GREATER LONDON
LOCAL HISTORY ENQUIRIES
If you ask a local history group for information at no cost to yourself, bear in mind the members are doing it because they like to help. Thanking them for their effort is a nice gesture, a stamped addressed envelope for snail mail replies is always appreciated. Some groups make a small charge; this may recompense the researcher for their efforts on your behalf, or it may be used to help the group provide a better service for its members. Rarely does the enquirer not get excellent value for their money.
The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham's website has a Museums and Heritage page. Local history groups include Barking and District Historical Society.
London Borough of Barnet's website provides information about its local history and heritage cover. Local history groups include the Barnet & District Local History Society, Friern Barnet and District Local History Society, Hendon and District Archaeological Society, Mill Hill Historical Society, and Potters Bar and District Historical Society. Before 1965 what is now the London Borough of Barnet included parts of Hertfordshire and Middlesex.
Bexley Council's site contains information about their Local Studies and Archive Centre. Local history groups include Bexley Civic Society, Bexley Historical Society, Crayford Manor House Historical and Archaeological Society, Erith and Belvedere Local History Society, and Lamorbey and Sidcup Local History Society.
The Brent Council site details their Archive's opening hours and location.
Details of the London Borough of Bromley's Local Studies (at Bromley Central Library) and Archives (at The Priory, Orpington) are here. Local history groups include Beckenham Heritage Group, Bromley and West Kent Archaeological Group, Bromley Local History Society, Chelsfield Village Society, The Chislehurst Society, Orpington and District Archaeological Society, and Orpington Historical Society.
Camden Council has details on their site of the Local Studies and Archive Centre. Local history groups in Camden include the Bloomsbury Association and Camden History Society.
Corporation of the City of London has information on the Corporation's archives, the history of the Corporation, its architectural heritage and livery companies. Click appropriately.
Croydon Council's site provides details of their Local Studies and Archives Centre. Local history groups include the The Croydon Society,and The Bourne Society.
Ealing Council have provided a page of links to anything local history. Local history groups include Acton History Group, Brentham Society, Brentham Heritage Society, Ealing Civic Society, and Southwell Local History Society.
Enfield Council has a local history unit at Southgate Town Hall. Local history groups include: Enfield Society, Enfield Archaeological Society, and Edmonton Hundred Historical Society.
Greenwich Council's Heritage Centre has amalgamated resources from the museum and local history library under one roof. Local history groups include Blackheath Preservation Trust, Blackheath Society, Blackheath Historic Buildings Trust, The Greenwich Society, Westcombe Society, The Charlton Society, Eltham Society, Greenwich Industrial History Society, Shooters Hill Local History Group, Mycenae House Local History Group, and Woolwich and District Antiquarian Society.
Hackney Council has details of its Archives Department. Local history groups include the Hackney Society.
Hammersmith and Fulham Council describe their archive and local history provision here. Local history groups include The Fulham and Hammersmith Historical Society, Hammersmith & Fulham Historic Buildings Group, The Hammersmith Society, The Ravenscourt Society, and Shepherds Bush Local History Society.
Haringey Council's archives and local history centre is at Bruce Castle Museum. Local history groups include Hornsey Historical Society.
Harrow Council's local history collection is based at the Civic Centre Library. Local history groups include Harrow Heritage Trust, Pinner Local History Society, Stanmore and Harrow Historical Association, Harfield History Society, Hayes and Harlington Local History Society, Ruislip, Northwood and Eastcote Local History Society, Uxbridge Local History and Archives Society, and West Drayton and District Local History Society.
Havering Council administers Romford and Hornchurch. Information about Romford is at Romford Now and Then. Local history groups include the Hornchurch and District Historical Society, Romford and District Historical Society, Creekmouth Preservation Society, and Rainham Preservation & Improvement Society.
Hillingdon Council's Local Studies, Archives and Museum Service is here. Local history groups include Hayes and Harlington Local History Society, Ruislip, Northwood and Eastcote Local History Society, Uxbridge Local History and Archives Society, and West Drayton and District Local History Society.
London Borough of Hounslow's Local Studies and Archives page. Local history groups in the borough include Brentford and Chiswick Local History Society, Butts Society, Old Chiswick Protection Society, Hounslow and District History Society, and Isleworth Society.
Islington Borough website provides information about their local history centre (also covering the old borough of Finchley). In the Borough local history groups include Islington Archaeology and History Society and Whittington History Project.
Kensington & Chelsea. The local studies and archives collection is housed at the Central Library. Local groups include the Kensington and Chelsea Community History Group.
Kingston upon Thames Local History and Archives information is here. Local history groups include The Kingston-upon-Thames Archaeological Society, and Surbiton and District Historical Society.
Lambeth Council. The archives service is located in the Minet Library. Details here. Local history groups include The Streatham Society, The Brixton Society, The Clapham Society, The Herne Hill Society, The Lambethans Society, The Norwood Society, and The Vauxhall Society.
Lewisham Council. Information about Lewisham's Local Studies and Archives Centre. Local history groups include Lewisham Local History Society, The Brockley Society, Deptford History Group, Ladywell Society, Lee Manor Society, Sydenham Society, and Telegraph Hill Society.
London Borough of Merton's Heritage Centre is in Madeira Road, Mitcham and the Local Studies Centre at the Civic Centre in Morden. Local history groups include Merton Historical Society, and The Wimbledon Society.
Newham Council's site has a page of links to local history and archive sites on the Internet. Local history groups include Newham History Society.
The London Borough of Redbridge has a contact page for local studies and archives. Local history groups include Chadwell Heath Historical Society, Ilford Historical Society, Seven Kings and Goodmayes Historical Society, Woodford Historical Society, and Wanstead Historical Society.
Richmond-upon-Thames Borough local history and heritage page is here. Local history groups in Richmond include Barnes and Mortlake History Society, Mortlake with East Sheen Society, The Teddington Society, The Kew Society, Richmond Local History Society, The Richmond Society, The Borough of Twickenham Local History Society, and The Twickenham Society.
Southwark Council has a local studies library - details here. Local history groups include the Peckham Society, The Camberwell Society, The Dulwich Society, Rotherhythe and Bermondsey Local History Group, Southwark Heritage Association, and Southwark and Lambeth Archaeological Society
Sutton Council provide a page about their archives and local studies. Local history groups include Beddington, Carshalton and Wallington Archaeological Society, Beddington Society, Belmont Local History Group, The Carshalton Society, The Croydon Airport Society, Epsom and Ewell History and Archaeology Society (formerly The Nonsuch Antiquarian Society), and The Sutton and Cheam Society.
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets Look at the menus on the left of the page and click 'History' to get information about the history of the Borough. Information about local history and archives is found here. Local history groups include East London History Society, The Island History Trust, The History of Wapping Trust, and Stepney Historical Trust.
Waltham Forest Archives and Local Studies Library are housed at Vestry House Museum and an appointment is necessary to use the material. Local history groups include Chingford Historical Society, Walthamstow Historical Society, and Waltham Forest Oral History Workshop .
Wandsworth Council. This is the page for Wandsworth Museum and Local History Service. Local history groups include The Balham Society, The Battersea Society, The Putney Society, Tooting Local History Group, and Wandsworth Historical Society.
City of Westminster Council has full details of its Archives Centre here.
If your Greater London local history group is not listed here please let me know.
If your group has a website and I haven't found it I would be delighted to link to it.
If you wish to contact a local history group and their details are not here, email David Brown.
To send David Brown an email click here, putting LHL as the subject.