Community directory

Leverstock Green Chronicle

The Leverstock Green Chronicle is a chronological and detailed history of the Leverstock Green area of Hertfordshire compiled and researched by Barbara Chapman. Since January 2000 Barbara has also been building up and updating where appropriate, the Leverstock Green Chronicle website (www.lgchronicle.net), so that it now contains all the basic texts on Leverstock Green’s history from prehistoric times until the 1930’s, plus many additional articles on specific topics and more recent events. In addition to the texts and articles the website also contains many archive photographs and maps, and is frequently visited by those tracing their family histories, so that Barbara now has contact with over 250 family historians world-wide with an interest in the village. This in turn has led to a useful exchange of information and considerably enlarged Barbara’s collection of scanned original photographs and occasional ephemera and documentation.

Barbara began her researches in 1994 and continues as time allows. Much of her research has used original documentation, mostly held at HALS and the PRO. As a result she has made many transcripts either in full or part of important documents, including the original Leverstock Green school log books currently in her possession. Barbara was also made archivist for Holy Trinity Church two years ago, and has catalogued and scanned many important documents and plans connected with the church, adding an additional dimension to her knowledge of the village.

Barbara has been careful to record the source of each entry in the Chronicle. As well as recording these separately as a list of references, each entry in the basic Chronicle text contains its own source reference so readers may research matters further if required.

Since beginning her researches in 1994, Barbara has published two books: Leverstock Green & Bennetts End, was published in 1996 by Chalford Publishing (now TEMPUS), to be followed a decade later by “Leverstock Green’s Lost Properties” published by Leverstock Green Village Association. She has also published numerous articles in Chambersbury News, the now discontinued local parish magazine; several articles in Dacorum Heritage Trust’s Newsletters; and two booklets as part of Holy Trinity Church Leverstock Green’s 150th anniversary celebrations in 1999. Barbara gives highly acclaimed illustrated talks to various local history societies and to the residents of Leverstock Green. (Details of which can be found at http://www.lgchronicle.net/Barbara.html).

Barbara is currently working on all the available census data for the village, and other data available on-line. A full analysis of the 1851 & 1901 censuses, complete with family names are now on-line, In addition a list of family names from 1881 has also been published. The subject of new pages, and recent updates to the website can be viewed at http://bacchronicle.homestead.com/Updates.html