Academic

The Society’s academic achievements fall into two main categories, its publishing programme and its support of education and the learning of history.

Publications

Paramount to the academic study of history is access to primary source material and the historian’s job is made much easier when such material is available in a published form.  The Society recognised this at an early stage and its first major publication was the British Library Harleian Manuscript 433 which is the record of Richard III’s grants and letters and is described by one of its editors, Dr Rosemary Horrox, as ‘the most complete collection of medieval signet material to survive’. The first volume was published in 1979 and three remaining volumes in 1980, 1982 and 1983. All four volumes were reprinted in ???

The Society’s journal, The Ricardian, was established in 1974 although the name had been used for the Society’s house magazine since the 1960s. The new-style Ricardian now concentrated on articles and book reviews and in 1978 Anne Sutton became its editor. Under her regime The Ricardian has become a scholarly journal of high repute with contributions from both the membership and from established historians.

In 1985 the Society established The Richard III and Yorkist History Trust, in order to 'further education, learning, and research related to the history of late medieval England (and in particular the life and reign of King Richard III) and to disseminate the results of such education, learning and research'. In 1986 it was recognised by the Charity Commission and registered as a charity in February of that year. Effectively the Trust took over the Society’s publishing programme of primary source material and under its auspices has published, amongst other titles, the Continuation of the Crowland Chronicles and more recently The Beauchamp Pageant.

Education and Learning

In 1981 the Society held its first conference at Trinity College Oxford and three years later it held its quincentenary conference at Jesus College Cambridge. This set the pattern and conferences have been held every three years ever since. Speakers are drawn from the academic community and the conferences attract audiences of over a hundred members.

In 1991 the Society held its first research weekend, how known as the study weekends and these have been held every year since except in the year of a conference. These are for smaller groups of members who meet each March or April in York.

In addition to conferences and weekends various branches and groups of the Society organise their own education events in the form of lectures or study days which are open to all members.

In 1988 the Society established its first bursary, at York University, and this was followed in 1995 by the establishment of a second bursary administered by the Institute of Historical Research in London.

For many years the Society has been running a palaeography course for members. This was devised by Dr Rosemary Horrox of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, who was the first tutor. The course tutor is now research committee member Heather Falvey.

The most recent enterprise the Society has undertaken is to encourage more young people to take an interest in fifteenth-century history and to this end is producing an education pack for Year 7