Researching Local History: Your Guide to the Sources

How has the place we live in changed, developed, and grown over the centuries? That is the basic question local historians seek to answer. The answer is to be found in the sources of information that previous generations have left us. The records of parish, county, and diocesan administration, of the courts, of the national government, and of private estates, all have something to tell us about the history of the locality we are interested in. So do old newspapers and other publications. All of these sources are readily available, but many have been little used.

Local historians come from a wide diversity of backgrounds. But whether you are a student researching a dissertation, a family historian interested in the wider background history of your family, a teacher, a librarian, an archivist, an academic, or are merely interested in the history of your own area, this book is for you. If you want to research local history, you need a detailed account of the myriad sources readily available. This book provides a comprehensive overview of those sources, and its guidance will enable you to explore and exploit their vast range. It poses the questions which local historians ask, and identifies the specific sources likely to answer those questions.

Stuart Raymond was formerly librarian of the Yorkshire Archaeological Society. He is an experienced family and local historian, and an expert on the history of wills and local records. Among his most recent publications are The Wills of Our Ancestors, Tracing Your Ancestors in County Records, Tracing Your Nonconformist Ancestors and Tracing Your Church of England Ancestors. He has also published a wide variety of other handbooks, web directories and library guides for family and local historians.