_A Brief History of the Gillingham and Rainham Local History Society
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The Society was formed in 1950 by a small group of people interested in local history, led by Ron Baldwin, a local historian, keen archaeologist and author.
Meetings were initially held at the Gillingham Adult Education Centre until it moved to the current venue at the United Reformed Church in Balmoral Road. The Society was originally affiliated to the Kent History Federation and the Kent Archaeological Trust, but affiliation to the latter has now ceased.
Early in existence the society set up a local Heritage Centre in Napier Road Primary School. The Centre showed many aspects of life in Gillingham and the surrounding area including artefacts that were either donated or reclaimed from local building sites. Although open to the public it was widely used by local schools and manned by volunteers from the Society.
When a number of schools were reorganised the space occupied by the Centre was required by the school and exhibits put into storage, provided by the Gillingham Council until new premises could be identified.
Following the establishment of Medway Council, the new premises never materialised and the exhibits were donated to the Rochester Museum.
The Society continued with monthly meetings and occasional outings but longer ‘historical holiday’ breaks have now finished.
In September 2008 Ron Baldwin, the founder and President of the Society died near Swindon where he had moved to be near to his family. Derek Welfare, John Liney and Jack Hooper all died about this time and the society lost members with a great deal of local knowledge from which it is still trying to recover.
The Society was formed in 1950 by a small group of people interested in local history, led by Ron Baldwin, a local historian, keen archaeologist and author.
Meetings were initially held at the Gillingham Adult Education Centre until it moved to the current venue at the United Reformed Church in Balmoral Road. The Society was originally affiliated to the Kent History Federation and the Kent Archaeological Trust, but affiliation to the latter has now ceased.
Early in existence the society set up a local Heritage Centre in Napier Road Primary School. The Centre showed many aspects of life in Gillingham and the surrounding area including artefacts that were either donated or reclaimed from local building sites. Although open to the public it was widely used by local schools and manned by volunteers from the Society.
When a number of schools were reorganised the space occupied by the Centre was required by the school and exhibits put into storage, provided by the Gillingham Council until new premises could be identified.
Following the establishment of Medway Council, the new premises never materialised and the exhibits were donated to the Rochester Museum.
The Society continued with monthly meetings and occasional outings but longer ‘historical holiday’ breaks have now finished.
In September 2008 Ron Baldwin, the founder and President of the Society died near Swindon where he had moved to be near to his family. Derek Welfare, John Liney and Jack Hooper all died about this time and the society lost members with a great deal of local knowledge from which it is still trying to recover.
