Quick Links
Meetings
Based on the advice from the Town of Cobourg and the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit, face to face meetings at Victoria Hall have been cancelled until further notice. In order to stay connected and to keep you safe during the pandemic, monthly meetings are taking place by Virtual Zoom webinars. You can join by desktop or a laptop computer, tablet or smart phone!
Cobourg and District Historical Society Meetings are held every month except May, June, July, August and December. Meetings are held in the Citizen's Forum in Victoria Hall on the fourth Tuesday in the Month. Meetings start at 7:30pm but coffee and cookies are available starting at 7:00pm. 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.
Based on the advice from the Town of Cobourg and the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit, face to face meetings at Victoria Hall have been cancelled until further notice. In order to stay connected and to keep you safe during the pandemic, monthly meetings are taking place by Virtual Zoom webinars. You can join by desktop or a laptop computer, tablet or smart phone!
38 Hours to Montréal
- Details
We are pleased to welcome back to the Cobourg Historical Society meetings author and speaker Dan Buchanan. Dan's newest book is entitled, 38 Hours to Montréal. This book chronicles the adventure of William Weller, the Stagecoach King of Cobourg who was 
challenged to get the Governor General from Toronto to Montreal in less than 38 hours. Dan will be entertaining us with the story chronicled in his book, outlining the adventure as it starts at Beverley House in downtown Toronto and ends at the Exchange Coffee House in Montréal. Considering the state of roads in the 1840s and the stagecoach experience, the attempt to traverse this distance in just over a day is an amazing challenge. So come to the meeting and see how Cobourg's own William Weller accomplished this feat. Dan Buchanan will also have copies of his book for sale for those of you who want to know every detail.
Join us for Dan's presentation on Tuesday, November 27, at Victoria Hall. Doors open at 7:00 PM for coffee and cookies. The meeting begins at 7:30 PM. Admission, including refreshments, is free for members and $5 for non-members. Annual membership is $25 for individuals and $30 for a family. All are welcome so bring a friend or two!
The Secret Life of William Lyon Mackenzie King
- Details
On October 23, 2018, we will be hosting Professor Christopher Dummitt, Professor of History at Trent University's School for the Study of Canada and also the co-founder of the Canada 150 project. Dr. Dummitt will be talking 
about the secret life of William Lyon Mackenzie King who served as Prime Minister for twenty two years and died as a respected but not particularly charismatic leader. After his death, Mackenzie King's private diaries were made public and the world learned that he was a man who led a double life. He was an eccentric bachelor who communed with the spirit world, his deceased mother and his beloved dog Pat. He also connected with prostitutes believing that he could "save" them. Christopher Dummitt's recently published book, Unbuttoned: The Secret Life of William Lyon Mackenzie King, is about both the story of the man and the story of the diaries themselves. This promises to be an intriguing evening which will raise questions about the public vs. private persona, the role of executors in destroying documents, the role of historians in exposing secrets and, of course, who William Lyon Mackenzie King really was. You can read more about Professor Dummitt and his work at https://www.christopherdummitt.com/.
Join us for Dr. Dummitt's presentation on Tuesday, October 23, at Victoria Hall. Doors open at 7:00 PM for coffee and cookies. The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. Admission, including refreshments, is free for members and $5 for non-members. Annual membership is $25 for individuals and $30 for a family.
All are welcome so bring a friend or two!