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

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 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 Branch

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 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:

• All meetings, unless otherwise indicated, will be held at the Emmanuel Hall, Fairfield Parade. Leckhampton GL53 7PJ.
• Meetings commence at 2.30pm with the exception of field visits and other special events which are by arrangement.
• 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.

Website – http://www.richardiiigloucester.co.uk

Secretary – Claire Arnold – claire.arnold@sky.com

Greater Manchester Branch

The Greater 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 202, 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

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

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 and 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

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

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

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

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

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 and North Lakes Group

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

Scottish Branch

The Scottish Branch was founded in 1999 by Philippa Langley MBE as the Edinburgh and Lothians Group. In 2005, the Group became the Scottish Branch. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of our founding, we invited the Society to hold their 2019 AGM in Edinburgh.

We are now a large, vibrant group with almost 70 members from all over Scotland and members in England and the USA. The main aim of reinterpreting the story of, and furthering knowledge of, this most misunderstood of kings is still our aim. We welcome new members to enjoy the camaraderie that exists by having a mutual interest in Richard III.

Our main research topic is the 1482 invasion of Scotland, adding significantly to the story of that event during the last 20 years. Philippa’s successful Looking for Richard Project began at a Branch meeting on 21st February 2009. We designed an interpretation board about Richard III and St Ninian for the Whithorn Trust’s Exhibition Centre. Members are also involved in Philippa’s important The Missing Princes Project.

Membership costs £8 per household, which provides for the production of our Journal that is produced twice yearly and includes both research and news. Talks and other events are held during the year.

Website – http://www.boarandsaltire.wordpress.com

Secretary – June McIntyre – juneyfm@btinternet.com

Somerset Branch

The Somerset Branch, which began in 2015, meets on the third Saturday of every month at the Wells and Mendip Museum in Wells at 12.30pm for a 1.30pm start. The afternoon usually comprises two talks from an invited speaker across all areas of medieval history, punctuated by a delicious ‘bring and share’ afternoon tea. We also have a dedicated Research Group and Branch Library.

Wells provides a central location for members who come from all over Somerset and the surrounding counties, as well as being a beautiful, unspoilt small medieval city and the burial place of Bishop Stillington and John Gunthorpe, both involved in the reign of King Richard III.

We all share an interest in King Richard III’s life, time and reputation and welcome all members of the Society and those interested in learning more who have not yet ventured into a local Group or Branch, or indeed the Society. Come and try us out! You can be certain of a warm, friendly and informal welcome.

Chairman – Kieran Molloy – kcm68win@outlook.com

South Australia Branch

We have been an enthusiastic group since 1983. Currently, we meet at 1.30pm on the first Saturday of each month, except January, when we are in recess.

Most meetings take the form of talks and discussions, with the odd video viewing and an annual quiz meeting. We also have a medieval dinner (medieval dress optional), usually doing the cooking ourselves. We have an extensive library of books, both reference and fiction, and audio and video tapes, with Richard III and the 15th century as a focus. All these are available for members to borrow, free of charge.

Website – http://www.richardiii-sa.org.au

Secretary – Sue Walladge – walladge@internode.on.net

South Cumbria Group

Although a comparatively small group, we enjoy lively Ricardian discussions and our visits to the many Ricardian sites available to us in the north of England.

We have four outings a year and four meetings a year.

Contact – John Farrer – john.farrer@yahoo.co.uk

South Wales Group

The South Wales Group was founded in August 2022 and now has a core of dedicated members.

We have started things off by reading and researching the ‘key topics’ and then discussing and debating them in our meetings. Thus far we have looked at the fate of the princes and the Butler marriage, both subjects that created a lively discussion and revealed some fairly partisan views! Our aim is to try and ensure that all members have the same basic understanding of King Richard’s life and reign so that no one feels left out of discussions and events.

So far our calendar has an appearance at the Royal Welsh Show, and we also plan a group outing to Bosworth in August which for some members will be their first trip to see the battle site so will be an emotional day.

