The Local History Group meeting on 7 May 2026 was held in Trumpington Church, with talks by David Newcombe and Edmund Brookes. David covered religion in the pre-Reformation period and how this changed from the mid-sixteenth century, with particular reference to the vicars of Trumpington and how their beliefs impacted on Trumpington parishioners. Edmund talked about the proposed renovations/alterations to the Church.
Jo Sear introduced the two speakers:
Dr David Newcombe
Following studies at the University of Vermont and the General Theological Seminary in New York, David was ordained to the Anglican priesthood in 1978. Subsequently, he was invited to study for a doctorate at Cambridge University by Sir Geoffrey Elton, Regius Professor of Modern History. Following on from his PhD, he worked as a Research Associate for the British Academy’s John Foxe Project where he oversaw the production of a Facsimile of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs 1583. He is the author of a number of books and articles on Tudor history including Henry VIII and the English Reformation and John Hooper Tudor Bishop and Martyr.
Edmund Brookes
As a very long term Trumpington resident, Edmund will be very familiar to most of you. However, in his professional life, Edmund was a Chartered Engineer who worked for British Rail for a number of years and also for a number of private shipping lines as well as the trade association for the Merchant Navy. He also spent 32 years in the Territorial Army. Since retirement, he has devoted much of his time to Trumpington church, where he is a churchwarden and treasurer having also been PCC secretary, and is de facto the church engineer. It is in this capacity that he talked to us.