Briefing The newsletter of the Yorkshire Archaeological and Historical Society Issue 1, 2018 Wharram Percy - the site of a deserted medieval village on the edge of the Yorkshire Wolds. It became famous as a result of innovative excavations by Professor Maurice Beresford, of the University of Leeds and long-time Society member, and John Hurst, of the Ministry of Public Building and Works. Briefing Issue 1, 2018 Editorial Welcome to Issue 1 of the new-style newsletter. Briefing is the newsletter of Yorkshire Archaeological and Historical Society now looks rather the Yorkshire Archaeological different from what it was, say, fifty years ago, about the time I and Historical Society, joined. We are still a county society with a well-regarded Journal Stringer House, and active specialist Sections - but now we have an important 34 Lupton Street, online presence. Having re-organised our finances the future is Hunslet, no longer something to fear. We can consider our aspirations and LEEDS look forward with confidence. LS10 2QW Tel: 0113 245 7910 Communication with members is now one of the priorities - Email: [email protected] hence Briefing. A newsletter is 'a printed periodical bulletin circulated to members of a group', which sounds fine if, perhaps, President: limited. The elders among us will remember that there have been Dr Gill Cookson other newsletters but my aim with Briefing is to provide Honorary General Secretary: something a little different - something I hope you will find both Dr David Buck enjoyable and useful. Honorary Treasurer: Please do not hesitate to let me know your feelings about this Frank Jordan new venture - your suggestions are always welcome. In fact your contributions are welcome - we are fortunate in having such a Design and edit: knowledgeable membership and I hope to take full advantage of David Brear it! My email address is always open and I should like to thank all Email: those who have helped with this first edition, by writing articles [email protected] and in other ways. Copyright ©2018 The Yorkshire Briefing will be distributed by email where possible, so if we Archaeological and Historical Society still don't have your email address, please let the office know. If you prefer a paper copy, that won't faze us - again, call the office. All rights reserved. All images by permission of the copyright owners. If I might mention some basic points - Briefing is designed to be The views expressed are those of the authors where named, and read in Two Page View, with pages presented like a magazine. otherwise of the editor. Wording in red is a link - click on it and the relevant web page will open. This does not work with printed editions! I very much hope you enjoy Issue 1. Front cover: one of the iconic Mesolithic antler headdresses from Star Carr © Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge From the President It’s really good to see the relaunched newsletter – Earning a living, caring for young (and then old) something we have been thinking about for a people, have to take priority. From my place on while. I know that many members, and also non- the sidelines, the Society seemed to be doing fine members, keep in touch with YAHS news via the without any contribution from me beyond the website and Facebook page. Online, we also share annual subs. updates on associate societies and other heritage- related activities in the county. But we remain Then the call came, in 2011 when Sylvia asked me committed to producing mailings in hard copy to take over as history editor of the YAJ. This soon for members who prefer that format. Having led to joining the Management Board, where colourful material like this to give Sylvia was leading the Society into out on YAHS stalls at fairs and the biggest changes it has faced in conferences is also very useful, so its history. I took an interest in we will continue to print. how our operations could be reshaped post-Claremont, and my Of course it saves money if we can discussion document apparently email material to members. Do let acted as a manifesto for becoming us know if that’s your preference. president. And here I am. If you suspect we don’t have your current email address, please Here too are many active update us. There is so much members, supporting the work of happening right now, and we will sections and of YAHS itself. It’s enjoy sharing the news with you. thanks to them that the Society is now revived and restored – dare I The editor asked whether I would say, strong and stable. Now I do like to write about why I joined understand that, as in any the Society – my YAHS journey! I voluntary organisation, it can guessed I signed up in about 1986, and the appear that a charmed circle is managing matters earliest YAJ on my shelf is vol. 57 (1985). But I perfectly well. Indeed I believe we are doing very know exactly why I did: as many members will well, and certainly a lot has been achieved. But say, the main attraction was the Society’s there is room for more of you – and this is not a wonderful resources of archives and rare books. I closed shop. At very least, members must hold us had just graduated and was starting out in my to account at the AGM, but there are all kinds of first research post, supporting the RCHME other ways in which you can help throughout the Yorkshire Textile Mills project. I still use those year. collections, and they have not lost their allure since I first discovered them in the 1980s. If you have time, energy, expertise, ideas, or any combination of these, we would love to hear from It never crossed my mind that I might be you and talk through the possibilities. This is a President. Many of us find that life gets in the most interesting time to become more active. way of active membership, and so with me, for Please step forward if you can, by contacting several decades. either me or Dr David Buck, the Hon. General Secretary. Gill Cookson Pamphlets pigeonholed The Society's library is a rich resource for various volunteers came to introductory meetings and aspects of history across the county, including another joined later. A total of 432 volunteer hours family and estate papers, religious records and were dedicated to the work of sorting the papers from small local businesses. Part of the pamphlets - 4,560 items were assessed, with 2,526 collection which was transferred to the Brotherton retained, 368 archived, 831 found to be duplicates library was a large collection of pamphlets - around and 835 set aside. The duplicates and set-asides 4,500 items. Before these were transferred there was have been returned to the Society for further some preliminary sorting but if they were to be consideration as to their future retention/disposal. accessible for study they had to be readied for Further work will involve finalising the spreadsheet cataloguing and this has been the task of a small and perhaps making it available via the website, group of volunteers, under the leadership of Dr moving remaining duplicates to the YAHS store Belinda Wassell, who have been involved in what and deciding whether to retain them, making became known as the Pamphlets Project. The work digital copies which might also be made available involved is the sort of ‘background work’ which has via the website, or transferring them to local studies always gone on behind the scenes of the Society and libraries. Then the archivable material will need is central to our function but which is not, perhaps, assessing, which will require archivist input (either widely known and appreciated. YAHS or Library) and then specialist cataloguing. A spreadsheet of pamphlets was available but had Then the core collection can be moved to the not been updated to reflect the most recent Library shelves. The pamphlets will then be fully acquisitions or the removals which followed the available for study. preliminary sorting, which discarded duplicate This essential work could not have been carried out copies, reprints and journal off-prints. Staff from the without the generous commitment of the volunteers Brotherton Library met over 2016 to discuss involved. They enjoyed working with other parameters for YAHS volunteer involvement and historically-minded people in the Brotherton, our former Archivist, Kirsty McHugh, was very lunching in the cafe and meeting other Society helpful in discussing the types of tasks that members researching there, exploring the volunteers had undertaken previously and what University’s Treasures gallery and were invited to a projects she felt could be most useful. The aims of University Library social event held to thank the project were identified as de-duplication of volunteers. It has been a model for volunteer items which were already in the Brotherton, engagement, which benefits both the Society and identification of early, unique or otherwise special the people involved. The volunteers are now eager items, removal of material which was of less to continue their involvement! interest to the Library or available online, updating the spreadsheet as an accurate record and piloting a More information volunteering project with Brotherton Library/Special Collections. Brotherton Library - The Brotherton Library made available working Yorkshire Archaeological and Historical Society space and Tim Procter of the Library also organised Collections online H&S training. A number of potential Producing the YAJ Roger Martlew and Malcolm Chase Recent years have been somewhat turbulent for the Most small-scale interventions are written up for editors who are tasked with putting together the unpublished ‘grey literature’ reports, but the county Society’s flagship journal on the history and journal is seen as a desirable vehicle for publishing archaeology of Yorkshire.