Director's Letter to Friends and Members

The Trust Director, Dr Hugh Maguire, has recently written in August 2024 to Friends and Members with the below update.

Dear Friend / Dear Member,
I hope you are keeping well and enjoying some of the pleasant summer weather.
News from the Trust has not been forthcoming for some while, and I can only apologise for such a delay. I am now happy to enclose a copy of the annual lecture delivered by Peter Lake, The (Moderate) Puritanism of Samuel Ward (of Ipswich). The Trust remains thankful to its editorial team of Prof N.H. Keeble, Dr. Adcock and Prof Ann Hughes. Their scholarly oversight and guidance is invaluable.

There have been many changes in the last year. Foremost, as you know, has been the sale of the historic building on Gordon Square late last year to University College London (UCL), neighbours to the Trust over many decades. The final complex clearance of the building, with all that entailed, concluded in late April, thanks to the hard work of a dedicated small team and welcome professional advice and support. All the Trust’s valuable books, manuscripts, works of art and historic silver are now in secure care – enjoying controlled environments and state-of-the-art security.

The Trust is firmly committed to the future ownership and security of its collections. Encouraging the widest access and use of its valuable resources will be fundamental. Within the coming weeks Trustees will confirm a partnership University Library. Meetings have continued with interested parties and outside advisors have also considered the detailed submitted documentation. We are fortunate that all options, although different, are very positive. This reflects favourably on the prestige of the collections and the Trust itself.

The Dr Williams Annual Lecture will continue as an annual event in partnership with the Institute of Historical Research, University of London. There will be, as before, an annual publication, available hard copy and electronically. Past lectures, where we have electronic versions, will soon be housed on a new website, which is under consideration. This year’s lecture will be delivered by Professor Helen Wilcox (Bangor) who will speak on ‘George
Herbert: Poetry and the Dissenting Tradition.’ The lecture will take place on 30 October, here in Senate House. Further details will issue on the website in due course.
In tandem with other developments the Trust is engaging new Trustees and will be changing its governance structures to more ably reflect its needs and aspirations into the future. While the overall goals will be reaffirmed it is assured that there will be a reiteration of the Trust’s early eighteenth-century vision – support for the British Protestant Dissenting traditions. This will be achieved through its Glasgow Bursary dedicated to those in ministry, access to the collections as a key tool in education, learning and scholarship and additional initiatives that support the heritage and legacy of Protestant Dissent and this Trust in particular. As owners of this material heritage the Trust is keen to actively support collections care and conservation.

So, while there have been big upheavals, operationally and otherwise, the Trust finds itself in a very positive space. We are looking forward to new collaborations and working with our future university partner to encourage wider use of the Trust’s rich treasures. We want to support new generations of scholars and researchers. And Friends and Members will be core to that aspiration.

Please contact me directly in relation to any matter of interest or concern and I will try to respond as promptly as possible.

With best wishes,
Hugh

Dr Hugh Maguire
Director