Have you ever tried to trace your family history? Do you wonder what sort of people lived in your local community in the past? Or how the community might have been affected by major historical events? If so, this introduction to local history may be just what you are seeking. It will concentrate on the approaches, sources and methods used by local historians in researching the history of the manor, the parish, the town and their populations. It seeks to show how varied and exciting the study of local communities can be. It will also advise you how and from where to collect relevant material and will help you to communicate the results of your research in writing. For students considering studying for a Diploma in Local History this course would provide excellent preparation.
What is Local History?
This is an In-person course which requires your attendance to the weekly meetings which take place in Oxford.
Overview
Programme details
Term Starts: 9 September 2024
Class 1: Monday 9 Sept – Introduction: What is local history?
Class 2: Thursday 12 Sept – Local history through the manor
Class 3: Monday 16 Sept – Local history through the parish
Class 4: Thursday 19 Sept – Local history through the town
Class 5: Monday 23 Sept – Counting the population through the ages
Class 6: Thursday 26 Sept – Where to find sources for local history & discussion of assessment exercise
Recommended reading
All weekly class students may become borrowing members of the Rewley House Continuing Education Library for the duration of their course. Prospective students whose courses have not yet started are welcome to use the Library for reference. More information can be found on the Library website.
There is a Guide for Weekly Class students which will give you further information.
Availability of titles on the reading list (below) can be checked on SOLO, the library catalogue.
Preparatory reading
- The Local Historian [journal] https://www.balh.org.uk/thelocalhistorian / [various]
- The Voices of Morebath: Reformation and Rebellion in an English village / Duffy, Eamon
- Researching and writing history: a guide for local historians / Dymond, David
- The grassroots of English history: local societies in England before the Industrial Revolution / Hey, David
- The Oxford Companion to Local and Family History / Hey, David
- Ralph Tailor's Summer: a scrivener, his city and the plague / Wrightson, Keith
Certification
To complete the course and receive a certificate, you will be required to attend at least 80% of the classes on the course and pass your final assignment. Upon successful completion, you will receive a link to download a University of Oxford digital certificate. Information on how to access this digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course you attended. You will be able to download your certificate or share it on social media if you choose to do so.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course Fee | £180.00 |
| Take this course for CATS points | £30.00 |
Funding
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Tutor
Dr Heather Falvey
Heather is an active local historian with various research interests including mediaeval religion, and sixteenth and seventeenth century social unrest. She has published various articles, two books of fifteenth century wills, a collection of eighteenth century recipes and a collection of early nineteenth century letters.
Course aims
The overall aim is to encourage students to discover for themselves what local history is, to give them an introduction to its contents and methodology, and to demonstrate where evidence for it may be found.
Course Objectives
1. To equip students to undertake further courses in local and social history.
2. To encourage students to pursue their interest in local history, whether on their own or with a group.
3. To enable students to undertake local history research using various source materials.
Teaching methods
The course will comprise an introductory session; four informal illustrated lectures, followed by class discussion of documents (which will be supplied); a concluding discussion of the documents used in the assessment exercise and practical guidance on sources for historical research.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course students will be expected to:
1. Have gained an introductory knowledge of local history and its sources and methods;
2. Have learnt how to collect and interpret material and communicate the results in writing;
3. Have gained confidence in and enthusiasm for the subject.
Assessment methods
Students will be expected to write one short assignment (1,500 words maximum) evaluating some examples of local history. The source material will be supplied. This work must be handed in on the 3rd Monday and will returned marked on the 3rd Thursday. This will be assessed, but not graded.
Coursework is an integral part of all weekly classes and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework in order to benefit fully from the course. Only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work the required standard.
Students must submit a completed Declaration of Authorship form at the end of term when submitting your final piece of work. CATS points cannot be awarded without the aforementioned form - Declaration of Authorship form
Application
To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.
Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an application form.
Level and demands
The Department's Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, i.e. first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.
Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS)
To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.
Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process can either register for CATS points prior to the start of their course or retrospectively from the January 1st after the current full academic year has been completed. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.