A text publication society is a

learned society A learned society (; also learned academy, scholarly society, or academic association) is an organization that exists to promote an discipline (academia), academic discipline, profession, or a group of related disciplines such as the arts and s ...

which publishes (either as its sole function, or as a principal function) scholarly editions of old works of historical or literary interest, or archival documents. In addition to full texts, a text publication society may publish translations,

calendar A calendar is a system of organizing days. This is done by giving names to periods of time, typically days, weeks, months and years. A date is the designation of a single and specific day within such a system. A calendar is also a physi ...

s and indexes. Members of the society (private individuals or institutions) pay an annual

subscription The subscription business model is a business model in which a customer must pay a recurring price at regular intervals for access to a product or service. The model was pioneered by publishers of books and periodicals in the 17th century, and ...

, in return for which they either automatically receive a copy of each volume as it is published, or (as in the case of, for example, the

Royal Historical Society The Royal Historical Society, founded in 1868, is a learned society of the United Kingdom which advances scholarly studies of history. Origins The society was founded and received its royal charter in 1868. Until 1872 it was known as the Histori ...

) are eligible to purchase volumes at favourable members' rates. Some societies attempt to keep to a regular cycle of publishing (generally one volume per year, as in the case of the

London Record Society The London Record Society is a text publication society founded in 1964 whose objectives are to stimulate public interest in archives and similar historical material relating to London. The current President of the society is the Lord Mayor of Lo ...

and the

Canterbury and York Society The Canterbury and York Society is a British text publication society founded in 1904. It publishes scholarly editions of English medieval (pre-Reformation) ecclesiastical records, notably episcopal registers. History and activities The Society ...

; the Royal Historical Society, exceptionally, aims for two volumes per year). Others, however, publish on an irregular and occasional basis, as the completion of editorial work allows. Volumes are usually also made available for sale to non-members, but the price is invariably higher than that paid (either as the retail price or through subscriptions) by members, thereby establishing an incentive for interested parties to join. The model originated and is most commonly found in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

, but has also been adopted in other countries. In the 19th century, when many of the societies were founded, they were sometimes known as book clubs. They have also been termed printing clubs. Those that publish exclusively

archival An archive is an accumulation of historical records or materials – in any medium – or the physical facility in which they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or ...

material are often known as record societies or records societies.

Historical development

The principle of subscription publishing – that is, of funding the publication of a volume by securing multiple advance subscriptions from individuals interested in buying the final product – was first established in the 17th century, and routinely adopted during the 18th. The idea of extending the model to the membership of a society was initiated by the

Roxburghe Club The Roxburghe Club is a bibliophilic and publishing society based in the United Kingdom. Origins The spur to the Club's foundation was the sale of the enormous library of the Duke of Roxburghe (who had died in 1804), which took place over 46 days ...

, founded in 1812 as a convivial association of

bibliophile Bibliophilia or bibliophilism is the love of books. A bibliophile or bookworm is an individual who loves and frequently reads and/or collects books. Profile The classic bibliophile is one who loves to read, admire and collect books, often ama ...

s, but which rapidly introduced the principle that each member should sponsor the publication of an edition of a rare work of interest to members, and that other volumes would be published by the Club collectively. In both cases, the volumes were intended for distribution to the entire membership. The Club's first publication, donated by Sir William Bolland and issued in 1814, was the

Earl of Surrey Earl of Surrey is a title in the Peerage of England that has been created five times. It was first created for William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey, William de Warenne, a close Companions of William the Conqueror, companion of William the Con ...

's translation of parts of

Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro (; traditional dates 15 October 7021 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He composed three of the most famous poems in Latin literature: t ...

's ''

Aeneid The ''Aeneid'' ( ; la, Aenē̆is or ) is a Latin Epic poetry, epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Troy, Trojan who fled the Trojan_War#Sack_of_Troy, fall of Troy and travelled to ...

'', originally printed in 1557. One early Roxburghe Club member (from 1822) was

Sir Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy' ...

, who was inspired by it to establish the

Bannatyne Club The Bannatyne Club, named in honour of George Bannatyne and his famous anthology of Scots literature the Bannatyne Manuscript, was a text publication society founded by Sir Walter Scott to print rare works of Scottish interest, whether in history, ...

to print works of interest for Scottish tradition, literature, and history. Other special-interest societies followed. In contrast to the exclusive Roxburghe Club (which had an elite membership and issued its publications as luxurious limited editions), most had broad membership criteria, and had as their primary objective the dissemination of valuable historical texts as widely as possible. Nevertheless, their activities tended to appeal to the "monied and educated" classes: in 1838, 20% of the

Camden Society The Camden Society was a text publication society founded in London in 1838 to publish early historical and literary materials, both unpublished manuscripts and new editions of rare printed books. It was named after the 16th-century antiquary an ...

