Berwick Films to be Shown at Bygone Borderlands

The Berwick films being shown on 2 and 3 May (see the Bygone Borderlands talks programme) are:

• Berwick Horse Procession and May Fair, 1911.
• Berwick Infirmary Cup and May Fair 1929
• Visit of the Coldstream Guards to Berwick on their Tercentenary, 1950
• Fred Stott’s amateur cine taken in the 1950s (including the Queens Visit in 1956) 

Find Your Family History at Bygone Borderlands, Berwick-upon-Tweed, This Weekend

It's almost here, the event that we've all been waiting for.

The popular annual Bygone Borderlands event at Berwick Guildhall is this weekend; from 11am to 4pm on Saturday, 2 May and Sunday, 3 May.

Pose your family history question to us or Northumberland and Durham Family History Society.

Discuss those local history puzzles with Ayton Local History Society; Belford Museum Group; Border Archaeological Society; Bowsden History Group; Chirnside History Group; Coldstream History Society; Eyemouth Museum; Flodden 1513; Friends of Berwick & District Museum and Archives; Glendale Local History Society; Lowick Heritage Group; Northumberland and Durham Family History Group; Old Parish of Bamburgh Group ; Till Valley Archaeological Society (Tillvas).

There's a downloadable programme of talks - 4 each day, starting at noon.
Saturday, 2 May

Sunday, 3 May

Come to a talk about John Hamilton Hall (1799-1865) at Kelso on 29 March

Part of the research I did for Berwick 900 last year was about a Coldstream lad, John Hamilton Hall, born in 1799, whose father was not only a general physician but also a Freeman of the Berwick-upon-Tweed Guild. 

Seeing his name and occupation in the Guild records led me on an interesting and puzzling hunt for information about his family, his career as an officer in the East India Company’s Bombay Infantry. 

On Sunday, 29^th March, at the Abbey Row Community Centre, The Knowes, Kelso, TD5 7BJ, I’ll be talking about his life and career, however, just as importantly, I’ll be discussing how I researched him, some of the problems I found and the difficulties in reading and understanding the records.  Map.

The talk has been widely advertised, including in Berwick, due to local Berwick interest, so come early to get a good seat. 

I warmly invite you to attend the talk whether you are a member or not. Doors open at 2pm; the talk begins at 2.30pm. 

We'll have a range of family history publications available to buy, and there’ll be light refreshments (donation expected) available after the talk. If you have a problem with your family history, please discuss it with one of our volunteers.

Unearthing Coldstream Priory's Secrets

The Berwick Advertiser reports that from 22 to 25 August, the Flodden 1513 project is conducting an archaeological dig to unearth the history of Coldstream Priory, Coldstream, Berwickshire.

Canmore says 'St Mary's Priory of Cistercian Nuns, founded between 1136 and 1166. The last prioress had demitted office by 12th May, 1588, and the nunnery was secularised in 1621', however other websites give slightly later foundation dates.
Its prioress, Isabella Hoppringle is said to have provided information about the Scottish invasion force crossing the river at Coldstream on 22 August 1513. She may have acted as an informal conduit between the Scottish and English crowns and that she led her nuns to retrieve Scottish noblemen that fell at Flodden. In 1515, she gave refuge to Margaret Tudor, sister of king Henry VIII of England, and her second husband and son (the future king James V).

Much more Coldstream Priory history.

Flodden Lectures

With the 500th. anniversary of the Battle of Flodden fast approaching (9th. September) much is happening to mark the occasion. For more information on these events and for more details and background on the battle itself  and on the Flodden 1513 Ecomuseum see - http://www.flodden1513.com/index.php/site/events

Members might be interested in two talks being given by Paul Brough, archivist at the Heritage Hub at Hawick on 11th. of  September one in Coldstream in the afternoon and the same talk in Eyemouth in the evening. Details below;

Find Out about the Search for Richard III of England

Richard III of England died in 1485 in the Battle of Bosworth Field,

Ever since his remains were unearthed in an archaeological excavation on a city council car park once occupied by Greyfriars, Leicester, we've been curious about how his remains were unearthed and how his identity was deduced.

Till Valley Archaeological Society have arranged for Richard Buckley, the lead archaeologist on the Richard III excavation to give a talk 'The Search for Richard III' on Sunday, August 11th at 3pm in Coldstream Community Centre.

Tickets are £3, available by post (please enclose cheque and sae) from Alan Urwin, 7 Broomey Road, Wooler, England, NE71 6NZ or from Coldstream Newsagents or The Cheviot Centre, Padgepool Place, Wooler.
the decisive battle of the Wars of the Roses.

Tickets are likely to sell fast, so apply soon.