British Record Society
Encyclopedia
The British Record Society is a British learned society
that focuses on publishing historic records
, or, more specifically, indexes
to such records. In recent years, the Society has concentrated on the publication of name indexes to English probate
records, and the texts of 17th-century Hearth Tax returns.
private scheme for the publication of indexes to British public records, which is now the brief of the List and Index Society http://www.listandindexsociety.org.uk. The Society was also always interested in record conservation, and to act as what would now be called a pressure group for archives
and their users, pushing for the creation of county record offices and county record societies. The inception of an official series of Lists and Indexes in 1892 reduced the need for private publication of indexes to records in the Public Record Office
. The Society consequently turned its attention to records held in other repositories. In 1898 the Society’s Scottish section became the totally independent Scottish Record Society
. The Society’s Record Preservation Section similarly took off in 1933 to become the basis of the British Records Association
(B.R.A)http://www.britishrecordsassociation.org.uk.
records, and the texts of Hearth Tax returns from the 1660s and 1670s.
A longer history of the Society and its current activities will be found on its website http://www.britishrecordsociety.org.
A complete list of its publications up to 1982 will be found in E.L.C. Mullins, Texts and Calendars, I and II, Royal Historical Society, 1958 and 1983. Details of those published after 1982 can be found on the Royal Historical Society's website http://www.royalhistoricalsociety.org/textandcalendars.htm
Learned society
A learned society is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline/profession, as well a group of disciplines. Membership may be open to all, may require possession of some qualification, or may be an honor conferred by election, as is the case with the oldest learned societies,...
that focuses on publishing historic records
Archive
An archive is a collection of historical records, or the physical place they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or organization's lifetime, and are kept to show the function of an organization...
, or, more specifically, indexes
Index (publishing)
An index is a list of words or phrases and associated pointers to where useful material relating to that heading can be found in a document...
to such records. In recent years, the Society has concentrated on the publication of name indexes to English probate
Probate
Probate is the legal process of administering the estate of a deceased person by resolving all claims and distributing the deceased person's property under the valid will. A probate court decides the validity of a testator's will...
records, and the texts of 17th-century Hearth Tax returns.
Foundation and early history
The Society was founded in 1889 to take over the Index Library, which had begun life the previous year as W.P.W. Phillimore'sWilliam Phillimore Watts Phillimore
William Phillimore Watts Phillimore; MA BCL was a solicitor, genealogist and publisher.-Genealogy and education:...
private scheme for the publication of indexes to British public records, which is now the brief of the List and Index Society http://www.listandindexsociety.org.uk. The Society was also always interested in record conservation, and to act as what would now be called a pressure group for archives
Archive
An archive is a collection of historical records, or the physical place they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or organization's lifetime, and are kept to show the function of an organization...
and their users, pushing for the creation of county record offices and county record societies. The inception of an official series of Lists and Indexes in 1892 reduced the need for private publication of indexes to records in the Public Record Office
Public Record Office
The Public Record Office of the United Kingdom is one of the three organisations that make up the National Archives...
. The Society consequently turned its attention to records held in other repositories. In 1898 the Society’s Scottish section became the totally independent Scottish Record Society
Scottish Record Society
The Scottish Record Society was founded at Edinburgh in 1897 and since then has published numerous volumes of calendars and indices of public records and private muniments relating to Scotland....
. The Society’s Record Preservation Section similarly took off in 1933 to become the basis of the British Records Association
British Records Association
The British Records Association, widely known as the B.R.A., is a British learned society founded in 1932 concerned with historic records and archives. It issues a journal, Archives, and other publications; hosts conferences and seminars; and undertakes other activities to promote the care and...
(B.R.A)http://www.britishrecordsassociation.org.uk.
Activities
Since the 1930s, the British Record Society has been primarily a publishing society for English records, frequently in conjunction with county historical societies. By 2010, 125 volumes of the Index Library had been published over 122 years, besides two extra volumes and some microfiche. Over the past half century the Society has largely, but not exclusively, concentrated on the publication of name indexes to probateProbate
Probate is the legal process of administering the estate of a deceased person by resolving all claims and distributing the deceased person's property under the valid will. A probate court decides the validity of a testator's will...
records, and the texts of Hearth Tax returns from the 1660s and 1670s.
A longer history of the Society and its current activities will be found on its website http://www.britishrecordsociety.org.
A complete list of its publications up to 1982 will be found in E.L.C. Mullins, Texts and Calendars, I and II, Royal Historical Society, 1958 and 1983. Details of those published after 1982 can be found on the Royal Historical Society's website http://www.royalhistoricalsociety.org/textandcalendars.htm