's members were clergymen, 9% held legal qualifications, and 36% were Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries. Success being dependent on fund-raising and the attraction of new members, the early societies often suffered from financial and organisational troubles. Controversy followed

Frederick James Furnivall Frederick James Furnivall (4 February 1825 – 2 July 1910) was an English philologist, best known as one of the co-creators of the ''New English Dictionary''. He founded a number of learned societies on early English literature and made pione ...

, a prime mover in many of the early ventures. In the second half of the 19th century the government-sponsored

Rolls Series ''The Chronicles and Memorials of Great Britain and Ireland during the Middle Ages'' ( la, Rerum Britannicarum medii aevi scriptores), widely known as the is a major collection of British and Irish historical materials and primary sources publish ...

took over some of the territory of the amateur societies, particularly in respect of the publication of

chronicle A chronicle ( la, chronica, from Greek ''chroniká'', from , ''chrónos'' – "time") is a historical account of events arranged in chronological order, as in a timeline. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and lo ...

s. The productions of several of the early societies included literary texts, but by the end of the 19th century, the majority of societies were tending to focus instead on the publication of

records. This continued to be the pattern in the 20th century. The Durham-based

Surtees Society The Surtees Society is a text publication society and registered charity (No. 1003812) based in Durham in northern England. The society was established on 27 May 1834 by James Raine, following the death (on 11 February) of the renowned County D ...

, founded in 1834 and modelled in part on the Scottish Bannatyne and

Maitland Maitland is an English and Scottish surname. It arrived in Britain after the Norman conquest of 1066. There are two theories about its source. It is either a nickname reference to "bad temper/disposition" (Old French, ''Maltalent''; Anglo Norm ...

Clubs, was the first English society to adopt a specifically ''regional'' remit, in its case the elucidation of the history of the area constituting the ancient

kingdom of Northumbria la, Regnum Northanhymbrorum , conventional_long_name = Kingdom of Northumbria , common_name = Northumbria , status = State , status_text = Unified Anglian kingdom (before 876)North: Anglian kingdom (af ...

. Its establishment was deeply rooted in local pride: in an early prospectus,

James Raine James Raine (1791–1858) was an English antiquarian and topographer. A Church of England clergyman from the 1810s, he held a variety of positions, including librarian to the dean and chapter of Durham and rector of Meldon in Northumberlan ...

(its principal founder and first secretary) drew attention to just a few unpublished manuscripts of Durham interest, "which, in these times, few individuals would incur the risk of printing at their own cost; but which nevertheless, afford even singly, how much more collectively, the most valuable materials to those who are anxious to study rightly the History of our forefathers under its different characters". The

Chetham Society The Chetham Society "for the publication of remains historic and literary connected with the Palatine Counties of Lancaster and Chester" is a text publication society and registered charity (No. 700047) established on 23 March 1843. History Th ...

, founded in 1843, concerned itself in much the same way with the counties of

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...

and

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county t ...

. From the 1880s onwards, many societies focused on a single county. A particularly energetic advocate was W. P. W. Phillimore, who was active in the foundation of the

British Record Society The British Record Society is a British learned society that focuses on publishing historic records, or, more specifically, indexes to such records. In recent years, the Society has concentrated on the publication of name indexes to English probat ...

Scottish Record Society The Scottish Record Society is a text publication society founded at Edinburgh in 1897, but with earlier roots as the Scottish section of the British Record Society (founded 1889). Since its establishment it has published numerous volumes of cal ...

Thoroton Society The Thoroton Society of Nottinghamshire, generally known as the Thoroton Society, is Nottinghamshire’s principal historical and archaeological society. It was established in 1897, and takes its name from Dr Robert Thoroton who published the first ...

, and Irish Record Society. Several county

archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

and historical societies undertook text publication as just one among a broader range of activities, and in certain cases – for example, the Yorkshire Archaeological and Historical Society and the

Kent Archaeological Society The Kent Archaeological Society was founded in 1857 to promote the study and publication of archaeology and history, especially that pertaining to the ancient county of Kent in England. This includes the modern administrative county as well as area ...

– continue to do so. In other cases, a new society has broken away from its parent archaeological society to become an independent body dedicated solely to text publication: examples include the Surrey Record Society and the

Wiltshire Record Society The Wiltshire Record Society is a text publication society in Wiltshire, England, which edits and publishes historic documents concerned with the history of Wiltshire. History In 1937, Ralph Pugh was the chief mover in a proposal to found the rec ...

