Upcoming Events
July 2026
Friends of Erasmus Darwin House Summer Concert
Please support the Friends of Erasmus Darwin House by joining them for a Summer Concert given by Mosaic Mosaic, a unique Chamber group of six voices, was founded in 2007. Their repertoire includes classic and popular music, blending ancient and modern, sacred and secular. Songs from the shows, with both silly and serious songs make a programme to suit all tastes. Light refreshments and a glass of wine will be served. The event will be held at Martin Heath Hall,…
Find out more »September 2026
Queen Jind Kaur of Punjab and Six Princesses
Lichfield Cathedral houses a war memorial to the soldiers who defeated Punjab's Sikh Empire in the 1840s. But on the losing side of the Anglo-Sikh Wars stood a woman: Maharani (Queen) Jind Kaur - Queen Regent, separated from her only child, imprisoned, and exiled - leaving her ten-year-old son, Maharaja Duleep Singh, to surrender the Koh-i-Noor diamond to the Queen of England - and the Sikh Kingdom of Punjab with it. If Queen Jind Kaur of Punjab was defeated, then…
Find out more »Chimney Sweeps’ climbing boys in Staffordshire.
A talk by Steve Booth This talk looks at the nationwide problems caused by the use of climbing children to sweep chimneys and how well-intentioned individuals in Staffordshire worked hard to eliminate their use, ably led by Francis Wedgwood – grandson of the great Josiah and the family connection to the Darwin’s.
Find out more »October 2026
Lunar Lecture – William Strutt FRS: A tradesman of some eminence by Dr Ian Jackson
As William Strutt left no journals or diary, we need to look at contemporary, third party, accounts of his work and legacies, to understand why he was so respected by his peers, including his appointment as a Fellow of the Royal Society. This talk traces his life, both personal and work, with the progression of his more famous improvements, such as fire-proof mills and the stove heating system, and other less well-known activities. Whilst William Strutt was recognised widely during…
Find out more »November 2026
Tales from the Coroner’s Casebook – A Talk by Quintin Watt
Tales from the Coroner’s Casebook – Life and Death in Georgian South Staffordshire and the Black Country. Part One: 1801-1826. This illustrated presentation examines cases of sudden or unexplained deaths, presided over by Henry Smith Esq. - Coroner of the County of Stafford - between 1801 and 1842. These include: domestic and industrial accidents, manslaughter, murders, suicides and ‘visitations of God.’ Who was this coroner, and what do his inquest reports tells us about life, as well as death, in…
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