NOVEMBER 2025 LECTURE: The Lancashire gentry in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries
Steve Shuttleworth's talk will explore who were 'the gentry'; the huge variations in their wealth, land ownership, and their role in society; the debate about the 'rise and fall' ir the gentry in general; what we know (or think we know) about the Lancashire gentry; and then consider how these issues are reflected in the story of his ancestors, the Shuttleworths of Asterley, near Whalley.
Wednesday 19 November 2025, 2pm via Zoom. All welcome and free to attend – see details below to reserve your place and receive the link.
Lecturer: Steve Shuttleworth
Steven is a native of Oldham, but for many years has lived in West Berkshire. An environmental scientist/town planner by profession, his final post was as Director of Environment/Head of Planning for a local authority. Since retiring, Steven has spent some of his time researching his family history, which has rekindled his long standing interest in the socioeconomic history of Lancashire. His talk will explore who were ‘the gentry’; the huge variations in their wealth, land ownership, and their role in society; the debate about the ‘rise and fall’ ir the gentry in general; what we know (or think we know) about the Lancashire gentry; and then consider how these issues are reflected in the story of his ancestors, the Shuttleworths of Asterley, near Whalley.
To reserve your place email treasurer@hslc.org.uk
[Image: Easterley Farm, formerly known as Asterley, in the 1950s]