NVDHS General Meeting
Wednesday, April 29, 2026, 7 p.m.
Newcastle Community Hall
Katherine Le Gresley, author of the The Lightkeeper
Come and hear about the Farncomb family of Ebor House and the influence they had on the town of Newcastle and beyond.
Free admission
The Farncomb family settled in the Newcastle area in the mid-1800s. Like most families of their time, the Farncombs were very community oriented and dedicated themselves to helping to develop the town and faithfully serve the people in it. Their steadfast influence was felt from the workings of the harbour to the building of St. George’s Anglican Church and the establishment of the town pharmacy. One of the Farncomb boys grew up to become the much loved and respected town doctor while another took on the rectorship of the Anglican church. The other Farncomb boys also pursued careers in medicine and the church.
Dora, however—the only daughter in the family—perhaps had the most far-reaching impact of all. She became a nationally known and cherished author with hundreds of articles and three books to her credit. Notably, she also had a strong impact on Newcastle itself through the establishment of a young men’s social club. For many years after her passing, the group of men affectionately known as “Dora’s Boys” spread throughout neighbouring towns and cities, where they became dedicated and influential members of the communities in which they settled.
Katherine’s talk will look at the life of the Farncomb family from their arrival in Newcastle to the passing of daughter Dora in 1938. It will particularly focus on the lives of the members of the family who played the most influential roles in the history of Newcastle including Frederick (the chief customs officer at the harbour), Alfred (the town doctor), John (the rector of St. George’s Anglican church) and Dora (the author). These, together with their wives and children, are the characters readers will recognize from her 2022 historical novel, :”The Lightkeeper,” which explores the joys and tragedies of the Farncomb family through the eyes of Dora Farncomb.