The integration and analysis of historical and environmental data using a geographical information system: landownership and agricultural productivity in Pembrokeshire c.1850

Historical maps and documents, such as census returns, estate plans, tithe maps, rent rolls and court rolls, have traditionally provided fundamental data sources for historians. This paper concentrates on the integration of environmental data with such historical sources and their subsequent analysis using a GIS. It demonstrates that the scale and range of enquiries that are made possible by such a methodology increases with the application of the new tools that GIS provides. Although the study concludes by suggesting that the application of GIS is not itself unproblematic, it argues that the work presented does illustrate the potential value of GIS in offering a new dimension to agricultural history research.