. In the 21st century, partly as a result of the growing quantity of historical research materials now available online, many societies have experienced a significant decline in membership numbers, and consequent difficulties in maintaining their traditional business model. Societies have responded to the challenge in various ways, including by selectively uploading some of their publications to the

World Wide Web The World Wide Web (WWW), commonly known as the Web, is an information system enabling documents and other web resources to be accessed over the Internet. Documents and downloadable media are made available to the network through web se ...

, while continuing to publish other materials in print.

List of societies

United Kingdom and Ireland

Active

=Began publication 1800–1849

(founded 1812): publishes editions of rare early printed and unpublished manuscript works, often in

facsimile A facsimile (from Latin ''fac simile'', "to make alike") is a copy or reproduction of an old book, manuscript, map, Old master print, art print, or other item of historical value that is as true to the original source as possible. It differs from ...

. *

(founded 1834): publishes mainly archival material relating to the counties of

Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham *County Durham, an English county * Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States *Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...

and

Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land on ...

. *

(founded 1838): published editions of texts of value for British history, including unpublished manuscripts and rare early printed books. In 1897 it merged with the

, which continues to publish material in what is now known as the Camden Series. *

Irish Archaeological Society The Irish Archaeological Society (sometimes spelled as "Irish Archæological Society") was a learned society, founded in 1840. Among the founders was the Rev. Dr. Todd, who acted as secretary. The Irish Archaeological Society was one of the fir ...

(founded 1840): published texts relation to the history of

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. *

(founded 1843): publishes editions of texts relating to the counties of

and

. * Ray Society (founded 1844): publishes works of natural history, mainly British. *

Hakluyt Society The Hakluyt Society is a text publication society, founded in 1846 and based in London, England, which publishes scholarly editions of primary records of historic voyages, travels and other geographical material. In addition to its publishing rol ...

(founded 1846): publishes editions and translations of primary records of voyages, travels and other geographical material relating to all parts of the globe.

=Began publication 1850–1899

= *

Early English Text Society The Early English Text Society (EETS) is a text publication society founded in 1864 which is dedicated to the editing and publication of early English texts, especially those only available in manuscript. Most of its volumes contain editions of ...

(founded 1864): publishes editions of early

English-language English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the is ...

texts (in particular texts in

Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...

and

Middle English Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English p ...

), especially those previously unpublished. *

Harleian Society The Harleian Society is a text publication society and registered charity founded in 1869 for the publication of manuscripts of the heraldic visitations of the counties of England and Wales, and other unpublished manuscripts relating to genealo ...

(founded 1869): publishes editions of the

heraldic visitation Heraldic visitations were tours of inspection undertaken by Kings of Arms (or alternatively by heralds, or junior officers of arms, acting as their deputies) throughout England, Wales and Ireland. Their purpose was to register and regulate the ...

s of England and Wales, and other manuscript sources relating to

genealogy Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kins ...

and

heraldry Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branch ...

. *

Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Cumberland ( ) is a historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974. From 19 ...

(founded as an

society in 1866: it began publishing texts in its Extra Series in 1877, in its Tract Series in 1882, in its Record or Chartulary Series in 1897, and in its Parish Register Section series in 1912): publishes editions of records relating to the historic counties of

Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is a historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974. From 19 ...

and

Westmorland Westmorland (, formerly also spelt ''Westmoreland'';R. Wilkinson The British Isles, Sheet The British IslesVision of Britain/ref> is a historic county in North West England spanning the southern Lake District and the northern Dales. It had an ...

. *

Record Society of Lancashire and Cheshire The Record Society of Lancashire and Cheshire is a text publication society that publishes historical documents relating to the traditional counties of Lancashire and Cheshire. It became a registered charity (No. 500434) for public education ...

(founded 1878): publishes editions of records relating to the historic counties of

and

. * Staffordshire Record Society (founded 1879 as the

William Salt William Salt (29 October 1808 – 6 December 1863) was a British banker in London, England, and a genealogist and antiquary in whose memory the William Salt Library in Stafford was founded. Life Salt's father, John Stevenson Salt (High Sh ...

Archaeological Society; took its present name 1936): publishes editions of records relating to

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands Cou ...

. *

London Topographical Society The London Topographical Society was founded as the Topographical Society of London in 1880 to publish "material illustrating the history and topography of the City and County of London from the earliest times to the present day".Scottish Text Society The Scottish Text Society (STS) is a text publication society founded in 1882 to promote the study of Scottish literature. The Society publishes scholarly editions of important texts from the country's literary history, and has played a significa ...

