Welcome

A warm welcome to the Pub History Society (PHS) website.

Our Society was founded in 2001 by a small group of like-minded pub history enthusiasts. The PHS mission statement is .....

‘Promoting the heritage of British pubs and the people connected with them’

although over time this has come to embrace any and every aspect of the public house in all its forms, from its architecture, its history and its licensees to licensing law, pub games and pub furniture, including pewter tankards and other drinking vessels, and so much more.

Essentially the PHS exists to:

- Encourage research into the public house, the people who worked in them, and their importance to society as a whole.

- Co-ordinate and publicise the work of people already researching the subject using newsletters and the website.

- And above all, to celebrate and commemorate a unique heritage.

Over the last couple of years we have had various meetings in different parts of the country and we host occasional 'Pub Tours' during the year. These Tours are suited to anyone with a passing interest in unspoilt pubs and provide a nice comfortable social environment in which to meet fellow enthusiasts. Details can be found on our Diary Dates page as well as dates for Non Society activities.

Many people who contact us are looking for ways to trace their ancestors who may have been in 'the trade'. Simon Fowler, Founder Member of the Society, past Editor of Ancestors Magazine and professional researcher has put together a guide to tracing ancestors who worked in pubs. The guide also gives general details about tracing the history of a pub. You can find links and ideas on how to carry out you own research on our Researching the History of a pub page www.pubhistorysociety.co.uk/research.html.

We sincerely hope that you will find something of interest. Please feel free to search the website and find out a little more about what we do and what we have achieved. A selection of articles, some examples of the PHS quarterly Newsletter and reports on a number of our events and Society meetings can be easily accessed.

If, like us, you love the institution that is the British pub and have a passion to find out more about the history and development of all aspects of this uniquely British institution or would like to share your research with us, then why not join the Society? Details of joining fees and the benefits to be derived from membership can be found here.

Thanks for your visit.

Best wishes,

Dr. Patrick Chaplin
Chairman

  • Diary Dates

    What we're doing and when we're doing it. You might even find a date or two for your diary from other like-minded groups. More details can be found by following the link below.

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  • Mail List

    Not sure if you want to be a full member yet? Why not sign up for our occasional newsletter, no obligation, no pressure! More details can be found by following the link below.

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  • Membership

    Becoming a member of the Pub History Society is a great idea. You'll have access to all of our back issues of our newsletter and even a downloadable bibliography should you need it. More details can be found by following the link below.

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