Local History News

Remembering the Royal Female Orphanage  

From our blog

Remembering the Royal Female Orphanage  

Published: 13th June 2022

The Royal Female Orphanage, originally named the ‘Asylum or House of Refuge for Orphans and Other Deserted Girls of the Poor’ was founded in Lambeth in 1758. It was one of a number of charitable institutions (most notably the Foundling Hospital) founded in the mid-eighteenth century to support and care for poor and destitute children, often orphaned or made fatherless as a result of one of the many wars during this century.

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A History of Pride in Bristol

From our blog

A History of Pride in Bristol

Published: 5th June 2022

This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the first ever Pride March in the UK.

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A Rainbow Landscape

From our blog

A Rainbow Landscape

Published: 1st June 2022

The history the sexual orientation and gender identity has for a long time been subjected to omission and it has only been since the 1980s/90s that this history has been more extensively explored and shared.

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Mark Forrest introduces his talk at Local History Day

Mark Forrest introduces his talk at Local History Day

Published: 28th May 2022

Mark Forrest, author of the newest BALH guidebook on manors and manorial documents, introduces his talk at Local History Day.

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The Historical Rillington Study Group: an unofficial Local History Society

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The Historical Rillington Study Group: an unofficial Local History Society

Published: 2nd May 2022

In 2004, I started a one-place study of the parish of Rillington, North Yorkshire situated at the northern edge of the Yorkshire Wolds on the A64 between Malton and Scarborough.

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Institute of Historical Research’s London Summer School

Institute of Historical Research’s London Summer School

Published: 26th April 2022

The Institute of Historical Research’s exciting new London Summer School will take participants behind the scenes of the city’s rich histories

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The Magic of Chancery: Report on March’s Local History Hour

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The Magic of Chancery: Report on March’s Local History Hour

Published: 18th April 2022

BALH’s highly popular monthly informal lecture series, Local History Hour, returned in March to discuss ‘The Magic of Chancery Records’.

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Putting The Local Back Into Criminal Justice History

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Putting The Local Back Into Criminal Justice History

Published: 14th April 2022

Crime is often regarded as a national, even international phenomenon. But it is the local response which will be of most interest to readers of this blog, and local historians may be reassured that the pursuit of such a perspective is as theoretically important as it is fascinating.

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BALH and Historic Towns Trust Partnership

BALH and Historic Towns Trust Partnership

Published: 14th April 2022

Throughtout March, the British Association for Local History has hosted a series of fascinating talks led by colleagues at the Historic Towns Trust.

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Mapping Medieval Oxford

From our blog

Mapping Medieval Oxford

Published: 13th April 2022

Throughout March 2022 the Association presented four lectures in partnership with the Historic Towns Trust. The third in the series was given by Julian Munby, who has recently retired from Oxford Archaeology where he was Head of Buildings and Archaeology. It was a particular pleasure to welcome Julian for, as he revealed in his introduction, his uncle Lionel had edited our flagship journal, The Local Historian, over many years.

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Beyond Commemoration: Community, Collaboration and Legacies of the First World War

Beyond Commemoration: Community, Collaboration and Legacies of the First World War

Published: 13th April 2022

Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, aimed to make visible the work of citizen historians involved in commemorative activity between 2014 and 2019. The project ran during 2021.

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Call For Papers: Women and Money: A Historical Perspective

Call For Papers: Women and Money: A Historical Perspective

Published: 6th April 2022

West of England and South Wales Women’s History Network 29th Annual Conference  

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History For Ukraine

From our blog

History For Ukraine

Published: 21st March 2022

Historians from around the world are raising humanitarian funds for Ukraine through a 24-hour online livestream ‘Historython’.

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A Statement by the British Association for Local History on the war in Ukraine

A Statement by the British Association for Local History on the war in Ukraine

Published: 21st March 2022

The British Association for Local History stands with the people of Ukraine and wishes to express our deep solidarity with them. The increasing brutality and barbarity of the Russian government and military towards an innocent people continues to destroy lives, properties and freedoms.

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The invention of the Historic Town: A Historic Towns Trust talk

From our blog

The invention of the Historic Town: A Historic Towns Trust talk

Published: 19th March 2022

BALH’s March partnership with the Historic Towns Trust is delivering four lectures on a range of topics by speakers from the Trust. The second in this series, ‘The invention of the Historic Town’ was given by Rosemary Sweet. Roey is Professor of Urban History at the University of Leicester and editor of the journal Urban History.

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