This web page contains information about the location and use of Archives and Libraries for Shropshire-related family history research. Generally speaking, Archives (more commonly known as Record Offices) are repositories for original source material, such as Wills or Parish Registers, whereas the Local Studies Sections of Libraries are where you'd expect to find the Census, and printed local source material, such as Trade Directories.

• Shropshire Archives
  Information relating to the County Record Office.

• Shropshire Dioceses
  Information relating to the Diocesan Record Offices covering Shropshire - Hereford, Lichfield and St Asaph.

See also the ARCHON (Archives On-Line) Information service for locations of other Record Offices throughout the country.

Specific contents of Shropshire Archives Catalogues are searchable independently using the Access to Archives Database. This is a valuable resource - whilst the original records are not available online, some of the catalogue entries may be a revelation in their own right.

For other sources of archival material, the following sites may also prove of interest:-

• Wolverhampton Archives & Local Studies
  Molineux Hotel Building,
  Whitmore Hill
  WolverhamptonWV1 1SF

  Yes, Wolverhampton is in Staffordshire, but it's a super site, and those with interests on the Shropshire/Staffordshire borders may find it useful.

• Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust
  Library and Archive Service
  Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust
  The Wharfage
  Ironbridge
  TelfordTF8 7AW

• Shropshire Regimental Museum
  The Castle
  ShrewsburySY1 2AT

• Oswestry Library

  "The library holds the second largest collection of local studies material in the county after the Shropshire Archives in Shrewsbury."

   

Shropshire Archives 
Shropshire Council,
Community Services,
Castle Gates,
Shrewsbury
SY1 2AQ

archives@shropshire.gov.uk
01743 255350

The SHROPSHIRE ARCHIVES is part of Shropshire County Council's Community and Environment Directorate and comprises the former Shropshire Record Office and the Local Studies Library. These services were brought together in a purpose built repository in 1995 to preserve and make available a wealth of material relating to Shropshire past and present.

Opening Hours

Please check the Shropshire Archives Web site before planning a visit to see if the following hours have changed.

Sunday: closed
Monday: closed
Tuesday: closed
Wednesday: 10am-5pm
Thursday: 10am-8pm
Friday: 10am-5pm
Saturday: 10am-4pm

ORIGINAL SOURCES include:

• Archives of
  • Anglican parishes
  • Non-conformist churches
  • Poor Law Unions
  • Schools
  • Quarter Sessions
  • Borough corporations
  • County Council and District Councils
  • Landed estates and families, including pedigrees
  • Clubs and societies
• Photographs dating from 1842
• Prints, drawings and watercolours
• Shrewsbury newspapers from 1772

MICROFORM SOURCES (for which booking is advisable) include:

• Family History material such as:
  • IGI for England and Wales
  • Parish Registers
  • Shropshire census returns, 1841-1901
  • G.R.O. Index 1837-1980 (£0.50 for a half-hour session)
• Some newspapers
• Maps including Ordnance Survey and tithe maps and apportionments

Printed Sources:

A large collection of books, pamphlets, periodicals and county and town directories for Shropshire.

Advance Booking

Booking is advisable for sources on microform. If in doubt please telephone. Prior notice of visits involving lengthy or specialist research is also welcomed.

Readers Tickets

All visitors are encouraged to obtain a Shropshire Archives Ticket. The Archives does not subscribe to the CARN scheme.

To obtain a ticket the searcher must provide:

1. Official proof of identity eg. driving licence.
   Students aged 16 and under will need the signature of a parent, tutor or teacher.
2. Two passport-sized photographs.

A Readers Ticket is essential for those using original source material.

Copying

Photographs, microform print-outs and photocopies can be provided within the restrictions of copyright law and depending on the condition of the original.

Coffee Room

A separate lounge area with drinks machine is available for visitors. Food may be eaten in this area. A number of lockers are available for use during visits.

Disabled Access

All public areas, including the toilets, are accessible to wheelchairs.

Research Service

For those unable to visit the centre, our research service can help with family history, house history or other research topics. Transcription and translation of documents may also be undertaken. Details of fees are available on request or on the website.

Group Visits

A seminar room may be booked for school and other groups. Introductory talks explaining the services available can be arranged.

