Community directory

Hertfordshire Record Society

Hertfordshire is fortunate in processing a vast number of historically important documents, many of which are housed in the Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies. Others are in the care of the National Archives, in local institutions of various kinds, or in private ownership. Dating from the early Middle Ages to the 20th Century, these documents include charters, manorial records, wills, letters, estate papers, diaries and many others. Such rich sources of information about our county's past are invaluable to historians, but they also provide the general reader with exciting glimpse of life in Hertfordshire centuries ago. Many of the documents are in Latin; others are in English, but written in a script which is almost impossible to decipher without expert help.

To overcome these barriers, the Hertfordshire Record Society was founded in 1985 with the aim of making Hertfordshire's great written heritage accessible to everyone. Every year, the Society publishes a new volume of records that have been transcribed and edited and are bound in hard covers, with a distinctive maroon dust-jacket. Most volumes are now illustrated in colour. Membership to the Society is open to all. For an annual subscription, members receive one copy of the current year's volume, plus the opportunity to attend the AGM which is usually held at interesting private building in the country, not normally open to the public.

As an exciting new venture, the Society has begun publishing old county maps. Many of these maps have already been digitally photographed and it is planned that they will be published at frequent intervals. Upon publication, one copy of each map will be sent to members at no additional cost.

Costs: Annual subscription £17.50.

Date of AGM: 2nd Saturday in June.

Publications: Annual volume - included in subscription payment.

Registered charity number 293259