A Zoom lecture "Merton's Literary Canons - the place and use of books at Merton Priory' by Katie Hawks, currently undertaking PhD studies at the History Department , University of Wales Trinity St David will be followed by the AGM of the Medieval Studies Forum. 

All are welcome to attend the lecture, which will start at 7pm. This will be followed at approximately 8pm by the Annual General Meeting of the Medieval Studies Forum  - only those who are registered members of the Forum can vote at the AGM.

Register in advance for this meeting at:

The Medieval Studies Forum have arranged a special lecture by Professor Alexandra Sanmark (University of the Highlands and Islands) on 'Medieval Sites of Power and Assembly in the Thames Valley', which includes a look in detail at the sites of both Kingston and Runnymede.

After Prof Sanmark's lecture, the National Trust team will provide a short presentation and update on the Runnymede Explored project.

This talk will be held online, via Zoom.

Although welcome to all, the event is free for SyAS and MSF members, with a fee of £2 from non-members.

On Thursday 16 December at approximately 19:00, the MSF AGM will be preceded by an online Zoom lecture from James Wright FSA on ‘The Folklore and Archaeology of Historic Buildings’. James, a buildings archaeologist and historic stone specialist, will explore some of the most common misconceptions surrounding historic buildings, outlining the legends, explaining the origins of the myths and revealing the underlying truth behind each story to understand a little more about their former occupants.

The talk looks at the invention of linoleum by Frederick Walton in 1864 and his establishment of a factory to produce it in Staines. The different production processes and uses of this once universal floor covering are explained.

Looks at the disaster itself and its aftermath on the environment. 

One of England’s most important monastic houses, Merton Priory disappeared completely at the Dissolution in 1538, but its archaeological remains have now been reborn as a uniquely situated museum.

 House building virtually ceased during WW1, the major exception being houses for munition workers.  The first of these was at Well End for the Woolwich Arsenal, built in 1915.  Because of the lack of both bricks and bricklayers many of these houses were constructed using non-traditional

The talk is about the passenger and passenger cargo liners seen in UK ports during the author's boyhood in the 1950s, the ship owners, their origins and the trades which they served.

This talk explores gap between the early experiments of Faraday and the provision of electrical power that we enjoy in our homes.   Faraday discovered electromagnetic induction, the principle behind the electric transformer and generator