(founded 1882): publishes scholarly editions of significant Scottish literary texts, especially

Middle Scots Middle Scots was the Anglic language of Lowland Scotland in the period from 1450 to 1700. By the end of the 15th century, its phonology, orthography, accidence, syntax and vocabulary had diverged markedly from Early Scots, which was virtually ...

works of the 16th to 18th centuries. *

Pāli Text Society The Pali Text Society is a text publication society founded in 1881 by Thomas William Rhys Davids "to foster and promote the study of Pāli texts". Pāli is the language in which the texts of the Theravada school of Buddhism are preserved. The Pā ...

(founded 1881): publishes editions and translations of

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

scriptures in the

Pāli Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or ''Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of ''Theravāda'' Buddhism ...

language, and other related texts. Pipe roll 1174 record type

* Pipe Roll Society (founded 1883 by the

Public Record Office The Public Record Office (abbreviated as PRO, pronounced as three letters and referred to as ''the'' PRO), Chancery Lane in the City of London, was the guardian of the national archives of the United Kingdom from 1838 until 2003, when it was m ...

): publishes editions of the medieval English Pipe rolls, and other related archival texts. *

Oxford Historical Society The Oxford Historical Society (OHS) is a text publication society concerned with the history of the city of Oxford and the surrounding area in the historic county of Oxfordshire in southern England. History The Oxford Historical Society was ...

(founded 1884): publishes editions of records relating to the history of the city of

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

and the historic county of

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...

. *

Palestine Pilgrims' Text Society __NOTOC__ The Palestine Pilgrims' Text Society (PPTS) was a text publication society based in London, which specialised in publishing editions and translations of medieval texts relevant to the history of pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Particular at ...

(founded 1884): published editions and translations of texts relating to the history of pilgrimage to the

Holy Land The Holy Land; Arabic: or is an area roughly located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern Bank of the Jordan River, traditionally synonymous both with the biblical Land of Israel and with the region of Palestine. The term "Holy ...

. Absorbed in 1896 by the

Palestine Exploration Fund The Palestine Exploration Fund is a British society based in London. It was founded in 1865, shortly after the completion of the Ordnance Survey of Jerusalem, and is the oldest known organization in the world created specifically for the study ...

, which continues to publish texts on an occasional basis. * Yorkshire Archaeological and Historical Society (founded as an

society in 1863: its Record Series began publication in 1885): publishes editions of records relating to the history of

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...

. * Huguenot Society of Great Britain and Ireland (founded as the Huguenot Society of London in 1885): among other activities, publishes editions of records relating to the history of French Protestant migration. *

Somerset Record Society ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

(founded 1886 as an offshoot of the

Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society The Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society was founded in 1849. The Society bought Taunton Castle in 1874, and leases it to Somerset County Council to house the Museum of Somerset. A substantial proportion of the items held by the Mus ...

): publishes editions of records relating to the history of the county of

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

. *

Scottish History Society The Scottish History Society is a historical and text publication society, which promotes the study of and research in the history of Scotland. It was founded in 1886, as part of the late 19th-century revival in interest in Scottish national id ...

(founded 1886): publishes editions of texts relating to the civil, religious, and social history of Scotland. *

Selden Society The Selden Society is a learned society and registered charity concerned with the study of English legal history. It functions primarily as a text publication society, but also undertakes other activities to promote scholarship within its spher ...

(founded 1887): publishes significant records relating to the history of

English law English law is the common law legal system of England and Wales, comprising mainly criminal law and civil law, each branch having its own courts and procedures. Principal elements of English law Although the common law has, historically, be ...

. *

(founded 1889): publishes indexes to British (predominantly English) public records, especially name indexes to

probate Probate is the judicial process whereby a will is "proved" in a court of law and accepted as a valid public document that is the true last testament of the deceased, or whereby the estate is settled according to the laws of intestacy in the sta ...

records; and also texts of

Hearth Tax A hearth tax was a property tax in certain countries during the medieval and early modern period, levied on each hearth, thus by proxy on wealth. It was calculated based on the number of hearths, or fireplaces, within a municipal area and is cons ...

returns from the 1660s and 1670s. * Thoresby Society (founded 1889): a general historical society concerned with the city of

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...

and its district, which among other activities publishes editions of historical documents. *

Henry Bradshaw Society The Henry Bradshaw Society is a British-based text publication society founded in 1890 for the scholarly editing and publication of rare liturgical texts. Foundation An initial meeting to plan the Henry Bradshaw Society took place in London on 3 ...

(founded 1890): publishes editions of rare liturgical texts. *

Navy Records Society The Navy Records Society was established in 1893 as a scholarly text publication society to publish historical documents relating to the history of the Royal Navy. Professor Sir John Knox Laughton and Admiral Sir Cyprian Bridge were the key lea ...

