Durham University History Society
 | |
| Formation | 18th March 1926 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Edward Leslie Seager |
| Headquarters | Durham, England |
| Affiliations | Durham Students' Union |
| Website | https://www.duhistorysoc.org |
The Durham University History Society is the student history society of Durham University, which aims to represent history students and promote the study of subjects of historical value and interest. It is one of the oldest, and one of the largest, academic societies at the university.[1]
The society's membership offering includes academic talks, an annual ball, an annual conference, an annual historical journal and various socials.
History[edit]
Established as the Durham Colleges Historical Society in 1926 by the then Secretary (and later President) of the Durham Union Society, Edward Leslie Seager of Hatfield College (later the Archdeacon of Dorset), the society has a long history of providing a wide range of social and academic events for its membership.[2][3][4]
The society was formed on the 18th March 1926 in Cosin's Library at which the first executive committee was elected, containing E.L. Seager (President), F.R. Money (Secretary) and Miss M. Christal as Assistant Secretary.[5] Until 1943, its leadership operated on a termly basis, before adopting a yearly executive committee cycle. Its members were initially compelled to pay a 'terminal subscription of one shilling' to join the society.[3]
Between 2007 and 2022 the society's logo was based on a 10th-century Viking coin[6] minted in York, before being replaced by the most 'original' logo the society could find in its archives, which dates from at least the 1990s.
The core of the society's offering has long been its academic talks, which were at first the only regular events it held. The society has heard from some of the most prestigious historians from across the United Kingdom including Gareth Stedman Jones FBA, William Doyle FBA, Hugh McLeod FBA, Robert Bartlett CBE FBA FRSE, Christine Carpenter FRHistS, Colin Jones CBE FRHistS FBA FLSW, Michael Prestwich OBE, Baron Max Beloff FBA FRHistS FRSA and Wilhelm Levison.[4][7][8] Renowned Historian Margaret Aston CBE FSA FRHistS FBA first presented her essay 'Corpus Christi and Corpus Regni: Heresy and the Peasants' Revolt' to the society in 1994, as acknowleged in the essay's footnotes.[9]
Additionally, the society holds an annual conference. Though it has uncertain beginnings, it has been around for at least a decade, with speeches given by academics from across the country and attended by students from the university and members of the public. In 2015 the theme was 'Cities, Nations and Identity', while in 2020 it was 'Death, Disease and Medicine' which was followed by the 2021 conference 'Revolution, Rebellion & Resistance'.[4][10]
The society's annual journal is a recent innovation, established in 2007. Though its first years were marked by a blend of academic essays and details of events that had occurred throughout the year, it has since become much more academic-focused. It used to invite short articles from academics, including the eminent historian Jeremy Black. Re-vamped as Critical Historical Studies in 2021, the journal has an ISSN 2754-6225 and aims to promote and recognise original undergraduate historical research from students worldwide.[11][12][13]
Finally, between 1996 and 2005 the society put on various plays through its student theatre branch, Pageant Theatre Company, including Journey's End (1996), The Madness of George III (1997), The Crucible (2003) and The Cherry Orchard (2005).[4] However, theatre has been a part of the society for much longer, with newspapers reporting the performance of 'Murder in the Cathedral' at Neville's Cross College (now Ustinov College) by the Durham College's Historical Society as early as February 1937.[14]
Notable Members[edit]
- Brenda Swinbank (1949/50 President): one of the first women in Britain to become a professional archaeologist.[15][16]
- John P Gillam FCAScot (Epiphany 1939 President): a central figure in the academic study of Roman archaeology in the UK.[17]
- Kenneth Steer CBE FSA FSAScot (Epiphany 1934 President): British archaeologist and British Army Officer.[18]
References[edit]
- ↑ "History @ Durham SU". www.durhamsu.com. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
- ↑ Campbell, P.D.A. (1952). A Short History of the Durham Union Society. Durham County Press. p. 17. Search this book on
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "About". DU History Society. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "Catalogue of Durham University Records: Associations, Clubs and Societies". reed.dur.ac.uk. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
- ↑ "Durham Colleges Historical Society". The Durham University Journal. 24 (9): 442–3.
- ↑ "coin | British Museum". The British Museum. Retrieved Apr 2, 2023.
- ↑ "Durham College: Student Activities". The Durham University Journal. 38: 106.
- ↑ "St. Willibrord and His Place in History". The Durham University Journal. 32: 23–41.
- ↑ Aston, Margaret (1994). "Corpus Christi and Corpus Regni: Heresy and The Peasants' Revolt". Past & Present. 143 (1): 3–47.
- ↑ "Revolution, Rebellion & Resistance". Eventbrite. Retrieved 2023-03-19.
- ↑ "durhamuniversityhistorysociety Publisher Publications - Issuu". issuu.com. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
- ↑ "Critical Historical Studies | Durham University History Society (DUHS)". DU History Society. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
- ↑ "Call for Papers from Other Universities". history.fas.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
- ↑ "Flying Mail". Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette. 12 February 1937.
- ↑ Heywood, Suzanne (2017). Recollections of a Female Archaeologist: A Life of Brenda Swinbank. Blurb Publishing. ISBN 978-1389025303. Search this book on
- ↑ "Brenda Heywood obituary". The Times. January 23, 2023. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
- ↑ Breeze, David (1988). "John P Gillam". Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. 117: 2–3.
- ↑ "Durham University News". The Durham University Journal. 29: 384.
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