Richard III
Society
Patron: HRH The Duke of Gloucester KG GCVO
Richard III
Society
Patron: HRH The Duke of Gloucester KG GCVO
Branches & Groups
The Richard III Society functions at a local level, both within the United Kingdom and in other parts of the world, through its regionally organised Branches and Groups. In the table above is a list of the current Branches, Groups and overseas associated Branches. If you would like to learn more about an individual Branch or Group, please click on the name to view their profile.
There are over 30 Branches or Groups in the UK, as well as branches in America, Australia, Canada, Ireland and New Zealand. Each are open to members to join as desired.
Branches or Groups within the Society often have their own annual programme of events, many of which are also open to non-members of the Society, with such local events providing an excellent introduction to the Society and its activities for those who may be thinking of joining. Branches and Groups are also delighted to welcome visitors on a one-off basis to specific events and activities which may interest them. The activities usually combine a programme of meetings and talks and, in the UK, and Europe, visits to Ricardian sites.
For any query regarding Branches and Groups, or to establish a new Branch or Group in your area, please contact the Branches and Groups Liaison Officer.
American Branch
The American Branch was founded in 1961 and later incorporated in New York as the ‘Richard III Society, Inc.’ In 1970, the Branch was granted tax exempt status as non-profit educational organisation under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code. The American Branch has hundreds of members nationwide with chapters in Florida, Illinois, the Michigan area, the Northwest, the New York City-metro area, Virginia, and Colorado. Past chairs and board members have included professors of history at leading American universities, independent scholars, and theatre professionals.
Members of the American Branch also hold membership in the Richard III Society (CLG) in the UK, and receive all publications and benefits of membership with the UK CLG, including the Ricardian Bulletin magazine, the Ricardian academic journal, and an invitation to participate in their lectures, meetings and events. The American Branch’s publications are the Ricardian Register (scholarly journal) and Ricardian Chronicle (digital newsletter), each produced twice per year. The Branch holds a General Membership Meeting on even-numbered years, which features a lecture programme of guest speakers, members presenting their own research, a business meeting, and a medieval themed dinner banquet. Members have access to over 1,000 books in our fiction and non-fiction lending libraries. Special projects include the Schallek Fellowship & Awards Program, annually granting a $40,000 fellowship and five $5,000 awards to doctoral and graduate students doing work on theses related to late medieval British and/or Ricardian history. We have proudly supported the restoration, digitisation, and preservation of the ‘Edward IV Genealogical Rolls’ held by the Free Library and the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia. We plan to begin a series of periodic Zoom lectures, free to members, on topics of interest to Ricardians.
Anyone who supports the mission of the Society is warmly welcomed to join. With our unique blend of professionals, and general readers with a love of history and literature, we offer a diverse community that fosters a vigorous exchange of ideas and information. For more information, including how to join, see our website, or reach out to membership@r3.org
Secretary – secretary@r3.org
Website – https://www.r3.org
2016 General Membership Meeting in Denver, with guests Dominic and Christina Smee
Arun & West Sussex Group
The Arun West Sussex Group started in November 2019 with 5 members, which has since risen to 8.
We meet on the first Monday of the month in the meeting room of The Swan Hotel, High Street, Arundel, from 1.00pm – 3.00pm. We have a light lunch and discuss a Ricardian topic or book, or a Ricardian Bulletin magazine article.
Past topics include: health and hygiene, the coronation of Richard III and Anne Neville, 15th century clothing, and the Earl of Lincoln and the Battle of Stoke.
During lockdown, like many other groups, we met by Zoom and had 100% attendance at most meetings. In time we would like to invite occasional speakers to our meetings, and in the summer months we hope to visit local places of interest with links to the fifteenth century such as Arundel Castle. We would welcome new members and potential members to our friendly and informal group.
Secretaries – Katharine Millett – chimillkathy@btinternet.com
Helen Clark – chockelle@hotmail.com
Canadian Branch
The Branch's 50th Anniversary Celebration
Branch visit to the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library
The Canadian Branch of the Society, founded in 1966, currently has over 70 members across the country. Despite the geographical distances between us, members stay in touch through our Branch newsletter, email updates and more recently, online meetings. These meetings are an occasion for us to share our common interests, deliver and discuss research papers and plan Society activities.
