Victoria County History facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Victoria History of the Counties of England

The VCH logo
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Discipline	History
Publisher	Institute of Historical Research
Media type	Print

The Victoria County History (VCH) is a huge history project in England. It started way back in 1899. The goal was to write a complete history for every single historic county in England. It was first dedicated to Queen Victoria. Later, in 2012, it was rededicated to Queen Elizabeth II for her Diamond Jubilee. Since 1933, the Institute of Historical Research at the University of London has managed the project.

How the VCH Started and Grew

The VCH project has changed a lot over the years. It began as a business idea between 1899 and 1914. During this time, many books were published quickly.

Then, from 1914 to 1947, progress slowed down a lot. Not many new books came out.

Since 1947, the project has been run by the Institute of Historical Research. They made sure the books were very accurate and well-researched. Progress has been steady, even if a bit slow.

What the History Books Cover

The early VCH books focused on things like who owned the land. They also looked at churches and important local families. A plan from 1904 said the books would appeal to "every Englishman."

But over time, the books started to cover more topics. Now, they include social history (how people lived). They also look at economic history (money and jobs). You can find information on industries, population changes, and education. Even the history of landscapes is included. This means the newer books are much longer and more detailed.

Key People Behind the Project

From 1902, H. Arthur Doubleday and William Page were the main editors. Doubleday left in 1904. William Page then became the sole editor until he passed away in 1934.

In 1932, Page bought the rights to the project. He then gave it to the Institute of Historical Research. L. F. Salzman took over as editor until 1949.

Many young researchers helped with the early books. Most of them were women who had just finished university. There weren't many other job options for them back then. Someone once said the VCH was "a history for gentlemen largely researched by ladies."

From 1909 to 1931, Frederick Smith was a major supporter. In 2005, the Heritage Lottery Fund gave the VCH over £3 million. This money helped fund a project called "England's Past for Everyone."

How the Project is Progressing

VCH progress by county

The first VCH book came out in 1901. New books have been published slowly ever since. Sometimes, work on a county's history stops, like during the First World War. But some inactive counties have started up again recently.

There are now more than 230 VCH books! About three new books are published each year. All the books have a red cover. Because of this, people sometimes call them "the big red books."

To celebrate 75 years of the Institute of Historical Research running the project, they published The Little Big Red Book. In 2012, a special book called A Diamond Jubilee Celebration 1899–2012 was released. You can see a map showing the progress for each county on the VCH website.

How the County Histories are Organized

Local editors are in charge of writing the books for each county. They work with a general editor. Everyone follows the same rules for how the books should look and be written.

What's Inside the Books

The histories usually start with general studies of the whole county. These sections cover big topics like religious history, farming, and industries. They also include population numbers from old census records. There's even an introduction to the Domesday Book for that area.

After the general studies, there are detailed histories for smaller areas. These are called Hundreds, Wapentakes, or wards. Each local area, often a parish, gets its own history.

At first, they studied old church parishes. But since the 1950s, they focus on civil parishes. These are the modern versions of the old parishes. Big towns are covered as a whole. This includes built-up areas that used to be countryside.

What Was Planned But Not Done

The original plan included special books about family trees. These would show the family histories of important local families. Two such books were published for Northamptonshire (1906) and Hertfordshire (1907). But researching these family trees was very expensive. So, this part of the project was stopped.

Counties with Completed Histories

Some counties have had all their history volumes finished. Here are a few examples:

Counties Still Being Worked On

Work is still continuing on many county histories. Here are some of them:

Counties Where Work Has Stopped (for now)

Some volumes are not currently being worked on.

Counties Without VCH Books

• Northumberland created its own history books. These were not part of the VCH project.
• Monmouthshire was sometimes seen as an English county. But the VCH has never included it.
• Westmorland does not have its own VCH volume yet. However, its history is part of the VCH Cumbria project.

General Editors of the VCH

Here are some of the people who have been in charge of the VCH project:

• William Page (1904–34)
• Louis Francis Salzman (1934–49)
• Ralph Pugh (1949–77)
• Christopher Elrington (1977–94)
• Christopher Currie (1994–2000)
• Anthony Fletcher (2000–2005)
• John Beckett (2005–2010)
• Elizabeth Williamson (2010–2014)
• Richard Hoyle (2014–2016)
• Catherine Clarke (2019–present)

Online Access to VCH Books

Many of the older VCH books are now available online. You can find them on a website called British History Online. They have been copied digitally so people can read them easily. The parts about individual parishes are usually available first. Some of the general introduction parts are not online yet.

See also

• Gloucestershire Victoria County History
• Somerset Victoria County History
• Wiltshire Victoria County History
• Cambridge County Geographies
• English county histories
• Historiography of the United Kingdom