Access to history

This is a list of links to online resources that you may find useful, for both local and national resources. Suggestions for additional links are most welcome. When using information from sources it is essential to record where the fact has come from. Also bear in mind that very little of the content you will be looking at will be primary source material and facts can be blurred or downright wrong. It is easy for errors to be copied from book to book, and unless you check the original it will not be apparent. Beware that even primary sources can be economical with the facts depending on who it was written for, so it is best to question everything.

Local history

A vision of Britain in time provides a wide range of useful information, including maps, statistical trends and historical descriptions between 1801 and 2001. Most of the statistical comparisons are for the years from 1881. A useful site for comparing local to regional and national trends.

Pigot's 1840 Kent Directory is one of several local directories transcribed on this site. The link is to the section on Deal and Walmer.

The Lydden Valley Research Group
who also published Geology, Archaeology and History of the Lydden Valley 2006. The site covers the landscape history of the valley and local maritime history topics.

Old Deal in words & pictures contains interesting recent photographs of historic buildings, and several lists of local people.

The Coalmining History is represented by the Coalfields Heritage Initiative Kent (CHIK) project.

Making history. A BBC Radio 4 series exploring ordinary people's links with the past.

Information on the local workhouses, including photos and 1881 staff and inmate census records, at Dover and Eastry.

The St Margaret's History Society has launched a new website with an community archive of photographs and other documents in their collection.

Kent history

You can access the combined catalogues of the Centre for Kentish Studies], Canterbury Cathedral Archives (CCA), and the East Kent Archives (EKA) at Archives and local history on the Kent County Council website. Note there are major changes to the provision and location of these services coming up in 2012. CCA needs major attention to its roof (planned maintenance) and is due to be closed for 7 months from 31st Jan 2012. EKA closed for good 11th Nov 2011 but its catalogue is still available. The records are being transferred to the new Kent History Centre, being built as we speak. There is already limited access to records at Centre for Kentish Studies (CKA) in preparation for the move. Microfilm sites remain in the principal libraries in Kent, including Dover. Watch out for the new Kent History Centre opening in MARCH 2012?

Kent Archaeology Society Research. Includes population totals at each census date 1801 to 1921, church monumental inscriptions, society publications, Archaeologia Cantiana and The Roman Pottery of Kent, Kent Maps, Tithe Awards and Schedules.

Edward Hasted's History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent in 12 volumes. Volume 10 details the history of the parishes of the hundred of Eastry, the isle of Thanet and the ports of Deal and Sandwich.

England's Topographer or a new & Complete History of the County of Kent by William Henry Ireland. Publ 1828-30 in 4 volumes. Text of Vol 2 on Google Books. Volumes 3 and 4 also on Google Books. There is a set in the Dover Library Local Studies collection.

The Kent county newspapers began very early (1717). See here for the history of them.

National resources

The National Archives. The repository for all official documents and the gateway to a very wide range of material. There are several detailed finding aids listed below.
National Farm Surveys of England and Wales 1940-1943
Tithe Records
Valuation Office Records: The Finance (1909-1910) Act
The 'Access 2 Archives' section finds catalogue entries in any or specific archive repository for your search term.

Heritage Gateway
Using this site, you can search across national and local records of England's historic sites and buildings. Entries contain references to the content, photos, archaeological finds and the Archaeologia Cantiana references.

The Historical Directories Project has published scanned searchable pages of historical county trade directories including Post Office, Kelly, Pigot and others, with 10 covering Kent 1824-1913.

The Times Digital Archive. Free access to the complete collection with your Kent Library Readers card.

History Online is maintained by the Institute of Historical Research (IHR), at the University of London; it aims to offer a comprehensive service for the history community in UK Higher Education, providing information not just about resources for historians but also about the history profession.

Collections for study of specific periods or Topics

1750 - 1837
Victorian period
20th Century
Maps