Writing Hampshire's History: the Victoria County History, 1899-1914
Proc. Hampshire Field Club Archaeol. Soc. 66, 2011, 201-214 (Hampshire Studies 2011) WRITING HAMPSHIRE'S HISTORY: THE VICTORIA COUNTY HISTORY, 1899-1914 #yJOHN BECKETT ABSTRACT this role, the VCH in Hampshire was, perhaps inevitably, a rather hit and miss affair, with the The recent revival of work on the Victoria County VCH owners in London making up the rules History (VCH) in Hampshire is a good oppor- as they went along, but eventually five volumes tunity to look back at the early days of the project, appeared, in 1900, 1903, 1908, 1911 and 1912, and particularly at the way in which the first series with an index volume in 1914. All the volumes (1899-1914) luas something of a guinea pig for the remain in print, and volumes II-V are available VCH more generally. Using material in the VCH's in a digital edition (www.british-history.ac.uk). Central Office archives, together with papers in the After trials and tribulations, the structure of the Hampshire Record Office, it has been possible to traceVCH was established through the Hampshire the process by which the project was organised in the'set', which established the tone for VCH work county, research was undertaken, essays were writtenup to the Second World War. and the complete 'set' was published in record time. The VCH was set up in 1899 by the pub- The particular role of young women, many of them lishing firm of Archibald Constable & Co., Oxbridge graduates, is highlighted, together with following a proposal from Sir Laurence the stresses and strains of working on the manorial Gomme of the London County Council to H.
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