Join Raby Castle curator Julie Biddlecombe-Brown as she puts the almost-forgotten figure of Sir Henry Vane into context, a man who briefly served as an early Governor of Massachusetts Bay. As Governor, he developed friendships with the Hutchinsons, the Dyers, and Roger Williams, who later described him as “an Instrument of God” for procuring and confirming the Rhode Island Charter. His radical beliefs, however, put him at odds with King Charles II, who had Vane executed in 1662. Biddlecombe-Brown will explore his life and legacy in Old, and New England.
Julie is an experienced curator who heads up the Curation and Archives team at Raby Castle https://www.raby.co.uk/raby-castle/ on behalf of the current owners, Lord and Lady Barnard. She previously worked as Curator of Exhibitions at Durham University, where she first began looking at the links between New England and the north-east of England in 2016 as part of a project team telling the story of indentured Scottish prisoners who were sent to Massachusetts Bay in 1650 https://www.durham.ac.uk/departments/academic/archaeology/research/archaeology-research-projects/scottish-soldiers/. Since moving to Raby Castle in 2019, Julie and her team have been getting to grips with a site with almost 1,000 years of history; over 15,000 historic items and 2,500 feet of archives, a process that uncovers stories that demonstrate that the castle might have roots firmly planted in England but its branches spread across the globe.
Attendance is free, but registration is required. Guests can register here.