In this short talk, writer, historian and archivist Tim Jerrome will share his research which investigates queer lives in the English countryside between 1800 – 1950.

Using archives such as diaries, letters and surveys, Tim is aiming to recover stories of rural queerness and uncover a fabric of queer rural culture during this period. He will particularly focus on Cedric Morris and Arthur Lett-Haines, who for most of their lives resided in the Suffolk countryside, amongst a network of queer friends and colleagues. He will also explore the challenges this research presents, such as questions over terminology and speculation.

Tim Jerrome is a writer, historian and archivist who has a passion for uncovering LGBTQ+ stories amongst archive and museum collections. Having previously worked for the Museum of English Rural Life, he is now undertaking a PhD on this topic with the University of Brighton, with particular emphasis on the Victorian and early 20th century periods. His focus on the rural stems from a lack of existing research in this area, given that previous researchers have worked almost exclusively within the urban sphere.