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 academic discipline, profession, or a group of related disciplines such as the arts and science. Membership ...

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 phy ...

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, a ...

, 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 ...

, 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 material are often known as record societies or records societies.

Historical development

The principle of

subscription publishing 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 ...

– 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 da ...

, founded in 1812 as a convivial association of bibliophiles, 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'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: th ...

's ''

Aeneid The ''Aeneid'' ( ; la, Aenē̆is or ) is a Latin epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who fled the fall of Troy and travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of ...

'', 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 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 pio ...

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

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 archival 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 ...

, founded in 1834 and modelled in part on the Scottish Bannatyne and Maitland 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. 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 Northumberla ...

(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, 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 Lancas ...

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 tow ...

. 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, Scottish Record Society, Thoroton Society,

, 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 The Yorkshire Archaeological and Historical Society (YAHS), formerly known as the Yorkshire Archaeological Society, is a learned society and registered charity founded in 1863. It is dedicated to the study of the archaeology, history and people of ...

and the Kent Archaeological Society – 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 Surrey Record Society is a text publication society which edits and publishes historic records relating to the county of Surrey, England. The society concerns itself with the historic county, which includes, in addition to the current administrati ...

and the

Wiltshire Record Society The Wiltshire 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 interes ...

. 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 ...

, 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, art print, or other item of historical value that is as true to the original source as possible. It differs from other forms of ...

. *

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

. *

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

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

. * Chetham Society (founded 1843): publishes editions of texts relating to the counties of

and

. *

Ray Society The Ray Society is a scientific text publication society that publishes works devoted principally to British flora and fauna. As of 2019, it had published 181 volumes. Its publications are predominantly academic works of interest to naturalists, z ...

(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 r ...

(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 i ...

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 settlers in the mid-5th ...

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 Englis ...

), especially those previously unpublished. * Harleian Society (founded 1869): publishes editions of the heraldic visitations 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 kin ...

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 bran ...

. *

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 1974 ...

(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 counties of England, 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 c ...

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

and

. *

Staffordshire Record Society The Staffordshire Record Society is the record society for Staffordshire in England. It was originally formed in 1879 as the William Salt Archaeological Society based on the activities and collection of the antiquarian and banker William Salt ...

(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 C ...

. * London Topographical Society (founded 1880): publishes editions of source material (including maps, plans, views and texts), and also modern scholarly research, relating to the history and topography of London. * Scottish Text Society (founded 1882): publishes scholarly editions of significant Scottish literary texts, especially Middle Scots 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 language, and other related texts. Pipe roll 1174 record type

* Pipe Roll Society (founded 1883 by the Public Record Office): 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, primaril ...

. * Palestine Pilgrims' Text Society (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 stud ...

, which continues to publish texts on an occasional basis. *

(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 (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 Muse ...

): 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 , lor ...

. *

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 sphere ...

(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, b ...

. * British Record Society (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 st ...

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 c ...

returns from the 1660s and 1670s. *

Thoresby Society The Thoresby Society: The Leeds Historical Society is the historical society for the city of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England, and the surrounding district. It was founded in 1889 and named after the historian of Leeds, Ralph Thoresby (1658–17 ...

(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 popul ...

and its district, which among other activities publishes editions of historical documents. * Henry Bradshaw Society (founded 1890): publishes editions of rare liturgical texts. * Navy Records Society (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 Fr ...

. * 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 H ...

. * Scottish Record Society (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 (founded 1897): publishes editions of the parish registers of

. * Irish Texts Society (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 (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 Englis ...

. * Thoroton Society (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 trad ...

. * Catholic Record Society (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 The Devon and Cornwall 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 literar ...

(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. Devo ...

and

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a Historic counties of England, historic county and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people ...

. * Malone Society (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 Leiceste ...

(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 purposes Chambers 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 Leic ...

. * Kent Archaeological Society (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 ...

. *

(founded 1912 as an offshoot of the Surrey Archaeological Society): publishes editions of records relating to the history of the county of

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant ur ...

. * 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 ...

. *

Oxfordshire Record Society The Oxfordshire Record Society is a text publication society for the county of Oxfordshire in England. It was established in 1919. Selected publications * Vol. 1 : The Chantry certificates and The Edwardian inventories of church goods, edited by ...

(founded 1919): publishes editions of records relating to the history of

. * Dugdale Society (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-Avo ...

. * 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 ...

. *Bristol Record Society (founded 1929): publishes editions of records relating to the history of the city of Bristol. *Norfolk Record Society (founded 1930): publishes editions of records relating to the history of the county of Norfolk. *Scottish Gaelic Texts Society (founded 1934): publishes editions of texts in the Scottish Gaelic language, with English translations. *Stair Society (founded 1934): publishes texts and records relating to the history of Scots law. *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. *Anglo-Norman Text Society (founded 1937): publishes editions of texts of interest for the study of the Anglo-Norman language, Anglo-Norman literature, and the History of England#Norman England, Norman period of English history. *

(founded 1939 as the records branch of the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society; became an independent society 1967): publishes editions of records relating to the history of Wiltshire.

=Began publication 1950–

= *Bristol & Gloucestershire Archaeological Society (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 and (to a lesser extent) Bristol. *Suffolk Records Society (founded 1957): publishes editions of records relating to the history of the county of Suffolk. *Dorset Record Society (founded 1962): publishes editions of records relating to the history of the county of Dorset. *

(founded 1964): publishes editions of archival and historical material relating to London. *List and Index Society (founded 1965): publishes editions, calendars and lists of British historical records, predominantly of material held in The National Archives (United Kingdom), The National Archives (formerly the Public Record Office). *Association for Scottish Literary Studies (founded 1970): a general society concerned with the promotion and study of Scottish literature, one of its roles is to publish editions of out of print 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. *Derbyshire Record Society (founded 1977, inheriting the publication work of the Derbyshire Archaeological Society): publishes editions of records relating to the history of Derbyshire. *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. *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. *Army Records Society (founded 1984): publishes editions of manuscripts and records relating to the history of the British Army. *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

= * Bannatyne Club (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 South Wales 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 Derbyshire. 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