Jeremy Gibson, who died on 28 October 2022, provided dynamism to the Banbury Historical Society for seventy years.  He edited a records series of 37 volumes, produced and for some years edited their journal Cake & Cockhorse, was a committee member from the foundation of the society in 1957 until 2015, and served at various times as secretary and chairman

Following retirement from a professional career in publishing, Jeremy devoted much of his energy to producing invaluable short guides for family historians, on militia lists, quarter sessions records, the location of wills, coroners’ records, protestation returns and even on how to find record offices. At a national level he probably did more than any other individual to stimulate interest in family history. He was a fellow of both the Society of Antiquaries and the Society of Genealogists, and was given a Personal Achievement Award by the British Association for Local History in 2008 (see Local History News No 90 Winter 2009).

In 2015 Jeremy moved to sheltered accommodation in Romsey, Hampshire, near to members of his family. His funeral on 23 November was attended by many people linked to his lifelong interests in local and family history.

Barrie Trinder

A longer tribute to Jeremy will be published in the next edition of Local History News