(founded 1893): publishes editions of historical records relating to the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

. * Worcestershire Historical Society (founded 1893): publishes editions of records relating to the history of

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see His ...

. *

(founded 1897: previously the Scottish section of the British Record Society): publishes calendars and indexes to public records and private muniments and manuscripts relating to Scotland and Scottish affairs. *

Lancashire Parish Register Society The Lancashire Parish Register Society is a text publication society and registered charity which was founded for the "purpose of printing the registers of the ancient parishes" in Lancashire and has published more than 175 volumes, CDs and CD- ...

(founded 1897): publishes editions of the

parish register A parish register in an ecclesiastical parish is a handwritten volume, normally kept in the parish church in which certain details of religious ceremonies marking major events such as baptisms (together with the dates and names of the parents), ma ...

s of

. *

Irish Texts Society The Irish Texts Society ( ga, Cumann na Scríbheann nGaedhilge) was founded in 1898 to promote the study of Irish literature. It is a text publication society, issuing annotated editions of texts in Irish with English translations and related co ...

(founded 1898): publishes editions and translations of texts in the

Irish language Irish ( Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was ...

=Began publication 1900–1949

= *

Sussex Record Society The Sussex Record Society is a text publication society A text publication society is a learned society which publishes (either as its sole function, or as a principal function) scholarly editions of old works of historical or literary interest, ...

(founded 1901): publishes editions of records relating to the historic county of

Sussex Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...

. *

(founded as an

and historical society in 1897: its Records Series began publication in 1903): publishes editions of records relating to the history of

Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated Notts.) is a landlocked county in the East Midlands region of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. The traditi ...

. *

Catholic Record Society The Catholic Record Society (Registered Charity No. 313529), founded in 1904, is a scholarly society devoted to the study of Reformation and post-Reformation Catholicism in England and Wales. It has been described as "the premier Catholic histo ...

(founded 1904): publishes editions of records relating to

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

and post-Reformation

Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. Although still an active record publisher, the Society has broadened its interests to become a general historical society. *

(founded 1904): publishes editions of medieval bishops' registers and other ecclesiastical records. * Devon and Cornwall Record Society (founded 1904): publishes editions of records relating to the history of the counties of

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

and

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

. *

Malone Society The Malone Society is a British-based text publication and general scholarly society devoted to the study of 16th- and early 17th-century drama. It publishes editions of plays from manuscript, facsimile editions of printed and manuscript plays of ...

(founded 1906): publishes editions of plays and other documents relating to English theatre and drama before 1642. *

Lincoln Record Society Lincoln Record Society is a British text publication society founded in 1910 which edits and publishes historic records relating to Lincolnshire and the Diocese of Lincoln. The ancient diocese covered not only Lincolnshire, but also Leicester ...

(founded 1910): publishes editions of records relating to the history of the

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

and

diocese of Lincoln The Diocese of Lincoln forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England. The present diocese covers the ceremonial county of Lincolnshire. History The diocese traces its roots in an unbroken line to the Pre-Reformation Diocese of Leices ...

. *

(founded as an

society in 1857: its Records Branch began publishing in 1912): publishes editions of records relating to the history of the county of

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

. * Surrey Record Society (founded 1912 as an offshoot of the

Surrey Archaeological Society Surrey Archaeological Society is a county archaeological society, founded in 1854 for "the investigation of subjects connected with the history and antiquities of the County of Surrey" in England. Remit The Society concerns itself with "the Cou ...

): publishes editions of records relating to the history of the county of

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

. * Bedfordshire Historical Record Society (founded 1912): publishes editions of records relating to the history of

Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council wa ...

. * Oxfordshire Record Society (founded 1919): publishes editions of records relating to the history of

. *

Dugdale Society The Dugdale Society is a text publication society for the English county of Warwickshire. It was established in 1920 and named after the distinguished Warwickshire antiquarian Sir William Dugdale. Selected publications Main series Vol. Title * ...

(founded 1920): publishes editions of records relating to the history of

Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, and the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Avon an ...

. * Northamptonshire Record Society (founded 1920): publishes editions of records relating to the history of

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire (; abbreviated Northants.) is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015, it had a population of 723,000. The county is administered by two unitary authorities: North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. It is ...

. *

Bristol Record Society The Bristol Record Society is a text publication society which publishes scholarly editions of historical records and texts relating to the history of the City of Bristol. Founded in 1929, it is one of the oldest such societies devoted to the publi ...

