Simon Fowler (author)


John Simon Fowler is an English social historian and author who lives in Kew, Richmond, London and is vice-chair of the Richmond Local History Society. He has written many books relating to family history and social history.
Fowler holds a BA in social science from the University of East Anglia, and an MA in archive administration from University College London. He was editor of Richmond History, the annual journal of the Richmond Local History Society, from 2015 to 2019 and was editor of Ancestors, the family history magazine of The National Archives (UK), from 2004 until it ceased publication in 2010. He edited Family History Monthly from 2000 to 2004. His history-related articles have appeared in Local History Magazine, Family Tree, History Today, BBC History Magazine and several academic journals.
He was an archivist at the Public Record Office, now The National Archives, for 20 years. He was secretary of Labour Heritage, the Labour Oral History Project and the Friendly Societies Research Group. He is also active with the London Archive Users Forum and the Brewery and Pub History societies.

Works

As author

Army Records for Family Historians, PRO Publications, 1998, At the Heart of the Community: Victoria House, Kew 1980–2020, The Friends of Victoria House, 2022, Family History: Digging Deeper, The History Press, 2012, Family History Starter Pack: All You Need to Begin Your Family History Research, The National Archives (UK), 2004, Family Skeletons: Exploring the lives of our disreputable ancestors, The National Archives, 2005, A Guide to Military History on the Internet, Pen and Sword Books, 2007, Joys of Family History: All You Need to Start Your Family Search, Public Record Office, 2002, Kew at War 1939–1945, Richmond Local History Society; fourth edition 2024, Known Unto God: Searching for the Missing, Amberley Publishing, 2025, Now the War is Over: Britain 1919–1920, Pen and Sword Books, 2019, Old Palace Lane: Medieval to Modern Richmond, Museum of Richmond and Richmond Local History Society, 2017, ; second edition 2020, The Phil: A History of the Richmond Philanthropic Society, Richmond: Philanthropic Society, 1997Philanthropy and the Poor Law in Richmond 1836–1871, Richmond Local History Society, 1991, ; revised second edition published as Poverty and Philanthropy in Victorian Richmond, Richmond Local History Society, 2017, Railway Disasters, Wharncliffe Books, 2013, Researching Brewery and Publican Ancestors, The Family History Partnership, 2009, Richmond at War 1939–1945, Richmond Local History Society, 2015, Richmond in the Census of 1851, Richmond Local History Society, 1988, The Silence of the Archive , Facet Publishing, 2017, Sources for Labour History, PRO Publications, 1996, Starting Out in Local History, Countryside Books, 2001, Tracing Irish Ancestors, Pen and Sword Books, 2001, Tracing Scottish Ancestors, PRO Publications, 2001, Tracing Your Ancestors, Pen and Sword Books, 2011, Tracing Your Army Ancestors, Pen and Sword Books, 2006, ; second edition 2013, ; third edition 2017 Tracing Your First World War Ancestors: A Guide for Family Historians, Countryside Books, 2008, ; second edition, Pen and Sword Books, Tracing Your Great War Ancestors – The Gallipoli Campaign: A Guide for Family Historians, Pen and Sword Books, 2015, Tracing Your Great War Ancestors – The Somme: A Guide for Family Historians, Pen and Sword Books, 2015, Tracing Your Great War Ancestors – Ypres: A Guide for Family Historians, Pen and Sword Books, 2015, Tracing Your Naval Ancestors, Pen and Sword Books, 2011, Tracing Your Second World War Ancestors, Countryside Books, 2006, Using Poor Law Records, PRO Publications, 2001, The Workhouse: The People, The Places, The Life Behind Doors, The National Archives, 2007, ; second edition, Pen and Sword Books, 2014,

As editor

  • J M Lee: Petersham: radar and operational research 1940–1946, Richmond Local History Society, second edition 2024,