Archive

One of the things we suggest when people begin their family history is to ask the family and find out what people know and can tell you, and if there are certificates, photos, letters, diaries or other information which could help. Much of this won’t be in official records, and it can also save a...

Like many of you the last couple of months have been rather strange, and we are adapting to new ways of working. The Hive closed in the middle of March, but with ingenuity and commitment our staff have continued to work. We’ve been asked by a number of people what we are doing so thought...

We have thousands of amazing photos in our collections, covering the past 150 years, with some pictures of engraving taking us back even further. The text index for our main collection, Worcestershire Photographic Survey, which has over 80,000 images, is available to search via our website. You’ll need to wait until we reopen to view...

Over the past two years Worcestershire’s Historic Environment Record has been working to identify, record and better understand the significance of 20th Century buildings and public places across the County. Many more await discovery and assessment! Funded by Historic England, this project has also aimed to strengthen the public’s awareness and appreciation of ‘everyday’ 20th...

  Now in it’s fifth year, our trainee scheme is well established. Martina, Chris and Roland joined our archaeology team in early March 2020 – ideal timing to gain experience on our busy programme of fieldwork projects. Err… or not, as it turned out. Yep, you’ve guessed it: a global pandemic and national lockdown was...

With VE day tomorrow we thought we’d share about the 1939 Register, available to search via Ancestry & Find My Past. With the current guidance to stay at home we spoke to both companies who have allowed free access at home. What is the 1939 Register? It is a register of civilian population in England...

What was it like to live in Victorian Worcester? What was similar and what was different? Using information from the archives we’ve helped school find out about Victorian times over the years, and whilst most families are Home Schooling we thought we’d share the information to it can be used in the home. Q What...

The end of World War II in Europe had been on the cards from the beginning of 1945 following a series of surrenders by the German Army.  So for many it came as no real surprise when at 19.40 on 7 May 1945 the Ministry of Information made a short announcement:  “In accordance with arrangements...

Alongside the census the other key source for family historians is Civil Registration – birth, marriage and death certificates. These are important because they provide details about people – names, dates, places, occupations and family members. These provide information about people as well as clues as to who and where to look next. Civil Registration...