The Great Fire of Crediton
Crediton Area History And Museum Society
When: 19 April 2023 to 28 October 2023
Where: Crediton Museum, The Old Town Hall, High Street, Crediton, Devon, EX17 3LF
Time: 10:00 - 14:00
Cost: Free, donations welcome
Suitable for: Any age
The CAHMS Summer Exhibition for 2023, The Great Fire of Crediton, opens on Wednesday 19th April, and will run through to October 28th.
It will be focused on 1743; the year in which a detailed map of the town was completed just a few months before the disastrous fire which destroyed over 400 properties and led to at least fourteen deaths. An exceptional amount of research has gone into this project – and we have some great stories to tell about Crediton before, during and after the Great Fire.
As the title suggests, the exhibition will examine the dispute which led to the creation of the map; the disaster of the Great Fire; and the long process of recovery as the town struggled to return to normal life in the aftermath. We will be making use of a wide range of resources – many of them never used before - and capitalising on state-of-the-art technology to reveal some of the fascinating stories we’re unearthing. There will be something for everyone in this exhibition. There’s lots about the map and the history of local people and places – as you’d expect – but there’s also a wealth of information about life in 18th century England, along with some unexpected tales of clockmakers, privateers and even highway robbery.
We are delighted to have assembled a team with some terrific skills for this project. Elly Babbedge is an archivist and genealogist who is concentrating on the “people” aspect. Peter Child is a retired Historic Buildings Officer who is researching the old buildings shown on the 1743 map and seeking out historic properties which still stand. John Heal, a born-and-bred Kirtonian, has a lifelong interest in the history of his native town. John’s detailed knowledge will add much “local colour” to our exhibition. Lastly, Tony Gale is a local historian with overall responsibility for designing and delivering the project – undertaking much of the research and bringing together the exhibition and the accompanying book.
We are also publishing a book entitled Crediton & the Great Fire of 1743 (paperback @ £15, hardback @ £25). Copies can be purchased at the exhibition, but if you wish to order a copy contact us at info@creditonhistory.org.uk
Our normal opening days and times are Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays 10:00am – 4:00pm and Saturdays 11:00am – 2:00pm.
Admission is free, but donations are (always) welcome.
Exhibitions & Projects
-
Sue Williamson: Between Memory and Forgetting
The Box, Plymouth
04 February 2023 to 04 June 2023
-
Hannah Quinlan and Rosie Hastings: Portraits
The Box, Plymouth
04 February 2023 to 04 June 2023
-
Making a Mark: Dazzling Drawings from the Cottonian Collection
The Box, Plymouth
04 February 2023 to 04 June 2023
-
Youth Panel: Making Sense
Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery
17 January 2023 to 11 June 2023
-
May The Toys Be With You
Torquay Museum
25 March 2023 to 17 June 2023
-
Coronation Celebration
Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery
14 March 2023 to 18 June 2023
-
A look at Higher Brook Street in the 19th Century
Teign Heritage Centre Home to Teignmouth and Shaldon Museum
10 May 2023 to 27 June 2023
-
.jpg&w=400)
Ruth Bell: Calling of the Tide
Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery
10 January 2023 to 09 July 2023
-
What do you collect Lace bobbins
Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery
10 January 2023 to 09 July 2023
-
Gatekeepers to Heaven: Religion, knowledge and power in medieval Exeter
Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery
03 June 2023 to 03 September 2023
-
Sublime Symmetry: The Mathematics behind De Morgan’s Ceramic Designs
Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery
20 May 2023 to 10 September 2023
-
Six Legged Superheroes: Insects Saving the Planet
Torquay Museum
27 May 2023 to 07 October 2023
-
.jpg&w=400)
The Silver Wave by Michelle Williams Gamaker
Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery
20 October 2022 to 08 October 2023
-
The Great Fire of Crediton
Crediton Area History And Museum Society
19 April 2023 to 28 October 2023
-
Tea Room Exhibition
Topsham Museum
29 March 2023 to 31 October 2023
-
Dick Pym the Fisherman Footballer
Topsham Museum
29 March 2023 to 31 October 2023
-
Votive for the Next Earth by MH Sarkis
Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery
02 May 2023 to 19 November 2023
-
Art Pottery
Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery
20 June 2023 to 10 December 2023
-
.jpg&w=400)
The Armada Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I
The Box, Plymouth
11 February 2023 to 07 January 2024
-
People and Place: Art Collection Showcase
The Box, Plymouth
04 February 2023 to 24 January 2024
-
Project Buzz
Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery
13 June 2023 to 28 January 2024
-
The Museum is delighted to announce that a collection of Shaldon handmade lace over 100 years old has been acquired
Teign Heritage Centre Home to Teignmouth and Shaldon Museum
09 May 2023 to 09 May 2024
