In February 1958, Mrs Alice Cater purchased 74 High Street in memory of her husband William to provide Billericay with a museum. Early in the following year work started on 74 High Street to convert the building from a house into the new Cater Museum along with two business premises, the rent from which would Read More…
Restoration project: Two-headed lamb update #3
Our lamb has finally come out of the freezer in Norwich’s Castle Museum – a process designed to ensure that unwanted guests at all stages of their lifecycle are killed off. A preliminary investigation (from outside of the lamb’s case) is that there was some evidence of Anthrenus (carpet beetle) but little obvious damage. Overall Read More…
Restoration Project: The two-headed lamb update #2
Billericay’s famous two-headed lamb has arrived safely at Norwich Castle Museum having been transported very carefully by Tanya Burrage who is the Cater Museum’s Project Manager for the lamb’s restoration. It is now in the hands of two wonderful gentlemen: Senior Natural History Curator David Waterhouse and retired Senior Natural History Curator Tony Irwin. Their Read More…
Restoration Project: The two-headed lamb
Many in Billericay have grown up having seen the lamb whilst at school and it’s one of our most popular exhibits. Over 120 years old, the poor thing is getting a little tired and dishevelled. But we have some very good news as it will shortly be leaving the museum traveling to distant lands in Read More…
The Battle of Salamanca (Arapiles), 22nd July 1812
The Battle of Salamanca in July 1812 in Western Spain proved to have important consequences for the French Empire in the Iberian Peninsula. The battle which only lasted a day was won by important decision making by Wellesley, who used flanking manoeuvres and his cavalry forces to defeat the French command. The French losses of Read More…
Peace Day – July 19th, 1919
This article was originally written for the Around Town Magazine, June 2019. Do you want to know the background to our Peace Day Celebration event which we are holding on July 6th 2019 ? Then read on ….. Full details of the events happening around the High Street on the 6th July can be found Read More…
The Battle of Almaraz, 19th May 1812
The Battle of Almaraz was one of the less formal battles of the war. It was more of an offensive operation that was a prelude to the battle of Salamanca and so can still be considered important in the context of the war. The 6,000 strong Anglo-Portuguese forces under the control of Lord Hill, (who Read More…
The Battle of Fuente De Honor (Fuentes de Oñoro), 5th May 1811
The Battle of Fuente De Honor took place in Spain on the Portuguese border. Similarly to previous battles it was a combined force of British, Spanish and Portuguese troops against Napoleon’s Grand Armèe. Wellington and his forces repelled the almost 50,000 strong French army at their defensive stronghold, reportedly killing at least 2,500 French troops. Read More…
The Battle of Toulouse, 10th of April 1814
Toulouse – 10th April 1814 The Battle of Toulouse was one of the last battles of the Napoleonic Wars and signifies the virtual collapse of the French empire. Toulouse was significant to the French and the region in particular as it was the regional capital. It was resolutely defended by the French who held it Read More…
Ivor Roberts
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”22″ gal_title=”Object profile: Model ship”] This model of a 15th Century Dutch Admiralty Yacht was made by Ivor Hugh Roberts when he was only 17 years old. It was donated to the museum by Ivor’s father in the 1960s. Ivor was born in Hornsey in 1914, the only child of Hugh and Florence Roberts. Read More…