This book provides an examination of the records available to the local historian for researching village society and the changing fortunes of its members. Until well into the 19th century most English people resided in the countryside and so studying the experiences of the people who made up rural society is an important task for the local historian and one that is of wide interest since what are now urban areas were often once villages. The book guides readers to the wide variety of available sources and places the experience of individuals into a wider context. The problems of earning a living and standards of housing are looked at through the ages. Other areas that touch people's everyday lives are also considered: educational, recreational and religious arrangements and the provision of law and order.