It’s been a while since I contributed to these pages. I’ve been involved with a variety of other projects including writing another book in the Colonel Unthank’s Norwich series: Post Scripts, which should come out this autumn. In this I write about The United Friars – probably the most fascinating subject I’d come across, based on a tantalising notebook in the Norfolk Record Office.

Formed in Norwich in 1785 the Friars were a group of men including well-known painters, architects, bankers, authors, a newspaper proprietor, a surgeon, a pomologist etc. These were the city’s enquiring minds; the intelligentsia who sought enlightenment in a way that would not have been tolerated under the religious oppression of the previous century. Indeed, the Friars seemed to be celebrating their freedom of expression by wearing monk’s habits and a pink cloth ‘tonsure’. The Brothers, some of whom were of national standing, were far from a frivolous drinking group; their discussions were serious and they made large sums of money to feed the poor.

Religion and politics were excluded from discussion but, otherwise, the range of topics was as diverse as the membership. As a one-time scientist I was intrigued by the inclusion of scientific subjects within their scope of enquiry. They paid a local schoolmaster to look after their instruments that included a microscope and an electrical discharge measuring device. While I’m familiar with looking down a microscope I know nothing about electrical devices and would really appreciate any information you can provide. Please reply if you know how this operates.