The Local Historian Volume 12 Number 6 May 1977

By John H. Farrant

General review of the present (1977) state of local history in the county of Sussex, which covers the following major aspects: i) the record offices and local studies libraries; ii) bibliographies; iii) museums; iv) Sussex Archaeological Society and its annually-published Collections; v) the lack of a clear focal point for the promotion of scholarly research, and the failure of the University of Sussex to develop any role in this field; vi) adult education in the county; vii) specialist organisations; viii) local history societies and the possibility of a county federation; ix) the work and publications of the Sussex Record Society; and x) possible ways of developing the work of local historians in Sussex and the creation of a better framework for their activities.

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By Margaret Gelling

A discussion of the present state of knowledge or interpretation in the important field of topographical place-names, in which Gelling emphasises the recent dramatic revision of the accepted chronology of place-name creation - names which are referred to as habitative (such as Upton, Southcot and Longworth, where there is reference to a building) were long thought to be earlier than those which are topographical (such as Faringdon and Farnborough, where the location of the settlement is described). It is now believed that the opposite is the case, and the article includes a detailed and penetrating discussion of this changed view, with examples drawn almost entirely from the ancient county of Berkshire. Many instances of name-types and of the implications of specific are names are considered, and in each case the relevance for local history research is identified. The article therefore gives a clear statement of the latest view of place-name development and its significance, and there is a refutation of much earlier research.

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By Robin Chaplin

After commenting on the growing number of publications by local societies and individuals, the review editor of The Local Historian gives a critical and not always complimentary assessment of a wide variety of books, pamphlets and occasional papers. There is extensive comment on the approaches adopted, the scope of publications, the quality of production, the level of scholarship and (by no means the least important) the readability of each work (see also 12 07 343-348).

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By Alan Dyer

Article which draws attention to town chronicles as an under-used but important source for urban history. There is a brief discussion of the definition of a chronicle and then an analysis of the way in which these documents seem to have evolved, many of them probably beginning as lists of municipal officers and key data and then gradually developing into more narrative and anecdotal accounts of events. They were often compiled by private individuals who were at the heart of town government or society (usually both) and Dyer identifies two main periods for their creation - first, the early Tudor period (as at Bristol, Lynn and Lincoln) and the late 16th and early 17th centuries (as at Chester, Bristol, Newcastle and Shrewsbury), and second, the period between 1689 and 1714, when many earlier chronicles were collected and updated. The article analyses the typical contents of a chronicle, with examples drawn particularly from those of Coventry, and discusses the balance between reporting of national events and purely local matters. It is argued that the real value lies in the latter element, with descriptions of plagues, food prices, political conflicts, elections, civic improvements, the impact of war and oddities such as the monstrous pig of Bristol and the twelve Welsh pirates on trial at Shrewsbury. There is a checklist of surviving chronicles.

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By Ian Donnachie

An introduction to the range and variety of primary and secondary source material which is available for local historians researching Scottish themes. The article covers the following major categories, preceded by a brief assessment of the location of the main collections and with notes of some general background reading: i) maps and plans, including those of the 18th and 19th centuries on small scales, Ordnance Survey maps, and manuscript plans of all sorts; ii) printed secondary sources, including standard works such as published bibliographies, the Statistical Accounts, gazetteers, directories and printed primary sources such as parliamentary papers; iii) prints and photographs; iv) estate, legal and business records; v) oral evidence; and vi) a bibliography of some recent articles, mainly on industrial archaeology.