Will be held via ZOOM,
7.30 pm Tuesday 21st November by Maureen Godfrey
The Totnes Workhouse
Maureen will be describing how the Amendment to the Poor Law 1834 changed the system of provision for the poor resulting in the building of workhouses throughout the country. The Totnes Workhouse demonstrates how the new law aimed to work and she aims to demonstrate how Totnes, both workhouse and town, differed, in its beneficial attitude to paupers from other workhouses depicted in such volumes as "Oliver Twist" which have given workhouses their poor reputation.
Since moving to Devon in 1995 Maureen has continued her studies, completing a Master's Degree in English Literature and also in History, with the subject of her dissertation being the Totnes Workhouse
Please sign up for our newsletters to keep you up to date on all future online talks using the link.
The Harberton and Harbertonford History Society encourages the study of the local history of Harberton Parish and the surrounding County.
There are approximately 5 meetings with speakers each year and at least one field excursion. Meetings take place in Harberton or Harbertonford on alternative dates, or via Zoom sessions - details of which can be found in the Programme.
Members of the Society have gathered information on the past history of the villages, personalities and the Parish including the preparation of historic walks around both Harberton and Harbertonford. The Society is making collections of photographs and some artefacts and have embarked on an oral history project to build an archive of first hand histories in both villages.
Subjects covered in previous meetings have included:-
The History of Harbertonford Mill Pilotage on the River Dart
The Construction of the Avon Dam Victorian Crime in Totnes
Tuckenhay Paper Mill Church Houses in Devon
Vagrants and Travellers in 17 Century Harberton
The Trist Family of Harberton
Field Trips have included visits to:
Finch's Foundry at Sticklepath
Grimspound and Bellever Neolithic Sites, both accompanied by an
Archaeologist from Dartmoor National Park
Membership is open to anybody interested in local history and is £12 per year with talks free to Members. Non members are welcome to meetings at the cost of £3 per meeting.
The Society is keen to receive photographs/articles/family records for the archives which can also be added to our website.
Please contact our secretary Jill Powell - jill.powell-redlion@outlook.com
We are affilliated to The Devon History Society - see links page
Chairmen:--
Derek Robinson in Harbertonford 01803 732442
Stanley Oldfield in Harberton 01803 864654
Harberton & Harbertonford
History Society
