Leicestershire
Status: 5 volumes produced
In Leicestershire the work began before the Great War, and a single volume was produced in 1907. Work was revived in the 1950s, inspired by Professor W.G. Hoskins, who was head of the Department of English Local History at the University of Leicester. Four volumes were published over a period of ten years, including a single volume devoted to the City of Leicester, the first of its kind for a single city. The last volume began the process of covering all of the parishes of the county, covering Gartree Hundred, but publication had to cease at that point.
Publishing history :
Volume I (1907) Natural History; Prehistoric and Roman; Domesday; Ecclesiastical History.
Volume II (1954) Religious Houses; Political History; Agrarian History; Forestry.
Volume III (1955) Industry; Transport; Population; Education; Sport.
Volume IV (1958) City of Leicester.
Volume V (1964) Gartree Hundred (parish histories of the south-east of the county, including Market Harborough)
Work ceased in 1964.
The Future
There are around 300 towns and villages across the county whose histories need to be researched and written. Many of these are small, and do not have vast amounts of documentation, but they also include also large and complex places such as Hinckley Melton Mowbray and Loughborough.
A small number of enthusiasts have formed a working party, and have established Leicestershire Victoria County History Trust (LVCHT), which has been registered as a charity (no 1128575) and is now raising funds to employ a county editor and to research and write further volumes. The end product would appear initially on this website, and then be published as a 'red volume'. Individual parishes could be published as separate paperbacks at modest price, and the completed final version would also be accessible on line.
Ongoing community involvement will play an important part in this project. Local volunteers will therefore be sought to help to research the histories of their communities, with the guidance and support of the county editor. Many of these volunteers may have previously carried out a little local or family history research, while others will have no research experience at all. Some will have alternative skills and experience which will be of benefit to the project, such as website maintenance, cartographic experience or photographic skills, and others will bring local knowledge and contacts. All volunteers will be welcome, and free training will be provided where necessary. LVCHT will benefit from their time and growing experience, and the volunteers will acquire and develop transferable skills in such subjects as document interpretation, medieval Latin, palaeography (reading old handwriting), building survey techniques, map interpretation, information technology, field walking and archaeological techniques.
The role of the editor will encompass the recruitment, training and supervision of these volunteer researchers, publicising the work of LVCHT through the media and by delivering lectures, talks and presentations to local groups and others, the production of educational packs for schools which meet the requirement of the key stages of the national curriculum, and the production of high-quality written work for the website and for the final published volumes.
Organisation, funding and support:
The president of LVCHT is Jennifer, Lady Gretton, JP and its patrons are the Jennifer, Lady Gretton, Mr John Aldridge, Sir Michael Bishop, Major Richard Bream, Professor Robert Burgess, Baroness Byford, Professor Rosemary Cramp, Very Rev Derek Hole, the Chairman of Leicestershire County Council, the Lord Mayor of Leicester, Bishop Tim Stevens, Prof Philip Tasker, Mr Lars Tharp, Sir Lyonel Tollemache and Mr David Wilson. The chairman of the charity trustees is Squire de Lisle; the other trustees are Sir Timothy Brooks, Robert Collins, Professor Christopher Dyer, Dr Pamela Fisher (Treasurer), Duncan Lucas and Dr Alan McWhirr. The working party, which meets regularly, also includes Gordon Arthur of Harvey Ingram LLP (solicitors), VCH Director Professor John Beckett, county archivist Dr Margaret Bonney, Stephen Butt and Julie Deeming (Secretary).
Leicestershire County Council has generously provided initial funding and their Creative Services Department has produced the promotional material, to enable the public appeal to be launched. Legal support and advice has been provided by Harvey Ingram LLP. The University of Leicester will provide the employment contract for the county editor (funded by LVCHT), together with IT and library facilities. The staff of the County Record Office have been very supportive, and have provided facilities for meetings and some photographs for our displays.
For further details, please contact: Professor Christopher Dyer, Centre for English Local History, University of Leicester, 5, Salisbury Road, Leicester, LE1 7QR; telephone 0116 252 2762; email cd50@le.ac.uk
Available publications:
Leicestershire I - William Page
Natural History, Early Man, Romano-British Leicestershire, Anglo-Saxon Remains, Ancient Earthwortks, Domesday, Leicestershire Survey, Ecclesiastical History
Leicestershire II - W. G. Hoskins
Religious Houses, Roman Catholicism, Political History, Agrarian History, Forests
Leicestershire III - W. G. Hoskins
Industries, Roads, Canals, Railways, Population, Leicestershire Artists, Education, Sport, Index to vols I-III
Leicestershire IV - R. A. McKinley
The City of Leicester
Leicestershire V - R. A. McKinley
Gartree Hundred: Billesdon, Blaston, Husbands Bosworth, Great Bowden, Bringhurst, Burrough on the Hill, Burton Overy, Carlton Curlieu, Cranoe, Fleckney, Foxton, Galby and Frisby, Great Glen, Glooston, Gumley, Hallaton, Market Harborough, Horninghold, Houghton on the Hill, Illston on the Hill, Kibworth, Knossington, Church Langton, Laughton, Lubenham, Medbourne, Mowsley, King's Norton, Noseley, Owston, Pickwell, Saddington, Scraptoft, Shangton, Slawston, Stockerston, Stonton Wyville, Theddingworth, Thurnby, Welham, Wistow
