Lectures & Events
The main series of lectures that the BCMH holds annually are the King's Maritime History Seminars from September to May. Normally, these lectures are all held in King's College London, except for the Proctor Memorial Lecture which is held at Lloyd's Register or another external location. We also host workshops and the annual New Researchers in Maritime History Conference.
All lectures listed below are open to everyone and free to attend but registration is required in advance.
The Commission supports a clear Code of Conduct during its events.
King's Maritime History Seminars
The King’s Seminars are an annual set of lectures organised by the BCMH, which run from October to May. They are open to the public and are normally held at King’s College London (and broadcast live via Zoom). The Kings Seminars are a range of lectures by invited speakers. There are usually two each month during term time.
The series is organised by Dr Alan James, and are supported by the Society for Nautical Research and the ‘Laughton Naval History Unit’ and ‘Sir Michael Howard Centre for the History of War’ at the Department of War Studies, King's College London.
Seminar Series, 2024-25
The King’s Maritime History Seminars for 2023-24 will continue as hybrid events which means that they may be attended in person or online (with the exception of the entirely online event on 21 March).
How to register
As always, attendance is free and open to all. To take part, though, you must register on Eventbrite by visiting https://www.tickettailor.com/events/schoolofsecuritystudies?
Note: the listings will not be made available on Eventbrite right away. You may have to wait for the papers you’re interested in to appear. Please do check back nearer the event date.
For those attending online, you will receive instructions shortly before the event, by email, about how to join by Zoom. Otherwise, we will meet in person as usual in the Dockrill Room, K6.07, King’s Building, at King’s College London. Papers will begin at 17:15 GMT.
Lecture dates
26 September 2024
Supremacy at Sea: Task Force 58 and the Central Pacific Victory
Evan Mawdsley, University of Glasgow
10 October 2024
Excellent Planning and Execution" - The Allied Navies and Victory in Normandy, 1944
Nick Hewitt, National Museum of the Royal Navy
24 October 2024
A History of Ship Launches and their Ceremonies
George Hodgkinson, Independent Researcher
7 November 2024
‘The worst journey in the world’ – HMS Belfast and the Arctic Convoys
Robert Rumble, Imperial War Museums
21 November 2024
‘Searching for Billy Waters: Or, Black Sailors in the Regency Navy'
Mary L. Shannon, University of Roehampton
12 December 2024 - The Proctor Memorial Lecture *
The Devil’s highway: urban anxieties and subaltern cultures in London’s sailortown, c.1850-1900
Brad Beaven, University of Portsmouth
Note: See below for special registration details.
9 January 2025
Nelson’s Pathfinders: Hydrography and the Triumph of British Sea Power 1793-1823
Captain Michael Barritt, Royal Navy
23 January 2025
Staying afloat – managing mission creep during the Royal Navy’s intervention in the Baltic, 1918-1919
Matthew Heaslip, University of Portsmouth
6 February 2025
The RNLI at Dunkirk and the Little Ships Myth
Helen Doe, University of Exeter and Chair of BCMH
20 February 2025
‘In the name of God’, the Journal of the voyage made to the Levant by three warships under the command of John Acton in the years 1750-51
Bruno Cianci, University of Genoa & Rahmi M Koç Museum (Istanbul)
6 March 2025
‘Failing to prepare for the unexpected’: British defence policy in the late Cold War and the Royal Navy
Edward Hampshire, Naval Historical Branch MOD
24 April 2025
Labour, Legend, and Living History: Clyde ‘puffers’, 1857-2024
Roy Fenton, Independent Researcher and Trustee of BCMH
8 May 2025
Title TBC
Rachael Utting, Isles of Scilly Museum
22 May 2025
Reimagining the Bombay Grab: Fighting and trading across the Indian Ocean
Chris Ellmers, Docklands History Group
Details of the Series
The King’s Maritime History Seminars for 2024-25 may be attended in person or online. As always, attendance is free and open to all. To take part, you must register by visiting the KCL School of Security Studies Events page.
*Note registration for the Proctor Lecture on 12 December 2024 is to be done by the BCMH website, www.maritimehistory.org.uk, or Lloyds Register https://hec.lrfoundation.org.uk/ details will be advertised nearer the time.
Online attendees will receive instructions shortly before the event, by email, about how to join. Otherwise, we will meet in person, as usual, in the Dockrill Room, K6.07, at King’s College London. Papers will begin at 17:15 GMT.
The King’s Maritime History Seminar is hosted by the ‘Laughton Naval Unit’ and the ‘Sir Michael Howard Centre for the History of War’ in the Department of War Studies, King’s College London. It is organised by the British Commission for Maritime History (www.maritimehistory.org.uk) in association with the Society for Nautical Research.
For further information contact Dr Alan James, War Studies, KCL, WC2R 2LS alan.2.james@kcl.ac.uk.
Registration Events | School of Security Studies | King’s College London (kcl.ac.uk)
Download the full series dates.
Contact us to find out more about the King's Seminars
Proctor Memorial Lecture
Next lecture: Thursday 12 December, 2024
This year's lecture will be given by Brad Beaven, University of Portsmouth on "The Devil’s highway: urban anxieties and subaltern cultures in London’s sailortown, c.1850-190"
The Proctor lecture forms part of the King's Seminars series of lectures, but is usually held at Lloyd’s Register as a very special event within our calendar. After the lecture we welcome all attendees to join us for conversation, wine and nibbles!
The annual Proctor Memorial Lecture celebrates the great contribution of David Proctor to maritime history both in Britain and internationally. Fittingly, the distinguished scholars invited to present the lecture alternate between UK and international lecturers.
Registration for this event is essential to help ensure that people who have signed up want to come on the night (we usually have a large waiting list for this popular event so want to avoid ‘no shows’ where possible).
Further details and how to register your place to attend will follow nearer the time.
David Proctor
David Proctor, who died in July 2000, was a man of wide culture; his interests embraced maritime history, the arts, music, and much more. His book Music of the Sea demonstrated the breadth of his scholarship, ranging over the centuries and drawing on his research in many European archives.
Until his retirement, David was Keeper of Manuscripts at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, where he was a source of advice to countless scholars, often from overseas, who sought his guidance. Such qualities led to him serving as Secretary-General of the International Commission for Maritime History in its early years. He did much to establish its structures and pattern of activity as well as contributing to its conferences held under the aegis of the International Commission for Historical Sciences. He also played a significant role in the founding of the International Congress of Maritime Museums.
David was a founder member of the British Commission and its first Secretary. He inaugurated the King’s Maritime History Seminar which he organized for many years. The annual Proctor Memorial Lecture is dedicated to David.
Workshops
The BCMH host workshops (usually once a year) to help researchers that are interested in enhancing knowledge and understanding of human societies’ relationship with the sea. Find out about our 1-day event - 'Doing Maritime History Research Online' on 4 February 2022.
