Exeter’s role in the British Empire under the spotlight in Guildhall talk

Published: 25 July 2024

Exeter’s role in the British Empire will be discussed in a talk by prominent city historian Dr Todd Gray at the historic Guildhall next month.

It will focus on research which, for the first time, will reveal Exeter’s part in the British Empire.

The talk, Inclusive Exeter: Exeter and the British Empire, 1575-2024, will be held at the Guildhall in Exeter High Street on Saturday 7 September, at 10am (doors open 9.30am). Tickets are now on sale.

The British Empire permeated Exeter as it did every other part of the country. But little is known about its connections to the city.

In this ground-breaking research Dr Gray reveals the ways in which Exeter was involved through the lives of 250 of its people, and five centuries of imperialism will be explored.

Dr Gray said: “This is the first study of its kind in Britain which looks at empire through the lives of a city’s people in their own words. The evidence will challenge everyone’s assumptions irrespective of their political views.”

Tickets for the talk cost £10 and are available to book now from the Corn Exchange website at https://www.exetercornexchange.co.uk/whats-on/inclusive-exeter-exeter-and-the-british-empire-1575-2024-a-talk-by-dr-todd-gray/