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Royal Historical Society
@royalhistsoc.org
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The Royal Historical Society is the UK's foremost society promoting the scholarly and professional study of the past. Our membership is an international community of 7000+ historians - please join us: https://royalhistsoc.org/
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royalhistsoc.org
On 16 April, we co-host 'History and Archives in Practice, 2026' with @ihr.bsky.social, The National Archives, and University of Sheffield Library.

For #HAP26 our theme is: ‘Shaping Societies, Improving Lives: the Impact of Archives and Historical Research’ bit.ly/4tvKUnX. Booking now #Skystorians
‘Shaping Societies, Improving Lives’: programme and booking for ‘History and Archives in Practice, 2026’ now available - RHS
On Thursday 16 April 2026, the Royal Historical Society joins with The National Archives, Institute ofHistorical Research and University of Sheffield Library to co-host the this year’s History and Arc...
bit.ly
February 12, 2026 at 8:25 AM
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royalhistsoc.org
New article in the Society's journal, 'Transactions':

‘Lord Palmerston and Tiverton: Politics, Celebrity and Memory in Victorian Britain’, by Frederick William Hyde bit.ly/4aHDoPo

What can a study of local politics contribute to work on Victorian celebrity and the political uses of the past? 1/2
Opening page of new Transactions article: 'Lord Palmerston and Tiverton: Politics, Celebrity and Memory in Victorian Britain', by Fredericl William Hyde. Full abstract: 'Henry John Temple, third Viscount Palmerston, the ebullient Victorian foreign secretary and prime minister, is no stranger to historians; few stones in his life have been left unturned. One exception is Palmerston’s relationship with the Devonshire borough of Tiverton, which he represented in Parliament for thirty years. Palmerston’s biographers have traditionally downplayed the significance of the Tivertonians and this article offers a more sophisticated approach, by relating popular politics to the nascent historiographical subfields of celebrity and memory. It finds that, during Palmerston’s lifetime, the celebrity status that he used Tiverton to cultivate became a source of civic pride and a pillar of the borough’s identity. Then, after Palmerston’s death, the politics of celebrity became intertwined with the politics of memory. Control of the political space that Palmerston’s legacy occupied became a prerequisite for electoral success, as political debates mutated into bitter arguments over which faction had the better claim to his legacy. This article therefore seeks to illuminate new ways of reading Palmerston and to contribute to the growing body of work on Victorian celebrities and the political uses of the Victorian past.'
February 11, 2026 at 10:13 AM
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petermandler.bsky.social
Third lecture now online - www.history.ox.ac.uk/james-ford-l... - on the New Psychology and ideas of the self. (1/2)
February 10, 2026 at 6:05 PM
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thenacbs.bsky.social
Over the next few weeks, the NACBS blog will feature a series of pieces on artificial intelligence. Check out the opening essay by @amywb.bsky.social and stay tuned for more!

www.nacbs.org/post/the-ai-...
The AI Takeover Is Not Inevitable: Now Is the Time to Resist
"Studying history, we know that nothing is inevitable."
www.nacbs.org
February 6, 2026 at 5:44 PM
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branchuk.bsky.social
🗞️ Two more job postings!

Mellon Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Cambridge (1 March 2026) — www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/mellon-...

Addison Wheeler Fellowships, Durham University (26 March 2026)— www.durham.ac.uk/research/ins...
addison-wheeler-fellowship - Durham University
www.durham.ac.uk
February 11, 2026 at 2:33 PM
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branchuk.bsky.social
Speaking of opportunities for PGRs…

Looking for a BrANCH PGR Representative to help lead a wonderful community and join a fantastic committee 🤗

If interested, please get in touch with BrANCH Chair Emily West with a paragraph explaining why you would be up for the role!

Deadline: February 27th
February 11, 2026 at 2:45 PM
royalhistsoc.org
Next Wednesday, the Society visits historians at Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Sheffield.

