Emma O’Connor is the museums officer of the Sussex Archaeological Society, which began in 1846 and claims to be the oldest archaeological society in England.
The organisation supervises a number of heritage properties in and around the town of Lewes, which explodes into life every 5 November with the UK’s largest and most famous bonfire night celebrations.
Could you describe some of the buildings and collections in your care?
Michelham Priory is displayed in an open house setting as a late-Tudor building, but some parts were used by evacuees so there’s also a world war two theme.
Quite a large number of visitors are people who were evacuated there as children, or family members looking to make that connection. Anne of Cleves House has a Tudor feel and houses local and social history collections; Anne obviously did far better from her marriage than some of Henry VIII’s other wives.
Barbican House in Lewes Castle has print, watercolour and glass-plate negative collections, Marlipins Museum has a maritime theme and the Priest House has 17th-century furniture along with a textile collection and herb garden. I set out to be a costume and textile curator but I don’t hanker for a specialist area any more.
Even the head office of Sussex Archaeological Society, Bull House, has a story to tell. Between 1768 and 1774, it was the home of Tom Paine who was, effectively, a tax official in the town.
He started writing some of his pamphlets here, married a local woman and debated in the Headstrong Club – a society that still meets in a local pub to discuss weighty matters – before leaving these shores for America and France.
We have a portrait of him along with some anti- Paine propaganda in the form of lewd cartoons.
The town has always been a hotbed of irreverence – is that still true today?
There has been a tradition of non-conformity in all its guises. It probably began when the Normans arrived and built one of their first castles here.
And the bonfire celebrations are now infamous. They have their roots in the burning of 17 Protestant martyrs in the town and a keenness to celebrate the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot.
The burning of effigies of national and local figures has the anti- establishment questioning of a Gillray cartoon. One year, there was an arson attack on the local brewery, so an effigy of an unknown arsonist was set alight – which is somewhat ironic.
Is 5 November still a red-hot date in town?
It’s quite a spectacle. Even though it’s a relatively small place, there are different bonfire societies identifiable with different parts of the town.
They all come together during the procession, carrying torches, crosses and tar barrels and wearing fancy dress. Some wear Wild West or Native American costumes to mark the time Buffalo Bill came to town.
Others don striped jerseys like those associated with burglars. This is because, after the Riot Acts were read in the mid- 19th century, participants wore identical outfits so they couldn’t be recognised and easily nicked.
The organisation supervises a number of heritage properties in and around the town of Lewes, which explodes into life every 5 November with the UK’s largest and most famous bonfire night celebrations.
Could you describe some of the buildings and collections in your care?
Michelham Priory is displayed in an open house setting as a late-Tudor building, but some parts were used by evacuees so there’s also a world war two theme.
Quite a large number of visitors are people who were evacuated there as children, or family members looking to make that connection. Anne of Cleves House has a Tudor feel and houses local and social history collections; Anne obviously did far better from her marriage than some of Henry VIII’s other wives.
Barbican House in Lewes Castle has print, watercolour and glass-plate negative collections, Marlipins Museum has a maritime theme and the Priest House has 17th-century furniture along with a textile collection and herb garden. I set out to be a costume and textile curator but I don’t hanker for a specialist area any more.
Even the head office of Sussex Archaeological Society, Bull House, has a story to tell. Between 1768 and 1774, it was the home of Tom Paine who was, effectively, a tax official in the town.
He started writing some of his pamphlets here, married a local woman and debated in the Headstrong Club – a society that still meets in a local pub to discuss weighty matters – before leaving these shores for America and France.
We have a portrait of him along with some anti- Paine propaganda in the form of lewd cartoons.
The town has always been a hotbed of irreverence – is that still true today?
There has been a tradition of non-conformity in all its guises. It probably began when the Normans arrived and built one of their first castles here.
And the bonfire celebrations are now infamous. They have their roots in the burning of 17 Protestant martyrs in the town and a keenness to celebrate the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot.
The burning of effigies of national and local figures has the anti- establishment questioning of a Gillray cartoon. One year, there was an arson attack on the local brewery, so an effigy of an unknown arsonist was set alight – which is somewhat ironic.
Is 5 November still a red-hot date in town?
It’s quite a spectacle. Even though it’s a relatively small place, there are different bonfire societies identifiable with different parts of the town.
They all come together during the procession, carrying torches, crosses and tar barrels and wearing fancy dress. Some wear Wild West or Native American costumes to mark the time Buffalo Bill came to town.
Others don striped jerseys like those associated with burglars. This is because, after the Riot Acts were read in the mid- 19th century, participants wore identical outfits so they couldn’t be recognised and easily nicked.