(founded 1929): publishes editions of records relating to the history of the city of

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

. *

Norfolk Record Society The Norfolk Record Society (NRS) was established in 1930 as a scholarly text publication society to publish historical documents relating to the history of Norwich and the county of Norfolk, England. The Society's objectives were to encourage the ...

(founded 1930): publishes editions of records relating to the history of the county of

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

. *

Scottish Gaelic Texts Society The Scottish Gaelic Texts Society is a text publication society established "to provide the publication of texts in the Scottish Gaelic language, accompanied by such introductions, English translations, glossaries and notes as may be deemed desir ...

(founded 1934): publishes editions of texts in the

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...

language, with English translations. *

Stair Society The Stair Society is a learned society devoted to the study of Scots law. It was instituted in 1934 "to encourage the study and to advance the knowledge of the history of Scots Law," and is named for James Dalrymple, 1st Viscount of Stair, the sev ...

(founded 1934): publishes texts and records relating to the history of

Scots law Scots law () is the legal system of Scotland. It is a hybrid or mixed legal system containing civil law and common law elements, that traces its roots to a number of different historical sources. Together with English law and Northern Ireland l ...

. * Buckinghamshire Record Society (founded ''c''.1936 as the records branch of the Buckinghamshire Archaeological Society; became an independent society ''c.''1946): publishes editions of records relating to the history of

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-ea ...

. *

Anglo-Norman Text Society The Anglo-Norman Text Society is a text publication society founded in 1937 by Professor Mildred K. Pope. The founding aim of the society was to promote the study of Anglo-Norman language and Anglo-Norman literature by facilitating the publicat ...

(founded 1937): publishes editions of texts of interest for the study of the

Anglo-Norman language Anglo-Norman, also known as Anglo-Norman French ( nrf, Anglo-Normaund) ( French: ), was a dialect of Old Norman French that was used in England and, to a lesser extent, elsewhere in Great Britain and Ireland during the Anglo-Norman period. When ...

Anglo-Norman literature Anglo-Norman may refer to: *Anglo-Normans, the medieval ruling class in England following the Norman conquest of 1066 *Anglo-Norman language **Anglo-Norman literature * Anglo-Norman England, or Norman England, the period in English history from 106 ...

, and the

Norman period The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conque ...

of English history. *

(founded 1939 as the records branch of the

Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society The Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society was founded in 1853, and is one of the largest county-based archaeological societies in the United Kingdom. It runs the Wiltshire Museum in Devizes, Wiltshire which has the best Bronze Age ...

; became an independent society 1967): publishes editions of records relating to the history of

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...

=Began publication 1950–

= *

Bristol & Gloucestershire Archaeological Society The Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society is a learned society concerned with the history and antiquities of the City of Bristol and the historic county of Gloucestershire. It was founded on 21 April 1876; and is a registered charity, ...

(founded as an

society in 1876: its Records Section began publication in 1952, and its separate Record Series in 1988): publishes editions of records relating to the history of

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Gl ...

and (to a lesser extent)

. * Suffolk Records Society (founded 1957): publishes editions of records relating to the history of the county of

Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...

. * Dorset Record Society (founded 1962): publishes editions of records relating to the history of the county of

Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset (unitary authority), Dors ...

. *

(founded 1964): publishes editions of archival and historical material relating to

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. *

List and Index Society The List and Index Society (L&IS) is a learned society that publishes editions and calendars of historical records and occasional monographs. The society was founded in 1965 by Sir Geoffrey Elton and others, with the aim of publishing and distribu ...

(founded 1965): publishes editions, calendars and lists of British historical records, predominantly of material held in

The National Archives National archives are central archives maintained by countries. This article contains a list of national archives. Among its more important tasks are to ensure the accessibility and preservation of the information produced by governments, both ...

(formerly the

). *

Association for Scottish Literary Studies The Association for Scottish Literary Studies (ASLS) is a Scottish educational charitable organization, charity, founded in 1970 to promote and support the teaching, study and writing of Scottish literature. Its founding members included the Sco ...

(founded 1970): a general society concerned with the promotion and study of

Scottish literature Scottish literature is literature written in Scotland or by List of Scottish writers, Scottish writers. It includes works in Scottish English, English, Scottish Gaelic language, Scottish Gaelic, Scots language, Scots, Brythonic languages, Bryth ...

, one of its roles is to publish editions of

out of print __NOTOC__ An out-of-print (OOP) or out-of-commerce item or work is something that is no longer being published. The term applies to all types of printed matter, visual media, sound recordings, and video recordings. An out-of-print book is a book ...

Scottish texts in its ''Annual Volumes'' series. * Cambridgeshire Records Society (founded as Cambridge Antiquarian Records Society ''c''.1973; took its present name ''c''.1987): publishes editions of records relating to the history of

Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East of England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and North ...

