| Morpeth has been a market town for at least 8
centuries. A Charter to hold a market was issued by
King John in 1199, and it is believed to be a
confirmation of an earlier charter. So Morpeth has a
very long history, about which much is known.
The early history has survived in document form –
for example, the edict of 1282, which demanded that
all corn grown in Morpeth should be ground at the
Lord’s Mill. That edict was still being enforced in
the 18th century.
In more recent times, artefacts have
survived. However, both documents and
artefacts are scattered around Morpeth and
beyond. For example, original Morpeth Court
Rolls are held by the Carlisle Archive
Centre however, a microfilm copy is held by
the Morpeth Antiquarian Society and others
are retained in the
Northumberland Records Office at
Woodhorn Museum, Ashington.
The Friends have a list of important artefacts
that still exist. Their location is known. Their
ownership is known. In some cases, promises have
been made that if a museum existed, artefacts would
be given or loaned on a long-term basis to it.
It is the belief of the Friends that the
treasures of Morpeth should be brought together in
one place, properly cared for and put on display to
the general public. |
There is no
longer dedicated local history museum space
in the town, partly because the items
mentioned above are in different ownership,
There is no Morpeth town museum where the
owners could lodge such items (Newcastle
University owns the Newminster Buckle in the
Great North Museum: Hancock; the Town
Council owns the civic silver and high
status items housed in the Mayor's Parlour
and Council Chamber of the Town Hall which
are in the town though the Parlour is only
open to the general public two days a year
(the Gathering and during Heritage Open
Days) while the Council Chamber is open to
the public only when Town Council meetings
are in session.
Successive council decisions have shifted
the Morpeth Antiquarian Society collections
out of town - they were in public
ground-floor spaces within the Chantry from
1965-1997 but Castle Morpeth Borough Council
required them to be moved to rear room
storage in the Town Hall in 1997; in 2010
the new unitary County Council moved them
out to the old fire station and then to
Newbiggin Library in 2011 - and, after free
use of the Morpeth spaces for decades, a
small rent had to be paid from then on.
Since 2016, no council building has been
made available, and the best option at short
notice in 2016 was a move to Pegswood
costing a significant annual rent which is
still draining the finances of the volunteer
MAS organisation. The austerity era means
that this is not the best time to be seeking
funds for heritage and cultural activities,
but if a town is to retain its character
(which implies an awareness of its origins)
and remain distinctive and attractive to
visitors, locals and employers, - then a
heritage centre or museum is essential. |
Putting
the case for a Museum in Morpeth:
