Royal Historical Society

02/08/2025

Transactions since 1872

In February 1872, Charles Rogers, founder of the Society, wrote of its intention to collect and publish the first papers, or transactions, presented to Fellows covering the years 1869-71. The first volume of Transactions appeared in 1872 with the purpose of recovering ‘from recondite sources … materials which might illustrate the less explored paths of national and provincial history.’

150 years on, Transactions publishes research articles, commentaries, provocations and round tables submitted by historians worldwide.

Read more on the journal’s history in the 2022 volume: "An Anniversary and New Departure: Transactions, 1872–2022" — Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 November 2022

30/07/2025

Britain and the Memory of the Two World Wars
Wednesday, October 22

A public lecture as part of the Royal Historical Society's visit to historians at the University of Suffolk, with Professor Tim Grady

Date and time
Wednesday, October 22 · 5:30 - 7pm GMT+1

Location
The Hold - Home of Suffolk Archives
131 Fore Street Ipswich IP4 1LN

FREE ENTRY

BOOK YOUR PLACE HERE
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/britain-and-the-memory-of-the-two-world-wars-tickets-1524842849009

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More info:

'Unravelling the Tapestry of Death: Britain and the Memory of the Two World Wars'

Professor Tim Grady (University of Chester)

Royal Historical Society public lecture at the University of Suffolk, 5.30pm, Wednesday 22 October 2025

The Hold, 131 Fore Street, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4 1LR https://www.suffolkarchives.co.uk/about-suffolk-archives/the-hold/

Part of the Society's visit to historians at the University of Suffolk, 22 October.

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About this lecture

Death was a central experience of the British home front during the world wars. Although fewer traces remain today, the wartime mortuary landscape was originally extremely diverse. In many cemeteries, British soldiers were buried alongside Americans, French and Belgians who in turn mingled with the graves of enemy servicemen: Germans, Austrians and Italians.

This talk explores the importance of the multinational dead for grief, international relations and even reconciliation. It also considers the gradual exhumation and removal of these other dead in peacetime, and the longer-term consequences of these actions for remembrance and commemoration.

This is a public lecture which forms part of the Society's visit to historians at the University of Suffolk on 22 October 2025. All are very welcome to attend the lecture which will take place at The Hold, 131 Fore Street, Ipswich, IP4 1LR.

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About our speaker

Tim Grady is Professor of Modern European History at the University of Chester, where his research focuses on twentieth century Germany, British-German relations and Jewish history. His most recent publication is: Burying the Enemy: The Story of Those who Cared for the Dead in Two World Wars (2025).

Tim's previous publications include: A Deadly Legacy (2017), which was shortlisted for the Wolfson History Prize and the Cundill Prize, and The German-Jewish Soldiers of the First World War in History and Memory (2011).

A public lecture as part of the Royal Historical Society's visit to historians at the University of Suffolk, with Professor Tim Grady

27/07/2025

Transactions of the Royal Historical Society: latest volume

Transactions articles are published first online and then as an annual print volume.

The latest volume of Transactions (Seventh Series, Volume 2) was published in December 2024.

TRHS includes research articles, covering a wide range of chronologies and geographies, alongside ‘Common Room’ articles offering commentaries and debates on historical methodologies, pedagogies, policy debates and roundtable discussions.

Recently published Transactions articles are available on Cambridge First View. New print volumes of the journal are published annually, with a listing of all previous volumes available from the CUP website.

Transactions of the Royal Historical Society

26/07/2025

Transactions: the Society’s journal

Transactions is the flagship academic journal of the Royal Historical Society.

First published in 1872, Transactions has been publishing the highest quality scholarship in History for more than 150 years.

Transactions is the flagship academic journal of the Royal Historical Society. First published in 1872, Transactions has been publishing the highest quality scholarship in History for more than 150 years. January 2025: Paul Readman, Professor of Modern British History at King's College London, appoi...

26/07/2025

'Twice Removed: Slavery, Big Data, and the Cultures of Caribbean Ancestral Histories'

Professor Matthew J. Smith (University College London)

Royal Historical Society public lecture at the University of Aberdeen, 5.30pm, Wednesday 17 September 2025.

Linklater Rooms, King's College, Regent Walk, Aberdeen, AB24 3FX

Part of the Society's visit to historians at the University of Aberdeen, 17-18 September.

Register via Eventbrite using the link below.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/slavery-big-data-and-the-cultures-of-caribbean-ancestral-histories-tickets-1493776518779
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About this lecture

The transformations of the digital age have tremendously advanced historical research across the world. For the historian of the Caribbean longstanding blind spots in the narratives of British slavery and colonialism are now more clearly in view.

At the same time historians must be aware of how the digital turn can also obscure the knotted histories of empire. This lecture will consider the benefits and challenges of digital frontiers of historical scholarship by looking closely at nineteenth century Caribbean history as represented in the archives and in the digital humanities.

It draws on long experience working in various archival traditions in the Caribbean and the work being done at the Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slavery. Special attention will be given to Black family histories, their challenges to researchers and their great potential for linking metropolitan British experiences with the Caribbean during and after slavery.

This is a public lecture which forms part of the Society's visit to historians at the University of Aberdeen on 17-18 September 2025. All are very welcome to attend the lecture, in the Linklater Rooms, University of Aberdeen, and which is followed by a drinks reception.

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About the speaker

Matthew J. Smith is Professor of History & Director of the Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slavery. He previously was Professor of Caribbean History at the UWI-Mona in Jamaica.

Matthew is a specialist on nineteenth and twentieth century Caribbean History. Among his publications are The Jamaica Reader (with Diana Paton), and Liberty, Fraternity, Exile: Haiti and Jamaica After Emancipation.

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The Royal Historical Society visit to the University of Aberdeen

On 17-18 September 2025, members of the Society's Council will be visiting historians at the University of Aberdeen to learn more about their work and to discuss topics of interest and concern.

The Society's visit to Aberdeen is one of several such events taking place in 2025 and early 2026 year.

Each visit includes a public guest lecture, with further details of these events - open to all - from the Society's Events pages.