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Local history

The Local History collection forms part of the Historical Collections Library.

It is situated on the second floor of the Central Library and contains 20,000 books and other items about Hampshire, West Sussex and the Isle of Wight.

These include:

Directories

• Kelly's and other directories for Hampshire 1830-1939
• Portsmouth 1783-1976
• Various Hampshire towns (C20th)

Electoral Rolls

• Portsmouth 1932 to date
• Havant area 1949 to 2000
• Fareham, Gosport, Petersfield areas 1961 or 1962 to 2000

Also represented are:

• Portsmouth City Council minutes 1895 to date
• Hampshire County Council minutes 1889-1997
• Pamphlets
• Newspapers (mainly published in Portsmouth) 1799 to date (on microfilm)
• Census returns 1841-1901 for Portsmouth and SE Hampshire on film/fiche
• Photographs (mainly of Portsmouth)
• Maps
  • Non-Ordnance Survey c1545 to date (mainly Portsmouth)
  • Ordnance Survey 1800 to date (coverage varies with edition)
  • detailed index to 1:500 maps of Portsmouth, 1861-65 (in Portsmouth Encyclopaedia)

In addition, we hold detailed indexes to:

• Hampshire Telegraph 1799-1942
• Evening News 1933 to date (1984 to date computerised)
• Portsmouth Papers
• Hampshire Papers
• Books of old photographs of Portsmouth
• Loose photographs
• Local magazines and minor newspapers
• Gates's books on Portsmouth

Visitors to the collection are asked to show one of the following to staff:

• Portsmouth Library ticket
• County Archive research Network Card (CARN)
• Current Student Card
• Armed Forces ID Card
• Driving Licence
• Other official proof of name and address

Staff will be happy to help with your enquiries.

We accept enquiries in person (see Central Library page under Internal Links) , or by:

• Telephone:
  • Enquiries: 023 9268 8046
  • Fiche/Film reader bookings: 023 9268 8045
• Fax: 023 9283 9855
• Email to: reference.library@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

For an updated guide to local history collections held here and at the City Records Office, please click on the link below.

Postal research service

While library staff will check resources in the Historical Collections at Portsmouth Central Library free of charge for up to half-an-hour, we also offer a comprehensive research service.  For a fee, payable in advance, we can undertake up to three hours research in the many sources held in the Historical Collections, including:

• Births, marriages and deaths indexes
• Wills indexes
• International Genealogical Index
• Directories
• Electoral registers
• Census returns
• Newspapers
• Army/Navy/Air Force lists
• Illustrations
• Maps
• and books about places and subjects in Hampshire, West Sussex and the Isle of Wight

Many requests for searches are from family historians, but the same service is available to those requesting research in local history.

For further details or to download an application form to request this research service, please navigate to the Reference and Information Services page under 'Internal links'.

The Portsmouth Encyclopedia

The Portsmouth Encyclopedia can be used to look up streets, courts and alleys in Portsmouth, as well as places like schools, churches and public houses, particularly if they existed in the second half of the nineteenth century. Also in the Encyclopedia are articles about well-known people connected with Portsmouth in some way, for example Charles Dickens, but also about Portsmouth people who were probably little-known outside Portsmouth but were well-known locally in their day. To use the encyclopedia, please navigate to the Portsmouth Encyclopedia link under Internal Links.

Associated documents:

  Local History Guide  (0.43 MB)