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Campaigning, CALH,
along with other local, social, and family history societies, have
campaigned and continue to campaign for better access to records
and the need to provide training in the necessary skills
for using them, as well as developing increasingly sophisticated
methods for researching and displaying family histories.
Projects with other bodies, CALH has worked in association with all the countries leading radio, TV and film broadcasters, the
Big Lottery and other funders in a wide range of projects, we held an oral history workshop, recording
stories of how local people coped on the Home Front during
the Second World War. We are currently working closely with the Historypin project in association with Google and with the National Archives on several photograph and aerial photograph projects.
Research is a huge part of what the CALH is about. This ranges from helping the countries leading radio, TV and film broadcasters and documentary makers with research in Cambridgeshire and famous Cambridgeshire people from the past.
Family History Research To helping researchers from right around the world trying to trace their ancestors or where and how their ancestors lived, we have a bank of family and social history experts on our team that are always willing to help and if we cannot help you, we almost certainly will know someone who can. The team includes one of Cambridgeshire most well known and loved family history research teams of Bernard Amps and Maureen Nicholls
Archaeology has attracted others and professional
and technological developments have helped to greatly increase
the information available about the County's recent as well
as distant past. CALH has a long and greatly valued mutual relationship with the Cambridge Antiquarian Society, each having a permanent representative on each others councils. They are though quite rightly completely independent of each other, so while the close relationship does bring some benefits to members, membership of one, does not mean affiliation of the other and vice-versa.
Consultation and Local Discussion, with so many societies and interests at many levels, the
CALH believes there is a need for a forum for discussion and exchange of information. The CALH Executive
Committee includes, the current county archivist from Cambridgeshire
Archive Service, the head librarian from Cambridgeshire
Collection and Local Studies Service, a former curator from
the Folk Museum, as well as active local, social, and family historians, researchers
and archaeologists.
Representation, the CALH acts as a representative body for local history in the County of Cambridgeshire. It is
a member of the British Association for Local History and
representative on the County's Archives Advisory Panel. Corporate members include Anglia Ruskin University, The
Institute of Continuing Education, the Extra Mural Board
and The Cambridge Past, Present and Future. The CALH representative currently is the chairman of the Cambridgeshire Advisory Group on Archive and Local Studies (CAGALS) and currently holds the chairmanship of the Cambridgeshire Community Archive Network (CCAN)
Publications, since its foundation in 1951, the CALH has published a regular
journal with articles on a wide range of Cambridgeshire
topics, people, buildings and village histories contributed
by members and others. In 1992 the name was changed from
the Bulletin to the Review. The journal
is published annually in the autumn. CALH recently started
a newsletter called the Bulletin with information about local
history activities and appeals for information from members
and others. As we told you last autumn, in the summer of 2010 we will be producing our new look Gazetteer called the Preview this will be a new exciting gazetteer of what is Going On, Who's Who and Who to Contact in our very busy county of Cambridgeshire.
Distribution of Information, the CALH also manages a county wide e-mailed based information
network. This service provides every county
local, social , and family history society with the opportunity to
send news of its programme or any up coming events to every
other society, group or club in the county via a central group block email.
It also keeps all the counties societies up to date with
national and local news. Via its many pyramid links
it now reaches over 1500 individual outlets. If you
would like to send information about your group please contact
the CALH Secretary
Activities, we also organise monthly lectures on a
wide variety of subjects. These are held in Cambridge, from
October to April each year. Our Individual and Family members can attend these lectures for free.
While members of our Affiliated/Corporate groups,
clubs and societies are asked to pay £1.00 per lecture. Guests and non-members interested in local history are always more
than welcome to attend, but we do ask them to pay £2.50 per
lecture. However, as our membership rates are so reasonable and the range of benefits and discounts are as you will see wide ranging, you will more than likely want to join our family of members.
In April, we hold either an Annual Conference
or History Fair.
In May, we hold our Annual Gathering, AGM and Cambridgeshire Local History Awards and Cambridgeshire Young Persons History Awards Ceremony
in an outlying village. After an excellent village tea,
we usually have a local guest speaker, displays and sometimes a village walkabout.
In the summer months, we arrange an extensive range of excursions and visits to
places of historical interest.
The Cambridgeshire Association for Local History is very proud to be able to share its crest with the county. The Cambridgeshire County Council gave us permission to do this in 2006.
"With
One Heart Let Us be
Men & Women of Understanding"
The above is a modern translation with of
"Corde
Uno Sapientes Simus"
the motto of the Cambridgeshire
County Arms, that we have been given permission to adopt
for the use of the Association. These words strongly
reflect the hopes and desires of the men and women who in
1951 set this Association into action.
60 years down the
road, the present day Officers and Committee Members of
the Cambridgeshire Association for Local History have taken
up this beacon and will continue to strive to stay true
to these words and work even harder to secure the future
for the study and enjoyment of the History of our Ancestors
and our wonderful County of Cambridgeshire.
Heraldic Description of the above arms:
ARMS:
Or three Palets wavy alternating with two Palets Azure a Bordure Gules flory on the inner edge Or; the Shield ensigned by a Mural Crown Or.
SUPPORTERS:
On either side a Great Bustard proper the exterior leg resting on a closed Book Gules garnished Or pendent from the neck of the dexter by a Cord Argent two Keys in saltire wards uppermost and outwards Gules and from the neck of the sinister by a like Cord a Hunting Horn mouth to the dexter Or.
BADGE:
Within an Annulet ensigned by a Coronet a Bar Or between two Bars wavy Azure.
The County of Cambridgeshire was formed in 1974 by the amalgamation of the County of Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely and the County of Huntingdon and Peterborough. The above arms were granted on 1st November 1976. These two former counties had in 1965 been formed from the former County of Cambridgeshire, the County of Isle of Ely, the County of Huntingdonshire, and the County of Soke of Peterborough (geographically in Northamptonshire).
Explanation of Imagery:
The three wavy vertical lines represent the three principal rivers of the County, the Cam, the Nene, and the Ouse, while the two straight lines represent the many man-made drains of the Fens. The arms of the earlier authorities did not include such vertical lines, but a diagonal wavy line appeared in the arms of the old Cambridgeshire CC and in the arms of Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely CC, horizontal wavy lines were in the arms of the Isle of Ely CC and the arms of Huntingdonshire CC, and multiple horizontal straight lines were in the arms of the Soke of Peterborough CC. In every case either the bend or bar or its background were blue, indicating the rivers of the fenland, though in the case of the Soke of Peterborough the bars were derived from the arms of the Cecil family. The border of the shield with fleurs-de-lys extending into it from the gold of the shield is reminiscent of the "double tressure flory counter flory", which appeared in the former Cambridgeshire and Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely arms, and which came from the Royal arms of Scotland. This recalls the fact that in the twelfth and early thirteenth centuries the earldom of Huntingdon and Cambridge was held by successive kings of Scotland. The mural crown appeared in both the Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely arms and in the Huntingdon and Peterborough arms, and before that in the arms of the Soke of Peterborough. It represents the castles which formerly guarded the principal towns of the county, and is a customary emblem over the shield of a local authority.
The great bustards, which appeared in the arms of the old Cambridgeshire and of Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely, were birds of the fens, but became extinct in England in the mid-19th century. Books first appeared in the arms of Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely and represent the learning of the University. The two keys around the neck of one great bustard are taken from the arms of the Soke of Peterborough and before that from the arms of the See of Peterborough. They also appeared in the crest and the badge of Huntingdon and Peterborough. They represent the keys of St. Peter. The hunting horn was in the crest of Huntingdonshire and is a play on the name of that county.
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