Malcolm Neesam | |
|---|---|
 Malcom Neesam, in 1995 | |
| Born | 28 June 1946 Harrogate, England |
| Died | 28 June 2022 (aged 76) Harrogate, England |
| Occupation(s) | Historian, writer, librarian, archivist |
| Years active | 1972–2022 as published author |
| Notable work | – Harrogate Great Chronicle, 1332–1841 (2005) – Wells and Swells: The Golden Age of Harrogate Spa, 1842–1923 (2022) |
| Awards | Freedom of the Borough of Harrogate |
Malcolm George Neesam (28 June 1946 – 28 June 2022) was an English historian and writer specialising in the history of Harrogate, North Yorkshire. He was also a librarian and archivist. His major works were the first two parts of a projected trilogy on that subject: Harrogate Great Chronicle, 1332–1841 (2005) and Wells and Swells: The Golden Age of Harrogate Spa, 1842–1923 (2022). The third part was to remain unfinished when he died, although his research papers are preserved in the Walker-Neesam Archive at the Mercer Art Gallery, Harrogate.
For his services as a historian, Neesam was awarded the Freedom of the Borough of Harrogate by Harrogate Borough Council in 1996, when he was also given honorary membership of The Harrogate Club. He was involved in the inception of the Harrogate Brown Plaque Scheme, and was influential in the listing of many Harrogate buildings. He was a founder member of Harrogate Civic Society and assisted other major local organisations where their work required historical input. For thirty years he wrote the weekly "Bygone Harrogate" column in the Harrogate Advertiser, and his published works spanned a period of fifty years.