Lesley Smith is a historian, known for her dramatic portrayals of historical characters in full costume, and has been Curator of Tutbury Castle in Staffordshire from 2000 to 2024. She is a specialist in Tudor history, and most of her characters relate to that period, but the full range includes characters from the first to the twentieth centuries AD.
Lesley is available for bookings for talks to historical societies, WIs, etc. She also speaks at some events which are open to the general public. For links to current public events, click here.
Lesley is also the author of two novels set in Elizabethan England. For more information or to order copies, please click here.
In addition to Lesley herself, lectures are also available from her husband, Dr Gareth Williams, and a number of other speakers. Gareth is an internationally renowned authority on Vikings and Anglo-Saxons, and has been a curator at the British Museum from 1996-2024. Like Lesley, he portrays historical figures from a number of periods, but he also gives talks out of costume on a wide range of topics.