Other Services

The Archives accepts material by gift or loan. Specialist staff are able to offer a range of advice on research matters and the care of documents. Shropshire Archives service is part of Heritage Services comprising archives, local studies, museums and archaeology services. Staff also work with other organisations and societies particularly the Friends of Shropshire Archives, an independent charitable body established in 1990.

Car Parking

Two parking spaces for disabled visitors are provided at the Castle Gates entrance to the building. Nearest car parks are on Raven Meadows (multi story, short to medium stay), at the rear of the Railway Station (surface, long stay) and Frankwell (surface, long stay, leave via footbridge over river).

Park and Ride services every 10 minutes (nearest stop the Railway Station) run between the town centre and Harlescott (Livestock Market, for A49 & A53 north), Meole Brace (Retail Park, for A49 south) and Shelton (Oxon, for A458). Meole Brace and Shelton (Oxon) are both convenient for the A5 By Pass for the north west or south east.

Admission

There is no charge for admission to the Archives.

Information supplied on 23rd September 2003 by Tony Carr of Shropshire Archives.

[Original web source created 11 Oct 2003 - Brian Pears]

Hereford Diocese (www.hereford.anglican.org)

This covers, approximately, the southern half of Shropshire. Diocesan records are held at:

• Hereford Record Office
  The Old Barracks
  Harold Street
  HEREFORDHR1 2QX

Lichfield Diocese (www.lichfield.anglican.org)

This covers, approximately, the northern half of Shropshire. Diocesan records are held at:

• Lichfield Joint Record Office (Now closed  12/2017-  see Staffs Archives)
   

St Asaph Diocese (stasaph.churchinwales.org.uk/)

This covers, approximately, the north west parishes of Shropshire around Oswestry. Most Diocesan material like Bishop's Transcripts for the part of this Diocese that covered the north west of Shropshire, have been transferred to Lichfield (see above), although many collections still remain at Aberystwyth:

• The National Library of Wales
  ABERYSTWYTH
  WalesSY23 3BU

Peculiars

It should be noted that there were a number of Peculiars within Shropshire. Their records are generally with the geographical Diocesan Office, but material from the Shrewsbury St Mary's Peculiar is at the Shropshire Record and Research Centre.

[This page was produced from text supplied by Michael J Hulme of the Shropshire Family History Society]

[Original web source by Alan Stanier, updated 22 Sep 2002 by Brian Pears]

• Formed by a merger of the Public Record Office and the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts, The National Archives (TNA) is the principal repository for English and Welsh records. You might like to start by browsing the titles of their 193 guides classified under 'family history'. TNA offer many, many useful Research Guides.

• The National Archives (TNA)'s Discovery system is now the key to finding their holdings - see also: TNA Discovery Help.

• TNA's Access to Archives (A2A) programme has been absorbed into Discovery (above).

• The National Register of Archives has now been absorbed into Discovery (above). It is/was an extensive searchable database (formerly run by the Royal Commision on Historical Manuscripts, now part of TNA) which contains information on the nature and location of manuscripts and historical records that relate to British history.

• Your Archives — NB this is now closed but remains available as a read-only resource — "The National Archives' online community of records users", a wiki that archive users can contribute to: "These pages are for you to contribute your knowledge of archival sources held by The National Archives and by other archives throughout the UK."

• The National Archives (TNA, Kew) have a worldwide list of archives. This links into the UK section.

• The L.D.S. (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) have now provided online search facilities for the I.G.I. (International Genealogical Index). As well as the general search facility, there is also a Custom Search page allowing more refined searches. Hugh Wallis has provided a search facility which greatly simplifies searching by batch number. See also Finding L.D.S. Batch Numbers.

• The FamilySearch site has a list of Family History Centres in England. These are provided by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

• In particular, the London Family History Centre has a useful web site.

• The Guildhall Library, London.

https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/The_Parliamentary_Archives_(U.K.)National Collections

Bevan, Amanda, (Ed.). Tracing Your Ancestors in the Public Record Office (6th ed.), The National Archives. [ISBN 1903365341] 
["This is a new, revised edition of the best-selling guide. Now in its sixth edition, Tracing Your Ancestors in the Public Record Office continues to provide comprehensive guidance to all researchers, new or experienced, wishing to trace their forebears among the records of government or courts held at The National Archives. It leads the reader through the census and military service records, wills and lawsuits, court rolls and hearth taxes and all other records where our ancestors may have left their tracks. . . this new revised edition provides information on this and many other releases of records at the National Archives, including army, navy, merchant navy and immigration records. New information about how to access the records via the catalogue is also provided."]