. *

Derbyshire Record Society The Derbyshire Record Society is a text publication society for the county of Derbyshire in England. It was established in 1977. Selected publications * ''The Bailiffs of Derby: Urban Governors and their Governance 1513-1638'' * ''The Building of ...

(founded 1977, inheriting the publication work of the Derbyshire Archaeological Society): publishes editions of records relating to the history of

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...

. * Rutland Record Society (founded 1979; merged in 1991 with Rutland Local History Society to form the Rutland Local History & Record Society): publishes editions of records relating to the history of the county of

Rutland Rutland () is a ceremonial county and unitary authority in the East Midlands, England. The county is bounded to the west and north by Leicestershire, to the northeast by Lincolnshire and the southeast by Northamptonshire. Its greatest len ...

. * South Wales Record Society (founded 1982 as the successor to the South Wales and Monmouth Record Society): publishes editions of records relating to the history of

South Wales South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...

. *

Army Records Society The Army Records Society is a text publication society for the history of the British Army. The society was established in 1984 and is a registered charity. To date (October 2022) the society has issued 41 volumes of material. Selected publication ...

(founded 1984): publishes editions of manuscripts and records relating to the history of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

. * Hertfordshire Record Society (founded 1985): publishes editions of records relating to the history of Hertfordshire. *Church of England Record Society (founded 1991): publishes editions of records relating to the history of the Church of England from the 16th century onwards. *Berkshire Record Society (founded 1993): publishes editions of records relating to the history of Berkshire.

Defunct, or no longer active in text publication

=Began publication 1800–1849

= *

(founded ''c''.1823; dissolved 1861): published works of Scotland, Scottish history, poetry, and literature. *Maitland Club (founded 1828; dissolved 1859): published early Scottish texts. *Abbotsford Club (founded in 1833 or 1834; dissolved ''c''.1866): published editions of a variety of literary and archival texts, including many of Scottish interest, and others in

. *Welsh Manuscripts Society (founded in 1837; dissolved ''c''.1874): published editions of literary and archival texts relating to the history of Wales and Britain. *English Historical Society (founded ''c''.1838; dissolved ''c''.1856): published editions of medieval English

s and Anglo-Saxon charters. *Spalding Club (founded 1839; dissolved ''c''.1870; revived as the New Spalding Club 1886; dissolved ''c''.1924; revived as the Third Spalding Club ''c''.1929; dissolved ''c''.1960): published editions of texts relating to the history of Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire (historic), Aberdeenshire and northern Scotland. *Percy Society (founded 1840; dissolved 1852): published editions of rare English poems and songs. *Shakespeare Society (founded 1841; dissolved 1853) *Parker Society (founded 1841; dissolved ''c''.1855): published editions of texts relating to the Church of England in the 16th century. *Ælfric Society (founded 1842; dissolved 1856): published editions of

texts. *Spottiswoode Society (founded ''c''.1844; dissolved ''c''.1856): published editions of texts relating to the ecclesiastical history of Scotland. *Caxton Society (founded 1844; dissolved ''c''.1854): published editions of medieval texts relating to English history, especially

s. *Hanserd Knollys Society (founded ''c''.1846; dissolved ''c''.1854): published editions of 17th-century texts relating to the early history of the Baptists, Baptist denomination. *Iona Club (founded ''c''.1847): published just one volume of editions of documents relating to the history of the Scottish Highlands, West Highlands of Scotland and the Hebrides. *Manx Society for the Publication of National Documents (founded 1858; dissolved ''c''.1893): published editions of historical documents relating to the Isle of Man.