We try to provide something for everyone, whether you wish to sit back or actively join in. No one is expected to present a paper; our members join with varying levels of knowledge and enthusiasm. Our current programme of events can be found here: http://www.richardiii.ca/general-membership-information/
We have members coast to coast and so we hold meetings monthly via Zoom so members across the country can participate. They are usually the 2nd Sunday of every month.
You are welcome to join us to try us out.
On or near the date of King Richard’s birthday (2nd October), we hold our Annual General Meeting. It is a hybrid meeting, held in person in Toronto and online as well.
We are keen to hold meetings in other parts of the country, if there is sufficient member interest and support.
Canadian members also receive our newsletter, the RIII, three times a year and have exclusive access to the Buyers Library containing over 400 items.
Website – http://www.richardiii.ca
Bluesky – https://bsky.app/profile/richardiiisocca.bsky.social
Mastodon – https://mstdn.social/@RichardIIICa
Secretary – Sheilah O’Connor – info@richardiii.ca
Continental Group
The Continental Group was formed in 2015 and became a Branch in 2017, but already has over 50 members from Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Malta, Bulgaria, Russia and Holland.
Our first meeting was held in Malta in 2016, where we had a formal Group meeting, followed by visits to a number of historic sites around the island.
We regularly publish our own journal – the European Yorkist – and interim newsletter, primarily with a focus on members’ activities and interest. A number of members carry out personal research into various aspects of medieval life, which is then shared with Branch members through one of the above publications.
Following our first in-person meeting held in Malta in 2016, the plan is to have an annual or bi-annual meeting, whilst encouraging those living nearer to each other to meet more frequently.
Chairman: Robert Galea-Naudi | guiscarde@gmail.com
Croydon Group
The Croydon Group was founded 35 years ago by Shirley and Roy Linsell and has a current membership of about 20. The Chair of the Croydon Group is Doreen Parkinson and the Secretary is Anne Walters.
Regular meetings are held in a public house in central Croydon. Lectures (many the result of research carried out by members) are mostly delivered in the winter with visits and excursions in the summer. Most Croydon Group members also belong to the London Branch and regularly attended its monthly meetings (until Covid intervened).
Two years ago, the Group had its first holiday abroad – to Normandy, organised by the visits ‘team’ of Doreen Harris and James Friendenthal. This was so successful that the following year there was a visit to Spain and Portugal. This time, air travel was involved – from Gatwick to Porto, and from a hotel base in the Portuguese city of Braga, there were excursions to Santiago de Compostela Porto (including a port wine lodge) and the lovely town of Aveiro, whose magnificent canals led to its being called ‘the Venice of Portugal’. For many members the high point of this visit was to the tomb of Princess Joanna of Portugal who would have married Richard, had he survived Bosworth.
In 2020 there were plans for the group to embark on a tour of the Plantagenet Heartlands (Loire Valley). Sadly, Covid prevented that from going ahead not only for that year, but also for 2021, however, it has been re-scheduled for 2022.
Each year Croydon Group members offer their services on the reception desk at the Society’s AGM where they always enjoy meeting old faces and welcoming first timers to the Society.
Secretary – Anne Walters – anne.webb44@btinternet.com
Tel: 020 8668 3814
Devon & Cornwall Branch
The Branch enjoying a medieval banquet at Pentillie Castle to celebrate their 40th anniversary
The Branch's 40th anniversary meeting in 2019
Rosemary Jessop
The South West Group began life in 1979 following a meeting organised by Wendy Tubb and attended by Shirley Stapley our current Chair.
When membership substantially increased permission was received to rename the group the Devon & Cornwall Branch.
Although the Branch covers an area which is distant from many of the major Ricardian locations, we have organised visits to most sites of interest and also visits to local historical sites such as Powderham Castle, Berry Pomeroy Castle and Cotehele House.
The Branch has also enjoyed many and varied talks by a number of speakers including Dr Phil Stone, John Ashdown-Hill and Jeremy Potter.
As well as the usual Ricardian topics, we are expanding our interests to include other historical periods of interest such as Queen Emma, the daughter of Richard I, Duke of Normandy and the search for Piers Edgcumbe, whose ancestor, Richard Edgcumbe, was involved in the Wars of the Roses (unfortunately on the Tudor side).
