Born in Northumberland, Alan Merson’s initial intention was to become a Presbyterian minister. However, at Oxford in the 1930s he began a lifelong friendship with the celebrated Marxist historian, Christopher Hill, and this together with the Spanish Civil War led to him joining the Communist Party of Great Britain to which he belonged as an…

Born in Norwich, became chorister at Magdalen College 1834, taking a succession of degrees and posts, BA, MA, BD, DD. and Fellow 1853-65. He was ordained deacon in 1846 and priest in 1847. He served as Master of Magdalen School 1846-64 where he succeeded in raising its academic standards.

He was born in Lancashire, the son of an Anglican priest, studied at the Theology School, University of Durham, and was ordained into the Church of England at Newcastle-upon-Tyne. He had five brothers who all also went into the Church. After a short time as Diocesan Inspector of Schools at Carlisle, he moved with his…

The son of a Dutch merchant who had settled in London, Möens went into the Stock Exchange at a young age, but soon ‘retired’ as a man of means to Boldre, attracted by the yachting at Lymington. He became an antiquarian with a special interest in Flemish genealogy and Huguenot history, but also involved himself…

The son of a Dutch merchant who had settled in London, Möens went into the Stock Exchange at a young age, but soon ‘retired’ as a man of means to Boldre, attracted by the yachting at Lymington. He became an antiquarian with a special interest in Flemish genealogy and Huguenot history, but also involved himself…

G W Minns was born in Norwich. The son of a builder, he inherited an interest in craftsmanship and construction, but after Cambridge (St Catherine’s) he attended Cuddesdon College and was ordained in 1860. He spent eight years in Norfolk and on the Continent and was an active member of the Norfolk and Norwich Archaeological…

G W Minns was born in Norwich. The son of a builder, he inherited an interest in craftsmanship and construction, but after Cambridge (St Catherine’s) he attended Cuddesdon College and was ordained in 1860. He spent eight years in Norfolk and on the Continent and was an active member of the Norfolk and Norwich Archaeological…

Born in Camberwell, at the time of the 1911 census Edgar Mitchell was a ‘boarder’ in Croydon and his occupation was that of ‘newspaper reporter’. He moved to Southampton in 1913 to take up a post with the Southern Daily Echo, initially as a sub-editor, theatre critic and leader writer. In due course, under the…

The relationship between John Milner and Winchester printer and ‘respectable bookseller’ James Robbins (1761-1844) is an early example of a ‘publisher and his author’. When Robbins asked him to write ‘a faithful account and description of Winchester’ he did so. It was a risky match, a Catholic priest and a young untried printer, but the…

The relationship between John Milner and Winchester printer and ‘respectable bookseller’ James Robbins (1761-1844) is an early example of a ‘publisher and his author’. When Robbins asked him to write ‘a faithful account and description of Winchester’ he did so. It was a risky match, a Catholic priest and a young untried printer, but the…