Branch History

Some of the branches of the HA have existed since the HA was formed in 1906 – they have survived World Wars, Cold Wars, recessions and so many Secretaries of State for Education that they have lost count. The branch records are themselves now a history of learning about and finding history interesting. To find out about the history of your branch read the articles below.

Sort by: Date (Newest first) | Title A-Z
Show: All | Articles | Podcasts | Multipage Articles
  • Birmingham Branch 1907-2007

    Article

    The Branch was founded in May 1907, a few months after the Historical Association was established. The founding Branch President was Professor John Masterman, Professor of History (1902-09) in the University of Birmingham's Department of Commerce, as it was designated in those days. He was one of several historians in...

    Click to view
  • Manchester (with Liverpool and Chester) Branch History

    Article

    The Branch is proud of its role in the foundation of the Historical Association in 1906.  Professor Thomas Frederick Tout and others at Manchester University had been discussing the idea of forming an Association to promote the teaching of a more relevant and vibrant form of history than was currently...

    Click to view
  • Hull & East Riding Branch History

    Article

    The origins of the Hull branch of the HA go back to 1921. However the branch really came to life when Dr Fred Brooks arrived as Reader in Medieval History at the new University College of Hull. From 1930 to 1977 he was the mainspring of the activities and growth...

    Click to view
  • Nuneaton Branch History

    Article

    The  Nuneaton Branch of the H.A. was originally founded in November 1919 as one part of a county wide Warwickshire branch.  Instrumental in this was the editor of the Nuneaton Chronicle, Albert Francis Cross, assisted by local doctor turned local historian, Edward Nason. After this arrangement ended Nuneaton was re-founded...

    Click to view
  • Swansea Branch History

    Article

    History of the Swansea BranchThe first Swansea Branch of the Historical Association was established in 1923. Unfortunately, the activities of the branch are unknown as no local documentation from that time has survived. All that is certain is that by 1925 it had ceased to meet.Following a suggestion by the...

    Click to view
  • Ealing Branch History

    Article

    The Ealing Branch was formed shortly after the second world war.  Among its founder members was Gordon Batho, then a schoolboy at Ealing County Grammar School for Boys and now President of the Durham branch of the Historical Association and Emeritus Professor of Education at Durham University. The Ealing branch holds...

    Click to view
  • Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Branch History

    Article

    History of the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Branch of the Historical AssociationThe Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole branch of the HA was founded in December 1922 and has been in existence ever since. Its history can be followed in the annual reports sent to HQ, in the complete set of committee...

    Click to view
  • Reading Branch History

    Article

    Brief outline history of the Reading Branch of the Historical AssociationReading is one of the places to have had a branch before the First World War, between 1908 and 1911 as was shown in The Historian, ‘The Branches of the Historical Association 1906-2006'. The story of the current Reading Branch,...

    Click to view
  • Cornwall Branch History

    Article

    The earliest information we have about the HA in Cornwall is an Annual General Meeting minute book showing that the branch was re-formed in 1963 by schoolteachers. Lecture meetings were held in various schools and these were probably all in the Truro area. The branch always appears to have been...

    Click to view
  • Glasgow's Own in the Battle of Britain

    3rd December 2010

    The first lecture in the Glasgow and West of Scotland Branch "Glasgow's Own in the Battle of Britain" -dual presentation by Flt. Lt. P.G. Traynor, Historian 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron Museum Association and Mr. J. Devine, Head of Multi-media, Hunterian Museum Flt. Lt. Traynor set the scene of 602...

    Click to view
  • Historical Association Joins Twitter

    1st November 2010

    The Bolton branch of the Historical Association has taken another step into the twenty-first century by joining social networking site Twitter.  This comes as a follow up to the branch's website and Facebook group, both of which are proving to be useful tools for communicating with the public. The branch...

    Click to view
  • President Visits Bolton Historical Association

    24th October 2010

    The Bolton branch of the Historical Association was very pleased to host an evening with the Association president, Professor Anne Curry.  An audience of fifty people gathered on 1st November 2010 to hear Professor Curry speak on ‘Soldiers, Poets and Peasants in the Late Fourteenth Century'.  The detailed lecture examined...

    Click to view
  • Isle of Wight Branch 60th Anniversary

    12th September 2010

    Sixty Years On Although the Historical Association was formed in 1906 sixteen years elapsed before a branch was established on the Isle of Wight.  From the HA's archives, stored   at Nottingham University, the annual reports indicate the Branch was formed in June 1922 and by the end of the first...

    Click to view
  • History of the Cumbria Branch

    Article

    Cumbria Branch was founded in November 1971 as a result of a very successful tour of Hadrian's Wall, led by Peter Southern. We decided we needed a more permanent influence of the H.A. in Carlisle and Cumbria. There had been a Carlisle Branch earlier in the C20th but it folded...

    Click to view
  • Reading Branch History

    Article

    Brief outline history of the Reading Branch of the Historical Association Reading is one of the places to have had a branch before the First World War, between 1908 and 1911 as was shown in The Historian, ‘The Branches of the Historical Association 1906-2006'. The story of the current Reading...

    Click to view
  • Bolton Branch History

    Article

    The Bolton Branch of the Historical Association, having been founded in 1927, celebrated its 80th birthday suitably spectacularly in October 2007. Not only did it have, for the occasion, a distinguished Chief Guest as visiting lecturer, and an audience of nearly 200, but it also had a large, decorative and...

    Click to view
  • Bolton Branch Birthday

    Article

    Renowned historian Professor Sir Ian Kershaw joined the Bolton Branch of the Historical Association on 1 October 2007 to help celebrate their 80th anniversary. An audience of 185 people listened to his lecture on ‘The German People and the Persecution of the Jews', which examined the attitudes of the German...

    Click to view