Our visit closes (5.45pm) with a guest lecture by Prof David Stack (Reading) on 'History and Well-Being: a Historian's Perspective' bit.ly/4aa4Yoe

Open to all and followed by a reception.
Flyer for lecture with Professor David Stack on the subject of 'History and Well-Being. A Historian's Perspective', Sheffield Hallam University, 5.45pm on Wednesday 18 February 2026. All are welcome to attend.
February 11, 2026 at 1:30 PM
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bssh.bsky.social
Applications for the BSSH annual conference in Edinburgh this summer are now open. Abstracts of 200 words on any aspect of sport are welcome; the deadline for submissions is 31st March 2026.
February 11, 2026 at 11:28 AM
royalhistsoc.org
To accompany publication of his new article, Frederick also writes for the RHS blog on Palmerston, celebrity and memory bit.ly/3O85gU1

His TRHS article is available free OA, as are all recent publications for the journal. Submission of new research is welcome from the co-editors. 2/2 #Skystorians
Opening page of RHS blog post: 'Lord Palmerston and Tiverton: Politics, Celebrity and Memory in Victorian Britain' by Frederick Hyde. Full abstract: In this post, Frederick Hyde introduces his new article, ‘Lord Palmerston and Tiverton: Politics, Celebrity and Memory in Victorian Britain’, published this week in ‘Transactions of the Royal Historical Society’. The article considers the relationship of the Whig statesman, Henry John Temple, third Viscount Palmerston, with the Devonshire borough of Tiverton, which he represented in parliament for thirty years. Drawing on recent historical work on celebrity and memory, Frederick highlights the reciprocal relationship between constituency and MP, in which the popular appeal Palmerston cultivated via interactions with his constituency in turn served as a source of fierce local pride. After Palmerston’s death, the politics of celebrity became intertwined with the politics of memory. Control of the political space now occupied by Palmerston’s legacy emerged as a prerequisite for electoral success for those who followed him. The article is now available Open Access from ‘Transactions’.
February 11, 2026 at 10:13 AM
royalhistsoc.org
New article in the Society's journal, 'Transactions':

‘Lord Palmerston and Tiverton: Politics, Celebrity and Memory in Victorian Britain’, by Frederick William Hyde bit.ly/4aHDoPo

What can a study of local politics contribute to work on Victorian celebrity and the political uses of the past? 1/2
Opening page of new Transactions article: 'Lord Palmerston and Tiverton: Politics, Celebrity and Memory in Victorian Britain', by Fredericl William Hyde. Full abstract: 'Henry John Temple, third Viscount Palmerston, the ebullient Victorian foreign secretary and prime minister, is no stranger to historians; few stones in his life have been left unturned. One exception is Palmerston’s relationship with the Devonshire borough of Tiverton, which he represented in Parliament for thirty years. Palmerston’s biographers have traditionally downplayed the significance of the Tivertonians and this article offers a more sophisticated approach, by relating popular politics to the nascent historiographical subfields of celebrity and memory. It finds that, during Palmerston’s lifetime, the celebrity status that he used Tiverton to cultivate became a source of civic pride and a pillar of the borough’s identity. Then, after Palmerston’s death, the politics of celebrity became intertwined with the politics of memory. Control of the political space that Palmerston’s legacy occupied became a prerequisite for electoral success, as political debates mutated into bitter arguments over which faction had the better claim to his legacy. This article therefore seeks to illuminate new ways of reading Palmerston and to contribute to the growing body of work on Victorian celebrities and the political uses of the Victorian past.'
February 11, 2026 at 10:13 AM
royalhistsoc.org
Our great thanks to Professor Vinita Damodaran who yesterday gave the 2026 RHS / German Historical Institute 'Global History Lecture' bit.ly/3Zux2ws

