Banbury Historical Society Library

10/01/2026

15/12/2025

This is really urgent - please read and respond to the council consultation - the deadline is Friday 19 December.
The BHS Library is of course at risk along with the Museum itself.

10/11/2025

We have a selection of books on how to trace your family history, as well as material on researching specific document types such as probate inventories, censuses, court records, and many other sources. There are also books on tracing your ancestors in specific areas, such as here in Oxfordshire.

14/09/2025

Come and join us on Saturday for our first Open Day, to coincide with the https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/ initiative

See first comment for more information about the talks

13/08/2025

The radical past of Banbury and nearby villages is represented in the Library by a number of publications.
Joseph Arch and Joseph Ashby were contemporaries in the second half of the 19th century, both born in Warwickshire villages, who in different ways worked to advance the wellbeing of agricultural workers and their families.
"Over the hills to glory" describes the efforts of radicals to secure the vote, the Banbury Chartists, the establishment of industrial and agricultural trade unionism, the growth of the Co-operative movement in the area, and later industrial struggles at the Bliss Tweed Mills and Northern Aluminium.
These events and more are depicted on the banner of a local campaign group, and described in Vol. 26 (2024) of Cake & Cockhorse (https://banburyhistoricalsociety.org/index.php?page=vol-26)

09/02/2025

Going further back in time, we have information on the Domesday Book as it relates to Oxfordshire, including this beautifully presented publication. It includes facsmiles of the entries in the Domesday Book, as well as commentary and interpretive maps.

23/01/2025

The English Civil War is a significant part of Banbury's history. We have a good selection of books and other material about the civil war, including this beautifully illustrated atlas of the battles.

04/01/2025

Does anybody recognise this drawing? It's by J.B. Shaw dated 1973, but where is it? It came to the Library in among a collection of other papers.

17/12/2024

Thankfully, as of today the Museum is back open, so the Library will be open this Thursday and Saturday as normal.

10/12/2024

Unfortunately both the Museum and the Library will be closed again this week, due to the ongoing problems with the heating and hot water systems

01/12/2024

The Library has some material from Alcan, both the Labs and Extrusions: this is just a flavour. If you have any other material that you think might be a useful addition and that you would be happy to donate, please let us know.