Personal Research

Your Own Research at Amersham Museum 

 How can we help you to undertake your own research at Amersham Museum? The Museum offers a wealth of information about local and social history, people who have lived here across the centuries, its buildings and development ,and a broad range of specialist articles, local stories and podcasts, accessible through its physical collection and exhibits, as well as an extensive digital collection. 

Visiting Amersham Museum in Person

A valuable starting point for research is to come and visit Amersham Museum in the heart of the historic Old Town. While on site, you can: 

• Experience the medieval Hall House dating from the 15^th century which is our home. 

• Explore the Exhibitions: The Museum’s displays cover significant aspects of Amersham’s past, offering artefacts and interpretative material that bring local history to life. 

• Follow the Timeline : The Museum features a comprehensive timeline which traces the development of Amersham across centuries, and displays which focus on five key dates, providing essential context for deeper research. 

Using our collection for research 

We have a very diverse collection of over 13,000 objects, including photography, documents, maps and books. We have a selection of objects available to view on our Collections Online page, but if you would like to know if we have something specific (topic or object) in our collection you can contact us to ask.  

All of collection is available to researchers by appointment. You can request a research visit here: or email  

If you are interested in donating something to our collection, you can find more information here.

Online Research via our website 

For those unable to visit in person, or to supplement in-person research, our website provides a rich repository of digital resources. Key online topics under the History tab include: 

1. History of Amersham: This section contains a detailed summary covering the broad history of Old Amersham and Amersham-on-the-Hill, and their development.. It is an excellent starting point for understanding Amersham’s historical context. You can also find information about local villages, including Little Chalfont, Winchmore Hill and Chesham Bois.
2. Places: Detailed accounts of significant buildings in Amersham Old Town, Amersham-on-the-Hill, and the development of ‘Metro-land’, as well as town development and architectural heritage are available in this section. It is particularly useful for those researching local geography, urban development, or specific properties. It also covers villages local to Amersham including Chesham Bois, Winchmore Hill, Coleshill and Penn.
3. People: The website hosts biographical information and profiles of notable Amersham residents and families across the centuries, which can support genealogical research or studies of social history. 
4. Projects and Special Focus, found under ‘Other Topics’: Here, you can find information about past and ongoing research projects, community initiatives, and collaborative studies ranging from Amersham in various wars, Royal occasions, the development of health services, politics, sport and leisure across the centuries, and the derivation of place names. These pages often include reports, findings, and opportunities to engage further. 

Elsewhere on the website, researchers will find a wealth of resources in various formats including:  

• Collections: The website has a digitised selection of a few of the most interesting and important objects from the 13,000 in our collection.
• Pictures: The Museum’s image archive allows researchers to browse historical photographs and illustrations and includes the historic photographs of George Ward dating from 1880 to 1930. Visual materials are a vital resource for contextualising written records and understanding changes over time.  
• Local Stories podcasts: Recorded during the Covid pandemic, these recorded talks provide themed research, oral histories and personal recollections, offering unique perspectives and insights that may not be available in written form. 

Research help 

If you require further assistance with your research, Museum staff are available to provide guidance and support. 

We are able to answer simple enquiries on your behalf, checking our collections database and our research files for our holdings and existing records. For more complex enquiries that require research into our collections or resources, we would invite you to make an appointment to visit to carry out the work with our support. If you are unable to visit us in person, it may be possible to arrange for the research to be carried out on your behalf for a charge.  

Please note that we are a small team, and so we may take some time to get back in touch. If you are working towards a particular deadline, please let us know.   

Can’t find the information you’re looking for?  

We frequently add new research material to the site, but we always welcome suggestions for new topics – and contributions. Please get in touch if you have material or research that you would like to share. 

Specific guidance for family history, genealogy, and individual buildings 

Many researchers are particularly interested in their family history or the history of their home. We have an extensive collection of photographs, maps and documents that may help your research. Please contact us to make an appointment. 

 Click here for a very interesting article by a couple who have researched the history of their house in Whielden Street in great detail, who share some practical advice.  

There are also two very helpful articles which explain how the Censuses in Amersham were organised and the way the town was split into districts. There is also a very informative Local Stories podcast entitled The Census Amersham Museum Local Stories – The Census

Other Resources

There are also good local history websites for three nearby villages: Coleshill, Hyde Heath and Chalfont St Giles.

Other sources  

Suggested reading: 

Julian Hunt The History of Amersham (The History Press, 2019)

All Aboard to Amersham (Amersham Museum, 2025) All Aboard to Amersham – Amersham Museum

Amersham 1880 to 1930, through the lens of George Ward Amersham 1880 to 1930, through the lens of George Ward – Amersham Museum

Michael Andrews-Reading Amersham Martyrs The Amersham Martyrs, Michael Andrews-Reading – Amersham Museum

Alison Bailey  Women at War  (Amersham Museum, 2018) Women at War, Alison Bailey – Amersham Museum

General resources: 

Buckinghamshire Archives  Buckinghamshire Archives | Buckinghamshire Council

Discover Bucks Museum Welcome to Discover Bucks – Discover Bucks

Buckinghamshire Heritage Portal Home – Buckinghamshire’s Heritage Portal

Searchable database of Buckinghamshire Kelly’s Directories Buckinghamshire Historic trade Directories – Buckinghamshire Council

National Archives resources:

• family history Research guides – The National Archives
• house history Houses – The National Archives
• researching your local history Researching your local history

Ancestry (subscription)  Ancestry | Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History Records

British Newspapers Online (subscription) Home | Search the archive | British Newspaper Archive

Get in touch: 

For more details or to begin your research, visit the Amersham Museum website or contact the Museum directly.