| Admin History | The Local History Recording Scheme was founded in 1921 by C B Willcocks to preserve interesting facts of local history which might be lost owing to their not having been chronicled, or to existing records being mislaid or forgotten. The scheme was to be organised as county branches and the aim was to have at least one correspondent per parish. Willcocks hoped that a headquarters could be formed in London but this never happened. The Berkshire branch of the scheme was formed in 1924 and existed until at least 1972, an Oxfordshire branch was not officially formed until 1938 but the county had been collecting records since 1924. Several other counties showed interest in the scheme but there was limited response.
Willcocks first published 'Notes for Local Correspondents' in 1924 and these explained how to collect local informaiton and what type of subjects were of interest. The notes also ask that deeds and sales catalogues be sent to the county secretary for retention at the appropriate depository. In later years the notes explained how to make records for the National Register of Archives.
Each local correspondent was sent Local History Record forms which they were expected to complete in duplicate for each item they recorded. The completed forms were returned to the County Secretary, with one set being kept by the county and another set deposited at the British Museum Department of Manuscripts. The county set for Berkshire is available for research at the Local Studies Library at Reading Central Library whilst the set originally deposited at the British Museum has since been transferred to Berkshire Record Office and can be found under reference T/Z4/1-3. |