Preserving Glemsford's
past for future generations
Glemsford Local History Society
Glemsford is a village in the county of Suffolk in England. It sits on a small hill above the River Stour and the River Glem, from which it takes its name.
Glemsford is an ancient village, dating back to Domesday, and before. Although it may have acquired its nickname only last century, it is possible to trace the history of the village across many more centuries through the huge variety of buildings and fieldnames.
Latest Publication
This latest publication by the Glemsford Local History Society is a longoverdue reprint of a book, the text of which was dictated to a schoolboy, Perry Baxter, of what was then Clare Middle School as part of a history project in December 1978. He is a grandson of Ted Hartley, whose memoriesthese are. The resulting tape was then transcribed by his father Terry, Ted’s son-in-law and subsequently published. We are delighted to have since been able to digitize the text and photos belonging to the Hartley family in order to produce this edition.
The book is available at our monthly meetings and from Glemsford Library,
Hunts Hill Stores and Willow Tree Farm Shop.
However, if you live some distance away you can still purchase the book by contacting us.
Meetings
The Society meet on the second Thursday of the month in Glemsford Primary Academy Hall at 7.30pm.
We have a wide range of speakers, visits to places of local interest and other events to celebrate our life in ‘Glorious Glemsford’.
Membership costs just £12 per annum. Visitors £3.00 per time.
Events
John Miners
Horsehair Tales
September 11th 2025
Annual General Meeting
Members' Talks
October 9th 2025
Kate Jewell O'Donoghue
'By The Moonlight I Must Go To My Bed.'
Schools and Education in Medieval Suffolk
November 11th 2025
Christmas Social.
December 11th 2025
Adrian Tindall
'The Monastery Alone A City.'
1000 years of the Abbey of St Edmunds
January 8th 2026
Andrew Mowbray
Virtually Colchester
February 12th 2026
Julie Whittle
A Bulmer Family during World War II
March 12th 2026
Pip Wright
A Picture History of Margaret Catchpole
April 16th 2026 NB Third Thursday
Mark Bailey
The Impact of Global Climate change on the
East Anglian Coast 1100 to 1600
May 14th 2026
A Summer Outing
To Be Arranged
Tracing your family tree?
We are not a family history society and do not hold census or similar records.
Our secretary will always try to answer general questions about the village, based upon her own personal knowledge and not on formal research. If unable to answer a query herself, she will pass it on to someone in the village, whom she thinks might be able to help. This of course may take some time.
You may find the information you require at the Suffolk Record Office. They also run a website for archives found here at Suffolk Archives.
There is also a Suffolk Family History website which may be able to help with your enquiries.
If you have information on particular people or properties in Glemsford, which you would be willing to have added to the website we would of course be delighted to receive it.
