The Local Historian Volume 32, Number 3 August 2002

By Alan Crosby

With the August 2002 issue The Local Historian reached its fiftieth anniversary. In a retrospective article the present editor considers how the journal has changed during half a century of development, and looks at some of the ways in which its style, content and approach have reflected the evolving character of local history itself. He notes the key debates which have been aired in its pages, including those on the respective roles of the amateur and the professional; the issue of boundaries and defining areas for research; and the question of whether the journal should be 'academic' or 'popular'. 

The article shows how the style of articles has changed substantially over the years, and analyses the themes and subjects which local historians have researched and analysed. One of the most significant changes has been the major enthusiasm for articles dealing with the twentieth century and with topical issues such as ethnic communities and the wartime experiences of women. Recently the computer and all the opportunities which it has made possible have had a profound effect not only upon the subject but also upon the production of the journal. The article is illustrated with reproductions of advertisements and letters from early issues of the journal.

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By Jonathan Oates

This article discusses a wide variety of sources, both local and national, which historians might use to investigate the impact of the Jacobite rebellions and, in a wider sense, Jacobitism, in their communities. It begins with a review of major published works which could provide political and military background and then analyses the weaknesses of many histories of individual towns and cities. Jonathan Oates then analyses the value of local and provincial newspapers for the two risings, showing that criticism of the government is likely to be very muted, even in usually hostile newspapers, while reporting of Jacobite activity is likely to be partisan and unhelpful. This is followed by a detailed explanation of the main types of primary source which are available in local and national archive repositories, showing how direct evidence may not be available but indirectly much can be ascertained about Jacobite feeling.

The use of sources such as letters and diaries is contrasted with the implications of, for example, references to bell-ringing in parish records. The article considers the wealth of material in the Public Record Office and other national collections of archives, and demonstrates that details of what was going on in the localities may be more honestly and truthfully stated in the papers of important political figures than in, for example, newspaper reports. Throughout, a contrast is drawn between the abundance of material on the 1745 rising and the relative lack of evidence for 1715, a difference which is reflected in the remarkable scarcity of recent published historical analysis of the earlier rising. In conclusion, Oates suggests that historians of localities in the northern counties may well find valuable material and a subject worthy of investigation, while those of the southern counties should not be unhopeful. This subject, he considers, is well worth further research.

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By Paul Seward

Marking the publication of the five volumes of the History of Parliament covering the years 1690-1715, this article describes the origins, progress and purpose of the project, and explains how it can be invaluable to local historians who are looking not only at the political history of their area but also at a wide range of other themes of social and economic history. Every constituency is the subject of a detailed individual history and analysis, which considers the franchise, the composition of the electorate, the progress of every election within the period, the candidates (successful and unsuccessful), election disputes and political arguments. There is also a biographical account of every member of parliament who sat during the period and these shed important light upon constituency activities, local interests and pressure groups, and the other activities of the MPs, as businessmen, local and county officials, and landowners. Examples are given to show how local historical themes may be illustrated using this material. The article explains the organisation of the project and the various printed and other published forms in which it appears; the scope of previous volumes; and gives contact details for the project itself, the parliamentary archives, and other important sources.

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By Janet Dunleavey

Although the role of professionally-trained architects in respect of large, individually-designed, houses is indisputable, there has been much more uncertainty and debate about whether they were also responsible for the design of the mass of suburban residential development constructed during the latter part of the nineteenth century and up to 1939. This article draws on the fruits of detailed research into the housing proposals submitted for approval under the building regulations which operated in two West Midland county towns, Worcester and Gloucester, between 1880 and 1939. Janet Dunleavey gives the background to her research by showing how these two towns, similar in many important characteristics, provide a contrast with each other and with the experience of other areas investigated by previous researchers. She then discusses the sources, showing the type of information which building applications are likely to offer and how this may vary from town to town. The article analyses the evidence for the involvement of architects, showing that the debate over their work is justified because although the two towns were so similar there were wide variations in their experience. Only identification of specific local circumstances may therefore allow a real answer to be given, and the national picture is thus less certain. The article is illustrated with tables setting out statistically the evidence for the work of architects in the two towns, with plans of houses, and photographs of different types of property.