A recording of Vinita's lecture, ‘Decolonising the Natural History Collections of Empire’, will be available soon #Skystorians @ghilondon.bsky.social
Vinita Damodaran gives the Society's annual Global History Lecture - RHS
On 10 February the Royal Historical Society co-hosted its annual Global History Lecture with the German Historical Institute, London. The partnership between the Society and GHIL is now in its third y...
bit.ly
February 11, 2026 at 8:06 AM
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hpsvanessa.bsky.social
#jobfairy this is an intriguing one - 18 month research fellowship for an object-focused historian, museums studies person or similar at Chatsworth House! £48k + £11k travel, outreach etc #skystorians
www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DQK358/d...
Devonshire Collections Research Fellow at Chatsworth House Trust
Searching for an academic job? Explore this Devonshire Collections Research Fellow opening on jobs.ac.uk! Click to view more details and browse other academic jobs.
www.jobs.ac.uk
February 10, 2026 at 11:08 AM
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ihr.bsky.social
In this blog post, Richard Ansell (Birkbeck, University of London) discusses how the Bibliography of British and Irish History (BBIH) is contributing to his research on non-elite travel writing as part of ‘Written Worlds: Non-Elite Writing in Seventeenth-Century England’
Non-Elite Travel Writing and the Bibliography of British and Irish History  - On History
In this blog post, Richard Ansell (Birkbeck, University of London) discusses several ways that the Bibliography of British and Irish History is contributing to his research on non-elite travel…
blog.history.ac.uk
February 10, 2026 at 12:01 PM
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beinghumanfest.bsky.social
Two grant schemes from the School of Advanced Study are now open for applications: Being Human Festival 2026 and the Centre for Public Engagement Practice in Arts and Humanities’ new Collaboration and Innovation Grant.

Go to bit.ly/3ZoolUq for details on how to apply
February 10, 2026 at 11:10 AM
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ghilondon.bsky.social
A last handful of tickets has become available for tonight's RHS/GHIL Lecture given by Vinita Damodaran (@sussex.ac.uk)!

Secure yours now: www.ghil.ac.uk/events/lectu...

#skystorians #globalhistory #naturalhistory
February 10, 2026 at 11:39 AM
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thelondonarchives.bsky.social
We have more Skills Training in Archival Research (STAR) workshops coming up!

Join staff at The London Archives for a hands-on workshop designed to help postgrad students and researchers make the most of archival collections.

📍 The London Archives
📅 1 April + 3 June
🕛️ 1-4:30pm
Skills Training in Archival Research (STAR) Workshop
Join us for a hands-on workshop designed to help postgraduate students and researchers make the most of archival collections.
www.eventbrite.co.uk
February 10, 2026 at 8:45 AM
royalhistsoc.org
Video and audio recordings are now available of the Society's latest lecture (6 February):

‘Alike in Appearance but not in Scope’: Queens and the Making of Medieval Europe' with Professor Charles West (University of Edinburgh) bit.ly/46j42f5

@pseudo-isidore.bsky.social #Skystorians
Queens and the Making of Medieval Europe: lecture recordings now available - RHS
On Friday 6 February the Society hosted the first lecture in its 2026 programme. Our great thanks to Professor Charles West (University of Edinburgh) who spoke on: ‘"Alike in Appearance but not in Sco...
bit.ly
February 10, 2026 at 8:26 AM
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sarahcrook.bsky.social
Please do share this doctoral opportunity with MA/MSt students - four years of AHRC funding to work on the history of children's play in Wales, supervised by me and the lovely and brilliant Dr Jacky Tyrie. Any questions get in touch! www.swansea.ac.uk/postgraduate...
History: Serious about Play: Childhood, Play and Policymaking in Wales, 1945 to the present (RS936) - Swansea University
We offer a wide range of funded and fully funded research scholarships in all subject areas. Explore your options and apply now.
www.swansea.ac.uk
February 9, 2026 at 12:46 PM
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obs1922.bsky.social
On Thursday of this week (12th Feb.)!

Books! Collectors! Elizabethans! Libraries!

