Welcome
Our next meeting is a talk by Clive Charlton on Tuesday 17th November via Zoom
‘Ten Amazing Days’- when Napoleon was in Plymouth Sound in 1815, as a prisoner aboard HMS Bellerophon, following defeat at Waterloo.
The Harberton and Harbertonford History Society (aka H3S) encourages the study of the local history of Harberton Parish and the surrounding County.
There are approximately 5 meetings with speakers each year and at least one field excursion. Meetings take place in Harberton or Harbertonford, or via Zoom – particularly in the colder months. Details of talks can be found in the Programme.
Members of the Society have gathered information on the past history of the villages, personalities and the Parish including the preparation of historic walks around both Harberton and Harbertonford. The Society is making collections of photographs and some artefacts and have embarked on an oral history project to build an archive of first-hand histories in both villages. We are in the process of making a film about Harbertonford Mill using the information obtained from participants in the oral history project. We hope to go on to make more short films about other aspects of life in our villages.
The Society is keen to receive photographs/articles/family records for our archives, thus building a valuable local history research resource. If you have anything that might be of historical or cultural interest, please get in touch using our contact page.
Our Next Meeting
A Talk by Clive Charlton
‘Ten Amazing Days’- when Napoleon was in Plymouth Sound in 1815, as a prisoner aboard HMS Bellerophon, following defeat at Waterloo.
Tuesday 17th November 2026 at 7:30pm Online via Zoom
Registration details TBA
Napoleon’s journey from defeat at Waterloo, his surrender to Captain Maitland of HMS Bellerophon off Rochefort and the voyage to Plymouth in July 1815. The core of the story is the short, but very dramatic ten days when HMS Bellerophon was in the Sound as a prisoner on the ship. It caused a great sensation before Napoleon was taken in into exile on St. Helena. I also tell the outline story of HMS Bellerophon, which was a much-travelled and battered ‘veteran’ by the time Napoleon came aboard. I provide some background on Napoleon and how he was perceived.