I am a medievalist interested in political discourse, language, and civic life in pre-modern cities, with a particular focus on London. I am currently working on turning my PhD research on medieval London into a monograph and I am very excited to explore London’s history further and share this with wider audiences.
I am also an archive and heritage professional, currently undertaking my archive qualification with Aberystwyth University. I have experience of working both in the library and archive sector and I currently work as a Project Archivist at Special Collections & Archives at the University of Kent. I have previoiusly worked for Kent County Council’s Libraries, Registration, and Archive service between September 2019 and January 2021, the Parliamentary Archives between January 2021 and December 2022, and government archives between December 2022 and April 2023. In these roles I have been able to further develop my passion for local history and engage audiences with local history materials, such as microfiche of photographs and newspapers, as well as larger items such as plans and maps of railways, drainage systems, parks and so on. When working for Kent County Council’s Libraries, Registration, and Archive service I was responsible for answering enquiries relating to local and family history and suggesting collections to visitors that would help them with their research. I also undertake freelance work and I have catalogued records of the Society of Antiquaries in this capacity.
I have a strong background in outreach and education and plenty of experience delivering workshops focusing on archival material and local history to varied audiences, from secondary school children to adults. As a doctoral candidate, I had many teaching opportunities and really enjoyed going to local schools in Kent to support their learning, teach them about historical materials, and link this to where they lived when I could. I was able to develop this skillset as the British Association for Local History’s first Social Media Fellow, between August 2020 and August 2021, during which I was able to bring local history to people at home through a digital platform. I have been able to continue my passion for making local history more widely accessible, especially online, as Hampshire Archives Trust’s Social Media Fellow, a role that I took on in February 2022. These roles have been extremely fun and a great way of meeting new people and finding out about the amazing local history research they are doing and the various archives that they use to do this.
I am also a member of various professional bodies and committees. I am a member of the Archives and Records Association (ARA), and previously volunteered on ARA’s Section for New Professionals as their Communications Officer between September 2020 and August 2022. I am also an Early Career Member of the Royal Historical Society and Website and Social Media Secretary of the London Medieval Society.
