9 December, St Mary’s Church Hall, 7.30pm.
“I’m a pauper, get me out of here”, a talk by Tony Cherry on the inmate experience at the Thornbury Workhouse.
Workhouses were and remain notorious for their prison-like conditions, strict rules, hard labour and poor food. The system, brought in by the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834, was designed to dissuade applications for relief and curb the ever-increasing cost of welfare. The story of how the regime worked in the Thornbury Workhouse is the subject of this talk.
Tony Cherry was a volunteer at the Thornbury and District Museum for ten years and has written three books on aspects of the town’s history. Currently he is a tour guide at Thornbury Castle.
We will be providing mulled wine and mince pies at this talk. Enjoy!
Meetings are held at St Mary’s Church Hall, Eastbury Road, Thornbury on the second Tuesday of each month between October and May. They begin at 7.30pm and last about 90 minutes, usually with a break for free refreshments (tea/coffee and biscuits).
Forthcoming meetings in the season:
9 December 2025
Thornbury Workhouse
Tony Cherry
13 January 2026
Disaster waiting: the Severn Bridge disaster
Paul Barnett
10 February 2026
Princess Cariboo, Almondsbury’s Princess
Tom Sanday
10 March 2026
Edward Jenner and Smallpox
Gareth Williams
14 April 2026
“I predict a Riot”: the real story of the 1831 Bristol uprising
Garry Atterton
12 May 2026
From fortress to family home: Berkeley castle and the Berkeley family
Jane Handoll
This programme may be subject to change.
If you have any questions regarding the Society or want to become more involved, then please do not hesitate to send us a message through our online contact form: 
We have for decades prepared summaries of our talks, which have appeared in the Thornbury Magazine and elsewhere, and which collectively make up an informative and often witty record.
Those for the 2020 to 2025 seasons are now online. See the index here:
More than 80 reports of older meetings may be found on our page on myThornbury:
Stroud Textile Manufacturing.
Our first meeting of the 2025-26 season on 14 October attracted a full house for a talk by Ann Taylor and Ian Mackintosh on four hundred years of textile manufacture in the Stroud valleys.
Stan Morrissey’s report is here:
The subscription for the 2025-26 season is £12.00 or you can come as a visitor for a single meeting by paying £3.50 at the door. There is no reduction for joining part way through the membership year.
New members can join by contacting our treasurer through the online contact form , who will respond with bank transfer details. Or you can pay at the first meeting you attend.
We were created just after the Second World War under the name of the Society of Thornbury Folk. Nearly 80 years and three changes of name later we’re still here. Read about our history:
These are the current committee members:
| Chair: | Gill Cox | |
| Secretary: | Ann Moore | |
| Treasurer: | John Brimacombe | |
| Members: | Viv Burney, Stan Morrissey. |
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See our page on MyThornbury
Some other sites you may find interesting:
Thornbury and District Museum
Thornbury Roots
Avon Local History and Archaeology
Gloucestershire Local History Association
British Association of Local History