In many instances, Local Acts of Parliament were the only way of bringing about change in a local community. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, many aspects of daily life were regulated by statutes. They are often a quick and accurate way of finding out what happened in a community over a period of time. The list is not exhaustive, many General Acts such as Poor Law legislation which affected the whole of the country are not listed.

Recommended Reading: The Parish Chest by W. E. Tate You can obtain a copy of this book by using our association with  Just click on the book title or cover picture!

This is the essential tool you must have sight of if you want to understand the workings of a parish community in England and Wales before the twentieth century. The author explains the background to the records you will find in most if not all record offices. A good understanding of the Poor Law is essential for any local historian and this book is undoubtedly the place to start. You will also find superbly detailed accounts of the records of highway maintenance and enclosure. Widely acknowledged as a classic, it is both very readable and scholarly with superb referencing and some extremely useful appendices including a wonderful glossary of the terms andd phrases you will come across in parish records and a very useful list of the pricipal acts and statutes used to govern the parishes of England and Wales. If you want to be a local historian you must understand the parish, and to understand the parish you must have this book. (Nigel Robins)

SHW Microhistory: 1. SHT 1858
	Swansea Harbour Trust's habit of dating the dock bollards with the year of their manufacture has left the port with a fascinating legacy of historical bookmarks. Unfortunately insensitive development by the local authority has meant that some of the best bollards have been destroyed, but enough survive to make any walk around the dock area interesting. One of my favourites is this 1858 example which originally stood at the starboard approach to Weaver's Basin (the original North Dock Half-tide Basin).
A number of these larger bollards were inserted in the quayside walls to cope with the bigger ships that were using the port in the later 1850s. This one was used extensively to work ships in and out of the North Dock. If you look closely at it you can still see the marks where countless ropes and hawsers have dug into the iron over the years of its service. The picture above shows the original aspect of 1858 with Weaver's Flour Mill in the background. 1858 survived the Sainsbury's redevelopment and can still be seen at the rear of their rather nice restaurant. More SHW Microhistory