Family & Community Historical Research Society

The theme of the 1999 conference was ‘working together’, specifically the mutual benefits of collaboration between amateur and professional historians. The absorbing lectures took us on a journey of discovery. Together we trailed in the footsteps of thousands of Victorian migrants, wandered down the byways of oral history, delved into ‘hands-on’ archaeology, zoomed along the digital wires of the World Wide Web, and then laid us down to rest and sing the old songs.

‘How should we study migration? The benefits of a life history approach.’

Jean Turnbull described an impressive example of amateur/professional collaboration, a massive migration project undertaken in Lancashire. Academic historians from Lancaster universities joined forces with 1,388 genealogists and enthusiastic family historians to work together on producing a huge database of 73,864 movements. As well as CEBs, they used oral testimony, autobiographies, family papers and other sources, an integrated life history approach, capturing the reasons behind moves through sharing hard-won personal research. After allowing for the biases of gender, family and class, the principal finding was that most moves were intra-regional and short distance, although the latter increased after 1880, and mostly family groups rather than young singles. Reasons for moving have altered: where once work or marriage were strong influences, during this century housing, retirement, poverty, illness, pregnancy and business failures have played a part. Many other determinants emerged - a sense of place, the vital role of kin support and womens’ moves often being related to their caring role in the family. In the end, concluded Jean Turnbull and fellow researcher Colin Pooley, it was not easy to generalise, for migration was a very complex process. There were also significant regional variations, which pinpoints the need for such large-scale studies to be replicated elsewhere, for more of us to get involved in this endlessly fascinating subject of where and when and why people have undertaken the often stressful process of moving house.

Contact: Dr Jean Turnbull, Dept of Geography, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YB

‘Now we’re talking: collecting memories collectively’

As Jean Turnbull made clear migration studies have been significantly advanced through the use of oral testimony. Dan Weinbren, former editor of Oral History, argued that listening to people' memories has done more than bolster the creation of more subtle analysis than that offered by simple theories of economic pull and push factors. He suggested that oral history is about 'working together' in that the recording of the testimony is a collaborative act, a relationship between interviewer and respondent. Oral testimony, he said, can enlarge, enrich and restructure history by broadening our understanding of society, and allowing us to gain fresh dimensions for our judgements. It can open up new areas and correct and supplement other sources. He made the point that oral testimony provides not only literal narrations but also dimensions of ideology and subconscious desires.

By way of example, Dan Weinbren examined the lyrics adapted from popular songs by women strikers in the 1920s for evidence of their memories and interests. He also suggested that memories are not only the creation of individuals but are also social constructions which are part of a shifting perception of society. He cited some examples of the ways that people jog each others memories whilst in groups and how current events shape perceptions of the past. He argued that the ways in which local communities chose to recall their dead can tell us a great deal about social memories and referred to a national study of the formal creation of collective memories through the construction of war memorials. Both this project and another project in which he was involved, the Labour Oral History Project, involved independent historians gathering evidence in their localities which was then collated to form a broader picture of society.

Another use of oral testimony was cited by Andrew Lister who mentioned the Age Exchange Theatre Company which uses memories as the basis for plays. Sue Quinn of the Milton Keynes Living Archive described how it produces documentary plays using a combination of oral history recordings, newspapers and other sources. At the end of this lucid and informative session, no one could doubt the significance of gathering oral testimony or the impact of some oral historians’ ideas about memories on the wider study of history.

Contact: Dr. Dan Weinbren, Faculty of Social Sciences, Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA.

‘Democratic archaeology at Sedgeford’

Oral history is also an example of hands-on research to which the amateur historian can contribute a great deal. But what can the amateur contribute to that most scientific of historical techniques, archaeology, normally largely carried out by highly-trained professionals? Dr Robinson, senior lecturer at the Norwich School of Art & Design and Associate Director of the Sedgeford Project in north-west Norfolk, described a new kind of community-based ‘democratic archaeology’, a collaboration of professional archaeologists and up to 100 trained volunteers whose work contributes to a constant stream of papers, journals, books, Internet news, lectures and conferences. Dr Robinson feels that the bureaucratised preservation policy, driven by development, while providing essential protection, is also inimical to public involvement; that the constraints of rescue archaeology are not appropriate to the conservation emphasis of research archaeology. In a comment which might equally apply to archival research, Dr Robinson pointed out how standardisation makes people expect things rather than letting them find things. This methodology is equally applicable to family and community history: keep going backwards and forwards between findings and meanings, pause to discuss and write up research, then go back with fresh ideas. This reflexive, circular, interactive approach is quite different from the fixed, linear, empirical methods of official archaeology - and parallels might be drawn between the collaborative, comparative researcher and the antiquarian chronicler.

