Local History
If anyone can fill any gaps or make any corrections please let me know. My contact details are on the Home Page.
Gateway Sites Societies - Umbrella Organisations
Individual Organisations / Projects A-B C-D E-H I-L M-P Q-T U-Z
Speakers on Local History, etc.
* NEW * Online Articles: Local History
The 'England's North-East' History Pages
British History Online - North Section
England's Past for Everyone - Durham Section
Co.Durham Community Heritage Project
Newcastle Community Heritage Project
Six Townships (mainly SE Northumberland)
Culture Shock (stories from the North-East)
'North of the Tyne' Castles (& Walks)
... and if you're into the history of the Border Reivers, check out this site.
Umbrella Organisations
The Association of Northumberland Local History Societies has a list of member societies and institutional members here (also listed individually below). There is some overlap with County Durham (e.g. Whickham & District LHS and Winlaton LHS).
For County Durham a good starting point is this List of Societies , as well as the County Durham History & Heritage Forum's own List of Members (again, both of these lists also included below) - the most prominent organisation in the county being the Durham County LHS
Sunderland has a handy 'overview' webpage here .
Cleveland does not really have an 'umbrella organisation' but its premier society is the all-embracing Cleveland & Teesside LHS .
North-East England History Institute
Historical Association - North-East Branches or the Durham Branch Blog
Individual Organisations / Projects
Allendale LHS, c/o Allendale Library (?)
Alnwick & District LHS - contact sought.
Alston Moor Historical Society
Architectural & Archaeological Society of Durham & Northumberland
Aycliffe & District Bus Preservation Society
Barnard Castle & District History Society
Berwick History Society - contact sought.
Berwick-upon-Tweed Civic Society - link dead. Can anyone help?
Bishop Auckland Civic Society (tel: Town Hall on 01388 602610)
Bishop Middleham LHS, Mr J Smith, Secretary, 17 Beechwood Road, Fishburn, County Durham TS21 4EP (tel: 01740 621244)
Blackhalls Local History Group
Brancepeth Archives & History Group
Caer Urfa Heritage Association (South Shields), Mrs Doreen Monteiro, 38 Mariners Cottages, South Shields, NE33 2NG, (tel: 0191 4563850).
Castleside Local History Society
Chester-le-Street Heritage Group
Chollerton LHS, c/o Deb Haycock, Greenview, Barrasford, Hexham, NE48 4AA.
Cleadon Village History Society
Cleveland Buildings Preservation Trust
Coble & Keelboat Society (Tyne & Wear)
Cramlington LHS - contact sought.
Crowtrees Heritage Group, contact Joy Pounder at joypounder@yahoo.com
Croxdale, Hett & Sunderland Bridge LHS
Darlington Railway Preservation Society
Derwentdale LHS - contact sought.
Durham & Tyneside Dialect Group
Durham County Vintage Collectors Society
Edmondsley Local History Group
Elvet Local & Family History Group
FARNE (Folk Archive Resource North-East)
Fawdon, Coxlodge & District History Society
Felling LHS, Miss Diane Clark, Hon.Sec., Felling LHS, 5 Dean Gardens, Bill Quay, Gateshead, NE10 0RT (tel. 0191 469 7781)
Friends of Darlington Railway Museum
Friends of Houghton Hillside Cemetery
Friends of Jesmond Old Cemetery
Friends of the Old Fulling Mill
Friends of South Shields Museum & Arbeia Roman Fort
Friends of Sunderland Old Parish Church / The Rector Gray Society
Gainford Local History Group / Society - contact sought.
Gaunless Valley History Trust - link broken. Can anyone suggest another 'contact'?
Gilesgate Archives, Mr Michael F Richardson, Keeper, 128 Gilesgate, Durham City, Co.Durham, DH1 1QG (tel: 0191 3841427)
Grindon Heritage Society, meet at Grindon's Gates Centre, contact Ken Routledge on 0191 5347462 (alternative contact: Mr Treman on 0191 5343297)
Hackworth Society - contact sought.
Hartlepool Built (ships website)
Headland History Group (Hartlepool) - the 'history group' element of this site seems to have disappeared - can anyone help?
Heddon-on-the-Wall LHS, c/o Mike Furlonger, The Post House, Heddon-on-the-Wall, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE15 0BG.
