Local and family history
"Towards the end of the 17th century William Humphrey of Haddenham appeared before Sir Thomas Steward and Daniel Goodrick esq to give an account of his movements.
Humphrey said that he was a gardener by trade and had been born at Fotheringay in Northamptonshire. Before coming into the Isle of Ely he had been at Washington in Northamptonshire, but needing a house for his wife and children he had rented one with fishing at Stretham for 5 a year, and had hired a boy, Thomas Bayley to help make nets.
Humphrey described how he had returned to Fotheringay to pick up some clothes he had left with his mother, and that on the 3rd of November he again left the Isle of Ely to travel towards Rutland. At the sign of the Checker in Erith he had met a Mr Disborough and together they had travelled to Broughton, and there parted. On the 7th November Disborough had come to Humphrey's house and hired his boy for two days. Humphrey had not seen either of them since."
Who are these people? Nominal Record Linkage shows a William Humphrey still resident in Stretham when the 1662 Hearth Tax was taken, occupying two houses with five hearths between them. The mention of fishing shows that the Fens around Stretham were still water-logged, and that fishing was an important part of the local economy. Tracing Humphrey's travels shows us the routes he took, and the distances travelled. The examination itself links the local with the national as justices were required by the 1662 Act of Settlement to examine strangers who settled in their area, whilst the date, late 17th century, suggests that they may have been more interested in Disborough and his activities than William Humphrey.
The local historian can disentangle all these strands, and place this one small event into its wider local and national context, whilst the extract embodies the major themes of local history, for example:
People and Places, The Church and Chapel, The Rich and the Poor Woods and Field, The Community and the Individual
It can cover all periods through an overview, or concentrate on one period in depth. It is hands-on history, using primary sources, but discussing these within the context of historical debates.
The Institute has a long tradition of teaching and research in local history. If you would like to trace the William Humphreys of your village, find out about your town, understand why some buildings are where they are today, who went to the local school in the 19th century, see what that bump is in the neighbouring field, or that odd stone in the market place, and why these are there, local history is for you. If you want to be able to read and interpret old documents and other sources, local history at the Institute can guide you.
Our Academic Director and University Lecturer in Local and Regional History is Dr Samantha Williams.
For further information on the subject area you can email localhist@ice.cam.ac.uk.
Current courses
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| Title | Start Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| In and out the workhouse: Victorian and Edwardian poverty issues | 21 September 2012 | Available |
| Undergraduate Diploma in Local History II | 4 October 2012 | Available |
| Undergraduate Advanced Diploma in Local History | 1 November 2012 | Register |