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English county histories facts for kids

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English county histories are special books that tell the story of different areas in England, called counties. These books were first written a long time ago, starting in the late 1500s. They were created by people called antiquarians, who loved to study old things.

These old history books often focused on who owned land and important estates in the county. They also looked at the family trees of important local families and their heraldry (special symbols and coats of arms). For example, William Dugdale wrote a famous book called The Antiquities of Warwickshire in 1656. He wanted to show the noble families of Warwickshire how their ancestors lived in the past. These books were mainly read by local gentry (wealthy landowners) who often managed their counties as judges or representatives in Parliament.

Over time, these county histories also started to include other interesting things. Some recorded archaeological sites, which are places where people find old remains from the past. Later, in the 1600s, a new type of book appeared called "Natural Histories." These books focused on the plants, animals, and natural features of a county. However, they often still included chapters about old historical sites too. Famous examples include Robert Plot's books on Oxfordshire and Staffordshire.

How County Histories Developed

Ideas from Other Countries

English writers who created these county histories got ideas from similar books written in other European countries. For instance, William Dugdale looked at works by historians from France and Italy. These foreign books also explored the history and important families of specific regions.

Early English Writers

One of the very first county history books in England was William Lambarde's Perambulation of Kent, finished in 1570. After that, other writers followed, like Richard Carew with his Survey of Cornwall (1602) and William Burton with his Description of Leicester Shire (1622).

Many other projects were started, but not all of them were finished or published. William Dugdale's Antiquities of Warwickshire (1656) became a very important example that many others followed. Later, in the 1800s, John Bowyer Nichols helped publish many county histories. The names of these books varied, but they all aimed to describe the history, geography, and important features of a county.

County Histories by Area

Many different authors wrote histories for almost every county in England. Here are some examples:

Bedfordshire

Berkshire

Buckinghamshire

  • George Lipscomb, The History and Antiquities of the County of Buckingham (1831–47)
  • James Joseph Sheahan, History and Topography of Buckinghamshire (1862)

Cambridgeshire

  • Edmund Carter, History of the County of Cambridge (1753)

Cheshire

  • Sir Peter Leycester, 1st Baronet, Historical antiquities (1673)
  • George Ormerod, The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester (1816–19)

Cornwall

  • Richard Carew, The Survey of Cornwall (1602)
  • Richard Polwhele, The History of Cornwall (7 volumes, 1803–08)

Cumberland and Westmorland

  • Richard Burn and Joseph Nicolson, The History and Antiquities of the Counties of Westmorland and Cumberland (1777)
  • William Hutchinson, History of the County of Cumberland (1794)

Derbyshire

  • Stephen Glover, History of the County of Derby (1829–31)

Devon

  • Sir William Pole, Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon (published 1791)
  • Richard Polwhele, The History of Devonshire (1793–1806)

Dorset

  • John Hutchins, History and Antiquities of Dorset (1774)

Durham

  • Robert Surtees, The History and Antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham

Essex

  • Philip Morant, The History and Antiquities of the County of Essex (1763–1768)

Gloucestershire

  • Sir Robert Atkyns, The Ancient and Present State of Glostershire (1712)
  • Gloucestershire Victoria County History

Hampshire

  • William White, History, gazetteer and directory of the County of Hampshire (1859)

Herefordshire

  • John Duncumb, partial work (1804–12)

Hertfordshire

  • John Norden, Speculi Britaniae Pars: the Description of Hartfordshire (1598)
  • Henry Chauncy, Antiquities of Hertfordshire (1700)
  • Robert Clutterbuck, The History and Antiquities of the County of Hertford (1815–27)

Kent

  • William Lambarde, A Perambulation of Kent (published 1576)
  • Edward Hasted, The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent (1778–99)

Lancashire

  • Edward Baines, History of the County Palatine of Lancaster (1836)

Leicestershire

  • William Burton, The Description of Leicester Shire (1622)
  • John Nichols, The History and Antiquities of the County of Leicester (1795–1815)

Lincolnshire

  • Thomas Allen, A History of the County of Lincoln (1833–34)

Middlesex

  • John Norden, Speculum Britanniae: the First Parte: an Historicall, & Chorographicall Discription of Middlesex (1593)

Norfolk

Northamptonshire

  • John Morton, The Natural History of Northamptonshire (1712)
  • George Baker, History and Antiquities of the County of Northampton (1822–30)

Northumberland

  • John Wallis, The Natural History and Antiquities of Northumberland (1769)
  • John Hodgson, History of Northumberland (from 1825)

Nottinghamshire

  • Robert Thoroton, Antiquities of Nottinghamshire (1677)

Oxfordshire

  • Robert Plot, The Natural History of Oxford-shire (1677)

Rutland

  • James Wright, The History and Antiquities of the County of Rutland (1684)

Shropshire

  • Charles Hulbert, History of the County of Salop (1837)

Somerset

  • John Collinson, History and Antiquities of the County of Somerset (1791)
  • Somerset Victoria County History

Staffordshire

  • Robert Plot, The Natural History of Staffordshire (1686)
  • William Pitt, A Topographical History of Staffordshire (1817)

Suffolk

  • Alfred Suckling, The History and Antiquities of the County of Suffolk (1846)

Surrey

  • John Aubrey, The Natural History and Antiquities of the County of Surrey (published 1718–19)
  • Owen Manning and William Bray, The History and Antiquities of the County of Surrey (1804–14)

Sussex

  • Thomas Walker Horsfield, The History, Antiquities and Topography of the County of Sussex (1835)

Warwickshire

Wiltshire

  • John Aubrey, Antiquities of Wiltshire (partially published 1862)
  • Sir Richard Colt Hoare, The History of Modern Wiltshire (1822–44)
  • Wiltshire Victoria County History

Worcestershire

  • Treadway Russell Nash, History and Antiquities of the County of Worcester (1781)

Yorkshire

  • Joseph Hunter, South Yorkshire (1828–31)
  • Edward Baines, History, Directory and Gazetteer of the County of York (1822–23)

Other Related Histories

Besides full county histories, people also wrote books about important people from a county or about smaller areas like cities and towns.

Worthies Books

"Worthies" books focused on famous or important people from a specific county.

  • Thomas Fuller, Worthies of England
  • John Prince, Worthies of Devon
  • Hartley Coleridge, Worthies of Yorkshire and Lancashire (1836)

City and Town Histories

Many books were written about the history of individual cities, towns, or even small parishes (local church areas).

  • John Stow, The Survey of London (1598)
  • Francis Drake, Eboracum: The History and Antiquities of the City of York (1736)
  • Philip Morant, The History and Antiquities of Colchester (1748)
  • William Barrett, History and Antiquities of Bristol (1788)

See also

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