John Simon Fowler (born January 1956)[1] is an English social historian and author who lives in Kew,[2] Richmond, London[3] and is vice-chair of the Richmond Local History Society.[2] He has written many books relating to family history and social history.
Fowler, who has an MA in Archive Administration from University College London, 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,[4] BBC History Magazine and several academic journals.
He was an archivist at the Public Record Office, now The National Archives, for 20 years.[5] 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.[6]