In 2015, both the University of Warwick and the Warwickshire Local History Society celebrate 50-year anniversaries. Building on long-standing – personal, academic and institutional – links, representatives teamed up to co-host the Thirteenth Warwick Symposium on Parish Research on Saturday 16 May 2015 under the theme of ‘Warwickshire Parishes: History and Legacy’.

Keynote address:

Robert Swanson, Birmingham
‘Little local difficulties: parochial problems in pre-Reformation Warwickshire’

Research papers:

Ruth Barbour, Warwick / WLHS
‘Church Memorial Tablets: Reflections of Secular Power? Memorials to Catholics in Warwickshire Parish Churches’

Maureen Harris, Leicester / WLHS
‘“The malice and envy of my parishioners”: Conflicting Religious Cultures in the Warwickshire Parishes of Wixford, Haseley & Burton Dassett, 1655-1720’

Angela Nicholls, Warwick / WLHS
‘Competitive philanthropy: parish charity in early modern Warwickshire’

Parish Project Presentations:

- Kristi Bain, Norwich: ‘The Medieval Churches of Norwich research project’
- Patricia Cox, Chester: ‘Chester Consistory Records Project’
- Trevor England, Solihull Local History Circle: ‘Solihull town centre photographs c. 1900
- Andrew Foster, Kent: ‘The Churchwardens’ Accounts Database’
- David Freke, Kineton & District Local History Group: ‘Local Memorials’
- Brenda Murray & Jill Tompkins Bailey: ‘Spirit of Berkswell’ project
- David Paterson, Nuneaton: ‘Chilvers Coton and Astley: How far were their schools parish institutions?’
- Andrew Thomson, Winchester: ‘Warwickshire Activities of the Consistory Courts of Worcester’

FULL PROGRAMME; there were also stalls by the Kineton & District Local History Group and Warwickshire Local History Society.

ABSTRACTS

SYMPOSIUM REPORT by Paula McBride

The Symposium aimed to showcase the parishes’ key cultural roles across all ages. Two principal questions guided participants:

-In which ways have parishes shaped the county of Warwick in the past? (referring e.g. to ecclesiastical life, local government, communal identity, social networks …)

-What role(s) can they play in its future? (e.g. in relation to religious / ecumenical cultures, local services, social work, heritage industry …)

Further information on the Symposium can be obtained from Beat Kümin (b.kumin@warwick.ac.uk)

We gratefully acknowledge the support of Warwick’s Humanities Research Centre & the Warwickshire Local History Society

The parish church of St Chad's at Bishop's Tachbrook in Warwickshire. Picture: BK.