Special Notice
This site has recently been expanded to include historical information from the Cobourg History site. All information previously on this site is still here. Some Google searches may now end up here - use the site search box if you don't immediately find what you are looking for.
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For Genealogists
There is quite a bit of Information for genealogists on this site - it is best accessed using the search feature above. The best additional source of info for researchers is at the Cobourg Library where they have a local history room stocked with many historical books and documents. They do have some photos on-line but not much more - you need to visit.
Meetings
Monthly meetings are held in Cobourg's Victoria Hall.
Cobourg and District Historical Society Meetings are held every month except May, June, July, August and December. Meetings are held on the fourth Tuesday in the Month. Meetings start at 7:30 pm but coffee and cookies are available starting at 7:00 pm. Meetings are $5 for non-members and free for members of the society and students.
More on our About page.
Cobourg and District Historical Society
Mission
The Cobourg and District Historical Society promotes interest in the history of Cobourg and district and beyond, encourages the preservation of historical, archaeological and architectural heritage through meetings featuring speakers, the publication of presentations and organizing and participating in special events.
Meetings
Monthly meetings are held in the Citizens' Forum, Victoria Hall on the fourth Tuesday from September to May, excluding December. The doors open at 7:00pm and people enjoy this opportunity to socialize before the meeting convenes at 7:30 p.m. Meetings are free for members of the society and students.
Programmes include topics of local interest e.g. The American Summer Colony, Cobourg-Rochester ferries as well as subjects of more general interest e.g. The Barnardo Children or Preserving Your Family Archives. An annual dinner or bus trip is held alternately in May.
For more about the Cobourg and District Historical Society, go here.
Monthly meetings are held in Cobourg’s Victoria Hall.
Battle of the Atlantic: Gauntlet to Victory
- Details
In the 20th century's greatest war, the North Atlantic battlefield held the key to victory or defeat. It took 2,074 days and nights to determine its outcome, but the Battle of the Atlantic proved the turning point of the Second World War.
For five and a half years, the German navy attempted to destroy Allied transatlantic convoys, mostly escorted by Royal Canadian Navy destroyers and corvettes, as well as aircraft of the Royal Canadian Air Force. In 1939, Canada's navy went to war with 13 warships and about 3,500 sailors. During the desperate Atlantic crossings, the RCN grew to 400 fighting ships and over 100,000 men and women in uniform. By V-E Day in 1945, it had become the 4th largest navy in the world.
Ted Barris will present the fascinating details of this epic battle. Ted is an expert on military history and has published 20 non-fiction books with many them winning awards.
Join us for our first meeting of the 2022-2023 season on Tuesday, September 27 in Victoria Hall's Concert Hall. Doors open at 7:00 PM for coffee and cookies. The meeting begins at 7:30 PM. Guests are always welcome. Admission, including refreshments, is free for members and $5 for non-members. All are welcome so bring a friend or two!
Rum Runners -The story of Ben Kerr and Prohibition
- Details
We are pleased to welcome author and speaker Dan Buchanan to our April 26 meeting.
Every community has its favourite prohibition characters and stories. It was a time we think of now as almost cartoonish in nature and we use it more as a punch line than anything else. In reality, it was all based on money and could often be very dangerous. Can you picture gun battles on Lake Ontario?
In Brighton, one of our prohibition characters was Ben Kerr, the notorious rum-runner who worked out of Presqu'ile Bay for a couple of years near the end of the 1920s. He was handsome and easy with money when he liked you. He had a fancy car and a honking speedboat. The mechanics at Wright's garage were particularly attentive when Kerr brought his car in for repairs.
How did Ben Kerr end up in the quiet little town of Brighton? It is the story of prohibition from start to finish, beginning in Hamilton and developing through the decade of smuggling and speakeasies. Of course, this all happened because politicians deemed it so. What on earth were they thinking? This presentation explores all of that and more. Strap in; it's a fun ride.
Join us in the Concert Hall of Victoria Hall on April 26, 2022 at 7:30 p.m. and learn more about the life of Ben Kerr. All required public health measures must to adhered to. Admission is free for members and $5 for guests.