Research groups - History

The History group has a wide range of research interests, broadly grouped into 4 clusters:

18th century England

Staff

Tim Hitchcock, Sarah Lloyd, Anne Murphy, Katrina Navickas, John Styles

Researchers

Janice Turner, Jack Mockford, Shelley Tickell, Alice Dolan  

Overview

We focus on everyday lives, politics, economy and cultures during the long 18th century, with particular interest in:

• material culture
• gender
• crime
• London

We innovate in digital history. Our projects include the award-winning Old Bailey Online and London Lives.

John Styles, David Celetti and Alice Dolan work on the research project Spinning in the Era of the Spinning Wheel  

Tim Hitchcock and Sarah Lloyd co-convene the British History in the Long Eighteenth Century seminar at the Institute of Historical Research, which is regularly attended by our other staff and research students.  

Watch Tim Hitchcock’s professorial lecture, ‘Renegotiating the Bloody Code’.

Regional societies and cultures

Staff

Owen Davies, Nigel Goose, Katrina Navickas, Christine Garwood

Researchers

Francesca Matteoni, Julie Moore, Friedrich Newman, Paul Thompson, Bridget Long

Overview

We research regional societies from the early modern to modern periods, with particular emphasis upon:  

• Demography
• Landscape
• Popular politics and cultures
• Popular beliefs  

While mainly focused on the history of England, we also explore these themes in an international context.  

Professor Nigel Goose and Dr Katrina Navickas run the Centre for Regional and Local History which provides leadership to the community of local historians in Hertfordshire.

It produces a highly respected series of publications and supervises the journal and regular conferences of the Local Population Studies Society. 

Francesca Matteoni and Owen Davies are involved in a Wellcome Trust international and inter-disciplinary project, ‘Harnessing the Power of the Criminal Corpse’.

Contemporary world history

Staff

Helen Boak, Jonathan Morris, Tony Shaw

Researchers

Simon Collier, Miles Hurley 

Overview

We research 20th century Germany, Italy, UK and the USA.

We emphasise transnational connections and issues, including:

• Consumption, leisure and daily life
• Fascism and the Cold War
• Gender
• Film and propaganda

We host the research project The Cappuccino Conquests.

Watch Cappuccino Conquests vodcasts.

Public history

Staff

Christine Garwood, Alix Green, Sarah Lloyd, Andrew Green

Overview

We encourage and research links between academic history and:

• the public
• social and political policy
• the heritage industry and archive repositories  

We also build links with other disciplines and institutions through the Heritage Hub.