LGBTQ+ History - general sources

In this guide we will explore some of the collections that researchers can use to trace the history of LGBTQ+ people in London. The presence of LGBTQ+ communities can be found within the archives of courts, hospitals, local authorities, and other organisations.

Histories of LGBTQ+ people in institutional records can often be traumatising, drawing on themes of shame, fear, and criminalisation. However, it is possible to discover stories of resistance, love, and resilience.

Whether it is through official records, personal papers or other historical documents, our archives offer a rich and fascinating glimpse into the lives of LGBTQ+ peoples past and present. Researching LGBTQ+ histories can be challenging as sources are not always immediately obvious.

We have a separate guide examining the records of specific LGBTQ+ organisations and individuals.

A note on language

Language used to describe people of who identify as LGBTQ+ is ever changing and can have different meanings and associations for different people.

Throughout history, some words and terms have been used to degrade and dehumanise people. Within the archival records, there are numerous instances of derogatory and offensive language. This language may appear on our catalogue if it occurs in the original file or in the name of an organisation.

When searching our catalogue, you may need to use historic terms to excavate historic LGBTQ+ histories. We have started a process of reviewing our own descriptive work for harmful language. The inclusion of such terms is not an endorsement of such language or an uncritical tolerance of the perpetuation of such language.

Court records

Sex between men was illegal in England and Wales until 1967. As a result, court records are a rich resource for tracing the history of gay men.

Sex between women has never been illegal, so it is not possible to trace women through court records in the same way.

At the London Archives we hold the records of the Middlesex and City of London Sessions, including records of the Old Bailey, as well as the records of many of London’s magistrates’ courts, the criminal courts of the City of London and the records of some of London’s prisons. You can see our research guide on criminal records here.

Individuals who questioned or changed their gender identity or expression were never directly criminalised. However, characteristics such as cross-dressing and effeminacy in men were associated with homosexuality. The earliest reference to a transgender person, Eleanor Rykener, is believed to appear in the records of the City of London’s Mayors Court in 1393, though there is considerable scholarly discussion regarding her case.

The London Archives also holds records of some of London’s church courts, such as the Consistory Court of the Diocese of London (DL/C). Ecclesiastical courts ruled on cases of sexual and moral misconduct and can also be a source for tracing LGBTQ+ histories.

Records relating to health

Homosexuality was considered by the medical profession and wider society as a mental health condition and individuals could be admitted to psychiatric hospitals for treatment. Hospital records can give details of their personal and health histories. The London Archives holds many archives of hospitals specialising in mental health conditions.

One example is Saint Luke’s Hospital (H64) include individual case notes which contain physician’s notes made on examination, with a case history. The following extract has been taken from the notes relating to a retired army officer, admitted from home in May 1936 and discharged in June 1936 (H64/B/08/01/003): 'Recently the patient has been resorting to undesirable night clubs of late where all forms of perversion are practised and catered for […] he will remain there in a state of drunken bliss arrayed in feminine clothes and adornments…'

Gay men were disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS in the 1980s to 1990s and records of specialist health services including Mildmay Hospital (H88) can be found at The London Archives. We also have extensive holdings relating to London’s health authorities and these can be a useful source for public health and education campaigns and the provision of services relating to HIV/AIDs.

National HIV Story Trust (NHST), is a charitable organisation that was established to educate the public on the history of HIV/AIDS in the UK through the production of recordings of first-hand testimonies of people with lived experience of the epidemic. We hold 102 filmed recordings as part of LMA/4801 which are the basis of education resources, talks, films and publications which aim to improve knowledge and understanding of HIV.

We also hold the records of Positively UK (LMA/4814), a peer support charity originally founded to support women with HIV/AIDS, which now reaches parents, heterosexual and gay men and young people.

London-wide local authority records

The archives of the London County Council (LCC, 1889 – 1965), Greater London Council (GLC, 1965 – 1986), Inner London Education Authority (ILEA, 1965 – 1990) and later London Residuary Body (LRB, 1985 – 1990) contain committee minutes, correspondence, and grant files relating to the establishment of and assistance given to LGBTQ+ groups.

Examples include:

• LCC’s Public Health Department’s correspondence on homosexuality, 1947 – 1961 (LCC/PH/GEN/03/028/019)
• GLC Grants Branch files for Lesbian Feminist Writers Conference Planning Group Lesbian and Gay Video Project Collective, 1983 – 1985 (GLC/RA/GR/02/089 – 090)
• A subject file on 'Changing the world: a London charter for lesbian and gay rights', 1985 (GLC/DG/PRB/08/3534)
• The London Strategic Planning Unit archives include correspondence, memoranda and minutes relating to the Lesbian and Gay Cross Group Project, 1987 (LSPU/DIR/03/050)
• The ILEA collection includes 'Telling Friends: A different story’, a 26 minute video produced and directed by Sandy Andrews featuring young people who have identified themselves as lesbian or gay who consider prejudice they encounter and experiences of being gay at school (ILEA/VID/05/03/013), 1987

The extensive work of London’s local authorities and their vast archives mean that these selected items are a tiny proportion of material relating to LGBTQ+ Londoners. Searches of the organisations’ minutes, which are indexed, may offer further avenues for research across council committees.

Public Morality Council (A/PMC)

The London Council for the Promotion of Public Morality, later the Public Morality Council, was formed in 1899 to combat vice and indecency in London and to assist in their repression by legal means. It continued until 1969, concentrating latterly on opposition to sexual immorality and pornography in general and in the theatre, cinema, radio and television. Its members patrolled London at night, originally to “rescue” women sex workers, but they also monitored pubs frequented by gay men.

General biographical and genealogical sources

If you are searching for individuals, we hold a wealth of material that you can use to trace them, including parish records of baptisms, marriages and burials, rate assessments, insurance records, school records, records of poor law institutions, electoral registers, wills, trade directories and cemetery records. Many of these records have now been digitised and are available to access via Ancestry.co.uk. Onsite subscriptions to Ancestry and Find My Past means you can access these sites for free at The London Archives, which means you can access other digitised sources such as census records, the 1939 register, military records and records from other counties.

Our enquiry service

Although we are unable to conduct research on your behalf, we are very happy to offer assistance with your research.