Staffordshire Archives and Libraries

Staffordshire Record Office
Staffordshire Record Office County Buildings Eastgate Street Stafford, Staffordshire ST16 2LZ UK Telephone: 01785 278380 (Admin enquiries) 01785 278379 (Archive enquiries) Email: [mailto:staffordshire.record.office@staffordshire.gov.uk staffordshire.record.office@staffordshire.gov.uk] Website: Staffordshire Record Office Catalogue: Gateway to the Past


 * This online catalogue contains descriptions of the holdings of:


 * Staffordshire Record Office, Lichfield Record Office, Stoke on Trent City Archives, William Salt Library, Stafford, Staffordshire County Museum at Shugborough, and Shire Hall Art Gallery, Stafford.


 * These descriptions cover manuscripts, maps, books, pamphlets, photographs, museum objects and original artworks. Although some descriptions on this catalogue include thumbnail images, most do not.

Lichfield Record Office
The Lichfield Record Office closed to the public in December 2017. Documents formerly held there can now be consulted at Staffordshire Record Office. Some of the records are held at an out-store, for which a minimum of two working days' notice is required for production. Please check our online catalogue, Gateway to the Past, or contact Staffordshire Record Office to check on availability at email: [mailto:staffordshire.record.office@staffordshire.gov.uk staffordshire.record.office@staffordshire.gov.uk].


 * Before 1540 the diocese of Coventry and Lichfield included Cheshire, Derbyshire, south Lancashire, north Shropshire, Staffordshire, north Warwickshire, and small parts of Flintshire and Denbighshire. In 1540 Cheshire, south Lancashire and the Welsh parishes were lost and the name of the diocese changed to Lichfield and Coventry. Its records form the largest single part of our holdings. They range in date from the late thirteenth century to the present day and include a series of bishops' registers beginning in 1296, court books, visitation records, wills and tithe maps (for Staffordshire and northern Shropshire).

Burton Family and Local History Centre
Burton Family and Local History Centre Burton Library Riverside High Street Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire DE14 1AH UK Telephone: 01283 239556 Email: [mailto:burton.library@staffordshire.gov.uk burton.library@staffordshire.gov.uk] Website


 * Registers of parishes in the former registration district of Burton upon Trent are available on microfiche, for registers starting 1925 or earlier. These include: Anslow; Barton under Needwood; Branston; Burton-upon Trent, All Saints, Christ Church, Holy Trinity, St Aidan, St Margaret, St Modwen, St Paul; Dunstall; Hanbury; Horninglow; Rolleston; Stretton with Claymills; Tatenhill; Tutbury; Wychnor; and Yoxall.


 * Microfiche copies of bishops transcripts of Derbyshire parish registers in the former registration district of Burton are available as follows: Church Gresley; Rosliston; Stapenhill.


 * Microfiche copies of nonconformist registers for a large number of chapels within the Burton-upon-Trent Methodist circuits and for other nonconformist chapels are available.

Dudley Archives and Local History Service
Dudley Archives and Local History Service Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council Council House Priory Road Dudley, West Midlands DY1 1HF UK Telephone: 0300 555 2345 Email: [mailto:dudleycouncilplus@dudley.gov.uk dudleycouncilplus@dudley.gov.uk] Website: Dudley Archives and Local History Service


 * Dudley Archives and Local History Service collects, preserves and makes available archive and local studies material relating to the Dudley borough to help the community understand the past, live the present and shape the future. The Archives and Local History Service looks after a wonderful collection that is housed in the purpose built Archives and Local History Centre in Dudley and includes records dating back to the 12th century.  Whether you’re interested in family history, house history or any other aspect of life and work in the Dudley borough, past and present, the Archives is a great place to start.


 * We hold original archive material including business ledgers, local authority correspondence and minutes, maps and school records. We have over 15,000 books and pamphlets and around 26,000 images relating to the borough.

Sandwell Community History and Archives Service
Sandwell Community History and Archives Service Smethwick Library High Street Smethwick, West Midlands B66 1AA UK Telephone: 0121 558 2561 Email: [mailto:archives_service@sandwell.gov.uk archives_service@sandwell.gov.uk] Website: Sandwell Community History and Archives Service


 * If you are looking for original documents, maps and photographs, you can search our online catalogue on the Black Country History website.


 * Please note that only a small proportion of our holdings are currently catalogued online.


 * Our local studies books can be searched on the library catalogue.

