The question of whether or not taking the time to conduct historical research is worth it, really depends on you and what you are looking to get from this hobby. If you are content with beachcombing and public area detecting with a view of finding recently dropped coins, jewelry, etc., (and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that), then no, historical research is not for you.  On the other hand, if you dream of detecting templar hoards, civil war artifacts, or any curio from a bygone age, then historical research will give you a better chance of success.

What Is Historical Research?

Before you can begin to conduct historical research, you first need to know what that term means. And that is ‘The establishing of knowledge of the past through the analysis of evidence’. Say what? Let me give you and example:

You’re on Google Maps satellite view checking out Small Town wherever, when you notice a faded indentation in a field. You zoom in, and the indentation begins to resemble the outline of a house, although no house stands there today.  You decide to look further into this, so you conduct an online search in the hope of locating an old map of said town.  You find a map dating back 150 years, and though and behold on this map there is reference to a house at the very location you are looking for.

Well done! You have just established knowledge of the past through the analysis of evidence.

Digging Deeper

Oh if it was always that easy.  Although true to the definition, the example above is somewhat straightforward and simplistic.  So, having said that, we’ll dig a little deeper (excuse the pun) into the history of this house. Ok, now you know that there was a house on the property, and that it was there 150 years ago.  Is that enough for you to go running off to seek permission to detect the area?  It could be.  It’s better than asking the landowner if you could detect on their land ‘just because’.  Now you can provide a reason as to why you want to detect the land.  But is it enough to convince him or her that you are a bona fide detectorist that is first and foremost interested in the history of the property? I don’t think so.  So let’s get digging! There are several directions you can go in now in order to get more evidence to analyse. For the moment we’ll go with the simplest, and perhaps the cheapest, method.  The local library. Most, if not all libraries, have a local history section.  It has been my experience that a polite and friendly chat with the librarian, explaining who you are and what precisely you are looking for will pay dividends in speeding up your research.  They are a fount of knowledge when it comes to the tomes contained in their library. And, if you get a librarian who is local and/or knowledgeable of the history of the area, then you’ve just hit the jackpot. I would suggest if you’re research in the library is going to take several hours or days, and you are stopping for a coffee break, then offer to get one for the helpful librarian.  More often than not, (s)he will decline, but your kind offer will not go unappreciated. Oh, by the way, I wouldn’t mention anything about metal detecting, because at this point in time, you are a history researcher.  What you intend to do or not do with the information has no bearing at all.  Is this being deceitful, well that’s up to you.  I don’t think it is.  It would be an altogether different matter if you were planning on using the information for some nefarious reason. But you’re not. Any information you can glean from the library books about this house and property will be of use in your research.  If you can get all, most or some of the following, then you are in good stead to seek permission from the landowner to detect:

• Date the house was built and by whom
• Description of the house, as detailed as possible
• First and subsequent occupants along with dates of occupancy and reasons for leaving
• Occupations of the occupants
• If there were any deaths on the property, you’ll want the who, what, why where when and how.
• If there are any burials on the property, you’ll also want the who, what, why, when, were and how
• Any news worthy events that occurred on or in relation to the property
• Date and reason for the demolition of the house.

If you are not a member of the library where you are conducting your research, you may, for a fee, be able to sign out some books or photocopy those pages that are of interest to you.  The librarian will help you with that.  Once you have compiled all your historical information, be sure to make a copy for the landowner.  Regardless if you receive permission or not to detect on the property, giving the landowner a copy of your research may increase your chances of getting permission at a later date. Although the above information talks about research in a library, the same is true if you reach out to local museums, archives and or newspaper(s).

Types of Documentation

When conducting this type of research, keep in mind the following types of documentation that will help you on your way:

• Legal Records and Governmental Documents
• Maps
• Periodicals/Newspapers/Magazines
• Manuscript and Artefact Collections
• Images
• Interviews

Conclusion

I know that this seems like a tall order, but keep in mind, the more information you obtain, the better your chances become of reaching your goal to detect the property.  And, upon reflection, there is more to it than that. Now that you have spent a bit of time getting to know as much as you can about it, you’ll feel more invested in the property and any item that you my find on it, thus making the whole exercise of historical research – Worth It.