Dear studier of local history; what would you have done in my case, had you plucked a book from the shelves here to look for something in its index, only to find headings within it like  “Advised to go away”  “Chairman’s anxiety”  “Interesting incident”  “Summoned to London”  And – as if the reader hadn’t already worked out that there might be some in here - “Strong views”  Wouldn’t you forget what you were looking for and start reading?

Just in time for Christmas, Local Studies brings you a tale of good deeds gone unrewarded, a distinct lack of human kindness, and Good Samaritan-ism coming back to haunt people. Who’s to say we aren’t festive folk in the library service? Never mind – the story here is of a stranger in a strange land

The latter half of the 19th century was a time of growth for Halifax and Calderdale. Alongside industrial development; municipal buildings, schools, housing for the working classes and almshouses were constructed. Industrialists also built ornate churches and mansions to showcase their wealth. In 1863 Jones’s trade directory lists fifteen architects in Halifax alone. Two of them, William Swinden Barber and James Mallinson were especially prolific through the mid to late 19th

Lovers of poetry will be familiar with William Wordsworth, and with at least fragments if not the entirety of his five “ Lucy Poems” and...

Learn about Chartism and the Plug riots resources that we hold in Central Library A great piece by one of our team to accompany her...