The Cromwell Museum Trust was formed in 2015 to take on the ownership and running of the Museum after County Council funding was withdrawn. It is dedicated to preserving and communicating the assets, legacy and times of Oliver Cromwell in a way that inspires interest in those with whom we make contact.
The Trust’s formal objective is “to advance the education of the public in the life and legacy of Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector, by the establishment and maintenance of the Museum in such ways as the Trustees see fit”. In 2020 the Trustees were awarded the Trustees of the year award in Share East awards.
We are delighted to have the support of an esteemed patron, a dedicated group of Trustees and a small team of experienced staff.
Our Patron
The Rt. Hon Sir John Major KG CH - Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1990 – 1997
Sir John entered the British Parliament in 1979, and Government in 1983. He joined the Cabinet as Chief Secretary to the Treasury in 1987; was appointed Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in July 1989; and Chancellor of the Exchequer in October 1989. He served as Prime Minister from November 1990 to May 1997, and retired from the House of Commons at the UK General Election in May 2001.
On New Year’s Day 1999, HM The Queen appointed Sir John a Companion of Honour in recognition of his initiation of the Northern Ireland Peace Process. On St George’s Day 2005, HM The Queen appointed him a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. In May 2012 he was awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun by the Emperor of Japan. Since leaving Parliament, Sir John has taken up Chairmanship of various International Advisory Boards, and also serves as Patron or President of a number of charitable organisations both in the UK and overseas. In October 2011, he was appointed Chairman of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust, a Commonwealth-wide initiative established to create a lasting legacy to Her Majesty’s 60 years as Sovereign.
As a lover of history and – for 22 years – the Member of Parliament for Huntingdon, Sir John has long had an interest in the life and times of Oliver Cromwell. He believes the Cromwell Museum is an important part of our national and local history.
Honorary President
Mr Peter Johnson
Peter is a third generation fine art dealer who has been involved with the Cromwell Museum since 1968. He lives 12 miles from Huntingdon and has been successful in buying a number of objects for the Cromwell Museum, particularly the portrait of General Fairfax and an important portrait of Charles I. His father gave a portrait of Oliver Cromwell to the Museum. He has dealt in pictures by George Stubbs, John Singer Sargent and James Ward.
Peter has been very involved in setting up four charities and served as the first Chair of the Cromwell Museum Trust until 2018, when he retired from the role to become Honorary President of the Trust.
Board of Trustees
Chair of Trustees - Charles Nixon
Charles is Co-Founder and Chairman of the Cambridge Marketing College and a Mentor at the Judge Business School. A historian by training he has an MBA and is on the Harvard Business Review Advisory Panel. He brings many years’ experience in marketing and business development.
Vice Chair of Trustees - Tim Allsop
Tim read History at Selwyn College, Cambridge before qualifying as a solicitor, specialising in commercial real estate and development. He practiced first in the City before joining Mills & Reeve LLP in Cambridge as a partner in 2001. Tim retired from the partnership in 2022 and now pursues a wide range of professional, voluntary and charitable interests
Trust Treasurer - William McVey
William is now retired after many years working as an accountant in the not-for-profit sector. After working for accountants in London and Cambridge he spent 13 years as the accountant at Darwin College in the University of Cambridge. For four years he then travelled the world as Secretary for Finance & Stewardship with the Council for World Mission, working in and with the 31 member churches. After this, William became the accountant for The Perse School in Cambridge and subsequently worked as Bursar of three theological training colleges - Westcott House, Wesley House and the Eastern Region Ministry Course. Then for 7 years William managed the finances of the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion until his retirement in September 2018. William now occupies some of his time a trustee of a number of local charities in and around Cambridge.
Nicola Clarke
Nicola Clarke read Politics and Modern History at Manchester and joined the BBC as a News Trainee in 1980. She is a former editor of the BBC Six o’clock News and Head of Journalism at BBC World Service Languages. She has worked in radio, television and digital media. Since leaving the BBC she has completed an MA in Early Modern History at Birkbeck, University of London.
Paul Lay
Paul Lay is the editor of History Today. He graduated in History at Birkbeck, University of London, winning the Dakin Prize. He is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a Trustee of the Cromwell Museum. His highly acclaimed book 'Providence Lost: the Rise and Fall of Cromwell's Protectorate' was published in 2020.
Zara Matthews
Zara is currently Director of the Panacea Museum in Bedford. She has a degree in Ancient and Medieval History from the University of Wales (Cardiff) and an MA in Museology from the University of East Anglia. She has previously worked for Arts Council England, and prior to that for Leicestershire County Council at Harborough Museum, Melton Carnegie Museum and Charnwood Museum. She led on the refurbishment of Market Harborough Library and Harborough Museum, and the late Iron Age/Early Roman Hallaton Treasure project. Zara has considerable experience in stakeholder and audience development, including partnership arrangements and working with libraries, archives, arts, education and volunteer organisations. She is experienced in all aspects of museum work, including the Museum Accreditation scheme, as well as managing people, collections, buildings, projects and engagement programmes. Zara is also a trustee at Ramsey Rural Museum, and enjoys wildlife photography.
Iain Strath
Iain is an education consultant, providing advice on European Commission funded projects developing new products & materials. Iain has managed large scale European Structural funds and transnational projects; undertaken research for the British Council and NFER; was a long serving UK committee member of EURYDICE, the policy information network on European education systems. He is passionate about fine art, further education, craftsmanship and cooking and looks forward to the day when Huntingdon has a Cromwell Museum of national standing together with a well-endowed art gallery.
Angela White-Horan
Angela moved to Huntingdon from London in 1992, and since then has been involved in a wealth of local clubs and societies. She has been a Councillor for Cambridgeshire County Council representing the Huntingdon West Ward, a Trustee for the Freemen’s Trust of Huntingdon and the Society for the Blind. She is Chair of the Friends of the Cromwell Museum as well as being one of the Museum’s Trustees.
Museum Curator - Stuart Orme
Stuart has a History degree (University of York) and postgraduate qualifications in Education (University of Exeter) and Museum Studies (University of Leicester). For fourteen years he worked for the heritage service of Vivacity, Peterborough's cultural trust, leading on interpretation and programmes for Peterborough Museum, Flag Fen Bronze Age site and Longthorpe Tower, as well as developing a guided tours programme for the city and acting as head of service. He was a key member of the team that refurbished Peterborough Museum in 2012, and created, developed and managed Peterborough's annual Heritage Festival. For two years Stuart was Director of Operations at Peterborough Cathedral, helping develop its programme of events, before becoming Curator of the Cromwell Museum in February 2018. He has a passion for history, which he enjoys sharing with people through his work, as well as writing books and articles, delivering talks and through regular broadcasts on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire. Stuart has long had an interest in 17th
Century history, and is also a Trustee of the Huntingdonshire History Festival, a committee member of the Huntingdonshire History Society and ex-officio member of the council of the Cromwell Association.