-
Mercurial justice: a Jesuit chaplain’s view of life in the prisons of sixteenth-century Seville
Historian article
Justice in the early modern period was discretionary, which meant it could be both violent and deeply unfair. Elites often escaped the most severe punishments inflicted on the poor and minoritised groups. Clare Burgess shows how a Jesuit chaplain in sixteenth- century Seville used his spiritual discretion and zealous belief...
Mercurial justice: a Jesuit chaplain’s view of life in the prisons of sixteenth-century Seville
-
James Macpherson: a Scottish Robin Hood
Historian article
James Macpherson led a notorious gang of robbers in late seventeenth-century Scotland, and he became infamous for robbing rich lairds to give to the poor. Anne-Marie Kilday explains how his notoriety is also significant for revealing how people in early modern Scotland could hold complex attitudes towards the Gypsy Roma...
James Macpherson: a Scottish Robin Hood
-
Finding Bad Bridget: the lives and crimes of Irish immigrant women in America
Historian article
From the early nineteenth century until the First World War, millions of Irish women emigrated to North America in search of better lives. Elaine Farrell and Leanne McCormick, co-leads for the AHRC-funded Bad Bridget research project, tell us how poverty, discrimination, isolation from family as well as greed and opportunism...
Finding Bad Bridget: the lives and crimes of Irish immigrant women in America
-
Out and About: Locating the Local Lockup
Historian feature
If you are arrested for a crime today, you will very likely be taken to a police station and locked in a cell while officers decide if they have enough evidence to charge you. But have you ever wondered what happened to criminals and other disorderly folk – roughs, drunks...
Out and About: Locating the Local Lockup
-
Imperial spaces of a ‘miniature world’: the case of Rugby School, c.1828–1850
Historian article
English public schools in the nineteenth century were training grounds not just for society’s elites but also for careers in Britain’s imperial service. In this article, Holly Hiscox explores the ways in which schools such as Rugby provided pupils with a miniature world of domestic and professional life which prepared...
Imperial spaces of a ‘miniature world’: the case of Rugby School, c.1828–1850
-
Decoding medieval pilgrimage
Historian article
Pilgrimage played a significant role in medieval life and belief. Pilgrims travelled far and wide to express their devotion to saints and their cults. Who were the pilgrims and what did pilgrimage involve? Luke Daly makes sense of this fascinating and complex phenomenon...
Decoding medieval pilgrimage
-
From our branches: Conwy Borough Branch
Historian feature
A new branch of the Historical Association has recently opened in North Wales. In this article, branch founders Morgan Ditchburn and Gemma Campbell introduce themselves and provide an exciting account of the present and future activities of the Conwy Borough Historical Association Branch...
From our branches: Conwy Borough Branch
-
Real Lives: A German captain’s perspective on the end of WWI
Historian feature
Our series ‘Real Lives’ seeks to put the story of the ordinary person into our great historical narrative. We are all part of the rich fabric of the communities in which we live and we are affected sto greater and lesser degrees by the big events that happen on a daily...
Real Lives: A German captain’s perspective on the end of WWI
-
Doing history: Contemporary narratives and the legacy of the Dagenham Ford Factory Strike of 1968
Historian feature
In this article, Zubin Burley looks at how a visit to the local archive can transform our understanding of an important event in British social history...
Doing history: Contemporary narratives and the legacy of the Dagenham Ford Factory Strike of 1968
-
The Historian 166: Out now
The magazine of the Historical Association
Read The Historian 166: Crime and Punishment
Last summer, crime and punishment made the headlines as Britain’s prisons came close to full capacity. In response, the Justice Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, ordered the release of nearly 10,000 prisoners who had served a significant portion of their sentence. The aim was to...
The Historian 166: Out now
-
The Historian 166: Crime and Punishment
The magazine of the Historical Association
This edition of The Historian is free to access for all HA members. Find out about membership here.
Contents
5 Editorial (Read article)
6 Coroners, communities, and the Crown: mapping death and justice in late medieval England – Stephanie Emma Brown (Read article - open access)
11 Mercurial justice: a...
The Historian 166: Crime and Punishment
-
Telling rich stories about women’s lives in the American West at GCSE
Teaching History article
Concerned by the absence of women’s voices in her school’s scheme of work on the American West, and struck by the narrow, male-dominated narrative in her GCSE textbook, Nicole Ridley set out to rethink the way the topic was taught. Galvanised by her research into different ways to integrate women’s history,...
