In addition  to promoting William Cowper and John Newton, the ‘raison d’etre’ of the museum, a series of  talks on aspects of Olney’s history have been produced by researchers at the Cowper & Newton Museum.  

Olney: A Landscape History

This talk is an examination of the development of Olney within the context of the history of the region. The museum explores how, why and when the town formed, why the town has the footprint it does, and why it looks as it does today.

Georgian Olney

With a focus on the “long” 18 century this talk links Olney with the wider history of England in this transformative period, when the Industrial Revolution and Enlightenment began and the British
Empire took shape. How would working people have lived and how does their world differ from today.

Tracing Your Lace Workers’ Ancestors

This is a family history talk which focus on the methods and sources available for tracing your ancestors who were involved in the lace trade. The talk will focus on Olney but many of the resources would be relevant to other areas. Local names and some local individual stories will form part of the talk.

The Story of Lace

Olney is situated at the heart of ‘Lace Country’. This talk tells the story of the development of the lace industry in Olney and the surrounding area. We describe the rise and fall of the local lace industry and also touch on the lives of the lacemakers and their employers. The focus is on the social history of the lace trade rather than the intricacies of individual pieces of lace.

Lace Schools

Thee schools had their heyday towards the latter half of the 18th century and through into the 19th century. This talk will focus on the conditions and everyday life of the lace school and lace ‘tells’ or
rhymes that were chanted by children.

A History of Olney

A look at the wider history of Olney, from before the Romans to the present day. A journey through significant events and people who lived in, documented and changed the town.

 

The full range of Cowper & Newton Museum produced talks and contact details are given via this link.