Broadly speaking, local history focuses on a geographical area. It is usually concerned either with past events in a locale, the people who lived there, or its cultural and social background. However, ‘local’ shouldn’t mean parochial, or limited: regional happenings should be placed within the wider national context. For example, attacks on mills in Huddersfield in 1812 make little sense if not seen as part of that decade’s Luddite rebellions against labour-saving machinery!

A history of local history
Until the later 1800s history was the domain the ivory towers of academia and was a serious discipline exploring world events. Any interest in a specific location would have been dismissed as a pastime, perhaps one suited to those with time on their hands, such as amateur antiquarians. However, 1899 saw the start of the Victoria History of the Counties of England project, which aimed to record a history of England’s counties in honour of the Queen. The first volume was published in 1901 and the project is still running, so it is well worth consulting the relevant volume when you begin to research – see www.victoriacountyhistory.ac.uk. Although these publications elevated local history above the hobbyist’s domain, it was 1947 before a British university – Leicester – opened a local history department. Although it’s still not widely catered for by higher education, local history is recognised as a fascinating, worthwhile pursuit enjoyed by millions, many of whom are also family historians.

How to go about it
The mainstays of British local history are local studies libraries, county records offices (CROs) and the many societies or groups that have been set up to encourage and assist those researching an area… and, of course, the internet. More on that later. However, while the amount of digitised material available makes local research possible from anywhere in the world, if you are able to visit the location you are interested in, do. There’s no substitute for seeing first-hand the places you’re researching.

To help you to get started, find out which library in your domain of study has a local studies section (usually the main branch). If you can, visit and find out what records are available. Alternatively, email, telephone, or consult the relevant website. It’s likely that you will find varied collections of books and printed items, newspapers and maps, photos and oral history sources as well as advice on what other information is available elsewhere.

Every county also has a CRO (sometimes called county archives). CRO holdings also vary, but will likely include primary, sources such as rate books, Quarter Sessions records, council minutes, archives of schools and photographs. Sometimes material will be on microfiche.

A quick web search reveals how many local history societies there are in Britain. It’s certainly worth joining one: membership is cheap, and you will benefit from the knowledge and advice of other researchers. For example, say that your interests are focused on Northumberland. The umbrella Association of Northumberland Local History Societies (ANLHS) lists over 50 regional societies, from Berwick to Wylam.

There is no definitive directory of local history societies, but the largest list, with more than 1200 of them, can be found at www.local-history.co.uk/Groups/index.html.

Online help
As well as enabling researchers to find out a great deal without ever leaving the comfort of home, the internet is full of other useful information for those new to local history pursuits. It’s impossible to do much more than skim the online surface here, but the following websites will be helpful.

The British Association for Local History was set up to encourage and help those studying local history academically or for leisure. As well as publishing a journal and local history magazine, it organises guided visits to places of interest and offers members various benefits, including reduced rates for local history events. Its website has an especially useful ‘links’ section that points users towards national regional societies and groups, local history courses and training, and publishers of useful books, guides, maps and other resources. Individual membership currently costs £30 a year.

The National Archives’ (TNA) website contains a directory of other archives, in which users can find contact details for UK, Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands and Isle of Man record repositories. As TNA is the official records repository for the UK, its website is of immense use to local historians – the homepage includes links that will help with your research, and it’s well worth browsing the site’s contents. Those researching in Northern Ireland should also visit the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland website and for the Republic the National Archives of Ireland for Scotland, check out www.nas.gov.uk and www.scotlandspeoplehub.gov.uk .

Also worthy of mention is A Vision of Britain, which includes maps, statistical trends and historical descriptions of Britain from 1801–2001, and www.archiveshub.ac.uk may also prove useful in locating resources.

How can local history inform family history research?
“Local history brings history home, it touches your life, the life of your family, your neighbourhood, your community.” This succinct quotation from American historian Thomas Noel answers the question perfectly. If there’s one thing family historians are seeking, it’s a knowledge of our forebears, including where they lived, worked and played. After all, a deeper appreciation of who they were leads us to better understand who we are.