Our annual series of free lunchtime lectures returns for its 19th year!
13:00. Every Wednesday in February. Leeds Minster. Free.
The history of Leeds comes under the spotlight of noted Leeds historian and previous Director of Leeds Civic Trust, Dr Kevin Grady, once again this February.
As part of the Leeds 400 celebrations, this year’s lectures focus on key anniversaries marking the history of our city:
- The 400th anniversary of the city receiving its Municipal Charter in 1626
- The 300th anniversary of the death of Leeds’ first historian, Ralph Thoresby in 1725
- The 150th anniversary of the death of the most famous Vicar of Leeds, Dr Walter Farquahar Hook, in 1875
- The 60th anniversary of the founding of Leeds Civic Trust.
All lectures are free and no booking is required – just turn up to Leeds Minster at 1pm!
Lecture Series:
Wednesday 4 February
‘1626 and All That’: The first Municipal Charter and 400 years of municipal and metropolitan government in Leeds.
The granting of the Royal Charter in 1626 created Leeds Corporation and gave the Leeds merchants control of the local woollen cloth industry and the government of the rapidly growing town. This lecture looks at how the charter was gained and how the government of today’s great city evolved over 400 years into the present-day Leeds City Council.
Wednesday 11 February
‘The Ingenious Mr Thoresby’: First Historian of Leeds 1658-1725
In 1715 Ralph Thoresby published Ducatus Leodiensis the monumental history and topography of Leeds. As an antiquarian, numismatist and collector, he created an extraordinary museum at his home in Kirkgate. The legacy of his remarkable diaries, letters and books, provide the foundation of our understanding of the story of Leeds from the Middle Ages to the Georgian period.
Wednesday 18 February
‘The Greatest Parish Priest of the Nineteenth Century’: Dr Walter Farquhar Hook, Vicar of Leeds 1837 -1859
A statue in City Square celebrates the charismatic Vicar of Leeds, Dr Walter Farquhar Hook. In 1837, when Methodism was virtually the established religion of Leeds, he bounded onto the scene and totally transformed the fortunes of the Anglican Church in the city. In the process he magnificently rebuilt the Parish Church and led the erection of 17 new churches and 27 new schools.
Wednesday 25 February
‘A City Transformed 1965-2025’: Leeds Civic Trust and 60 Years of Change in Leeds.
Leeds City Centre has undergone a remarkable transformation in the last 60 years. Its historic buildings have been wonderfully conserved, its waterfront totally regenerated, and its modern architecture and amenities greatly enhanced. Dr Grady, Director of Leeds Civic Trust for 30 years, describes the renaissance of Leeds and the role of the Trust in it since its creation in 1965.
Useful Information:
Date: Every Wednesday in February (4th / 11th / 18th / 25th)
Time: 13:00 – 14:00
Location: Leeds Minster, 2-6 Kirkgate, Leeds, LS2 7DJ
Tickets: All lectures are free and no booking is required – just turn up!
Will these lectures be available online? We will be recording lectures 1 and 4 and publishing them on our YouTube Channel in late March. The videos will be available on this page when published.
Teaser trailers!
Here’s Dr Kevin Grady to tell you all about each of his four upcoming lectures…