Contact: Dr Keith Robinson,

‘Developing an opportunity to use the Net for migration studies’’

Our ability to ‘work together’ could take a giant leap forward if the advantages of the Internet were fully realised – this was the point made with great panache by Donald Dickson, whose rapid computer presentation reinforced his message about the benefits of sharing information. As an example he looked at a migration project, based on CEBs, on the town of Kelsall near Chester. His argument was, that since both academics and amateurs use similar material, they should share it via the World Wide Web, facilitating wider access to scholarly material. The technology is there and anyone with an internet connection can set up their own personal home-page and quite simply tap into it. It only needs the motivation to get started and to network with others.

Contact: Don Dickson

There are still many historians who feel that, invaluable though computers are, it will be a sad day when we lose altogether the opportunity to encounter original archives. The future may be digital but there is, as Keith Robinson put it, no substitute for hands-on historical research, whether in archaeology, migration data, oral testimony or documentary archives. The FACHRS approach is a combination of all available research tools.

‘The history of the music hall’

Finally we were reminded that ‘fun’ is also an essential component of historical research and here Christine Hayward’s tuneful finale brought us firmly back to earth – with a good old sing-song! With great poise and professionalism, she told the story in words and song of the music hall from its beginnings in the mid-19^th century as cheap mass entertainment for working-class people. With the aid of a song sheet, the conference audience were transformed into a music-hall crowd, learning as they sang well-known songs which reflected events of the period and popular culture – the subject of Christine’s study project. This was, as chairman Clive Leivers concluded, a splendid end to an excellent conference. We look forward to the next one in 2000.

Contact: Mrs. Christine Hayward

The new FACHRS logo features an acorn and an oak tree, symbolising the 'micro' and 'macro' elements of the ethos of the Society. It was designed by Jean Wright who received the prize of £20 at the first AGM which was slotted into the conference day on 24 April, attended by about 67 members. The business of the meeting moved along speedily, with a few amendments to the constitution, the filling up of several vacancies on the committee and a healthy financial report. Chairman Clive Leivers commented that Society basics hitherto had of necessity pre-occupied the hard-working committee’s first year, but now the focus has shifted to encouraging local networks, the groupings within which co-operative research will take place. Out of four applicants, Wendy Baird of Stratford-upon-Avon (who presented a lively conference filler about her experiences on an M.Phil viva) was appointed editor of the Society newsletter, and Maney Publishing was congratulated on their prestigious award for typographical excellence in the new journal. Events Secretary Pauline White was thanked for master-minding the conference, with invaluable help from Sheelah Morris, Jean Wright and Sarah Nesbit.

Founder membership of the Society leapt by almost 25% in just three months, thanks to hard work by the editorial team and Society committee, and targeted marketing by the publishers. In July the total stood at 507 (compared to 417 in April), in addition to 45 institutional members. For a new Society to acquire so many members in less than a year is a considerable achievement. Membership is not evenly spread, being greatest in East Anglia, South East, South and South-West. However, Yorkshire membership is growing rapidly, even though there is as yet no network contact there. The other growth area is the Midlands, both West and East, while the largest county memberships are Surrey, Essex, Buckinghamshire, Kent and Sussex. There are also 14 subscribers abroad.

Contact: Membership secretary

Geography continues to be a problem in some regions – North West network contact, Jean Wright has found it difficult to bring together their 17 members scattered between North Lancashire, Cheshire and the Manchester/Merseyside belt, but it is early days yet. Travel should be easier in the capital, where Andrew Lister is excited at the prospects for shared research in the London regional network, and for forging links with other organisations such as the London Archive Users’ Forum, and the Raphael Centre for Metropolitan Cultural History which aims to encourage co-operation between amateur and professional historians. Andrew would also like to promote a French connection, to enable dialogue with French local historians and comparative studies of London and Paris.

One way to gain experience in public speaking is by practicing in front of your network colleagues – this is where two East Anglia members offered their excellent presentations, one on Cambridge college servants, the other about the Oddfellows. This was a good example of getting involved, a phrase which might almost be the motto of the Society, particularly in South regional network which, although spread over six counties, is very active, reports Sue Smith. The 36 members have listed their research interests, started a regular newsletter and web-site, looked into the use of computers, set up a display of archives and heard a lecture on oral history. Their musical presentation on the history of the music hall, was so popular that it was repeated at the 1999 Society conference.

The West Midlands region, reports Dave Ogden, has found the ideal shared research project, a study of communities living near to the waterways of Central England and parts of Wales. Everyone is very enthusiastic, for waterways were the principal means of communication before the coming of railroads and metalled roads. Just as the canals linked in a network, some members are combining their research over several regions, following the Avon, Trent, Mersey and Severn, the Shropshire Union, Manchester Ship and other canals. This could well offer a blueprint for new networks based on research interests - what about waterways in other parts of the country, or perhaps a similar project based on carriers’ routes.

Contact: for networks Jim Etherington