Kelloe LHS - contact sought.
Killingworth LHS - contact sought.
Laurel & Hardy Appreciation Society (Bishop Auckland)
Literary & Philosophical Society of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Lynemouth & District History Society
Monkwearmouth Local History Group, Tel. 0191 5148406
North-East Bus Preservation Trust
North-East Catholic History Society
North-East England History Institute
North-East Labour History Society
North-East Military Vehicle Club
North-East Police History Society
North-East Vernacular Architecture Group
North-East War Memorials Project
North-Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group
Northern Mine Research Society
North Sunderland & Seahouses LHS, tel: 01665 721014
Northumberland & Newcastle Society
Northumbrian Musical Heritage Society
Northumbria Gardens Trust, Mallowburn Cottages, Wark-on-Tyne, Northumberland NE48 3NX.
Northumbria Historic Churches Trust
Northumbriana (culture/traditions)
Oral History Society - North-East Regional Network
Prudhoe & District LHS or Mrs D. Brown, secretary, 7 Orchard Close, Prudhoe, NE42 5LP (tel: 01661 832017).
Redesdale LHS, contact Beryl Charlton on 01830 520537, or Ron Holden on 01830 520408.
Rothbury & Coquetdale History Society, (tel: 01669 620914).
Seaton Sluice & Old Hartley LHS
Sedgefield LHS, c/o Sheila Sutherland, tel: 01740 622532.
Shotton Colliery History Group
Silksworth History & Heritage Group
Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
South Moor LHS - contact sought.
South Shields Local History Group, contact sought.
South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society
Southwick History & Preservation Society
Spital Tongues History Society
Stanley & North Durham Local History Group
Stannington LHS - contact sought.
Stockton-on-Tees Local History Group
Sunderland Antiquarian Society
Sunderland & District Classic Vehicles Society
Sunderland Heritage & Local History Forum - contact sought.
Sunderland Maritime Heritage Group
Swarland Moor Heritage Society - contact sought.
Teesdale Heritage Group - contact sought.
Tow Law, Deerness & District LHS
Trimdon Past & Present, contact via Trimdon Library
Tynemouth Antiquarian & Historical Society
Tyne Valley National Trust Association
Wallsend LHS &/or here
Wark Local History Group, c/o Fransje Samsom (Secretary) at p.samsom@virgin.net
Weardale Railway Trust / Society
Wesley Historical Society (NE England Branch)
West Rainton & Leamside Local History Group
Wheatley Hill Heritage Society / Centre
Wingate Local History Club / Group - contact sought.
Witton Park Local History Group - contact sought.
Yorkshire Archaeological Society
Yorkshire Vernacular Buildings Study Group
Speakers on Local History, etc.
A good list covering, in the main, County Durham, can be found here. The Association of Northumberland Local History Societies maintains a list of speakers ... but keeps the information close to their chests (see here)! If you're on this list and want a separate listing here, then contact me via the email on my homepage - and that goes for anyone who wants to be named here.
Those who have made contact with me direct are...
Jo Bath - provides talks on the following topics: Witchcraft in the North-East, History of Medicine on Tyneside, 17th Century Newcastle, Medieval Ghosts, Tudor Medicine, and Roman Cosmetics & Grooming. She charges from £20, with a premium for long-distance travel. Contact her on (0191) 2322838, or jo@gelfling.co.uk
Dorothy Hamilton - runs courses mainly in and concerning Durham City. Please phone (0191) 3739252 and leave a message on the answer phone. You will receive a brochure and booking details in the post.
Online Articles: Local History
Here you will find online articles penned by myself, readers of 'The Hub' and transcriptions of pieces which are out of copyright. Where the article is already online the hyperlink will take you away from this website. I have just begun this service - so please help me out with some useful links to relevant material. If you have written something which you'd like to have considered, then let me know - but try to give them a North-East flavour wherever possible. Please remember that there is plenty of cross-over between local history, archaeology and genealogy, so check all sections for articles of interest.
Link 1: General Articles -
Scottish Border Reivers Invade English Tynedale, Northumberland
So What Exactly are Civic Societies?
Link 2: Occupations -
The Alum Industry in North-East England
Link 3: Famous Folk -
Mary Ann Cotton