Archives & resources for Cumbria
ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES
Barrow Archive and Local Studies Centre Ramsden Square, Barrow-inFurness, Cumbria LA14 1LL 01229 407377 barrow.archives@cumbria.gov.uk bit.ly/cumbria-barrow This is one of four Cumbria Archive Service Centres in the county – the other three are Carlisle, Kendal and Whitehaven. Barrow looks after material for Westmorland, plus portions of Cumbria that were formerly in Lancashire and Yorkshire.
Carlisle Archive Centre
Lady Gillford’s House, Petteril Bank Road, Carlisle CA1 3AJ 01228 227284 carlisle.archives@cumbria.gov.uk bit.ly/cumbria-carlisle The centre holds material relating to parts of historic Cumberland north of the River Derwent, including Carlisle, Keswick, Penrith and Maryport. Its collections include census, parish and nonconformist records, and school, business and family/estate records.
Cheshire Archives and Local Studies
Cheshire Record Office, Duke Street, Chester, Cheshire CH1 1RL 01244 972574 archives.cheshire.gov.uk Cheshire Archives and Local Studies has some church court records for Cumbrian parishes in the diocese of Chester prior to 1856.
Cumbria Libraries Local Studies
cumbria.gov.uk/libraries/localstudies This page has information on libraries and resources across the county, with PDF guides to local collections, plus spreadsheet indexes and links to local library collections in Carlisle, Kendal, Penrith, Workington and more.
Durham University Library Special Collections
dur.ac.uk/library/asc The library has wills and marriage bonds for parishes in the diocese of Durham. Some records are on family
search.org – marriage licence bonds and allegations 1692–1900 are at bit.
ly/fmp-durham-marriage, while Bishops’ Transcripts for 1639–1919 are at bit.ly/fmp-durham-trans.
Kendal Archive Centre
Kendal County Offices, Kendal, Cumbria LA9 4RQ 01539 713539/01539 713540 kendal.archives@cumbria.gov.uk bit.ly/cumbria-kendal Kendal mainly covers the former county of Westmorland, with parish and nonconformist material, and records relating to institutions, industry, families and charities. The centre is closed until 7 November 2018.
Lancashire Archives
Bow Lane, Preston PR1 2RE 01772 533039 record.office@lancashire.gov.uk bit.ly/lancs-archives Copeland, Furness and much of Westmorland fall into the archdeaconry of Richmond, within the diocese of Chester. The diocesan archives (including wills and marriage bonds) are held at Lancashire Archives, alongside some quarter sessions records. Cumbria Archive Service Centres have the wills on microfilm.
West Yorkshire Archive Service
West Yorkshire Joint Services, Nepshaw Lane South, Morley, Leeds LS27 7JQ archives@wyjs.org.uk wyjs.org.uk/archive-services The service looks after some material relating to the Sedbergh district of Yorkshire, which is now part of modern Cumbria. West Yorkshire also has branches in Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield.
Whitehaven Archive and Local Studies Centre
Scotch Street, Whitehaven, Cumbria CA28 7NL 01946 506420 whitehaven.archives@ cumbria.gov.uk bit.ly/cumbria-white Whitehaven covers the area of West Cumbria bounded by the Derwent in the north and the Duddon in the south, including Cockermouth, Whitehaven and Workington. The centre closes for refurbishment near the end of 2018 for about a year.
OTHER RESOURCES Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society
cumbriapast.com The society sells a range of publications through its website.
Cumbria County History Trust
cumbriacountyhistory.org.uk This is a collaborative, volunteer-run Victoria County History of Cumbria project from the Regional Heritage Centre at Lancaster University, supported by the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society. Before its launch in 2010, there were no Victoria County History town or village histories for Cumberland or Westmorland. Via the ‘About a place’ map you can click through to wards and townships, and see more information on each area.
Cumbria Family History Society
cumbriafhs.com The society has produced all sorts of useful resources, from memorial inscriptions to burial indexes, marriage bonds and tax records, and holds a conference at Crooklands near Kendal every winter. Its London branch meets regularly in Brompton Library. Annual membership costs £10.
Cumbria Local History Federation
clhf.org.uk The website includes an A–Z of organisations supporting local history.
Friends of Cumbria Archives
sites.google.com/site/friends ofcumbriaarchives/ The Friends provide financial support and voluntary work.
Furness Family History Society
furnessfhs.co.uk The society’s website includes a guide to significant local surnames.
Industrial History of Cumbria
cumbria-industries.org.uk The site has an A–Z list of industries associated with Cumbria, each leading to an article on that subject.