Brian Rayen Picklecombe Battery or is it a Fort?
April
May
17th September 2012 – Cynthia Gaskell-Brown – Recent Excavations at Insworke Mill, Millbrook
15th October 2012 - Ron Smith – Plymouth Breakwater
19th November - Member’s Night
A free-admission evening with wine, snacks and short presentations including:
Paul Buet - Local buildings and Judy Woods - Silver Terrace, Southdown
2013
January 21st 2013 History of Devonport Chris Robinson
February 18th The Plymouth Blitz Tony Carne
March 18th The Royal Albert Bridge Keith Bousfield
April 15th Beneath the Seas (local underwater wrecks) Ian Berry
May 20th - Rame Church David Parker
17th June 'Thanckes Park Torpoint - a Gentlemans Garden' a guided walk-around Cynthia Gaskell- Brown
24th June - Project Meeting 'Creating a photographic/written record of the Rame Churchyard'
October 21st 2013 – Brian Rayden - 'The Americans in Rame 1944' (Powerpoint images only)
The Americans in Rame 1944' (Presentation text)
November 18th – John Risdon “Visitors from France - Napoleon in Cawsand Bay”
2014
January 20th – Brian Jones - "An Undertaker's Account Book' a unique insight into Rame Peninsula burials.
February 17th - Gillian Kempster “ Lest We Forget - 1914 - 1918 local war memorials and their stories”
March 17th – Sir Richard Carew Pole “The Carews at Antony”
April 21st – Julie Elworthy “ The Millbrook Poorhouse”
May 19th – Bridget Gillard “The Kingsand/Cawsand Conservation Area Appraisal”
20th October - Ian Berry/Sue Rhodes " Mount Edgcumbe - preserving the past - looking to the future"
17th November - Bruce Hunt - "The River Tamar and Hamoaze in the 19th Century"
2015
19th January 2015 - Cynthia Gaskell-Brown -"Sir Francis Drake's Treasure Ships at Saltash"
16th February - Gillian Kempster - "We Will Remember Them" - Local War Memorials - Second World War
database of memorial records available HERE
16th March - Alison Cameron - " Balcony Cottage Deeds"
20th April - Gordon Partridge - "Eddystone Lighthouse"
18th May Dr Todd Gray - " Ancient Church Bench Ends in Rame and Cornwall"
15th June 2015 - "Whitsand Battery" Rob Wintle, the owner, and Paul Diamond of Founder of 'Hidden Heritage' - a tour of the battery
Whitsand Battery: Written guide by Brian Rayden
19th October 2015 ' Local Postcards' Di Lawer (Ply Postcard Assn)
16th November ' The Civil War in SE Cornwall' Philip Photiou
2016
18th January ' Folklore and Local Legends in SE Cornwall' Bob Keys
15th February 'Castles of Devon and Cornwall'/ "The Franco-Spanish Armada 1779" Tony Carne
21st March 'Prehistory in SE Cornwall' Win Scutt
18th April 'The Tregantle Railway' Roy Roseveare
16th May 'The Plymouth Blitz' Tony Carne
20th June Tony Carne 'Maker Camp and Fortifications' - a one hour walkabout.
17th October 2016 Dr Todd Gray 'Black and White Slavery'
20th November 2016 Dr Peter Marsden 'Cess Pits Cemetaries and Sewers'
19th December 2016 'Festive quiz and member's evening'
2017
16th January 2017 Vanessa and Steve Killops ' Rame Rocks - Local Geology'
20th February 2017 Domonic and Barbara Bridgman 'Lynher - the Restoratrion of a Tamar Sailing Barge'.
20th March 2017 Roy Roseveare "The Raising of the Holland 2 Submarine from the Eddystone Rock"
17th April 2017 Tony Carne 'Local Transport in S.E Cornwall and West Devon'
22nd May 2017 Louise Courtnell 'Turner, his work and times around Rame'
19th June 2017 Geoff and Sue Rhodes ' Mount Edgcumbe - Recent excavations and features - walkabout'
24th June 2017 Venessa Killops A Geological Walkabout in Kingsand.
16th October 2017 Colin Retallick " St Piran ".
20th November 2017 Bob Keys " St Johns, Antony and Crafthole ".
18th December 2017 Christmas get together and Historical Quiz with a difference.
2018
15th January 2018 Graham Naylor " Brothers of the Breakwater ".
9th February 2018 Carole Vivian "Living with the Smell".
19th March 2018 Geoff Pringle "HMS Polruan, HMS Express and a U Boat" a vignette of un-published Naval Stories with a twist
16th April 2018 Richard Kingsley "Richard Trevithick - his place in the History of Steam."
21st May 2018 Barbie Thompson "Life in the Prison Ships of the River Tamar/Hamoaze" .
18th June 2018 Tony Carne " a Stroll around Rame " 6.30pm start at Cross Park and including Rame Church, the Coast Path and Rame Head
Sept 17 Nigel Overton The Early days of Photography in Plymouth and Area
Oct 15 Kevin Dickens Immigration and Newcomers to Cornwall
5th November Jerome Satterthwaite - Writing the Great War
19th November Ron Smith Turkish Pirates Enslave Maker Fishermen
Dec 17 'Show and Tell' a members evening - bring your item of possible local interest.
Jan 21 Roman Trade and Commerce in the SW Derek Gore
Feb 18 The History of the Cornish Pilot Gig Anne Care Cornish Pilot Gig Assn.
Mar 18 The Tudor Wreck Cattewater Martin Read.
Apr 15 ‘Dr Vallack of Kingsand: Some Aspects of an Extraordinary Life' Malcolm Cross
May 20 Images of the Great War 1914 - 1918 Tony Carne'
June 17 Walk led by Tony Carne 'Local Developments' Start Rame and walk through the villages
September 16th 'An evening with three local village girls' Anne Helliwell, Sally Mayhew and Pat Channon
21.10 'The First Convict Ship to Australia' Jo Widdicombe
18.11 'Violence Thuggery & State Savagery in Cornwall' Kevin Dickens
16.12 'Rame Peninsula Picture Show Roger Collins and other members.
20.1 'Then and Now' Rame Peninsula Tony Carne
2020 COVID
2021
27.9 Mayflower ll Ron Smith
22.11 Cornish Crosses Andrew Langdon
6.12 The Second Invasion Armada 1779 Malcom Cross (Postponed)
17.1 ‘A Network of 18 Century Fortifications in the Rame Peninsula’ Caroline Villuamy (Postponed)
2022
21.2 ‘Smuggling in the West Country’ Robert Hesketh
21.3 ‘Witchcraft’ Steve Patterson
18.4 ‘The Mount Edgcumbe Panorama' 1778-1779 Malcolm Cross
16.5 "A Tragedy on the Cornish Coast, filmed at Portwrinkle in 1912!” Bob Keys
If the talk is highlighted in Blue, then you can click on it and view the presentation
More recent talks are listed on 'Next Talks' Page