We have enjoyed medieval banquets, the last being in 2019, our 40th anniversary year, when we also had an album of Ricardian songs by the Legendary Ten Seconds dedicated to the Branch, cream teas and other social events, our formal Branch meetings being interspersed with more casual get-togethers.
Our Branch meetings are held at Ford Park Cemetery, which has its own rich history, either in the Visitor Centre or in the Chapel. Members can enjoy light refreshments before and after the meeting and we are always happy to welcome non-members who wish to attend, hopefully to become members at a later date.
Secretary – Edna Coles – ednacoles1@gmail.com
East Sussex Group
The East Sussex Group meets in Brighton on the third Thursday of alternate months, starting in January. As a small Group we normally avail ourselves of a member’s house, although hire of a meeting hall would be arranged if necessary.
The year’s programme varies, with talks given by members or by invited speakers. We might show a DVD followed by discussion of items in The Ricardian or the Ricardian Bulletin that might have particularly interested members. The range of subject matter is quite wide, in the overall context of 15th century European history and bearing in mind the variable extent of members’ existing historical knowledge.
If you are already interested in the fifteenth century and King Richard III, or enjoy general history and would like to take a closer look at this period, you will be very welcome to join us.
Details of meetings, venues and so on can be obtained from the Secretary.
Secretary – Jo Quarcoopome – joquarc@virginmedia.com
Gloucester & Bristol Branch
We have a friendly and active membership who participate in monthly meetings, summer field visits, social events and talks. Branch meetings and talks are held at 2.30pm on the first Saturday of each month and are usually held in the Emmanuel Hall, Leckhampton, Cheltenham, which has easy access from all routes. Each meeting closes with a full tea. Meetings usually comprise of talks given by nationally known guest speakers or discussions/short papers/presentations with several members contributing.
Recently members have indicated they would welcome talks which focus on events in the wider medieval period and, as an experiment, we currently include perhaps one such ‘deviation’ each year from our usual late 15th century focus. All such policy decisions, of course, rest with our membership at large. During the Covid lockdown, and in an effort to maintain membership contact, we have run a regular programme of ‘open’ Zoom presentations. In view of the success of this introduction, we may include the occasional Zoom feature in future programmes.
We hope to provide something for everyone, whether you wish to sit back and listen or actively join in. New members are constantly joining and anyone with an interest in the period are really welcome to join us or just come along without any commitment to see if they enjoy the experience. Currently we have members from a wide area including Gloucestershire, Bristol, South Wales, Warwickshire and beyond.
Please note:
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All meetings, unless otherwise indicated, will be held at the Emmanuel Hall, Fairfield Parade. Leckhampton GL53 7PJ.
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Meetings commence at 2.30pm with the exception of field visits and other special events which are by arrangement.
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Our current annual membership fees are £10 single and £15 joint. To attend live talks there is a £6 fee for members and £7.50 fee for non-members. Zoom fees are £6 for everyone.
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Website – http://www.richardiiigloucester.co.uk
Secretary – Claire Arnold – claire.arnold@sky.com
Manchester Branch
The Manchester Branch was founded 50 years ago, so it seems appropriate that it be revived this year. It was successfully organised by Helen Ashburn but after her death in 2017 numbers began to decline, and when Covid struck it was decided to put the Branch into mothballs. After a chance meeting at Bosworth in 2024, Marion Moulton and Paula Clarke discovered that there were many new members in the Greater Manchester area, and decided the time was right to revive the Branch. Having found a place to hold meetings (the Old Rectory in Stockport), their first meeting was successfully held on 12th March 2025.
There is a full programme organised for the months ahead. The Branch meets at 5.15pm on the second Wednesday every month for a meal before the meeting which begins at 7.00pm.
Anyone wishing to join them is very welcome, but please contact them first as they need to know numbers for meals and for the room for health and safety reasons. For further information please contact:
Paula Clarke – plclarke17@gmail.com
or
Marion Moulton – tedandbess1943@gmail.com
Kent Branch
The Kent Branch meet three or four times a year. We visit places with Ricardian connections or meet at a member’s home to discuss a Ricardian subject or correspond online.
