ABSTRACT
Local history flourished in the period from King Stephen's reign to King John's. Like general history it had its golden age in Henry II's last years. Interest in it appeared, as has been seen, in the national chronicles. Local loyalty distorted Gervase of Canterbury's perception of general history. Even histories orientated to national affairs had passages on local history. Thus Richard of Devizes betrays his love of Winchester, while the interpolators of Florence of Worcester at Bury St Edmunds incorporated the abbey's history into their chronicle.1 Furthermore, local loyalty gave rise to works entirely devoted to local history. Some of these are lost (for example the history of the abbots of St Albans written by Bartholomew in the last half of the twelfth century).2 But many have survived. The best show that the authors were capable of painstaking research and talented creative writing.