• The National Archives (TNA) in Kew brings together the Public Records Office (PRO) and the Historical Manuscripts Commission, and is the principal repository for English and Welsh records. ( Note: most Scottish records are held in the National Archives of Scotland in Edinburgh, and Northern Ireland Records are held by The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) .)
• Now that the Access to Archives (A2A) project is no more, TNA's  Discovery catalogue covers holdings in many regional archives as well as the National Archives themselves - see their  Find an Archive page. (To search all these other archives use the "Held By" option in the catalogue's Advanced Searchfacility.)
•  
  • Copies of the National Archives' Research Guidesare now available online, as is their very useful catalogue.
  • Research Guides to Online Collectionsat the National Archives.
  • The National Archives' Looking for a Person?resource listing - "Each guide tells you where you can find, access and understand the relevant records".
  • Their Manorial Documents Registeridentifies the location of manorial documents.
  • Your Archives- "The National Archives' online community of records users", a wiki that archive users could contribute to - now closed.
  • The National Archives publishes a useful free enewslettergiving a "monthly round-up of news, blogs, offers and events ".
  • They also have a YouTube channel of videos providing tips on using the Discovery catalogue, visiting, etc.
• Quick animated guidesto using the National Archives.
• The British Library'scollections may be regarded as the world's finest; the range and effectiveness of the services it provides on the basis of these collections are without rival. Their web pages give access to their comprehensive online cataloguesincluding the British Library Public Catalogue, as well as providing full details of the library's services and facilities.
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offers a wide range of genealogical resources at its Family History Centers around the world.  For contact details,  click here and search for the centre nearest you.

Listings and Guides

• The National Archives' "gateway to archival resources, projects and initiatives in the UK and abroad" has been transferred to the UNESCO Archives Portal (archived copy).
• JISC's  Library Hub Discover provides a means of  searching resources in UK and Irish academic, national & specialist libraries - as of Jan 2020, it held  "42,377,775 records created from 106,728,673 records contributed by 144 institutions".
• The Archives Hubis a service run by MIMAS at Manchester Computing which provides free access to descriptions of archives held in the UK's universities and colleges. The descriptions can be searched in a number of ways and will form one part of the emerging UK National Archives Network.
• LDS Family History Centres.
• Culture 24, "Latest news, exhibition reviews, links, listings and education resources from thousands of UK museums, galleries, archives and libraries, all in one place".
• Details of 1600 Museums, Galleries and Historic Housesprovided by Britains Finest.
• UK250's listing of  UK museum websites (archived copy)
• Details of Maritime and Naval Museumsin Britain and Ireland provided by Dr Martin H. Evans and Dr Janet West. A Location Mapis also available.
• The British & Irish Archaeological Bibliography- "The biab online database contains datasets covering publications from AD 1695 to the present day on archaeology and the historic environment, historic buildings, maritime and industrial archaeology, environmental history, and the conservation of material culture" - nearly 200,000 references, as of June 2007.
• Community Archives- set up on behalf of the National Council on Archives "to show the variety and quantity of community archives in the UK."
• UK Parliamentary Archives - FamilySearch guide.section.

Specialist Collections

• Society of Genealogists
• Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies,
• The Methodist Archives and Research Centreis part of the John Rylands University Library of Manchester.
• The Huguenot Libraryis located at University College, London
• The Royal Archives - subscription access via Find My Past.
• The The British Postal Musem and Archive(formerly Post Office Archives and Records Services) holds the records of the British Post Office from the 17th century to the present day.
• Institute for Historical Research
• India Office(archived copy): Family History Research.
• The British Empire and Commonwealth Museum.
• The Women's Library- "housing the most extensive collection of women's history in the UK".
• The National Gas Archive- "The NGA holds up to two kilometres of records covering the history and development of the UK gas industry. The records date from about 1812 to the present day and include many of the administrative, financial, legal, technical, property and personnel records of the industry."
• The National Army Museum.

Miscellaneous

• Association of Independent Libraries- details of member institutions and publications.