| Status: | Active, open to new members |
| Coordinator: |
Patricia Maitland
|
| Group email: | History: Local and Family group |
| When: | Monthly on Fridays |
| Venue: | Islington Museum |
This group welcomes anyone with an interest in exploring family or local history, regardless of their level of experience or involvement. Whether you are tracing your ancestors, investigating the history of a particular area, or a specific historical topic, you will find a friendly environment here for sharing and discussing your work. Active research is not a requirement for joining the group; an interest in historical research is all that’s needed. Our monthly meeting place is the Education Room of the Islington Museum, located at 245 St John Street, except when we have planned visits to other archives or museums.
Group aims
Driven by the interests of its members, the group aims to share both the joys and frustrations of local and family research and to inspire members to undertake their own studies by developing the group’s knowledge, practical skills, and understanding of research methods. This will be achieved through a series of group visits and tours to the many museums, libraries, and archives in Islington and the wider London area. Our ‘at home’ meetings focus on exploring practical aspects of historical research sometimes with a guest speaker.
Over time, topics will include working with diaries, researching old photographs, understanding maps, investigating house histories, military research, searching old emigration and immigration records, oral and living history, industrial records, local commerce and communities, and education. Other topics, raised by group members, will also be explored. Members are encouraged to share their ideas, interests, knowledge, and skills with the group so that we may all benefit and have fun.
Future 2026 meetings
May Visit: Curator-led tour of the Camden Local History Archives.
June Islington Museum: Discussion; the role of diaries in historical research.
Member-led talk about exploring and publishing a family military diary about action in
the 1800s Peninsular wars. Members' discussion of own research.
July Visit: The National Archives tbc.
August Islington Museum: Introduction to Garden History (tbc). Members'
discussion of own research.
September Visit: Curator-led tour of the Institute of Historical Research, library and
archives.
October Islington Museum: Topic tbc.
November Visit: The Postal Museum archives tbc.
December: Islington Museum: Topic tbc.
Further details, dates and locations are circulated by email.
Other events
The Hackney History Festival is now in its third year and will run over two weekends, May: 9th /10th and 16/17th, at various venues. I heard several of their very good presentations last year and plan to visit again.
LSE Woman’s Library has an exhibition celebrating 100 years of collecting material about women and will run until Sep 2026.
Past meetings
2025
November Visit: Tour of the Society of Genealogist archives.
December Islington Museum: A discussion about the role and process of oral
history/community research in recording local history with local examples.
2026
January Visit: Tour of the London Archives.
February Islington Museum: A talk by two group members on: the Peace Pledge
Union, the Charterhouse, Post Office workers pensions, and the Lancashire cotton
industry and child labour.
March Visit: Tour of the Bishopsgate Institute building and archives.
April Islington Museum: A curator-led behind the scenes tour of the Islington
archives. An exploration of the Layers of London website. Members' discussion of
own research.
