Community archives update, 27/01/2012
Next month I’m visiting residents of Swanmore to help formulate a plan for organising and cataloguing the Swanmore Village archives. It is a chance to ensure the security and improve the accessibility of the collection for the benefit of the local community. The hope is that other Swanmore residents will be inspired to get involved and there is massive potential for exhibitions, events and activities based on the history of the village and the archives it has created and collected. For more information on this and other related community archives projects, feel free to get in touch at enquiries.archives@hants.gov.uk.
Community archive update, 11/01/2012
Do you have a sailor or submariner in your family tree? Do you want to find out more about him? A Hampshire Record Office event at Gosport Discovery Centre on Friday 3 February will reveal the many types of record which throw light on the careers of your naval ancestors: what they did, where they served, what life was like on board Royal Navy and Merchant Navy ships, and in submarines.
There will be a combination of talks and visits during the day on the records you can find and use at The National Archives, The Royal Navy Submarine Museum, The Royal Marines Museum and Gosport Discovery Centre.
In the afternoon, there will be a visit to The Royal Navy Submarine Museum (included in the cost for the day), and the Naval Special Collection at Gosport Discovery Centre will be available for browsing and research until 7pm. Booking required, contact Gosport Discovery Centre on 023 9252 3463 http://www3.hants.gov.uk/gdc/gdc-events-detail.htm?id=137137
Community archives update, 03/01/2012
Happy New Year from everyone at Hampshire Record Office.
2012 Community archive work starts in earnest later this month when East Meon Local History Group visit us for a talk on the subjects of Maps for Local history. This is to assist the group with a community project they are undertaking to research the properties in their village. The group have also kindly agreed to assist us in a scheme to transcribe Hampshire tithe apportionments, by undertaking the work for the East Meon apportionment. Tithe apportionments in conjunction with tithe maps are invaluable archive sources particularly for family and local historians and as such the work to transcribe them is hugely beneficial and rewarding. If any other groups would like to volunteer to work on the apportionment for their own local area then do please get in touch for more information – 01962 846154 or enquiries.archives@hants.gov.uk.
Community archives update, 20/12/2011
Merry Christmas to you all from everyone at Hampshire Record Office. Christmas and New Year is often a good time to begin researching your family history. With the family all together it’s the perfect time to quiz your relatives and discover those intriguing family tales!
Hampshire Record Office can then help you uncover the truth behind them. Two workshops in January 2012 offer the perfect beginners guide. On 12 January, 2-4pm and also 31 January 6-8pm you can find out all you need to know to begin researching your family tree at Hampshire Record Office. The sessions include a talk on the most useful sources, a tour of the searchroom and a chance to make a start on your research with staff on hand to help. To book a place contact 01962 846154. It’s £10 per person and advanced booking is required. http://www3.hants.gov.uk/archives/whatson-hro.htm
Community archives update, 13/12/2011
Hampshire Record Office hosted a house history workshop last night, attended by members of the Micheldever and East Stratton communities, who are beginning a project to research the history of as many of their local buildings as possible. The results of which will be posted online http://goo.gl/xKHVI. The evening included a talk on the range of sources available with tips on how to get started, a tour of the searchroom and an exhibition of original documents relating to the two villages. Those who attended, many of which had not visited the Record Office before, expressed a great deal of enthusiasm and hopefully will return to begin researching their houses in the near future.
Community archives update, 8/12/2011
Had an enjoyable and productive meeting with staff and volunteers from Bishops Waltham Museum last week (http://www.bishopswaltham.net)The museum is situated in the beautiful grounds of the Bishop’s Waltham Palace, on the ground floor of the farmhouse and holds a collection of historical and archaeological artefacts relating to the local social history. Next year is their 25th anniversary and they are looking to mark the occasion with a new exhibition based on oral history recordings from local residents. There is also the possibility of related events and activities in the village centre. I was able to pass on advice on the process of collecting oral histories as well as suggestions for getting the best use out of them once recorded. We also discussed possible ways we could work together in the future.
The Olympics in Hampshire
We plan to put together an Olympic themed exhibition to be displayed at Hampshire Record Office from July-August 2012 to tie in with the games. We are particularly interested in former Olympians with a Hampshire link. If anyone has any knowledge of historic figures with Olympic links that perhaps were born or lived in your local community then we’d be delighted to hear about them. For example we’re aware of Tommy Green, the 1932 Olympic gold medallist who has strong ties to Eastleigh. Also if you are aware that your area played some part in the 1908 or 1948 London games, perhaps the Olympic flame passed through or certain athletes trained locally, we’d be keen to hear. The exhibition when complete and having been on display here will be available for loan to any community groups interested. Contact mark.pitchforth@hants.gov.uk
The Community Archive blog is back!
After the success of the Living Links project we are maintaining the momentum of community archives work at Hampshire Record Office thanks to funding provided by Hampshire Archives Trust. This is enabling staff time and resources to take this work forward in a creative way and to ensure the legacy of the project.
We have already worked with a variety of groups, from those just starting out to more established ones. The assistance we can offer can take many forms. We can loan out equipment, for example East Meon History Group have asked to borrow exhibition boards for a display of house history research and we recently lent a group from Eversley recording equipment to record oral history interviews with local residents. We can provide useful contacts, for example a number of groups have asked where they can purchase archive packaging materials or get exhibition panels printed. We can offer advice on a variety of archival issues, common ones relate to cataloguing, conservation and preservation, digital archives and film and sound material. We have arranged to visit a number of groups to perform talks and run workshops in order to generate local interest and give those involved the knowledge to get the best out of our collections. These sessions are also useful in tackling any apprehension which might be felt by those who haven’t used archives before.
We are encouraging community groups to create exhibitions based on the research and projects they undertake and then to make them available for display in the Record Office. This has the mutual benefit of helping us to fill our exhibition spaces with diverse and creative works and giving the groups the opportunity to reach a wider audience. We recently provided volunteers at Liphook Heritage Centre with a training session on the design, production and display of exhibitions.
For further information about community archives at Hampshire Record Office contact Mark Pitchforth (mark.pitchforth@hants.gov.uk)
Web site archiving at Hampshire Archives and Local Studies
You might be interested in an initiative we’re working on with the British Library, which is archiving web sites relating to Hampshire.
Web sites often have a relatively short life, either because they are regularly changed and updated, or because they are no longer maintained and effectively ‘switched off’. A web archive is a means of preserving web sites for use in the future.
The British Library is keen to develop its web collections, and would like to work with local communities in Hampshire to gather web sites which reflect those communities.
Do you know of a web site which you think would be useful to researchers in future who are interested in life in Hampshire? If so, you could contribute it to the Hampshire Collection. Examples are parish council, schools, community history sites, WI, churches, local issue groups such as protecting a building, field, or recreation ground, or special interest groups such as bird watching, natural history, drama, reading groups, etc.
How much will it cost? Nothing. The British Library is offering this service free of charge. You do not need any technical skills to contribute your web site, either.
What will I need to do ? You need to complete a 1 page form giving permission to the British Library to harvest your web site. Your site can’t be harvested without your permission.
If you want to know more about this project, or would like a form to complete, please contact Heather Needham (heather.needham@hants.gov.uk)
The Last Post
Well the time has come for the last post and for the end of the Living Links Project. It is sad that it’s over but what a success it has been, and three Project Officers later we at Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Record Offices are all incredibly proud of the work achieved by all of the groups involved, and thank them for all their contributions and efforts. Community archives work is by no means over and will continue to be supported and promoted, for all the details visit the website – http://www3.hants.gov.uk/archives/living-links It just remains for me to say very best of luck in your future work.
