About the Event

This lecture forms part of the 2026 Norwich History Festival.

A special lecture marking the publication of The Papers of Nathaniel Bacon of Stiffkey, Volume VIII: Addenda and Miscellanea the eighth and final volume in a scholarly endeavour spanning more than half a century. As the volume itself notes, the Bacon papers “provide a lively picture of life in north Norfolk in the late-sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries and have long been recognised as a major source not only for the pre-occupations of a leading member of the Norfolk gentry but also for the interplay between local and national affairs”.

In this concluding volume, the editors bring together documents from 1555–1623, including newly discovered items, undated or previously overlooked papers, and records of the bitter family dispute that erupted after Bacon’s death over the execution of his will. The appendix also features the will of his eldest daughter, Lady Townshend, who died at the same time as her father.

To celebrate this publishing milestone, Rev. Professor Diarmaid N. J. MacCulloch will explore why the Bacon papers matter, both as a rich record of Norfolk’s gentry and as a triumph of long‑term historical editing.

This event also marks the completion of the Norfolk Record Society’s eight‑volume series, a major achievement in the preservation and publication of early modern sources. Many earlier volumes in the series remain available to purchase through the Society’s website for those wishing to explore the full breadth and depth of this remarkable archive.