All articles download as PDFs
Reports on Lectures 2026
180 Years of Eastmoor: its people and their houses
by Joanne Harrison
Wednesday 13 May
Victorian Railway Clothing
by Anthony Dawson
Wednesday 8 April
It Began in Wakefield: 3 Wakefield Men and the Oxford Connection
by David Leyshon
Wednesday 11 February 2026
Everyday Life in 17th Century Calderdale
by Peter Brears
Wednesday 14th January 2026, joint meeting with Wakefield Civic Society
Reports on Lectures 2025
New Research about the Battle of Wakefield
by Paul Dawson
Wednesday 10th December 2025
‘The Hewitsons and the Wakefield Herald, 1894 to 1911’
by Dr Andrew Hobbs
Wednesday 08 October 2025
Engines of Growth: Wakefield railways and their associated industries.
Dr Phil Judkins
Wednesday10th September 2025
The Medieval Clothier: Making and Marketing Cloth in the Middle Ages in Yorkshire
Professor John S. Lee, The Centre for Medieval Studies, the University of York
Wednesday 9th July 2025
The Deposition from the Cross
Talk by Michaela Zöschg, Curator of Medieval Art, V&A Museum.
Wednesday 18th June 2025
Talks by Richard Knowles and Phil Judkins on 12th March 2025
These talks followed the AGM. Richard Knowles related the history of the portraits of Thomas Gent (1693-1788) a York printer and historian. He also spoke about the 16th century Burgess Rolls of Wakefield which had recently been added to the WY Archives. Phil Judkins described two acquisitions from auction sites which have now also been added to the Archives collection: the construction contract for the first Wakefield railway station at Oakenshaw and another at Cudworth, and the 1870s admission book for St John’s Community Home in Wakefield.
To find details of the AGM please see ‘Previous Events’
Reports on Lectures 2020-2021
Charles Waterton and the Practice of Slavery Talk by John Whitaker, curator at Wakefield Museum. 8 December 2021 by Zoom.
If you are a member of Wakefield Historical Society, and were unable to attend the talk, a recording is available, (you may need to have a Google account). Please send us a request for the link to the talk: info@WakefieldHistoricalSociety.org.uk
‘The Portable Antiquities Scheme, an update on their work’. Talk by Amy Downes, Finds Liaison Officer, South and West Yorkshire. Zoom talk, 10 November 2021
Talk on Aerial Archaeology by Tony Hunt 13th October 2021 by Zoom
If you were unable to attend, the talk is online, but you may need to have a GoogleDrive account: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vXQEof17dzsSwBTuJLcoeCktFcTDOC3D/view
The Norcroft Pit Disaster 1821 Zoom talk by David Hinchliffe, 8th September 2021
‘The Flame Safety Lamp’, Zoom talk by Mark Carlyle, 18 November 20
Reports on Lectures 2019-2020
‘Three Worthy Women of Wakefield’ by Gaynor Haliday, author of ‘Struggle and Suffrage in Wakefield
11th September 2019
‘Barrows, Bunkers and Blue Streak Missiles: Archaeology on the MOD Estate’, by Phil Abramson, MOD Archaeologist for the North of England, Scotland and Cyprus
9th October 2019
‘The Civilian and Military Prisoners of Lofthouse Park Camp, near Wakefield, 1914-1919‘ by Dr Claudia Sternberg.
13 November 2019
The Borough Waits and Their Music, by Leeds Waits
11th December 2019
The Timber Framed Buildings of Wakefield by Peter Brears
8 January 2020