We are a small friendly Branch and are looking to attract new members. If you are interested please do contact Martin Male the Branch Secretary.
Secretary – Martin Male – martinmale@btinternet.com
Leicestershire Branch
Branch Members at Bosworth
The Leicestershire Branch began in 1973 and we are still going strong. Anyone wishing to join us can be assured of a warm welcome.
The Branch was heavily involved in the King’s reinterment in 2015 and we take part each year in the Battle of Bosworth commemorative service held in August at the Leicester Cathedral. The James Butler statue of Richard III, presented to the City of Leicester by the Society in 1980 now stands in Leicester Cathedral gardens. We hold our meetings just across the road from the statue in the King Richard III Visitor Centre, so we really are at the heart of Ricardian Leicester.
We usually meet on the third Thursday of the month at 7.00pm, unless otherwise stated. We enjoy a programme of speakers on a variety of topics associated with the 15th century. Non Branch members and visitors are most welcome to attend our meetings: we simply ask for a donation of £3 towards the cost of the meeting.
Most years we hold a branch study day on a Ricardian themed topic. The study days have proved to be popular, not to mention the cakes served in the afternoon!
Please visit our website to see our current programme of events.
Website – http://www.richardiiileics.co.uk
Secretary – Sally Henshaw – sallyoftarahill@gmail.com
Lincolnshire Branch
Eleanor of Aquitaine and Richard I at Fontevraud Abbey
The Branch was founded in 1976 and has grown steadily over the years.
We meet at venues in both Grantham and Long Bennington at 7.30pm.
During the autumn and winter months we have a variety of interesting and sometimes prestigious speakers along with a members evening, a photographic competition and a coach trip to a Christmas event. During the spring and summer we have several coach outings to places of historic interest, hold a Branch picnic, and fundraising events. We also have several Branch lunch meetings and present an annual history prize to a school chosen by the membership.
Please visit our website to see our current events programme.
Website – http://www.richardthethirdlincs.org
Secretary – Jean Townsend – jeanann1485@gmail.com
London & Home Counties Branch
The London and Home Counties Branch of the Richard III Society is not the oldest, but one of the older branches in the UK, having been founded in 1971 to bring together Society members in the wider London area. Because of our size we meet in formal accommodation, which currently is in rooms in Birkbeck, University of London.
The Branch provides a regular programme of events throughout the year, from autumn through to early summer, including lectures and events, the latter including theatre and exhibition visits. Our programme seeks to cover all aspects of Ricardian, late medieval and medieval history and life, including arms and armour, battles, medieval housewifery, costume, cookery and food, dance and entertainment, buildings, religious foundations, etc. Information about Branch events is communicated to members by a twice yearly newsletter, in association with an email mailing list.
The Branch subscription is £8.00 per annum, and meetings – venue and speaker fees – are funded, in part, by contribution by attending members. Society members who are not members of the Branch, but may be in London coinciding with a Branch event, and non-members of the Society, are welcome to attend as guests of the Branch.
Secretary – Elizabeth Nokes – e.m.nokes@gmail.com
Merseyside & West Lancashire Group
We are an informal, friendly and enthusiastic group serving the Merseyside and West Lancashire area, based in Southport. In January, February, March, September, October, and November we usually get together in the Parlour at Leyland Road Methodist Church for a presentation. Meetings are on Saturday afternoons and begin at 2.30pm.
We don’t have a membership fee but we pay £4 each per meeting to cover the cost of room hire and refreshments. There is no meeting in April but in May, June, July and August we try to get out and about, visiting places of Ricardian interest. In December we have our Christmas lunch.
If you would like to join us as we broaden our knowledge of King Richard III, his life and times, and enjoy social events together, you will be made very welcome. For more information please email our Secretary Margaret Byrne.
Secretary – Margaret Byrne – margaretbyrner3@gmail.com
Mid Anglia Group
St Mary's Chilton
The Mid-Anglia Group, which previously ran from 2003-10 under the auspices of John Ashdown-Hill, has been resurrected and we wish to encourage Ricardians in Suffolk and North Essex to join us for meetings and visits in the future, to learn about Richard, his family and his time.