Stoke-on-Trent City Archives
Stoke-on-Trent City Archives City Central Library Bethesda Street Hanley, Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire ST1 3RS UK Telephone: 01782 238420 Email: [mailto:stoke.archives@stoke.gov.uk stoke.archives@stoke.gov.uk] Website: Stoke-on-Trent City Archives


 * Anglican Parish Registers


 * Free access to the 'Staffordshire Collection' on Findmypast, at archive service points and libraries in Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent. Currently this contains around 3,000 parish registers, with 4 million entries, 1538-1900.


 * Registers of baptisms, marriages and burials for parishes across north Staffordshire, 1538 to c.1925, on microfiche.


 * A complete set of the publications of the Staffordshire Parish Register Society, which provide printed transcriptions of baptisms, marriages and burials for many Staffordshire parishes, 1536-1812.


 * Bishops Transcripts


 * Bishops transcripts for some Staffordshire parishes on microfiche, 1551-1812.


 * We publish a guide to the parish registers and bishop's transcripts held across the Archive Service. For your free download please go to the Guides to Sources page. This guide was last updated in July 2015.


 * You can also download Stoke on Trent City Archives Parish Register Fiche List Apr 2011 (41kb)

Walsall Local History Centre
Walsall Local History Centre Essex St Walsall, Staffordshire WS2 7AS UK Telephone: 1922 652212 Email: [mailto:localhistorycentre@walsall.gov.uk localhistorycentre@walsall.gov.uk] Website: Walsall Local History Centre


 * Walsall Local History Centre is the Archive Service and Local Studies Library for Walsall Council. We aim to cover the whole of Walsall Metropolitan Borough.

Wolverhampton City Archives
Wolverhampton City Archives Molineux Hotel Building Whitmore Hill Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV1 1SF UK Telephone: 01902 552480 Website: Wolverhampton City Archives


 * Explore the rich life of Wolverhampton and its people through archives filled with fascinating documents, photographs, maps, recordings, ephemera and more.


 * Wolverhampton City Archives houses a wealth of materials relating to the history of all areas now within the city of Wolverhampton including Bilston, Bushbury, Penn, Tettenhall and Wednesfield. Constantly growing, the Archives’ vast collections include maps, books, census returns, newspapers, records from local schools, churches, clubs, societies and businesses, electoral registers, and indexes to births, deaths and marriages. There are also over 30,000 photographs, plus films, sound recordings, memorabilia and much more.

William Salt Library
William Salt Library Eastgate Street Stafford, Staffordshire ST16 2LZ UK Telephone: 017585-278414 Email: [mailto:william.salt.library@staffordshire.gov.uk william.salt.library@staffordshire.gov.uk] Website William Salt Library


 * The William Salt Library collections represent an outstanding resource for the study of local and family history in Staffordshire and are available for consultation by the public in our reading rooms free of charge.

Newcastle Borough Museum & Art Gallery
Newcastle Borough Museum & Art Gallery Brampton Park Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire ST5 0QP UK Telephone: 1782 619705 Email: [mailto:bramptonmuseum@newcastle-staffs.gov.uk bramptonmuseum@newcastle-staffs.gov.uk] Website: Newcastle Borough Museum & Art Gallery


 * We collect objects that relate to the history of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme. Our job is to look after and show these objects to reflect the lives of local people from days gone by. We have over 28,000 objects in the collections. When you visit us you will discover many wonderful things from our collection on display in our eight galleries. You can find out about ‘Pomona’ Pottery, toys from the past and Newcastle during the two world wars. You can peer through our Victorian shop windows where you will see marvellous ‘cures’ in our chemists shop, scary tools in our doctors surgery and all sorts of strange things in our pawnbrokers shop.

Potteries Museum & Art Gallery
Potteries Museum & Art Gallery Bethesda St Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST1 3DW UK Telephone: 1782 232323 Website: Potteries Museum & Art Gallery


 * Travel back in time and discover the history of The Potteries including the world’s greatest collection of Staffordshire ceramics, a World War II Spitfire, decorative arts and natural history. See items from the Staffordshire Hoard on display and visit the museum café and shop. A warm and friendly welcome awaits at one of Britain’s leading museums where the unique combination of ‘product and place’ is celebrated in its outstanding displays.  With pottery that will win your heart, galleries that win awards and the Spitfire that won a war, nothing can compare with what awaits you at The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery.

For a long list of Staffordshire museums, go to List of museums in Staffordshire in Wikipedia.