Royal Historical Society
Encyclopedia
The Royal Historical Society was founded in 1868. The premier society in the United Kingdom
which promotes and defends the scholarly study of the past, it is based at University College London
. The Society's roots go back to 1838 with the foundation of the Camden Society
that was subsequently merged with the R Hist S)
; others at university venues throughout Great Britain. They provide excellent opportunities for formal and informal discussion among historians.
Its current membership comprises proposed and elected Honorary Vice-Presidents, Fellow
s (titled FRHistS or formerly F.R.Hist.Soc.), Corresponding Fellows, Members and Associates. The Society has, appropriately, changed with the times. It began, and for many years continued, as a kind of gentlemen's club. It now exists to promote historical research nationally, and to represent the profession broadly conceived as including those engaged professionally in researching and presenting public history, whether in archives, libraries, museums, or the heritage industry.
The Society is as committed to international as to British history, and it draws strength from, and speaks for, the new universities just as much as the old. The Society's recent rapid growth has resulted directly from this sense of an expanded remit.
The promotion of research proceeds through all the Society's lectures and conferences, and also very directly through small grants to postgraduate researchers and through the Society's various publications, whether in book form, as with the monograph series Studies in History, the Society's own annual Transactions, and the Camden Series
of editions and translations of texts, or digitally, as in the Society-sponsored Bibliography of British and Irish History.
The Society's representative role, performed in consultation with the Historical Association
and with the History at Universities Defence Group, is distinctive in focusing on historical research, and on the research aspects of the work of those professionally engaged in History. Public recognition of this role has become increasingly apparent in recent years with an ever-growing flow of requests to respond to proposed initiatives from Government and from national institutions such as the British Library
and the National Archives. There is a close correspondence, therefore, between what the Society exists to do and what it does. Recent reorganisation of the Society's committees is intended to permit a larger proactive element in its representative role, with more capacity to generate and propose policy initiatives in addition to, as hitherto, reacting to proposals from elsewhere.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
which promotes and defends the scholarly study of the past, it is based at University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
. The Society's roots go back to 1838 with the foundation of the Camden Society
Camden Society
The Camden Society, named after the English antiquary and historian William Camden, was founded in 1838 in London to publish early historical and literary materials, both unpublished manuscripts and new editions of rare printed books....
that was subsequently merged with the R Hist S)
Purpose and activities
The Society has a varied programme of lectures and one-day and two-day conferences covering a wide range of historical issues. Some of its meetings are held in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
; others at university venues throughout Great Britain. They provide excellent opportunities for formal and informal discussion among historians.
Its current membership comprises proposed and elected Honorary Vice-Presidents, Fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
s (titled FRHistS or formerly F.R.Hist.Soc.), Corresponding Fellows, Members and Associates. The Society has, appropriately, changed with the times. It began, and for many years continued, as a kind of gentlemen's club. It now exists to promote historical research nationally, and to represent the profession broadly conceived as including those engaged professionally in researching and presenting public history, whether in archives, libraries, museums, or the heritage industry.
The Society is as committed to international as to British history, and it draws strength from, and speaks for, the new universities just as much as the old. The Society's recent rapid growth has resulted directly from this sense of an expanded remit.
The promotion of research proceeds through all the Society's lectures and conferences, and also very directly through small grants to postgraduate researchers and through the Society's various publications, whether in book form, as with the monograph series Studies in History, the Society's own annual Transactions, and the Camden Series
Camden Society
The Camden Society, named after the English antiquary and historian William Camden, was founded in 1838 in London to publish early historical and literary materials, both unpublished manuscripts and new editions of rare printed books....
of editions and translations of texts, or digitally, as in the Society-sponsored Bibliography of British and Irish History.
The Society's representative role, performed in consultation with the Historical Association
Historical Association
The Historical Association is an organisation founded in 1906 and based in London, England. The goals of the Historical Association are to support "the study and enjoyment of history at all levels by creating an environment that promotes lifelong learning and provides for the evolving needs of...
and with the History at Universities Defence Group, is distinctive in focusing on historical research, and on the research aspects of the work of those professionally engaged in History. Public recognition of this role has become increasingly apparent in recent years with an ever-growing flow of requests to respond to proposed initiatives from Government and from national institutions such as the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
and the National Archives. There is a close correspondence, therefore, between what the Society exists to do and what it does. Recent reorganisation of the Society's committees is intended to permit a larger proactive element in its representative role, with more capacity to generate and propose policy initiatives in addition to, as hitherto, reacting to proposals from elsewhere.
Presidents
See also
- Fellows of the Royal Historical Society
- Camden SocietyCamden SocietyThe Camden Society, named after the English antiquary and historian William Camden, was founded in 1838 in London to publish early historical and literary materials, both unpublished manuscripts and new editions of rare printed books....
(founded 1838, subsequently merged with the R Hist S) - List of Presidents