As a ‘fledgling’ Group we are still putting a programme of meetings together and hope to spread these over the region to enable all members to participate. Gippeswyck, Camulodulum and Beadricsworth have Ricardian and medieval connections and we are constantly seeking new and exciting places to visit and speakers to book.
Our newsletter has been revived and is published quarterly. It is available to Group members by email.
Our Group needs new members to help it grow and flourish and a very warm welcome awaits you.
Website – http://richardiiisocietymidanglia.wordpress.com
Secretary – Michael O’Gorman – mogorman1@hotmail.co.uk
New South Wales Branch
The Branch meets six times a year about 30 minutes north of Sydney city and over Zoom. The meetings are held at Turramurra Uniting Church, 10 Turramurra Ave, Turramurra (on train line) at 1pm, unless otherwise indicated.
Talks at these meetings include guest speakers on a variety of subjects. Afternoon tea is provided at meetings. We also commemorate Richard’s death at the Battle of Bosworth and social events include lunch gatherings to celebrate Richard’s coronation and birthday and we regularly attend informative lectures provided by societies such as Heraldry Australia.
Every other year we send representatives to the Australasian Richard III Society Branches Conventions held in Australia and New Zealand.
Website – http://www.richardiii-nsw.org.au
Secretary – Rhonda Bentley – secretary@richardiii-nsw.org.au
New Zealand Branch
Convention 2015
The New Zealand Branch of the Richard III Society was formed in January 1986 with the publication of our first newsletter.
There were ten founding members, many of whom are still with us today, while others were members of the UK parent society for several years previously.
Of the forty or so members at present, most live in the lower North Island so are able to attend our meetings held eleven times a year, alternating between Lower Hutt and member’s homes on the Kapiti coast.
We usually have a speaker (often our members) or, occasionally, a quiz on things Ricardian or medieval in nature. Although our current membership includes knowledgeable genealogists, a former NZ Mastermind and expert medievalists in specialist subjects, a genuine interest in medieval history is the common thread among the members.
The Branch publishes its own newsletter, Ricardian Times, quarterly, relying on members’ comments and contributions.
Pre -Covid, we joined the Australasian Richard III Society Branches Conventions every two years, taking turns to host the event.
Website – http://www.richard3nz.org
Secretary – Annette Parry – secretaryr3nz@gmail.com
Convention 2015
Norfolk Branch
The Norfolk Branch has been in existence for 30 years. Members meet once a month and there is a full programme of lectures, normally issued in the November of each year.
Currently the Branch meets in The Blake Suite
Annual subs are £15 and a charge of £4 is made for each meeting other than study days which have their own annually reviewed charge.
The Branch study day is held in November each year, sometimes more than one study day is held.
The Branch sometimes works with the East Anglian Region of the Battlefields Trust and also holds fund raising days for Stand Easy Military Charity.
Secretary – Annmarie Hayek – annmarielouise04@gmail.com
North East Group
The Group covers Northumberland, the former Tyne & Wear and those northern parts of County Durham with easy access to Tyneside. Formed in 1983, we are a small but friendly group who enjoy discussions, visits and social events.
Meetings are held in members’ own homes on a rolling basis to enable everyone to play the host. We meet monthly, in the evenings, but the day varies to accommodate as many members as possible. We do not see ourselves as great academics but we enjoy a lively fascination for all things Ricardian, and history in general.
Secretary – Julia McLaren – jumikmac@yahoo.co.uk
North Mercia Branch
The North Mercia Group was formed in 2010, but in November 2017 we were privileged to be invited to become ‘The North Mercia Branch’ by the Executive Committee of the Society.
Members live in Cheshire, Staffordshire, and Shropshire and we have ‘Long Distance’ members from all over the UK and abroad. Anyone is welcome to join us. We are a ‘Happy Band’ of Ricardians – not seriously academic, but very enthusiastic about all things Ricardian.
We meet on the first or second Saturday of most months at the Crown Hotel, Nantwich. Meetings begin at 2pm. Some members meet for lunch beforehand at 12 noon, which enables us to have free use of one of the rooms in the oldest part of the hotel.
