THE ADVENTURE COLLECTIVE® · Independent discovery and booking for outdoor travel
Join historian Cherry Fletcher Bamberg at 82 Touro Street for a Tavern Talk that untangles the true story of Newport’s sunken town records. This one-hour lecture and pre-talk reception offer a compact, source-driven window into a key moment of Revolutionary-era Newport history.
Join historian Cherry Fletcher Bamberg at 82 Touro Street for a Tavern Talk that untangles the true story of Newport’s sunken town records. This one-hour lecture and pre-talk reception offer a compact, source-driven window into a key moment of Revolutionary-era Newport history.
Book with Newport History Tours
Verified experiences and guided adventures in the surrounding area.
Operated by Newport History Tours · Newport, Rhode Island
On a cool evening in Newport, Rhode Island, a small crowd gathers at 82 Touro Street to hear a story that travels between sea, ship, and town records. Newport's Town Records: Lost and Found is a Tavern Talk led by historian Cherry Fletcher Bamberg, who stitches archival sleuthing and transatlantic paper trails into the most complete account yet of a lost chest of colonial records taken during the British occupation and later recovered from the water. Bamberg's research revisits conflicting published versions and fills gaps about when the chest left Newport, which ship carried it, how long documents lay underwater, and who — British officers, Loyalist intermediaries, or others — moved the material. The cargo included vital town records: births, marriages, deaths, probate files, deeds, tax lists, and town meeting minutes. Those documents shape how genealogists, property researchers, and local historians read Newport's pre-Revolutionary life, so their loss and recovery are not just a maritime oddity but a foundational archival episode for Rhode Island. The talk begins at 6:30 p.m., with an invitation to a light reception starting at 5:30 p.m.; admission covers both. The setting on historic Touro Street places the program in walking distance of the colonial waterfront and sites that witnessed the British occupation that transformed Newport between 1776 and 1779. Listeners will hear names that cross oceans — British military leaders, Newport Loyalists, and even references to General George Washington — as the narrative follows records from town vault to ship manifest to seabed and back. Why attend? The format blends forensic detail with storytelling: Bamberg identifies what can now be verified, maps unresolved questions, and explains why those events still complicate use of the records today. For visitors, the lecture is an efficient evening of local context that deepens any walk through Newport's colonial streets, harborfront, and museums. Practical notes: arrive early for the 5:30 reception, bring ID for member or student pricing where applicable, and allow time to explore nearby archival landmarks after the program. Accessibility details are not provided in the listing; contact the organizer if you have mobility needs. For history-minded travelers in Newport, this Tavern Talk offers a compact, source-driven window into one of the town's most consequential archival mysteries. As a program produced by the Newport Historical Society, the Tavern Talk links museum collections and ongoing archival work; attendees often follow the lecture with a visit to nearby exhibits or a self-guided walk along the harbor. Photographers will find the low evening light flattering on brick facades and wharves; researchers will leave with citations to follow. Tickets vary by membership status and student or military discounts; check the organizer's booking page for current pricing and accessibility details before you go online.
easy.
1 hour (6:30–7:30pm).
No physical fitness required; accessible seating and mobility needs should be confirmed with the organizer.
The lecture runs approximately one hour from 6:30–7:30 p.m.; a light reception begins at 5:30 p.m.
The meeting point is 82 Touro Street, Newport, RI 02840; follow signage for the Newport Historical Society event.
Yes. Purchase tickets in advance via the booking page; admission covers the lecture and the 5:30 p.m. reception.
Yes. Member, student, and military pricing is offered; bring appropriate ID to receive discounted admission.
Accessibility details are not provided in the listing—contact the Newport Historical Society directly to confirm accommodations for mobility needs.
Photography during presentations may be restricted out of respect for the speaker and archival materials; ask staff at the reception for guidance.
The lecture focuses on records lost at the end of the British occupation of Newport and their recovery in December 1782, events that shaped access to pre-Revolutionary town documents.
Respect archival spaces by avoiding food or drink near exhibits, and choose low-impact transit downtown to reduce pressure on the historic district.
Newport History Tours offers expert-led walking tours and self-guided experiences in Newport, Rhode Island, focused on the city’s layered past. The company presents a curated program of guided walks, lantern tours, themed historical events, and a QR-code self-guided visit to the Colony House. Tours explore Colonial Newport, African American maritime heritage, Revolutionary-era events, the transition from the Golden Age to the Gilded Age, and the evolution of local firefighting. Several walking tours are designed to run in about an hour, offering concise, accessible history for visitors of all ages. Guided experiences include lantern-lit cemetery walks, narrative-driven explorations of legends and lore, and programs that highlight maritime culture within the African diaspora. Public events such as “Two Lights for Liberty: Sip & Celebrate America 250” pair historic settings with craft refreshments to mark civic anniversaries and support local historical initiatives. The Colony House Self-Guided QR Code Tour enables flexible, smartphone-accessible exploration of an iconic colonial landmark. Newport History Tours emphasizes factual storytelling anchored in documented places and artifacts across the city. Presentations reference local sites including Station 5 and the Common Burying Ground, and they incorporate accounts of entrepreneurship, religious diversity, civic unrest, and community resilience. The approach balances scholarly research and engaging narrative to make Newport’s history approachable for families, independent travelers, and history enthusiasts. Visitors seeking concise, site-specific historical context, thematic depth, or seasonal evening programming will find a range of options tailored to different interests and mobility levels. Bookings and schedules are available on the company website directly.
Book with Newport History Tours