In this Book

Writing local history

Book
John Beckett
2013
summary

This fascinating book looks at how local history developed from the antiquarian county studies of the sixteenth century through the growth of 'professional' history in the nineteenth century, to the recent past. Concentrating on the past sixty years, it looks at the opening of archive offices, the invigorating influence of family history, the impact of adult education and other forms of lifelong learning. The author considers the debates generated by academics, including the divergence of views over local and regional issues, and the importance of standards set by the Victoria County History (VCH). Also discussed is the fragmentation of the subject. The antiquarian tradition included various subject areas that are now separate disciplines, among them industrial archaeology, name studies, family, landscape and urban history.

This is an authoritative account of how local history has come to be one of the most popular and productive intellectual pastimes in our modern society. Written by a practitioner who has spent more than twenty years teaching local history to undergraduates and M.A. students, as well as lecturing to local history societies, John Beckett is currently Director of the VCH.

A remarkable book that will be of great interest to students and scholars of local history as well as amateur and professional genealogists.

Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page, Copyright

pp. i-iv

Contents

pp. v-vii

Abbreviations

pp. viii

Acknowledgements

pp. ix-x

Preface

pp. xi-xii

I Introduction

pp. 1-7

II The origins of local history

pp. 8-26

III Antiquaries at large: the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries

pp. 27-52

IV The parish and the town

pp. 53-69

V Local history marginalised

pp. 70-87

VI Local history and national history, 1880–1945

pp. 88-105

VII W.G. Hoskins and the founding of modern local history

pp. 106-122

VIII New approaches: the region and the community

pp. 123-146

IX New approaches: family history, towns, landscape and other specialisms

pp. 147-166

X The sources revolution

pp. 167-187

XI Local history today

pp. 188-205

XII Conclusion

pp. 206-213

Bibliography

pp. 214-234

Index

pp. 235-244
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