At present the group meets every other month on the 1st Saturday from 2.oopm-4.00pm in Y Gaer, Brecon. For now we don’t have subscriptions but share the cost of room hire between us which usually amounts to £5 each.

We can be contacted by email or mobile (07984 170487) and we would be delighted to hear from any fellow Welsh or English-living-in-Wales Ricardians.

Secretary – Jules Welch – riiisocsouthwalesgroup@gmail.com

Surrey Group

In 2000, Jane Trump of the Thames Valley Branch decided to contact Ricardians who lived in Surrey to see if they might be interested in setting up a new group within the Society. A meeting was arranged at Jane’s house, at which it was unanimously agreed that we should go ahead and form the West Surrey Group.

We agreed that we should meet every month at members’ homes, and Rollo Crookshank was elected as Chairperson/Secretary. Over the next four years the Group expanded its membership and settled into a mixed programme of lectures and discussions in the darker months, and in the summer ones we made visits to conferences, and to medieval and Ricardian sites – these always included a weekend away in a different county to see historic/Ricardian places.

Our Group membership continued to expand steadily, but with the discovery of a new position for the battlefield at Bosworth, as well as that of the burial site of King Richard III, and his reinterment, our numbers increased greatly – too great to be accommodated for winter meetings in members’ homes, so now we have found a hall which we can hire at reasonable cost. We now have over 30 regular members, including some from neighbouring counties, and London and changed our name to the Surrey Group. Despite being in existence for 20 years and despite our numerical size, we remain a Group, not a Branch – we have discussed a possible change several times, but are happy to stay as we are.

Contact – Richard Pointer – richard@thepointers.plus.com

Thames Valley Group

The Thames Valley Group was founded in 1985 and has a current membership of 12 who come from Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Surrey. We have also recently received enquiries from prospective members in Hampshire and Oxford.

We are a friendly and informal group whose interests cover the life, times and family of Richard III and history in general. We don’t mind going ‘out of time’ to cover wider subjects such as the development of armour, castles and war horses. We have welcomed external speakers and enjoyed informal talks given by individual members. Visits have included Windsor Archives, St George’s Chapel, Ewelme, Grey’s Court, Stonor and Grafton Regis.

We usually meet at 2pm on the 3rd Saturday of the month with an AGM and future planning in November and a Christmas lunch in December. In-house meetings are held in the Wokingham home of one of our members where it wouldn’t be a proper Ricardian meeting without tea and biscuits! If you’ve ever wanted to know more about the life and times of Richard III or just wanted to meet up with other like-minded Ricardians, please do come and join us!

Secretary – Sylvia Morrison-Moore – s.morrison-moore@hotmail.co.uk

Victoria Branch

On 2nd October 1959, in Melbourne, Stuart Soul established the first branch of the Richard III Society in Australasia.

Today, we continue our activities, still centred in Melbourne.

We meet ten times per year. Our meetings are usually held at Prahran Mechanics Institute, 39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran at 1.30pm. At these meetings members present talks and convivial discussion follows amongst the members. Members provide refreshments to accompany the discussion. In addition, we have meetings in cafes and restaurants and have an annual memorial service to commemorate Richard III’s life. We enjoy a Christmas dinner, usually in late November.

With the other Australasian branches we meet for social gatherings and conferences about the medieval period which include a fun medieval feast in costume!

The Branch produces Ricardus Rex, a bi-monthly newsletter. The newsletter publishes the presentations given by members or guests on historical topics associated with Richard III, his life and times.

The Branch welcomes enquiries from all those with an interest in this period of history, and we particularly welcome fellow Ricardians from interstate and overseas.

Membership of the Branch allows access to the facilities and activities of the Parent Society in the UK, including the annual journal The Ricardian, and the quarterly magazine the Ricardian Bulletin.

Branch subscriptions fall due in September each year, and membership enquiries can be made either by post to:

Richard III Society Victoria Branch, PO Box 837. Eltham, Victoria 3095

or by email to the Branch Secretary.

