It’s worth remembering that quarter sessions dealt with many aspects of county life in their judicial role

their judicial role. “The minute books and associated papers can prove invaluable for genealogy, and aside from the criminal cases the records include cases heard in disputes of settlement, removal and bastardy, which may give vital clues for wandering ancestors and elusive fathers.” The quarter sessions were also responsible for county administration. For anyone who is tracing nonconformist ancestors there are records of oaths and affirmations, papist estates and recusant A Victorian needle- maker hard at work to hawkers and peddlers caught trading without a licence.

Karen says: “These and many of the other categories of records within the quarter sessions collection are often overlooked, but they are certainly worth considering when researching Warwickshire ancestors.”

The record office holds material relating to coal mining, which was prominent in the north of the county. These include collections for Stanley Brothers Ltd of Nuneaton, the National Coal Board and various other collieries. They also look after records relating to the needle-making industry in south Warwickshire, including collections for Needle Industries Ltd of Studley.

Just recently a team that was led by archivist Gary Collins completed a project to catalogue have been indexed and are now available on findmypast.co.uk, and Karen reports that a team is now working on quarter sessions minute books and depositions, obituaries and a pauper index. She also says that since the last time Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine visited Warwickshire in October 2012, more than 80,000 records have been added to the online catalogue.

Finally Midland Ancestors is about to launch a collection of very detailed Birmingham maps (c1888) as downloads through its online shop, with a detailed index of roads, schools, churches, other major buildings and landmarks.