Chapter 13

PLACES TO VISIT

There are over 1,000 institutions which hold archives in England, to which access is permitted. It is, of course, impossible to list them all. However, it is worth discussing the most important and outlining others.

For most of these places entry is by reader’s ticket. These are issued freely, but you will need to bring two proofs of identity. A passport and driving licence, or a recent utility bill, are among the forms of identity accepted. Once inside, coats and bags must be left in lockers and pencils only are allowed to take notes, unless you have a laptop. Archives and other material can usually be ordered in advance of a visit, but only a limited amount. Most of what you see can be copied for personal use by photography or photocopying, but always check first. Fragile material has to be safeguarded so copying may not be allowed.

Most are open five or six days a week, with at least one evening opening, but never assume; some are not. Always contact these places in advance of any intended visit to avoid disappointment.

If you cannot visit in person, you may need to consider paying someone else to do this for you. Never expect these institutions’ paid staff to undertake much research for you. They have many other tasks, but they should be able to tell you what their institution holds and may be able to undertake a short search for you for free. However, many places now charge for any searching.

All of these places will have websites which should state at least their major holdings. Catalogues may also be available online to search, and there may even be documents online, as is the case with TNA. Some of these documents can be viewed online for free, or at least searched via the indexes. Payment may be required for the full text of documents, however.

Over the centuries, and especially in the last 100 years, there have been many amalgamations and alterations in local government. These affect the location of centuries-old archives. You should consult the archives of the current local authority whose boundaries include those districts that you are interested in. So, for the archives of Twickenham or Teddington, for which there is now no local authority with those names, you would need to consult the Local Studies Centre of Richmond, the borough of which these are now part. Yet you would also need to visit the London Metropolitan Aechives as these places were once administratively part of Middlesex. Yorkshire’s boundaries have changed so much that some former parishes of that county have their archives stored in record offices outside the county (Nottinghamshire and Lancashire, to name but two).

The National Archives

Ruskin Avenue, Kew, Surrey TW9 (tel. 020 8876 3444); car park (must be booked in advance), nearest tube station Kew

Probably the single most important place for family historians. Formed in 1841 as the Public Record Office in Chancery Lane, it transferred entirely to a new site at Kew in 1997 and in 2002 was renamed The National Archives. It is the record office to the government of the United Kingdom and so holds the archives of government departments such as the Home Office, the Foreign Office and the War Office, to name but three.

There is free electronic access to the digitized sources which elsewhere would require payment. These include the PCC Wills. There is also an extremely good library. This includes most of the county record society publications, especially useful for they contain indexed transcripts of many key sources, such as oaths of loyalty, quarter session records, militia lists, letters and diaries. There are the Calendars of State Papers, 1509–1704, and Calendars of Treasury Papers and Books up to 1745.

Among the archives are those of the regular army (excepting the Guards) prior to 1921, and the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. There are assize records, archives relating to transportation, and archives of the Metropolitan Police, the Yeomen of the Guard and of the Bow Street Runners. Manorial and taxation records can also be located here. It is a veritable treasure trove for family historians. You can order items in advance via the website if you already have a ticket.

TNA has a vast amount of catalogue records and online documents available on their website, along with numerous research guides to their collections. The same research guides are available in paper copies on site. Below are the parts of the website relevant to the pre-1837 period.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/

Duchy of Lancashire Seals, 12th–18th century

Seamen’s Wills, 1786–1882

Death Duty Registers, 1796–1811

PCC Wills, 1383–1858

Doomsday Book

Ancient Petitions, 13th–17th century

Equity Pleadings, 1625–1714

The British Library Newspaper Library

Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5HE (tel. 020 7412 7353); www.bl.uk/collectionsnewspapers.html; nearest tube Colindale (Northern Line)

Local and national newspapers from the early eighteenth century onwards can be seen here. Up to four items can be ordered in advance. Some of these newspapers are on microfilm but occasionally you will see the originals in bound volumes. The collection is by no means comprehensive. Many county newspapers for the eighteenth century are lacking, for example. Again, checking their website in advance is highly recommended.

The British Library

96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB (tel. 0870 444 1500); www.bl.uk

This was created in 1973 from an amalgamation of several libraries. It holds the single largest collection of books in the UK. Access is by reader’s ticket. There are several collections of special interest to the family historian. The Burney Collection of eighteenth-century newspapers can be viewed here on microfilm. These are all national newspapers such as The London Gazette and The Daily Courant. There are also a few seventeenth-century titles (accessible in the Rare Books Reading Room). The India Office Library (tel. 020 7412 7873, www.bl.uk/collections/orientalandindian.html) holds the archives of the East India Company. Then there is the manuscript collection. The Cotton and Harleian collections there contain much relevant to medieval studies, and these can be searched by using the ten-volume index. There is also an extensive collection of maps and the recordings of the British Sound Archive. Finally, there are the books, many of which are held off site at Boston Spa, and these can be searched for and ordered on the online catalogue. The British Library is a copyright library, so has in theory a copy of all books published in the UK.

The Guildhall Library

Aldermanbury, London EC2P 2EJ; nearest tube station, Bank

This holds some archival sources, such as watermen’s records and insurance records, and is also a rich source of printed books. Although the collection concentrates on London’s history, the extensive collection of county and town directories is remarkable. These have to be ordered, but do not take long to arrive and no reader’s ticket is needed.