Meetings take various forms. In February we hold our ‘Janus Day’ which is our AGM. In March, April, May, June, September, October and November we have various visiting speakers or talks by members (voluntary), socials, picnics and outings to places of medieval interest.
In July we hold an Archery Day at the Lichfield School of Archery. There is no meeting in August.
Website – http://www.richardsarmy.co.uk
Secretary – Marion Moulton – tedandbess1943@gmail.com
North Staffordshire Group
The focus of this Group is to share the pleasure of learning and exploring all aspects relevant to the life and times of Richard III.
We welcome as members Ricardians who live within the area and those who don’t but share our interests and approach. We choose topics to explore and present each other with our findings at our monthly ‘at home’ meetings. These are circulated to our more distant members, who also contribute. Larger papers and summary reports are put on our website.
We enjoy outings to places of interest, meeting up for lunch together and online chat.
Membership of this group is more than just a once a month event and members who are unable to get to physical meetings can be fully involved online.
If you are interested in joining us, please email Penny Lawton.
Our Logo: The white boar of Richard III, above a garb (wheatsheaf) of Ranulph de Blundeville, Earl of Chester, charged with a Stafford knot. The parhelion both represents the ‘electronic ether’ and commemorates our inaugural meeting held on 2nd February, the anniversary of the battle of Mortimer’s Cross.
Website – http://www.r3staffs.org.uk
Secretary – Penelope Lawton – nstaffs22@gmail.com
Northern Ireland Group
Northern Ireland Group
We are an enthusiastic group of Ricardians who, in 2016, decided to set up a new group in Northern Ireland. There is a wealth of knowledge within the group, so talks and discussions will form a large part of our meetings, together with visits and celebratory meals.
It has been decided, in the first instance, that the frequency of our meetings should be quarterly, with meetings taking place at members’ homes on a rotational basis. The Group also proposes to contact and interact with our Republic of Ireland counterparts with a view to organising inter group meetings and visits. Come and join us – new members will be made very welcome!
Secretary – Pamela Evans – edwardevans@btinternet.com
Notts & Derby Group
The Notts & Derbys Group on their trip to Eyam and Padley in 2018
We were founded locally in 1986 and our members live on both sides of the Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire border.
Home meetings take place in the Secretary’s home in Huthwaite, centrally convenient from all ends of both counties, just off the A38, close to Junction 28 of the M1.
Talks given by guest speakers take place in a local hall and are open to all. Payment on the door is usually around £5 to cover room hire, speakers’ expenses etc. Annual subscription is generally £6 and we try to meet once a month for home meetings with discussions/DVD etc., speaker talks or visits.
We are fortunate in that many interesting places are near at hand: Richard’s resting place in Leicester, his ‘Castle of Care’ at Nottingham, East Stoke and Bosworth, as well as many other historic locations which we can access in our own cars (lifts can be arranged through the Secretary) or mini-bus. We have also been further afield by coach to Oxford, York, Gloucester, Chester, Tewkesbury, Stratford and the Globe Theatre in London.
Please contact the Secretary, Anne Ayres for a current itinerary and feel free to join for a few occasions before fully joining – hopefully visitors will find members friendly, welcoming and interested in all things medieval.
Secretary – Anne Ayres – ajayres1485@gmail.com
Penrith & North Lakes Group
A recent visit to Gilnockie Peel Tower, once the home of a notorious border reiver and now the museum of the Armstrong family
The Group at Naworth Castle with Philip Howard, heir to the Earl of Carlisle
Richard, as Duke of Gloucester, was Warden of the English West March. This was an area along the Scottish border, roughly covering the northern part of today’s county of Cumbria. This is the ‘patch’ of the Penrith & North Lakes Group, though we also welcome members from further south and even from the Scottish West March. The Group was founded in 1985 and we have been delighted at the increase in numbers over recent years.
We meet about once a month for talks, visits and social events. This is generally on the 4th Wednesday of the month.
Members of the group are involved in various research projects, including Richard’s activities as West March Warden, the Dacre family, and Bishop Stillington. One member has recently published a book on pilgrimage, and another has written a Ricardian novel.
Subscriptions are currently £5 per year.
New members are very welcome: please contact the Secretary for more information.
Secretary – Sue Scott-Buccleuch sue.sb48@gmail.com