About Us

Lymington and District Historical Society was founded in 1951. Its original purpose was the study of the history of Lymington, publishing the results in papers and providing lectures for the general public.

At that time it was known as the Lymington Historical Record Society. In 1983 it was renamed the Lymington and District Historical Society which reflected the greater emphasis on a variety of lectures covering not only Lymington but much of the surrounding area.

The publishing side gradually declined although Bob Coles (1939-2000), the noted historian of Lymington, still published under the imprint of the society. These studies included, in 1996, the well illustrated “A History of Communications in Southwest Hampshire” in three volumes and an important study of properties entitled “Messuages and Mansions around Lymington and the New Forest” (1998).

A selection of these papers are listed in Jude James’ “Lymington; An Illustrated History”(2007). Many of these can be seen in the Chapters section of this website. Copies may be obtained by contacting the Society.

The Society is run by a small and active committee under the chairmanship of Caroline Birch. It has an honorary president, the first in this post was William Whitaker (1911-88) of Pylewell Park, followed by Arthur Lloyd (1917-2009) and, currently, Jude James.

We are often asked to help readers with their enquiries relating to Lymington history and genealogy. We would urge you to visit our research page where we hope that our advice and guidance will put you on the right track in terms of identifying which source of information can assist you to answer your questions. If you are still struggling to find answers then please do send your question to us via this website. We will do our best to either answer your query or put you in touch with someone who can. Contact us here.

Please take the time to view our meetings page which lists the future meetings planned for the coming year. We will be delighted to welcome you to any of our talks as a guest or joining member. The meetings page also offers a brief summary of past talks to give you an idea of the broad range of local history subjects covered by the Society.

We are always ready to welcome new members or guests who may like to sample a meeting or two.

Membership is currently £ 12 per person. Guests are welcome at £4 for each meeting.

Our Committee Members:
Caroline Birch (Chairman)
Liz Merrick (Treasurer)
Sue Mayes
Nick Saunders
Robert Amis

The Society seeks to increase its membership for the benefit of the local community and to become increasingly active in the promotion and study of our fascinating local history. To join the Lymington and District Historical Society click here