Please visit our website to see our current events programme.

Website – http://www.richardiiisocietyvictoria.com

Secretary – Hazel Hajdu – hhajdu@tpg.com.au

Warwickshire Group

We are a relatively new group, having become affiliated with the main society in November 2018. We are made up of 9 members and have had 3 meetings thus far. We are currently discussing venues for future events as well as presentations and general debate.

We are always welcoming to prospective new members. As we are a far flung group, it is likely we will be moving around a fairly large county in the future. A county, dating from the 10th century, that has played such an interesting role in the shaping of English history and literature.

Chairman – James Herbert – jt_herbert@hotmail.com

Western Australia Branch

The first ever meeting of the Western Australian Group was held at the Parmelia Hotel on Saturday 1st March 1986, and was attended by 8 people. The Group was accorded Branch status in 1988. The Branch now has approximately 20 members, and meets on the fourth Saturday of each month (excluding December) at the Riverside Community Centre, Francisco Street, Rivervale from 2pm.

Website – http://www.r3wa.org.au

Secretary – Dr Carole Carson – Richard3inWA@gmail.com

Worcestershire Branch

The Worcestershire Branch started in 1986, becoming a Branch in 1990. We meet once a month on the second Saturday afternoon, usually in Holy Innocents Church Hall in Kidderminster, or Upton Snodsbury Village Hall, for talks, raffles and refreshments (very important), or go out and about in summer.

Our magazine, Dickon Independent, is published quarterly, and members receive a monthly newsletter with details of meetings. We have a branch library and a website. Our friendly Branch has members from all over the country and always welcomes anyone interested in Richard III to come along to a meeting to see if they enjoy our company before joining, which costs £15 a year.

In December we have a Christmas party in Upton Snodsbury Village Hall, with members all bringing along some food to share and the Branch providing drinks and cups of tea. While enjoying our feast each table of 4 people tackle a quiz which challenges our brains!

The Branch has paid for a stone carved with RIII to be on the Edgar Tower at Worcester Cathedral.

Zoom meetings have been very successful and given us the opportunity to invite members from other Branches and Groups, so we use Zoom for some winter meetings (November, January and February and all branch committee meetings), and meet in person for the rest of the year.

The current Branch events programme is on our website:

Website – http://www.richardiiiworcs.co.uk

Secretary – Jane Tinklin – jane.tinklin@outlook.com

Yorkshire Branch

Formed in 1960, the Yorkshire Branch is the oldest UK Branch of the Society, with over 170 members, not only in Yorkshire but in all parts of the UK and abroad. Membership runs from 1st August (Yorkshire Day) to July and includes 3 copies of the Branch journal Blanc Sanglier, published in August, December and April, plus Newsletters circulated in October, February and June. Branch activities include annual lectures in February and April and a major presence at the Middleham Festival in July, plus the commemoration of the battle of Wakefield, with the laying of roses at the Duke of York’s Pillar and the Chantry Chapel on Wakefield Old Bridge on 30th December annually. The AGM is held in September, with a members’ lunch in York in December. All our meetings take place in York, at The Bar Convent and St Bede’s Pastoral Centre adjacent to Micklegate Bar.

We have a library, a research programme and a range of relevant merchandise. In 2010 we held our 50th anniversary celebration day at Bedern Hall, York, and in June 2015 a service at Holy Trinity, Micklegate celebrating the life of King Richard. We have placed plaques in the Wakefield Chantry Chapel to Edmund, Earl of Rutland and Richard, Duke of York, and have initiated an analysis of the contents of the Middleham Jewel.

Branch subscriptions are currently: single membership £16; joint membership (two adults at the same address) £20; Newsletters only £10.

All email communications to Branch Secretary & Membership Officer Graham Mitchell at the email address below or by telephone to 01535 645454.

Website –  www.yorkshirericardians.org

Contact – Graham Mitchell – rgm@dockroyd.co.uk