In person (Oxford) or online (Zoom).
February 9, 2026 at 10:32 AM
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antiquaries.bsky.social
Join us tomorrow to hear about political entanglements of prehistorian Vere Gordon Childe and world famous writer George Orwell, beginning with Childe's inclusion by Orwell on a secret government list of suspected crypto-Communists and Communist sympathisers. www.sal.org.uk/event/orwell...
Gordon Childe Swan Watson, Andrew, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons George Orwell By Cassowary Colorizations - George Orwell, c. 1940
February 9, 2026 at 12:52 PM
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ihr.bsky.social
Date for your diary - join us Join us for this online training session on 28th April, hosted by the @ihrlibrary.bsky.social team, which will bring together a panel of historians, librarians and subject specialists to discuss the History of Emotions
www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...
Researching the History of Emotions
Please enable JavaScript in your web browser to get the best experience.
www.history.ac.uk
February 8, 2026 at 10:00 AM
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royalhistsoc.org
Our great thanks to Professor Charles West for his excellent Society lecture yesterday evening: ‘”Alike in Appearance but not in Scope”: Queens and the Making of Medieval Europe’ bit.ly/4tluezd

The recording of Charles's lecture will be available shortly.
@pseudo-isidore.bsky.social #Skystorians
Charles West gives the Society's annual medieval lecture on European queenship - RHS
On Friday 6 February the Society hosted the first lecture in its 2026 programme. Our great thanks to Professor Charles West (University of Edinburgh) who spoke on: ‘"Alike in Appearance but not in Sco...
bit.ly
February 7, 2026 at 7:49 AM
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andrewseaton.bsky.social
CALL FOR PAPERS - Modern British History and the 'Environmental Turn'.

A two-day workshop organised by @maxlong.bsky.social and myself at Lincoln College, Oxford, 16-17 September. Deadline for abstracts is 15 May.

Details in poster below, please share.
This two-day workshop will explore several questions. How can environmental history complement or offer alternatives to existing historiographical narratives and periodisations in British history? What new actors, events, or phenomena might come to the fore? How should it foster engagements with places beyond its national borders or with other disciplines? Is environmental history different from longstanding traditions of ‘landscape’ or ‘urban’ histories of Britain? What contributions can historians make to environmental advocacy and policymaking? And how might a focus on the environment reshape teaching in British history? To take part, participants should submit a 300 word proposal for a short ‘position paper’ (approx. 2500 words) that will be pre-circulated at the workshop. These position papers will address the place of environmental approaches and themes within modern British history (1800 to the present) from the perspective of the participant’s own research. Participants will orally summarise their papers at the workshop. The event is free to attend and includes lunch and refreshments. Submissions are welcomed across a range of perspectives and topics, including but not limited to: energy, extraction, non-human actors, pollution, toxicity, rural and urban landscapes, everyday environmental histories (including how they are shaped by class, gender, and race), imperialism and decolonisation, ‘green’ policy, activism, and the political economy of the natural world. Please send proposals and a one-paragraph biography in a single PDF to andrew.seaton@manchester.ac.uk by 15 May 2026. Please also direct enquiries to this address. This event is organised by Dr. Max Long (Oxford) and Dr. Andrew Seaton (Manchester).
February 5, 2026 at 2:09 PM
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archhistdarling.bsky.social
www.sahgb.org.uk/jobs

📢📢📢📢

Opportunity alert: call for new deputy editors for @_thesahgb journal.
Vacancies - SAHGB
www.sahgb.org.uk
February 7, 2026 at 9:51 AM
royalhistsoc.org
Our great thanks to Professor Charles West for his excellent Society lecture yesterday evening: ‘”Alike in Appearance but not in Scope”: Queens and the Making of Medieval Europe’ bit.ly/4tluezd

The recording of Charles's lecture will be available shortly.
@pseudo-isidore.bsky.social #Skystorians
Charles West gives the Society's annual medieval lecture on European queenship - RHS
On Friday 6 February the Society hosted the first lecture in its 2026 programme. Our great thanks to Professor Charles West (University of Edinburgh) who spoke on: ‘"Alike in Appearance but not in Sco...
bit.ly
February 7, 2026 at 7:49 AM