The Georgian Society for East Yorkshire is the oldest group or society in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

dedicated to the appreciation and preservation of

Georgian architecture Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1714 and 1830. It is named after the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I, George II, Georg ...

. The society is based in the

East Riding of Yorkshire The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a ceremonial county and unitary authority area in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and west, South Yorkshire to t ...

and is concerned with the preservation of buildings in the East Riding and

Kingston-upon-Hull Kingston upon Hull, usually abbreviated to Hull, is a port city and unitary authority in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It lies upon the River Hull at its confluence with the Humber Estuary, inland from the North Sea and south-east o ...

History

The origin of the society was as a committee of the East Riding Antiquarian Society tasked with "making a list of buildings of that period in our Riding, and any other matters deemed necessary with regard to the preservation of Georgian buildings" by Rupert Alec-Smith in January 1937. In the late 1930s there was wide spread destruction of many Georgian Buildings which caused concern to a number of architects and historians; this concern was most prominently voiced by

Robert Byron Robert Byron (26 February 1905 – 24 February 1941) was a British travel writer, best known for his travelogue ''The Road to Oxiana''. He was also a noted writer, art critic and historian. Biography He was the son of Eric Byron, a civil engi ...

in his polemic article "How We Celebrate the Coronation" in the May 1937 edition of the

Architectural Review ''The Architectural Review'' is a monthly international architectural magazine. It has been published in London since 1896. Its articles cover the built environment – which includes landscape, building design, interior design and urbanism � ...

. The first committee meeting was held on 2 June 1937; after which Rupert Alec-Smith wrote to Lord Derwent to invite him to become the society's President. The architect Francis Johnson was invited to join the society in 1938 and became a very prominent member. His professional skills were called upon when the society bought and restored properties in Hull which had suffered bomb damage during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Properties bought and saved by the Georgian Society for East Yorkshire

* Maister House, Hull (the only

National Trust The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...

property in the city) *

Blaydes House Blaydes House is a grade II* listed building, listed Georgian house in High Street, Kingston upon Hull, England. Built in the 18th century for the Blaydes family, it is now owned by the University of Hull's Maritime Historical Studies Cent ...

The Society's objectives

The society's objectives as stated on its website are: # To preserve buildings from destruction or disfigurement, especially those of the Georgian period, of architectural and historic interest in Hull and the East Riding. # To safeguard the setting of such buildings and to maintain or enhance the character of areas of architectural interest and scenic beauty. # To afford advice to owners and public authorities on the preservation and repair of such buildings and the uses to which they might be adapted, where necessary. # To stimulate public appreciation of the architectural and historic heritage of Hull and the East Riding.{{Cite web, url=http://www.gsey.org.uk/pages/699/the-society-and-its-activities, title=The Society and Its Activities: Georgian Society for East Yorkshire, website=www.gsey.org.uk, access-date=2019-04-08 The society also organizes an annual programme of visits to sites of interest (usually as coach trips) and lectures.

Presidents

* The Lord Derwent 1937-49 * Lady Waechter de Grimston 1949-59 * Lt-Col Sir John Dunnington-Jefferson 1960-61 * Sir Richard Sykes, Bt. 1961-74 * Col Rupert Alec-Smith 1974-83 * John Gordon Lightowler 1999-2017

References

External links

Georgian Society for East Yorkshire
Organisations based in the East Riding of Yorkshire Architectural conservation Georgian architecture in England