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About the Trust |
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Introduction to the TrustThe Willis Fleming Historical Trust is custodian of the Willis Fleming family's heritage — the legacy of the natural philosopher Thomas Willis (†1675) and the judge Sir Thomas Fleming (†1613). Our mission is to identify, conserve, and memorialise this heritage in creative and pioneering ways. Key to our work is historical and theoretical research, focusing on the boundaries of Thomas Willis's legacy — a Circle of Willis — from the seventeenth century to the present day. Our areas of research are wide-ranging and interdisciplinary: visual and material culture; memory; history of science; natural philosophy and antiquarianism (and their links); the seventeenth-century revival of learning; fraternities; patriarchy; war; landed society; landscape and sense of place; local history; biography; family history; domestic mansions, gardens and parks, and estates. This research, together with fieldwork and study of our collections, informs our projects and programmes. The Trust's projects each seek to build space in the historical memory — and further, to create memory theatres. We have an emphasis on working with individuals and organisations as collaborators, and undertaking projects that have strong elements of public engagement and education. The Trust is currently championing the heritage of North Stoneham Park in Hampshire — working to restore the WW1 War Shrine and part of the former parkland, and revisiting lost North Stoneham House. The Muniment Room is investigating the ways in which people, places, and documents link together across the four centuries of the Fleming Estate's history. Another long-term project is the reconstruction of the Library of the antiquary Browne Willis. The Trust is independent and not-for-profit, and funded entirely by donations and grants. If you have an enquiry, or just wish to register your interest in our work, we would like to hear from you. |
