Local History Society Information

See also Sussex and Local Genealogical Websites

Please remember that, in general, local history societies, occupational societies and indexers are smaller than the countywide family history societies. The idea of contact with Local History Societies or Individual Researchers is not that they should carry out family history research but provide background information from research and knowledge already done. Please select the society of interest.

The original database was created when few societies had websites and from time to time we contacted each one to get the latest details for you. Now that most have the data online, we have substituted a listing of sites and links to ensure that the details are as up-to-date as possible.

Obviously one can search the internet for information about a place or parish. There are also listings of Sussex societies at

• West Sussex Library Service Local Societies and Organisations
• East Sussex Community Information Service - Local & Family History
• The Local History Online website, owned and managed by Local History Magazine

More information on occupations is at http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/Occupations.html

Amberley Working Museum	www.amberleymuseum.co.uk
Angmering Village Life	www.angmeringvillage.co.uk
Ardingly History Society	www.ardingly.org/ardingly-history-society/
Arundel Museum Society	www.arundelmuseum.org.uk/
Ashurst Wood Historians	www.escis.org.uk/Entry/View/Ashurst_Wood_Historians/17886
Battle & District Historical Society	battlehistorysociety.btck.co.uk/
The Beeding and Bramber Local History Society	steyningmuseum.org.uk/beedingbramber.htm
Bexhill Museum Research Group	www.bexhillmuseum.co.uk/
Billingshurst Local History Society	www.billingshurst-community.org.uk/Localhistorysoc.php
Bognor Regis Local History Society	www.bognor-regis.co.uk/bognor-local-history.html
Bolney Local History Society	www.bolney.com/bolney history soc.htm
The Brewery History Society	www.breweryhistory.com
Brickmakers Index	www.davidrcufley.btinternet.co.uk/
Brighton Fishing Museum	www.brightonfishingmuseum.org.uk/
Brighton History Centre	www.brighton-hove-rpml.org.uk/Museums/brightonhistorycentre/Pages/home.aspx
Burgess Hill Local History Society	www.burgesshillmuseum.co.uk/history_society/index.htm
Chichester Local History Society	chichesterlocalhistory.org.uk/
Chichester District Museum	www.chichester.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=16582
Coastguards Index	www.genuki.org.uk/big/Coastguards/
	www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-person/coastguard.htm
Cowfold Village History Society	www.westsussex.info/cowfoldhistory/
Crawley Museum	www.crawleymuseums.org/
Crowborough Field Society	http://www.escis.org.uk/Entry/View/Crowborough_Field_Society/28041
Customs Officers Superannuated between 1841 and 1891	www.genuki.org.uk/big/Coastguards/
Danehill Parish Historical Society	www.escis.org.uk/Entry/View/Danehill_Parish_Historical_Society/5942
Ditchling History Project	www.ditchlinghistoryproject.org/
Ditchling Museum Friends' Association	www.ditchling-museum.com/friends.html
The East Grinstead Society	www.eastgrinsteadsociety.org/
East Grinstead Town Museum	www.eastgrinsteadmuseum.org.uk/
East Hoathly & District Preservation Society	www.easthoathlypreservation.org.uk/
East Preston & Kingston Local History	www.eastprestonvillage.co.uk/organisations.php#12
	pastfinders.com/sussexhistory/east_preston_area.htm
Felbridge and District History Group	www.felbridge.org.uk/
Felpham and Middleton Local History Workshop	fmlhw.org.uk/
The Fernhurst Society	www.fernhurstsociety.org.uk/
Ferring History Group	www.ferringvillage.co.uk/societies/5-history-group.htm
Hailsham Historical and Natural History Society	www.hailshamhistoricalsociety.co.uk/
