Books and pamphlets
The collection covers the areas of Hackney, Stoke Newington and Shoreditch, with some general London material. Collections were inherited from each of the constituent authorities. The former Shoreditch collection forms the basis of the main local history collection and is organised using a modified version of Dewey. The Hackney collection had its origins in the Tyssen collection, transferred to HackneyTown Hall and later to Hackney Central Library, Mare Street. It is in the course of assimilation into the main local history collection. A major grant by the British Library in 1995 enabled the religious writings in the former Tyssen collection to be catalogued and conserved.
The Stoke Newington collection is organised under a version of the Guildhall Library local scheme and will remain a separate collection for the immediate future.
Both the main and Stoke collection have a subject index and an author/title and class card sequence. The Stoke collection is on closed access; a selection of general works and local subject books from the main collection can be consulted in the search room but the remainder is on closed access. Ordering is by form.
To date there has never been a specific post of local history librarian. As a result the collections have suffered in the past and have many gaps. The strong nonconformist traditions in the area are well represented, together with Anglican religious writings. Local authors were well covered and the Stoke collection includes many editions of the works of Edgar Allan Poe and Daniel Defoe. Works by local authors are now only collected actively if their books have direct local relevance or describe local settings. HAD has recently acquire ADLIB software for cataloguing local history library material. New accessions from summer 1998 will be made on to terminals. Retrospective conversion of manual catalogues is under review.
Working lives are well covered through the books produced by Centreprise, based in some cases on oral history work. Transcripts of the Department's own oral history collections are also included in the book collections. For those interested in small areas of the present borough, the book collection has special sections covering area studies and related material.
Local theatres in the 19th century were an important local entertainment and handbills and posters are collected. A large theatre bill collection for the Standard, Britannia, Grecian and City of London Theatres has yet to be catalogued, but a microfilm of the posters is available for consultation.Maps and directories are catalogued separately: see sections 5, 8 and appropriate places of sections 11-26.
2. Periodicals
The collections include parish and other religious institution's magazines, school magazines and journals of local organisations including trade unions. The general collection includes runs of the British Record Association's Archives, the Local Historian, the Business Archive Council's Business Archives, the History Workshop Journal, the Journal of the Society of Archivists, Oral History, the London Topographical Record, East London Papers, the Guildhall Miscellany, the London Journal, the Transactions of the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society, Cockney Ancestor, the journal of the East London Family History Society, and Huguenot Society proceedings.Where journals or periodicals are taken in as part of an archive collections they are listed as part of the deposited records.
3. Newspapers
The majority of local newspapers are available on microfilm only; either no originals have survived locally or copies are stored in out-stores and are not produced for public consultation. These series are indicated by an (M) after the entry.
The British Library Newspaper Library has other locally produced papers for which the Department has yet to obtain microfilm copies. Work is in progress to have these filmed and add microfilm to the collection.
The most important local paper is the Hackney Gazette, though the Shoreditch Observer and Hackney Express is good on vestry meetings and the Hackney Mercury provides good alternative coverage, as does the North London Guardian and the Stoke Newington and Hackney Observer (both of the latter with a concentration on Stoke Newington and Hackney). These main newspapers are listed in the first section; specialist or papers with a limited run are given in the second.
3.1 Newspapers (main series)
Hackney Gazette. 1869-present
(Hackney and Kingsland Gazette to 1909; incorporating North London Advertiser from 1945)
Began in 1864 but no copies have survived before 1869)
Shoreditch Observer. (Hackney Express and Shoreditch Observer 1857-79; Hackney Express 1883-1903; Shoreditch Observer1904-15)
1857 - 1915 (M)
Eastern Post 1868-1938 (M)
Hackney Mercury. 1885-91, 1893-1910 (M)
North London Guardian. 1888-1916
Hackney and Stoke Newington Recorder. 1909-25 (M)
Hackney Spectator. 1910-11
North London Recorder. 1927-29, 1936-37 (M)
Stoke Newington and Hackney Observer.
(North London Observer 1939-40) 1939-71 (M)
Hackney Action. 1972-73(M) (then) Hackney People's Press 1973-74(M)
Hackney Gutter Press. 1971-74(M)
Merged with Hackney People's Press
Hackney People's Press. 1973-84(M)
Hackney Herald.
(newspaper of Hackney Council ) 1974-1988
replaced by Hackney Today
South Hackney Post. 1971-72, 1979
Stoke Newington People's Paper. 1970-71(M)
Progenitor of Hackney People's Paper
3.2 Newspapers: other and specialist productions
Listed alphabetically by either author or title
British Workman 1855-68 (M)
Churchman, C A Hackney Monthly and Stoke Newington and Stamford Hill Review. 1919-20
The Craftsman (The Country Journal or the Craftsman by Caleb D'Anvers). 1749-52
Part of the Dawson Collection (See section 10)
East London Magazine. Edited by Richard Houghton Thomas. 1890-93
Hackney and Clapton Magazine Issue for 1829 only. Literary 1829
Hackney Journal Edited by Caleb Turner. 1842 only. Literary 1842
Hackney Magazine Issues for 1837-38, 1858 1837-1858
Hackney Magazine and Parish Reformer 1833-38 (gaps)
Hoxton Magazine or Religious and Moral Instructor 1843 only
Hoxton Sausage and Jerry Wags Journal
Edited by John Mitford (Satirical) 1826 only
Pig's Ear: the East London beer drinkers' paper 1980-81 only
Suffragette (Britannia from 1915) 1912-18 (M)
Tower Hamlets Magazine or the Public and Domestic Miscellany of Politics, Literature and Commerce 1834 only
The Ventilator (Little Ventilator 1869-73) Edited by Charles 1869-1904
Brabner. Religious, topical and adverts
Workman's Club Journal 1875-78 (M)
Worker's Dreadnought 1914-24
4. Cuttings collections
Some collections are catalogued in with the local history library. Each of the constituent authorities maintained its own collections.
