On History
News, articles & research from the
Institute of Historical Research
Latest posts
IHR Partnership Seminars: January 2021 launch of first 3 series
Starting on 12 January, we launch the first in our new series of IHR Partnership Seminars for 2021-22. Partnership Seminars offer a new channel for scholarly exchange — being international inter-disciplinary and cross-sector dialogues on emerging historical themes. There are 10 series chosen for 2021-22: the first 3 series begin in January 2021 and explore Anthropocene Histories, Archives in Global History and Coastal Connections.
The Institute of Historical Research in 2020
In our final post for 2020, here’s a look back at some of the Institute’s work in a busy and often difficult year. Throughout 2020, and especially since March, we’ve sought to support historians of all kinds as best we can. In doing so we’ve benefited greatly from the expertise and generosity of IHR staff, fellows, associates, members and supporters.
Popham: recreating a Victorian village via the census
In this post Nancy Rickman, an A-Level History student, describes her placement with the Hampshire Team of the Victoria County History earlier in 2020. Nancy sets out her time with VCH Hampshire: discovering the value of census returns for regional history, and how this important source can be used to recreate life in a single village.
Spotlight

IHR resources for research and teaching in Black History
At the start of the UK’s Black History Month, 2020, this post offers a listing of forthcoming events and resources recently gathered by the IHR to assist in the study and research of Black History, and histories of race, migration and empire, in the UK and beyond.
Features & Articles
The Institute of Historical Research in 2020
In our final post for 2020, here’s a look back at some of the Institute’s work in a busy and often difficult year. Throughout 2020, and especially since March, we’ve sought to support historians of all kinds as best we can. In doing so we’ve benefited greatly from the expertise and generosity of IHR staff, fellows, associates, members and supporters.
PhD –> BHO –> BL –> PhD: linking British History Online’s thesis data to the British Library
In summer 2020 we began a project to add records of 30,000 UK PhD theses to British History Online. In this post (the third in a series on this subject), Jonathan Blaney explains a recently completed matching and linking exercise to connect post-1970 theses to their corresponding listings in the British Library’s EThOS catalogue, allowing users to click through from BHO record to BL to an online version of the complete thesis.
Letting the people speak: 2526 early modern petitions on British History Online
The IHR’s ‘British History Online’ has recently completed a project to digitise and publish over 2500 petitions from early modern England. Working with ‘The Power of Petitioning’ project, BHO is now building a web interface, allowing this rich dataset to be explored in new ways – for research and teaching.
Join us for History Day 2020: Thursday 19th November
History Day 2020 takes place online on Thursday 19 November. Here co-organisers Kate Wilcox and Argula Rublack introduce some of the 50 collections and panel sessions on digital, contemporary and regional history that will be available. Booking is now open.
Publications News
Popham: recreating a Victorian village via the census
In this post Nancy Rickman, an A-Level History student, describes her placement with the Hampshire Team of the Victoria County History earlier in 2020. Nancy sets out her time with VCH Hampshire: discovering the value of census returns for regional history, and how this important source can be used to recreate life in a single village.
‘Reviews in History’, 2020: the year in review
During 2020 the IHR’s Reviews in History site has published reviews and responses on 75 notable monographs and edited collections. This post highlights a few of the themes to emerge from a year in Reviews and thanks all those who contribute to this important branch of scholarship, especially in 2020.
Earth, ice, wind and fire: making men on the eighteenth-century Grand Tour
‘Masculinity and Danger on the Eighteenth-Century Grand Tour’ is the latest title in the New Historical Perspectives series from the IHR, Royal Historical Society and University of London Press. Here, author Dr Sarah Goldsmith introduces her new book — a study of the place of danger and risk in the formation of elite masculinity on the European Tour.
New from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire: Ibstock
The latest title in the VCH Short series is Ibstock, from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire. Written by Pamela J. Fisher, Ibstock is the third Short title from VCH Leicester and is published in paperback print and ebook by University of London Press.
Research & Resources News
PhD –> BHO –> BL –> PhD: linking British History Online’s thesis data to the British Library
In summer 2020 we began a project to add records of 30,000 UK PhD theses to British History Online. In this post (the third in a series on this subject), Jonathan Blaney explains a recently completed matching and linking exercise to connect post-1970 theses to their corresponding listings in the British Library’s EThOS catalogue, allowing users to click through from BHO record to BL to an online version of the complete thesis.
Letting the people speak: 2526 early modern petitions on British History Online
The IHR’s ‘British History Online’ has recently completed a project to digitise and publish over 2500 petitions from early modern England. Working with ‘The Power of Petitioning’ project, BHO is now building a web interface, allowing this rich dataset to be explored in new ways – for research and teaching.
The Bibliography of British and Irish History goes to war
In this post, Isaac Woolley — one of the IHR’s 2020 summer interns — discusses his research using the Bibliography of British and Irish History on which he worked. What can BBIH tell us about publishing trends in the subject of modern warfare?
Bibliography of British and Irish History: October 2020 update adds records of 4425 recent publications
The October 2020 update of BBIH – the IHR’s ‘Bibliography of British and Irish History’ – is now available. The new update adds detailed records of 4425 recent publications on the British and Irish pasts and British world history.