Historian will bring historical map to life Cheltenham Civic Society
Summary
A University of Gloucestershire postgraduate historian will work on a new map of Cheltenham. David Morgan is a public historian, whose work focuses on the ordinary lives of people in the first half of the 20th century.
Details
He was appointed by Cheltenham Civic Society’s (CCS’s) project board, which is chaired by Sarah Staniforth – an internationally-renowned expert in heritage conservation – and supported by Adrian Phillips, chair of the CCS Planning Forum. The board is overseeing and coordinating the preparation of a new historical map of Cheltenham, in partnership with The Historic Towns Trust (HTT).
David has previously worked as the interim operations manager for the Holst Victorian House and is currently researching Gloucester in the Second World War, funded by Voices Gloucester.
Sarah Staniforth said: “We had a strong field of candidates, but David stood out amongst the applicants.” Adrian Phillips said: “We were impressed by David’s enthusiasm for the post, his grasp of what the job would involve and his knowledge of Cheltenham’s history.” David has already started work alongside the historians and geographers on the project board.
He will assemble the research that will be needed by HTT’s cartographer to prepare the map, alongside the historical information which will be featured in a comprehensive gazetteer on the reverse of the map.
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David Morgan said: “It’s an honour to be able to work on such an important project for the town, shining a light on the hidden aspects of Cheltenham’s extensive history.” CCS’s volunteer fundraiser, Colin Smith, has also begun to approach large employers and other local organisations to persuade them to sponsor the map.
£10,000 has been raised already, but the aim is to raise a further £25,000 to cover all the research and cartography for the map, as well as the cost of community engagement and educational outreach activities by HTT following publication. The project will be launched at an at Pittville Pump Room on September 15, as part of Cheltenham’s Heritage Open Days festival.
The project board’s aim is to complete the research and production work by next summer, in time to publish the completed map at Cheltenham Literature Festival 2027. The map is expected to be sold for around £12 by booksellers or direct from HTT’s website.
Original source: Cheltenham Civic Society
Report source: Punchline Gloucester