THE NORFOLK RECORD SOCIETY
– a potted history
“The Norfolk Record Society, an unincorporated charity founded in 1930, exists to encourage the study and preservation of Norfolk records and to publish editions of documents relating to the history of the county. Since its formation it has published annually a transcript of a significant and sometimes unusual manuscript or collection of manuscripts. The series now covers a time-span ranging from the twelfth to the twentieth century. All volumes are carefully edited, comprehensively indexed and include introductions explaining the background to the documents they present.”
Founded at a public meeting held in Norwich Guildhall on 18 January 1930, the society grew out of the Norfolk and Norwich Archaeological Society (established 1845), which found itself unable to meet the rapidly increasing need for a body to promote the preservation of written historic records at a time when county record offices did not exist.
The early history of the society was very much bound up with the search for a permanent and professional service to maintain the full range of county records, and also make them accessible to scholars and other researchers. A Norfolk and Norwich Record Office was finally opened in 1963 under the leadership of Miss Jean Kennedy (who remained county archivist, following the 1974 reorganisation of local government, until her retirement in 1997 – she was a member of the society’s council until her death in January 2009). The society’s, by then extensive, collection of documents was deposited in the new record office, where it remains one of the more substantial holdings. Today the society is more concerned with the publication of editions of Norfolk manuscripts.
The first president was Russell Colman, inaugurating a continuing link between the society and the lord lieutenancy. There have only been six presidents throughout the society’s history – Russell Colman being succeeded by the Earl of Leicester, then Sir Raymond (later Lord) Evershed, Sir Edmund Bacon, Sir Timothy Colman and now Sir Richard Jewson – only one of whom was not lord lieutenant.
One of the giants of the early history of the society was the Norwich solicitor Basil Cozens-Hardy (1885-1976) who remained actively involved in its affairs until his death. His own very large collection of Norfolk manuscripts was ultimately passed on to the Norfolk Record Office, via the society. (The latest deposit, including his extensive diaries of 1934-1976, was made in October 2005)
Since its opening in 1963 the UEA has developed a close association with the society, with various members of faculty providing an additional professional input. Perhaps the greatest has been made by Dr (later Professor) A Hassell Smith, the first director of the Centre of East Anglian Studies who was for many years general editor for the society. He also served as chairman from 1992 to 2000 and remained an active member of the council then a vice president for some years after that.
The society’s earlier links with members of the legal profession have been maintained by Raymond Frostick, another Norwich solicitor and former city and county councillor (lord mayor of Norwich and subsequently chairman of the county council). He was for many years hon. secretary before moving on to become chairman. He also represented the society on the Norfolk Records Committee.
The society’s first patron was HM Queen Mary, who was succeeded by HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and then, from 2002, HRH the Duke of Gloucester.
From an initial membership of about 130, which resolutely refused to grow significantly for many years, the society now has a reasonably healthy membership of nearly 300 (including both individual and institutional members from all over the world).