Researching Local History

This practical but inspiring book considers what local history is, why researching it is valuable and rewarding, and how we should go about it. Issues addressed include: getting oral and documentary evidence; keeping records; the nature of data, information and knowledge; and their use to create the different products of local history research. Michael Williams is both a professional scientist and a local historian of long standing, and he uses both sides of his experience in a text that is at once rigorous about the historical process, and also a fascinating - and often moving - account of his adventures into the past of his own family and community. He demonstrates local history methodology through his research into ancestry, migration, work, war and religion in the towns and villages of England and Wales. It is richly illustrated throughout.

Do you want to know to know more about the history of your street or parish, find out about the people who lived in your area and what they did, or discover more about a particular building? ""How to Research Local History"" will help get you started on how to interpret documents such as census returns, rating books and maps, and where to find them. It will introduce you to the delights of street directories and old newspapers, lead you to fascinating websites that can save you a lot of research time and talk you through the best of research methods to use in archives.

Writing Local History Today guides local historians through the process of researching, writing, and publishing their work. Thomas A. Mason and J. Kent Calder present step-by-step advice to guide aspiring authors to a successful publication and focus not only on how to write well but also how to market and sell their work. Highlights include: Discussion of how to identify an audience for your writing project Tips for effective research and planning Sample documents, such as contracts and requests for proposals Tips and guidance for working with publishers Discussion of how to use social media to leverage your publication Discussion of the benefits and drawbacks to self-publishing The second edition updates literature, databases, and websites in the field This guide is useful for first-time authors who need help with this sometimes-daunting process, or for previously published historians who need a quick reference or timely tips.

An accessible introduction to researching English local history from original records and written sources.

For over thirty years, Carol Kammen’s On Doing Local History has been a valuable guide to professional and “amateur” historians alike. First published in 1986, revised in 2003, this book offers not only discussion of practical matters, but also a deeper reflection on local, public history, what it means, and why it is done. It is used in classrooms and found on the shelves of local historians across the U.S. The third edition features: Updates to chapters that focus on the current concerns and situation of local historians A new chapter on how the field of history cooperates with other arts A new chapter on writing a congregational history Updated references With the same passion (and now even more experience) that drove her to write the first edition, Kammen has brought her seminal work into today’s context for the next generation of local historians. The new edition ensures that this classic will continue to move anyone interested in public history towards a better understanding of why they do what they do and how it benefits their communities.

Completely revised and updated edition of the guide for local historians.