Telling rich stories about women’s lives in the American West at GCSE
-
Teaching Year 9 about the ordinary people who fought in the Spanish Civil War
Teaching History article
Teaching Year 9 about the ordinary people who fought in the Spanish Civil War
-
Cunning Plan… for teaching medieval Muslim Spain
Teaching History feature
Good morning Year 7. Once upon a time in the mid-eighth century, a young prince was forced to abandon his home. His home was in Damascus, and there, one night, his family had been taken by surprise. The young prince belonged to a family called the Ummayads. The Ummayads had...
Cunning Plan… for teaching medieval Muslim Spain
-
What Have Historians Been Arguing About... transnational history
Teaching History feature
Until the beginning of the twenty-first century, historians’ aversion to sweeping generalisations meant that they typically conducted their research within the boundaries of the nation state. Following the fall of the Soviet Union, the rise of globalisation and the birth of the internet, new political, intellectual, and practical developments began...
What Have Historians Been Arguing About... transnational history
-
Who was Paul Downing and what can his life tell us about trans history?
Teaching History article
Among the ‘ordinary people’ in the past, who constitute the focus of this issue of Teaching History, will be many who have not conformed to the gender norms of their own time. For Black trans artist Remi Graves, encountering one such individual – Paul Downing – in the London Archives was...
Who was Paul Downing and what can his life tell us about trans history?
-
A knowledge-rich approach to introducing China’s history to Year 9
Teaching History article
Freya George was wondering how best to integrate more Asian histories into her school’s curriculum when a conversation among history teachers on social media led her to Jung Chang’s Wild Swans: three daughters of China. George then planned two enquiries, one introducing twentieth-century China, and one focusing entirely on Chang’s work. George styles...
A knowledge-rich approach to introducing China’s history to Year 9
-
Move Me On 199: handling differences between history lead's advice and history teachers' approaches
Teaching History feature
Move Me On is designed to build critical, informed debate about the character of teacher training, teacher education and professional development. It is also designed to offer practical help to all involved in training new history teachers. Each issue presents a situation in initial teacher education/training with an emphasis upon...
Move Me On 199: handling differences between history lead's advice and history teachers' approaches
-
Primary History 10
The primary education journal of the Historical Association
4 Viewpoints - Penelope Harnett
5 Letters
6 Setting Activities at Historic Houses - Gail Durbin
9 Here Be Lions - Editorial Article
11 History at Key Stage 2: Looking to the Long Term - Keith Dickson
12 Planning for the New Orders History Key Stages 1 and 2 - David...
Primary History 10
-
Primary History 9
The primary education journal of the Historical Association
4 Editorial
5 A History Curriculum for the Millennium - Sue Bennett
7 Making the Most of a Past Non-European Society in Key Stage 2: A Case Study of Ancient Egypt - Tim Lomas, Dave Cordingley and Lesley Tyreman
9 'Time Machine' at the British Museum - Alan Francis
10 Bearpark...
Primary History 9
-
Primary History 8
The primary education journal of the Historical Association
4 Editorial
5 News
7 Professional Development in History Teaching: promoting chameleons or flamingos in the post-Dearing era - Angela Horton
9 Tudor Banquet: a case study of a history through drama project - Jo Lawrie
11 Re-Enactments: bringing history alive or fancy dress? - Rod Helps
13 The Use of Drama...
Primary History 8
-
Primary History 7
The primary education journal of the Historical Association
4 Editorial
5 News
6 Post-Dearing History-Missed Opportunities: Muddle and Fudge? A look at the new curriculum - Paul Noble
9 History in the Primary Curriculum: Interpreting the Vikings - Keith Crawford
12 Deconstruction or Reconstruction - Peter Vass
14 A Victorian Case Study: Simulating Aspects of Victorian Life in...
Primary History 7
-
Primary History summer resource 2025: Women with power
Primary member resource
For this year’s Primary History summer resource, we have selected a focus on the lives of women at a particular period – that of the Anglo-Saxon or the early medieval period. This period covers a substantial period of time – around 600 years. It was a time of catalyst and...
Primary History summer resource 2025: Women with power
-
Primary History 6
The primary education journal of the Historical Association
4 Guest Editorial - No Nonsense! - John Fines
6 News
7 Inspections Tim Lomas
9 Seven Inspectors Inspecting Paul Bish
10 Changes in the National Curriculum Paul Noble
11 History in the National Curriculum Assessment at Key Stage 1 - A Case Study Brian Scott
13 Was it worth...
Primary History 6
-
Primary History 5
The primary education journal of the Historical Association
4 Editorial
5 News
7 Radio History - Sallie Purkis
9 On the Canal - Tony Pickford
12 The Role of History Co-ordinator in an Infant School - Margaret Easton and Val Davidson, with Rob David and Nigel Toye
14 Books and Resources Review
Primary History 5
