Our exhibition took place as planned during the month of October 2013. We had a proper launch party where we were able to give thank-you copies of our book to our sponsors, and start selling copies to visitors. The exhibition was about William and his work to improve living conditions in the town. I had promised "sights and smells of Victorian Stroud" but in the end the museum staff would not allow me to put a dozen full nappy buckets and a dead pig in the corner - for Health and Safety reasons - so we had to describe it instead. The exhibition was extremely well received, by museum staff and visitors alike. One benefit was that the museum staff noticed visitors who were not familiar and the exhibition attracted 650 visitors during the month. The most gratifying result was the number of people who said "I didn't know that". And we did get some very helpful follow-up suggestions in our Visitors Book.
So many local people asked to be able to see it again that Stroud library was very happy to give it space for the week before Christmas. The County Archives had already asked for it to go up in April/May 2014, so that happened too.
All this public activity was not at all what we had planned to do when we started the research. Fortunately the Stroud Local History Society (of which we are both members) stepped up to offer sponsorship, and raised enough money from local organisations to cover the cost of putting on the exhibition and making the first print run of the book about William. The Langtree Trust, Stroud Freemasons, and Stroud Town Council added grants to the money offered by the SLHS, and we came in just under budget. The local newspaper Stroud Life was also very supportive, and put this photograph in their newspaper:
Our first print run of the book sold out before the end of the exhibition so we quickly ordered more copies. Sales of the book have raised over £1,000 for the museum's educational resources budget, which has been another unexpected bonus.
Tuesday 1st October to Sunday 27th October, 2013
Gallery 2 at the Museum in the Park
The Museum's own website will list the exhibition contents and opening times on its What's On? page, but here are the main details:
This exhibition contains pictures, stories and maps relating to the life of William Cowle and his many activities in and around the town of Stroud. There will also be a rolling series of short slideshows during the day to expand the content of the exhibition.
Here is the programme of talks associated with the exhibition. Tickets for talks at the Museum in the Park (MiP) can be booked in advance at the Museum.
- Thursday 19th September 7:30pm Stroud Local History Society (SLHS), St Laurence's Hall, The Shambles Freemasonry in Stroud in the 19th Century - speaker Frank Smith. William Cowle joined the Sherborne Lodge in 1857 and was Master three times. Non-members of SLHS are always welcome to the evening talks but there is a small entrance charge.
- Thursday 10th October 2pm Gallery 2, MiP William Cowle - behind the scenes at the Exhibition - speaker Marion Hearfield
- Thursday 17th October 2pm Gallery 2, MiP William Cowle and Victorian Stroud - in pictures and words, by Howard Beard and Marion Hearfield
- Sunday 27th October all day Gallery 2 MiP Open Session We plan to repeat some of the short talks (timetable later) and will be as interactive as possible with the slideshows, the FEWC archive, and our sources and resources. Come along with questions or suggestions. The FEWC archive, when completed, will be available at the Gloucestershire Archives for free access by family or social historians, so please bring along any new information about William Cowle or The Field development that you think we might have missed.
Marion Hearfield and Tony Macer, page updated Apr 2014