=Began publication 1850–1899

= *Scottish Burgh Records Society (founded ''c''.1868; dissolved ''c''.1967): published editions of records relating to the List of burghs in Scotland, burghs of Scotland. *Chaucer Society (founded 1868; dissolved ''c''.1914): published editions of the writings of Geoffrey Chaucer, especially from manuscripts. *Ballad Society (founded 1868): published rare English poems and songs, especially folksongs. *Grampian Club (founded ''c''.1869; dissolved ''c''.1891): published editions of historical and genealogical Scottish texts. *Hunterian Club (founded 1871; dissolved ''c''.1902): published reprints of old or out of print texts of importance to Scottish history and culture. *Société Jersiaise (founded 1873 as a general antiquarian society, with text publication among its activities; ceased systematic text publication 1924): published editions of historical documents relating to the Bailiwick of Jersey; remains active in other spheres. *New Shakspere Society (founded 1873; dissolved 1894): published texts illustrating the works and times of William Shakespeare *Wyclif Society (founded 1882; dissolved ''c''.1904):John Wyclif (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
/ref> published editions of the works of John Wycliffe. *Aungervyle Society (founded ''c''.1881; dissolved ''c''.1886): published editions of early printed texts. *Clarendon Historical Society (founded ''c''.1882; dissolved ''c''.1888): published editions of 17th- and 18th-century texts relating to the Wars of the Three Kingdoms and Jacobitism. *Saint Paul's Ecclesiological Society, an offshoot of the Cambridge Camden Society *North Riding Record Society (founded ''c''.1884; dissolved ''c''.1897): published editions of records relating to the North Riding of Yorkshire. *Middlesex County Record Society (founded ''c''.1886; dissolved ''c''.1892): published four volumes of calendars of quarter sessions records for the county of Middlesex. *Hampshire Record Society (founded ''c''.1889; dissolved ''c''.1897): published editions of records relating to the history of Hampshire. Now succeeded by the Hampshire Record Series, sponsored by the Hampshire Record Office, which began publication in 1976. *Lincoln Record Society#Prehistory: Lincolnshire Record Society, Lincolnshire Record Society (founded 1889; dissolved ''c''.1891): published one volume relating to the history of Lincolnshire. Succeeded by Lincoln Record Society. *Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion (founded 1751 as a literary society: published its Record Series between 1892 and 1936): published editions of texts relating to the history of Wales; remains active in other spheres.

=Began publication 1900–1949

= *Scottish Clergy Society (founded ''c''.1901; dissolved ''c''.1909): published editions of texts relating to the history of the Church of Scotland in the 16th and 17th centuries. *Cantilupe Society (founded 1905; dissolved ''c''.1932): published editions of records relating to the Hereford Cathedral, cathedral and diocese of Hereford. *British Society of Franciscan Studies (founded ''c''.1908; dissolved ''c''.1937): published editions of texts relating to the history of the Franciscan Order of Friars Minor in the British Isles. *Rymour Club (founded 1903; dissolved ''c''.1928): published traditional Scotland, Scottish poems, ballads and rhymes. *Historical Society of West Wales (founded ''c''.1912; dissolved ''c''1929): published editions of records relating to the history of West Wales. *South Wales and Monmouth Record Society (began publication 1949; fell into abeyance ''c''.1963): published editions of records relating to the history of

and Monmouthshire (historic), Monmouthshire. Succeeded by the South Wales Record Society.

=Began publication 1950–

= *Derbyshire Archaeological Society (founded as an

society in 1878: volumes in its Records Series were published 1966–1977): published editions of records relating to the history of

. Remains active in other spheres, but superseded in record publication by the Derbyshire Record Society. *Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne (founded as an antiquarian society in 1813; three volumes in its Records Series were published 1968–1987): published editions of records relating to the history of

and Newcastle upon Tyne; remains active in other spheres.

Canada

* Champlain Society (founded 1905): publishes documents relating to Canadian history. * Hudson's Bay Record Society (founded 1938; dissolved 1983): published records of the Hudson's Bay Company * Osgoode Society * Rupert's Land Record Society

Germany

*''Monumenta Germaniae Historica'' (founded 1819; nationalised 1935): publishes primary sources, both

and Archives, archival, for the study of History of Germany, German history from the end of the Roman Empire to 1500.

Iceland

*Íslenzk fornrit (founded 1928): publishes editions of History of Icelandic, Old Icelandic texts.

South Africa

*Historical Publications Southern Africa (founded 1918 as the Van Riebeeck Society): publishes editions of texts relating to southern African history.

Notes

Bibliography

Critical studies

* * * *

Lists of publications

* [lists publications relating to English and Welsh history issued between 1802 and 1957] * [lists publications relating to English and Welsh history issued between 1957 and 1982] * [lists publications relating to Scottish history issued up to 1985]

External links

*{{cite web , url=https://royalhistsoc.org/publications/national-regional-history/ , publisher=Royal Historical Society , title=National & Regional History , access-date=27 December 2020 [links to lists of national, regional and local record society publications: these incorporate and update the material in the ''Texts and Calendars'' lists published by Mullins and the Stevensons] Learned societies Social history of the United Kingdom Book publishing Academic publishing Text publication societies,

Historical development

List of societies

United Kingdom and Ireland

Active

=Began publication 1800–1849

=Began publication 1850–1899

=Began publication 1900–1949

=Began publication 1950–

Defunct, or no longer active in text publication

=Began publication 1800–1849

=Began publication 1850–1899

=Began publication 1900–1949

=Began publication 1950–

Canada

Germany

Iceland

South Africa

See also

Notes

Bibliography

Critical studies

Lists of publications

External links