Exeter Local History Society
Exeter Local History Society members are hooked on history. If you share our fascination, why not join us? We have between 6 and 12 lecture meetings a year (details below), plus we occasionally have long-distance outings, and we cover an incredibly diverse range of subjects from Roman remains to post-WW2 redevelopment.
Our regular monthly meetings at Leonardo Hotel Exeter are usually held on the second Thursday of a month. Full details of future walks and talks are given below.
The charge for each meeting is normally £5 (free to members). The annual membership fee is £15 (£20 for joint membership). If you sample a meeting and decide to join, the £5 cost will be deducted from your first annual fee. Walks and visits normally cost £5 p.p. for members and visitors alike.
We also produce six newsletters a year — how about we email you the most recent as a free taster? To request a copy just email us at:
And do check out this website and see for yourself the great selection of subjects with which we entertain our members. Just click on "Past Events" to explore our programme! Click on "How To Join Us" for an application form. Please fill out this form if you wish to stay updated on our events and receive newsletters.
We hope we will see you soon at one of our many events!
Mace Sergeants procession – Image courtesy of Jerry Glazier.
Exeter’s Guildhall and its Mace Sergeants from inception to the present day
with Jerry Glazier on Thursday, 8 January 2026
at 7pm at Leonardo Hotel Exeter [Jurys Inn Exeter Hotel]
There has been a Guildhall in Exeter since at least 1160, with the current building dating from 1330. The building has played a significant, multifunctional role in the city's development since medieval times. Undergoing a number of significant building upgrades, the Guildhall was able to better meet the enhanced demands placed upon it.
Mace Sergeants were appointed by the City Chamber, for the first time, in 1263, expressly to look after the Mayor and Courts in the city.
Jerry Glazier, a serving Mace Sergeant, will talk about the Guildhall and the role of the Mace Sergeants, from their inception to the present day.
Tickets for this event can be secured by following the link below. The event registration is free for the members of the Society; there is a very small (£5) fee for non-members.
Lady Harriet Acland—image courtesy of the National Trust, Killerton.
Lady Harriet's American Adventure—1776-1778
a talk by Dr Robert Guyver (and AGM)
on Thursday, 12 February 2026
at 7pm at Leonardo Hotel Exeter [Jurys Inn Exeter Hotel]
Following a brief AGM of the Exeter Local History Society, Dr Robert Guyver will give an illustrated talk about Lady Harriet Acland and her American adventures.
Lady Harriet Acland (née Fox-Strangways) (1749-1815) was the daughter of Henry Fox (later Fox-Strangways), the 1st Earl of Ilchester.
On 7 January 1771, she married John Dyke Acland, heir to Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, 7th Baronet. Her husband John was a Tory MP for Callington, whereas Lady Harriet came from a Whig family (Charles James Fox, the radical MP, was her first cousin). The couple would have three children: Elizabeth (Kitty), Theresa, and, later, John.
In April 1776, leaving her two daughters behind with her mother at Redlynch near Bruton, she accompanied her husband, a Major in the 20th Foot, and his regiment by troop ship to Canada. She witnessed two military campaigns: in 1776 and in 1777. She kept a journal, in which she recorded her amazing adventures.
Lady Harriet appears to have been an intrepid character. When her husband, John Dyke Acland, was wounded at the battle of Saratoga, Lady Harriet crossed the River Hudson at night, bearing a letter from British General Burgoyne to American General Gates, requesting access to her husband who had been wounded in both legs. Subsequently, John Dyke Acland was released, and they were able to return home.
Our speaker is Dr Robert Guyver, a local historian and researcher, who might be familiar to the members from his fascinating talk about General Redvers Buller in November 2023.
Tickets for this event can be secured by following the link below. The event registration is free for the members of the Society; there is a very small (£5) fee for non-members.
Exeter History Book Festival
on Saturday, 21 February 2026
from 9.30 to 16.30 at The Mint Methodist Church Centre
The second Exeter History Book Festival will celebrate the city's latest research. This one-day event features local historians who have recently published books on the history of Exeter and Devon: Dr John Pamment Salvatore, Dr Todd Gray MBE, Dr Andrew Thrush, Tracey Norman, and Mark Norman.
Stalls from Exeter's leading heritage bodies will explain how individuals can feed their curiosity about Exeter's history and be personally involved in exploring the city's past.
Tentative Programme
| 9.30 | Registration and Coffee |
| 10.25 | Welcome |
| 10.30 | Dr John Pamment Salvatore, 'An untimely departure? The role of the Roman Second Legion Augusta whilst at Exeter' |
| 11.30 | Dr Todd Gray MBE, 'Exeter in Mass Observation, the Home Front diaries of 1937 to 1945' |
| 12.30 | Lunch |
| 13.30 | Dr Andrew Thrush, 'Exeter and Parliament, 1559-1629' |
| 14.30 | Tracey Norman and Mark Norman, 'Devon's forgotten witches 1860-1910' |
| 15.30 | Tea |
Tickets
Tickets for this event are £10 (+booking fee) apiece and can be secured by following the link below:
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