Hackney: Main series 1898-1964. Some earlier collections of 18th and 19th century material. Cuttings prior to 1945 in the main concerned with official matters.
Listed as part of the archive holdings H/LD7
Stoke Newington: Main series 1900-56 (some earlier items 1858, 1889-95)
Listed as part of the archive holdings SN/LDN 1
Shoreditch: Main series 1895-1965 (some earlier items from 1893)
Listed as part of the archive holdings S/LD
Collection of cuttings mainly relating to Hoxton and Haggerston 1710-1852. (M 4448)
5.Directories
A full card catalogue of directories held arranged by date of publication is available in the search room. This includes directories in book form and microfilm copies, where these have been obtained from other collections. The three areas are covered as follows:
Hackney: 1823-82
Included in the Middlesex directories; entries are subdivided by village or hamlet, (Clapton,Dalston,Hackney,Homerton, Shacklewell, StamfordHilletc.)
1843-72 Local Hackney directories, frequently divided by area as above.
1884-1915 Kelly's directories; editions given below
Northern areas of Hackney, including Clapton, Shacklewell and Stamford Hill are covered by Stoke Newington.
Shoreditch: 1822-date Included in London Post Office Directory and others, eg Piggott; however there are many gaps in the London directories (see below). The only local directory to include Shoreditch is the Borough of Hackney directory for 1872.
Stoke Newington: 1823-82 Included in Middlesex directories
1843-84 Local Stoke Newington directories (also included in some Hackney directories)
1884-1929 Kelly's directories' editions given below
5.1 Local Directories
Tallis' London Street views gives a short directory covering Shoreditch High Street and Norton Folgate (1838-40); other local directories are give below in order of first date of publication.
Hackney Almanack and directory. Caleb Turner 1843-51 (Later Turner's Directory)
Hackney Directory. J Williams 1853-55
Green’s directory of Stoke Newington and Clapton (M) 1866
Simpson and Green's Hackney Directory 1867
R Green & Co Hackney and North East London directory 1869-70
Borough of Hackney Directory. Charles W Brabner 1872 (Hackney, Shoreditch and Bethnal Green)
Ellis' directory of Stoke Newington and neighbourhood 1878-86
W E Ellis (Stoke Newington, Shacklewell and part of Dalston)
Norris' Stoke Newington directory. Walter Norris 1882-86
Kelly's directory of Highbury, Stoke Newington, Stamford Hill 1884-89
Clapton
Kelly's directory of Stoke Newington, Stamford Hill, 1890-1929
Upper and Lower Clapton (South Hornsey from 1892)
Kelly's directory of Hackney, Homerton, Dalston, 1887-1890
Old Ford and Bow (M)
Kelly's directory of Hackney and Homerton 1894-1916
Kelly's directory of Dalston, Kingsland, De Beauvoir 1894-1909and Canonbury
Kelly's directory of Stamford Hill and Tottenham 1899-1900
5.2 London and Middlesex directories
(for local entries see note above)
Little London directory 1677 (reprint of 1863)
Complete guide to all persons who have any trade or concern with the City of London .. 1760; 1777
Post Office London directories 1804, 1808, 1817-22 (gaps), 1824, 1829,
1832-38 (gaps), 1842-47 (gaps), 1850, 1855, 1861, 1865-7, 1873-5, 1877, 1880, 1883, 1886, 1890, 1895, 1899, 1901, 1920, 1928, 1930, 1934, 1937-date (gaps)
(Some microfilm) Holden’s annual London and Country directory (reprint). 1811
Johnstone’s London commercial guide and street directory 1817
(Hackney entries only)
Kent's Original London directory, 1814, 1823
Pigott & Co's London directory 1822-27, 1839
Robson's London directory 1828-9
(Shoreditch streets only), 1831
Pigot & Co's Commercial directory for the six counties
(including Middlesex) 1835
Robinson's Six Home Counties directory (local sections only) 1839
Post Office directory of the Six counties (including Middlesex) 1852, 1855
Kelly's Post Office London suburban directory 1860
Kelly's Post Office Middlesex directory (local sections only) 1859, 1860, 1865
ABC Court directory of London and suburbs 1871
Post Office directory of Middlesex 1871, 1882, 1886, 1890
Post Office directory of Essex, Herts and Middlesex 1878
5.3 Special directories
A special collection of directories on the watch, clock, jewellery and leather trades 1872-1940 and of the cabinet, furnishing and upholstery trades 1886-1936 is in store pending division between HAD and the Geffrye Museum. Duplicates of a very few editions are held at HAD.
6. Electoral and poll books
See also section 11 for jury and voters lists. All electoral registers are treated as part of the official records and listed in section 11 under the appropriate authority. A copy of the Middlesex poll book for 1806 is held in the copy records (Z35) The only other poll books held are records of vestry and committee elections and are also described in the local authority sections.
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