Alice
Millard.

Freelance archivist and researcher

About Me

In 2013 I began working in museums and in 2018 I moved into archives. Since my first foray into the heritage sector, I have attained a masters in cultural heritage (University of Winchester) and a postgraduate diploma in archives and records management (University of Dundee). I have catalogued collections of archival material from deeds to photographs, conducted research on behalf of clients on a myriad of topics, and devised exhibitions and displays.

The most fundamental part of my work is helping people find and interpret archival records. I have a special understanding of the maze that are local history records, be they maps or parish records, including those useful in genealogical and house research.

I also have a particular interest in: everyday life in Britain and West Sussex during the 18th to 20th centuries; literary history and archives; and records of the lives of African and African Caribbean individuals in West Sussex during the 18th and 19th centuries.

A photo of Alice Millard

How I Can Help

Whether your request is straightforward but time-consuming or perhaps more complex, I will be happy to explore how I can help you. Initial consultation is free-of-charge, and commission rates are agreed before commencement. Please note that you will be expected to cover necessary travel expenses.

Historical Research

I can undertake historical research lead by primary resources in repositories or those available online such as via Ancestry. This can be supplemented by secondary resources. Commissions may include genealogical and house research (currently restricted to Sussex and Hampshire).

Archival Research

If you need help in scoping or accessing records in archives, I can do that. This can be done online by searching catalogues and making enquiries, or reviewing records on-site in a repository. Please note that you are expected to cover travel costs.

Cataloging & Listing

I am a fully qualified archivist and up-to-date with current archival standards. I can carry out comprehensive cataloguing of archival material on-site, and advise on the storage of physical archives. Please note that I am currently restricted to on-site work in West Sussex, UK.

Kind Words

“Alice Millard is a truly exceptional researcher. She is resourceful, insightful, clear-headed, seemingly unfazed by the most baffling sources (or lack of them)... She has a wealth of experience that enables her to tackle material of numerous kinds across the chronological span, and to do so with amazing rapidity. I feel so lucky to have had her help with my project, and very much hope to work with her again.”

Professor Alexandra Harris, writer and academic, University of Birmingham

"In recent years she has worked for me as a researcher on several projects... She is highly organised, efficient, and conscious of deadlines. Her qualities include her ability to work in primary and secondary material... and a keen grasp of what is required in representing her findings to the principal researcher. Her range of skills and versatility mean that she is equipped and able to undertake a variety of research-led projects, taking a considered and intelligent approach, whatever the complexity of the task."

Professor Simon Barker, writer and academic, University of Gloucestershire

Publications

Podcasts:

  • Research Adjacent (upcoming; spring 2024) [link...]
  • BP2 Podcast (Black Presence in British Portraiture) Episode 7 Marcus Richard Fitzroy Thomas (2023) [link...]

Articles:

  • 'From New Shoreham to Jamaica: Finding Marcus Thomas’' (2023), UCL Press [link...]
  • 'Celebrating the South Downs', Museum Crush (2021) [link...]
  • 'Rapid Response Collecting: Social and political change', Museum-iD Issue 20 (2017) [link...]

Regular contributions to West Sussex Record Office’s blog, including:

  • ‘Cataloguing Crawley New Town: What is a “new town”?’ (2023) [link...]
  • ‘A Pugilist’s Paradise: Prize Fighting in 19th Century West Sussex’ (2022) [link...]
  • ‘The Boy in the Painting: Marcus Thomas, b.1768-d.1816’ (2022) [link...]
  • ‘Stories from the Parish Registers: Maria Sophia Rose, from Bengal to Ifield’ (2021) [link...]
  • ‘Documenting Fascism in 1930s West Sussex’ (2019) [link...]

Contact

Or, you can email me directly at: millardalice@googlemail.com