LATEST NEWS |
This month, and to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we welcome Simon Targett, chair of RLHS, to talk about the links between Richmond (and the local area), British America and the War of Independence. We will be meeting as usual at the Duke Street Church, Richmond on Monday 13 April at 8pm.
As you may know, Richmond, the capital of Virginia, was named after Richmond-upon-Thames by William Byrd, a wealthy plantation owner who had studied law in England and who was struck by the similarity between the bend in the James River as viewed from Libby Hill and the bend in Thames as viewed from Richmond Hill.
But this is just one of many connections between Richmond (and Kew, Petersham, and Twickenham) and British America (up to 1776 and the American War of Independence). As Simon Targett will explain in his talk, the first connections date back to the 1580s, when Sir Francis Drake held secret talks with Queen Elizabeth I at Richmond Palace about the land he named in her honour near what is now San Francisco.
After that, the connections deepened, and Simon will tell us about, among others, Matoaka (otherwise known as Pocahontas), Elihu Yale (after whom Yale University is named), Thomas Pownall (a former governor of Massachusetts), General William Howe
(Commander-in-Chief of the British Army during the War of Independence)—as well as future presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.
Dr Simon Targett is a writer, historian, and award-winning journalist. A former Associate Editor of the Financial Times, he is a Departmental Tutor at Oxford University, where he
lectures on Anglo-American and media history. He is co-author of New World, Inc.: How England’s Merchants Founded America and Launched the British Empire (2018). He has a PhD in history from Cambridge University.
Venetian Fete on the Thames at Richmond 15 August 1892. Painting by Henry Charles Seppings Wright 1849-1937
Andrew George gave an action-packed performance in talking to us on 9 February about late Victorian Richmond’s Venetian river fetes: it was a joy to watch. You can view – or relive – his presentation by going to our YouTube channel.
Alan Hertz’s talk (December 2025) on Emma Hamilton and Tony Cartwright’s talk (January 2026) on a history of vaccines and antivaxxers are available to watch also.
There are now more than thirty videos on our YouTube channel, including Andrew George’s 2022 talk on “Black Jack” Needham, the 2nd Earl of Kilmorey, his ward and lover Priscilla Hoste and the Kilmorey Mausoleum in St Margarets.
We’ve also added a video on Richmond and Kew in the Second World War. It was produced for the Society by professional video makers Victoria Weatherby and the sadly now late Norman Harvey, who very kindly donated their services. The video is based on the Society’s books Richmond at War 1939-1945 and Kew at War 1939-1945, and on Simon Fowler’s script for a dramatised reading that was voiced by members of the Kew-based amateur theatre group Q2 Players in 2015 as part of our talks programme.
Newly arrived in our online bookshop
Did you know that in the 1940s Richmond hosted a large community of European refugees, including women and children evacuated from Gibraltar? Buckingham House and Marlborough House, newly-built blocks of flats in Courtlands, housed 540 Gibraltarians during the Second World War.
You can read more about Richmond’s wartime refugee population in the newly published and expanded second edition of Simon Fowler’s popular book Richmond at War 1939-1945. It has been thoroughly updated with new sections on Richmond’s war heroes and Britain’s first radio observatory (in Richmond Park) Find out more
The book is available from Kew Bookshop, Sheen Bookshop, the Museum of Richmond, The Open Book at King Street, Richmond and our online bookshop.
Also in our online bookshop is another new publication, Richmond Revealed, a book by experienced local tour guide and Richmond Local History Society member Paul Jackson. Richly illustrated in full colour, it describes, with the help of very clear maps, six fascinating walks in Richmond, Ham and Petersham. Find out more
The Society’s Newsletter has now gone digital
Because of rising postage costs, future issues of the Newsletter will be despatched by email only. Printed copies will be available, free of charge, at our events. However, if you would still like to receive the Newsletter by post you can order a year’s subscription for only £6.00 at www.richmondhistory.org.uk/wordpress/products/ or in person at the Welcome Desk at any of our talks.
Who lived in Hogarth House after Virginia Woolf left?
Hogarth House, at Paradise Road, Richmond. Photo: Mark Barker/ Wikimedia Commons
The latest addition to our website’s Resources section is an article by Emeritus Professor Robert B Todd on Saxon Sydney-Turner’s tenancy of Hogarth House, the Richmond home of Leonard and Virginia Woolf.
WELCOME TO THE RICHMOND LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY |
Our Society explores the history of Richmond, Kew, Petersham and Ham and the people who have lived here.
Each of these areas has a rich tapestry of history that includes royal connections, significant architectural developments, and a deep cultural heritage. Exploring their history offers an insight into the broader historical narrative of England, especially in terms of royal influence, horticultural advancements, and architectural heritage.
What we offer:
- Evening talks: Usually held on the second Monday of each month, our evening talks feature expert speakers who delve into various historical topics related to our area.
- Guided walks and visits: Explore the historical sites and hidden gems of Richmond, Kew, Petersham, and Ham with our organised walks and visits.
- Richmond History journal: Our award-winning journal offers in-depth articles and research on local history.
- Books: We publish a range of books on topics of local interest, providing valuable insights and detailed accounts of our area’s past.
TALKS |
Our talks are well-attended. There were 150 people in person at Nathen Amin’s talk in February 2025 on Henry VII and Richmond and 50 log-ins via Zoom: a very impressive turnout! Photo by Robert Smith
Our YouTube channel now has video recordings of more than thirty of our talks (including Nathen’s).
MEMBERSHIP |
Join the Society online
You can now join the Society or renew your membership online.- £12 single
- £20 for two people at the same address.
By joining our Society, you will enjoy:
- Free admission to our monthly evening talks and (subject to places being available) free access to our summer walks.
- An informative newsletter, three times a year, keeping you updated on events, talks, and new publications.
- Discounts on our extensive range of publications, including our Richmond History journal.
If you are already a member and have a standing order in place, this will renew automatically when your next subscription payment is due – there is no need to contact us unless you wish to cancel or to amend your personal details.
If you prefer to join by post, please download our membership form; print, complete and post to us with an accompanying cheque or cash.
If you have any queries about membership, please email our Membership Secretary, Mark Lucas.
PUBLICATIONS |
Buying our publications
All of the Richmond Local History Society’s publications still in print are available from our online bookshop.
You can also purchase our most popular publications from the bookstall at our monthly talks and from independent bookshops in Richmond and Kew.
Our award-winning journal, Richmond History
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Our journal has received an award as London’s best local history journal for four years in a row.
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Our most recent issue, Richmond History 44, includes articles on Kew Gardens, Richmond Park, Sudbrook Park and Ham House, on the explorer George Vancouver (who lived in Petersham and is buried there) and on attitudes in Richmond to the new Nazi regime in Germany in 1933.
£7.00 (£5.00 for members)
Find out more about this issue and how to order a copy online.
Copies of all four issues, which include some pages in colour, are available from our online bookshop. Kew Bookshop, the Museum of Richmond, The National Archives’ shop and The Open Book in Richmond.
Richmond History no. 45, edited by Julian Holden, will be published in 2026.
We’ve updated our journal’s index
The free online index to RIchmond History has now been updated to include all issues up to and including no. 44 (2024). You can view the index or download it as a PDF.