Hartfield and District History Group	www.hartfieldonline.com/Core/Hartfield-Parish-Council/Pages/Local_GroupsSocieties_2.aspx
Hastings Local History Group	www.escis.org.uk/Entry/View/Hastings_Local_History_Group/21105
Hastings Fishermen's Museum	www.ohps.org.uk/fishermens_museum/
Hastings Museum and Art Gallery	www.hmag.org.uk/
Hastings Area Archaeological Research Group	www.haarg.org.uk/
Heathfield & District History Society	www.heathfield.net/listings/clubs-and-groups/east-sussex/any/heathfield-and-district-history-society/308
Henfield History Group	hhg.100megsfree.com/
Horsham Museum Society	www.horshammuseum.org/
Hurstpierpoint Historical Society	www.hurstpierpoint-pc.org.uk/listLocalGroups.asp
	www.local-history.co.uk/Groups/sussex.html
Ifold Local History Society	www.local-history.co.uk/Groups/sussex.html
Lancing and Sompting Pastfinders	sites.google.com/site/lancsompastfinders/Home
Lewes History Group	leweshistory.org.uk/
Littlehampton Local History Society	doompalm.westsussex.gov.uk/cgi-bin/civis_server.sh?session_no=1111767&enqtype=SECOND&enqpara1=RESULT&rcn=103173&media_code=&sec_code=&page=0&no_of_results=24&type=PHRASE
Friends of Lowfield Heath Windmill	http://www.ockleywindmill.co.uk/lowfieldheathwindmill.htm
Macclesfield Museums Trust	www.silk-macclesfield.org
Mayfield Local History Society	www.escis.org.uk/Entry/View/Mayfield_Local_History_Society/40156
Newhaven Historical Society	www.newhavenhistoricalsociety.org.uk
Northiam and District Historical and Literary Society	www.northiamvillage.co.uk/Clubs%20&%20Societies/Northiam%20Historical%20And%20Literary%20Society.html
Nutley Local History Society	www.nutleyhistoricalsociety.org/
Pagham Local History Group	www.facebook.com/groups/pagham/
Peacehaven and Telscombe Historical Society	www.history-peacehaven-telscombe.org.uk
Petworth Society	petworthsociety.co.uk/
Pevensey and Westham Historical Society	www.escis.org.uk/Entry/View/Pevensey_AND_Westham_Historical_Society/21220
Pub History Society	www.pubhistorysociety.co.uk/
Regency Town House	http://rth.org.uk
Ringmer History Study Group	ringmer.info/ringmer-history-study-group.html
Rogate Society	www.rogatevillage.co.uk/
	www.e.volve.org.uk/directoryitem.aspx?index=627&item=2851&dataitem=7365
Friends of Romney Marsh Research Trust	www.redcourt.dsl.pipex.com/
Rottingdean Preservation Society	www.rottingdeanpreservationsociety.org.uk/
Rudgwick Preservation Society	http://rudgwick-rps.org.uk/
Rustington Heritage Association	www.rustingtonmuseum.org/#
Rye Castle Museum	www.ryemuseum.co.uk/
Index of Seamen at Trafalgar	www.ageofnelson.org
The Selsey Society	www.selseysociety.co.uk/
The Shoreham Society	www.shorehamsociety.org.uk/
Southwater Local History Group	www.southwatersportsclub.co.uk/slhg/
Southwick (Sussex) Society	southwicksociety.btck.co.uk/
Steyning Museum Trust	steyningmuseum.org.uk/museumpage.htm
Storrington and District Museum Society	www.storringtonmuseum.org/
Sussex Industrial Archaeology Society	www.sussexias.co.uk/
Sussex Mills Group	www.sussexmillsgroup.org.uk/
Sussex Record Society	www.sussexrecordsociety.org
Tools and Trades History Society	www.taths.org.uk/
Uckfield & District Preservation Society Local History Group	www.udps.co.uk/
The Wadhurst History Society	www.wadhurst.info/whs/
Warbleton and District History Group	www.escis.org.uk/Entry/View/Warbleton_and_District_History_Group/4404
The Warnham Society	www.warnhamsociety.org.uk/
Weald & Downland Open Air Museum	www.wealddown.co.uk
Wealden Iron Research Group	www.wealdeniron.org.uk
West Hoathly Local History Group	www.hoathlyhub.info//History/
WSCC Library Service Local Studies Library	www.westsussex.gov.uk/leisure/libraries/information_and_reference/local_studies.aspx
Westbourne Local History Group	westbournevillage.org/histortygroup.html sic
Wivelsfield History Study Group	www.wivelsfield.net
The Worthing Society	www.worthingsociety.org.uk/