Museum collection

The society has a large collection of historical objects, books, documents, images and ephemera acquired through donations and purchases over the years. The collection represents mainly the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and much but not all of it relates to Lewisham and the surrounding areas. Many of the items in the collection are available to view at the online Museum of Everyday Life (moel.org.uk), curated by the Public and Community Historian Dr John Price, who also leads a team of volunteers cataloguing and photographing the items.

Some of the artefacts have also been displayed recently in temporary physical exhibitions in the foyer of Goldsmiths College library, and we hope this will continue.

Newsletter

A quarterly newsletter has been LLHS’s main method of communication with its members on society business and issues of local historical interest. Past newsletters have included short articles on a wide range of topics including local businesses, sports and recreation, artists and writers, religion and places of worship, and other notable residents, buildings and institutions.

The post of Newsletter Editor is currently vacant. Please contact us if you are interested in taking on this role.

Journal

For 20 years from 2000 the Society’s former Journal Editor, Jonathan Derrick, prepared an annual journal containing substantial articles by local historians, many of them members and/or speakers in the society’s talks programme. The Journal is issued to all subscribing members at no additional charge, and some further copies are available for purchase.

Jonathan Derrick stepped down as Journal Editor after publication of the 2020 edition and the post is currently vacant. Meanwhile, special Retrospective Editions were compiled by Society members in 2021 and 2024 comprising articles from previous Transactions and Newsletters.

Contents of past journals include:

Journal No. 28 - December 2020
p6. Father George Potter and St. Martin's House - John Reeves.
p28. Leaves from Literary Lewisham (part 2) - Malcolm Bacchus.

Journal No. 27 - December 2019
p7. Archibald Cameron Corbett, a man on a Mission - Ben Honeybone.
p44. Literary leaves from Lewisham (part 1) - Malcolm Bacchus.
p61. Eltham Palace – A Palace of the 13th and 20th centuries - Jonathan Derrick.

Journal No. 26 - December 2018
p7. Abraham Colfe, Lewisham's Benefactor and Protector - Julian Wilson.
p33. From Brockley Green to Crofton Park - Carol Harris.
p53. A Teacher, a Carpenter and my Family - Diana Beamish.

Journal No. 25 - December 2017
p7. The Silvertown Munitions Explosion - Gordon Dennington.
p25. Prendergast School, Library and Paintings - Diana Beamish.
p51. Two contrasting Priests of Sydenham - Jonathan Derrick.

Journal No. 24 - December 2016
p7. A Lewisham schoolboy remembers - Metropolitan Seraphim of Glastonbury.
p33. The Green Man Inn - Nancy Wilson (California).

Journal No. 23 - December 2015
p9. George England and the Hatcham Iron Works - Douglas Hills and W. Grahame Hood.
p41. Janusz Korczac and the Industrial Homes in Forest Hill - Steve Grindlay.
p57. Edward Hatfull, Surveyor of Trafalgar - Freda D. Neale.

Journal No. 22 - December 2014
p1. The Sacrifice and Survival of my family in WW1 - Gordon Dennington.
p19. Henry Williamson and the Christmas Truce in WWI - Anne Williamson.
p33. Captain William Colbeck, Antarctic Explorer - Sandra Margolies.
p59. The Victorian Development of the Telegraph Hill Estate - Malcolm Bacchus.

Journal No. 21 - December 2013
p1. Theophilus William Williams, Lewisham's first Mayor - Steve Grindlay.
p13. The Adventurous Cow Family - Freda D. Neale.
p23. Leslie Howard: from Forest Hill to Hollywood - Jonathan Derrick.

Journal No. 20 - December 2012
p1. The McMillan Sisters and the ‘Deptford Welfare Experiment’ by Pam Jarvis.
p15. William Bourne Lewis, Civil Engineer and his Family by Sue Allen.
p37. Notes on the Former Brockley County Grammar School 1907-1983 by Godfrey Smith MBE.

Journal No. 19 - December 2011
p1. Lal Mohan Ghose: Victorian Politics, India and Deptford - Ray Thatcher.
p31. The Noakes Family and the Noakesoscope - John Kennedy Melling.
p47. The Deptford 1593 Marlowe Murder Mystery - Jonathan Derrick.

Journal No. 18 - December 2010
p1. John Evelyn and his Gardens - Gill Friar.
p25. A Memoir of Florence Cow, Victorian Governess - Freda D. Neil.
p37. The Tradesmen of the Thames - David Blomfield.
p45. Book Review: The Ashburnham Triangle by Diana Rimel - Jonathan Derrick.

Journal No. 17 - December 2009
p1. The Bombing of Sandhurst Road School, Catford - Gordon Dennington.
p25. The Coulderys: a Family of Talent - Rosemary James.
p35. S. E. London Technical Institute and Library - Diana Beamish.

Journal No. 16 - December 2008
p1. Deptford to Sidney and back (1839-40) - Thomas Hatfull
p13. Sydenham to Antarctica (Ernest Shackleton) - Carol Harris.
p29. Lewisham Air Cadets 1939-45 - Godfrey Smith.
p39. Crossing the Borders - Sally Deves, Lewisham Archivist.

Journal No. 15 - December 2007
p1. Lowne, a Family Business in Lee - Sue Hayton.
p25. The Slave Trade in Lewisham - Joan Anim-Addo.
p47 Master Index 2003-2007.

Journal No. 14 - December 2006
p1. Mostly Catford - Peter G. Swinscoe.
p29. Frank Pratt, St. Stephen's - Jennifer Hawker.
57. Fred Copeman, Councillor and Rebel - Jonathan Derrick.

Journal No. 13 - December 2005
p1. Lewisham's Black History - Steve Martin.
p25. A comment on Slavery - Peter A. T. Gurnett.
p29. Herbert Morrison in Lewisham - Andrew Flynn et al.

Journal No. 12 - December 2004
p1. Southend Village - Peter G. Swinscoe.
p17 To work! To Work! (Samuel Bickersteth) - Margaret Ford.
p41 David Jones, a Brockley Artist - Meurig Owen.

Journal No. 11 - December 2003
p1. The German Church in Sydenham - Peter Walker.
p33. Percy Leeds, Lewisham-born Architect - Kenneth V. Richardson.
p51. The Church Lads Brigade, Catford I - Peter G. Swinscoe.
p65. The Church Lads Brigade, Catford II - Peter G. Swinscoe.

Journal No. 10 - December 2002
p1. Dolly Shepherd and Lewisham - Molly Sedgwick.
p37. Deptford-Somerset Link - David Rabson.
p61. Master Index 1998—

Journal No. 9 - December 2001
p1. Twin Town's History Museum - Charlottenburg, Berlin.
Birgit Jochens. [The Bauhaus Archive is located in Charlottenburg.]
p9. Fifth Monarchists in Lee - Alfred W. Wood
p29. Lee Races - Dave Kincaid.

Journal No. 8 - December 2000
p1. Jacobites in Deptford - Jonathan Oates.
p13. Mumford's Flour Mill - Jonathan C. Clarke.
p45. Henry Williamson in the First World War - Anne Williamson

Books

Book sales are no longer a major part of LLHS’s activities, but we do offer a number of local history books for sale at modest prices at our talks and our stalls at local events. Many titles are written by members of the Society. Past Journals, guides and postcards may also be available.