Midsomer County is a county steeped in tradition and nostalgia. There are plenty of historians and other residents who care about history, and there’s also public history. This area of historical studies includes everything that conveys history. They occupy a hybrid position between history and memory, which is ideal for Midsomer Murders. There are monuments, museums, re-enactment and traditions in general.

How are local historians, antiquarians, etc. portrayed and what is their purpose? How are they involved?

It’s a simple question to answer: They are either the answer to a question (sometimes even the decisive answer to solving a case), or they are charlatans (and sometimes the murderer with very unsavoury opinions).

It also seems that local historians are often presented as the true guardians of knowledge, even if they haven’t studied. This is particularly evident in “Silent Land” (13×04) with the Kent couple. While she is a local historian and provides valuable insights into the history of St Fidelis, her husband is depicted as a character who is overly concerned about the situation. He sits in the pub all day, gets violent out of jealousy, but is an expert on the Tudor Constitution – unfortunately this knowledge is of no use to him. Quite unlike his wife.

This page lists all historians, antiquarians, archivists, archaeologists, restorers and museum staff.

Midsomer Murders mentions a number of historical figures from Midsomer County, of whom Henry Hogson is probably the most searched for. We take a closer look at some of them here.

Note: As this post is about Midsomer history, I won’t be mentioning any recent Midsomer celebrities such as top model Lizzy Thornfield, F1 champion Duncan Palmer, horror film actress Stella Harris or folk musician Johnny Carver. However, another feature is planned which will feature some of them. As soon as it is online, it will be linked here.

Spoiler warning for episodes: 03×04: Beyond the Grave, 06×04: A Tale of Two Hamlets, 07×03: The Fisher King, 12×02: The Black Book, 17×02: Murders by Magic, and 18×05: Saints and Sinners

Henry Hogson

(12×02: The Black Book)

Henry Hogson was a famous 18th century landscape painter who lived and worked in Midsomer County. Sadly little is known about his life. He was born in 1742 and was diagnosed with arthritis at the age of 60. In 1792 he painted a scene at Bishop’s Drift for which, according to papers in the estate of his patron, Bishop John Fletcher, he was paid £50, together with a preparatory sketch. Henry Hogson died of arthritis in 1810.