Archives & resources for Northumberland
ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES
Archives and Special Collections Palace Green Library, University of Durham, Palace Green, Durham DH1 3RN 0191 334 2972 pg.library@durham.ac.uk dur.ac.uk/library/asc Archives and Special Collections looks after pre-1882 Bishops’ Transcripts for Northumberland parishes within the diocese of Durham, plus Durham probate indexes and registered copies of wills proved in the Durham Consistory Court 1540–1857, marriage licence applications (1664 onwards), and estate collections. You can explore a catalogue of pre-1858 wills at familyrecords.dur.ac.uk/nei.
Berwick-upon-Tweed Record Office
Walkergate Building, Walkergate, Berwick TD15 1DB 01289 301865 berwickarchives@northumberland.gov.uk experiencewoodhorn.com/ berwick-record The record office holds material relating to the former borough of Berwick-upon-Tweed, including borough, business, court and estate records, plus nonconformist church material. It also holds sources relating to the rest of Northumberland and Scotland. There are microform copies of General Register Office indexes, Anglican and nonconformist registers for North Northumberland, cemetery records for Berwick, Tweedmouth and North Sunderland, and the Berwick
Advertiser (1808–1900); back issues of the newspaper are also available through britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk and findmypast.co.uk.
Blyth Library
Bridge Street, Blyth NE24 2DJ 01670 620201 blyth.library@northumberland.gov.uk bit.ly/find-blyth-library Refurbished in 2015, the library is situated in the former Mechanics’ Institute, built in 1882. The local studies collection includes microform copies of the 1841–1901 census returns, local newspapers, electoral registers, trade directories, memorial inscriptions and maps.
Durham County Record Office
County Hall, Durham DH1 5UL 03000 267619 record.office@durham.gov.uk durhamrecordoffice.org.uk The record office has material relating to churches, businesses, families and estates, schools and colleges, courts, the police, hospitals and individuals.
Fusiliers Museum of Northumberland
Abbots Tower, Alnwick Castle, Alnwick NE66 1NG 01665 602152 northumberlandfusiliers.org.uk The archival material at the museum includes war diaries, personal diaries and memorabilia, and there is a research service.
Hexham Library
Queen’s Hall, Beaumont Street, Hexham NE46 3LS 01670 620450 hexham.library@northumberland.gov.uk bit.ly/find-hexham-library The library’s resources include transcriptions of Tynedale parish registers, indexes to Hexham cemetery (1859–1903), electoral registers, census returns, local newspapers and directories.
Newcastle City Library
Charles Avison Building, 33 New Bridge Street West, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8AX 0191 277 4100 information@newcastle.gov.uk bit.ly/newcastle-lib-fam-hist The library’s Local Studies Collection was established in 1844. The website has details of its resources, picture collections and General Register Office indexes, plus there’s the Newcastle Collection ( newcastlecollection.newcastle.gov.uk).
North East Film Archive
Teesside University, Middlesbrough TS1 3BA 01642 384022 nefa@tees.ac.uk www.yorkshirefilmarchive.com Search the combined North East Film Archive and Yorkshire Film Archive catalogue for home movies, documentaries, newsreels and advertising films, hundreds of which can be viewed for free online.
North Shields Local Studies Library
Discover North Tyneside, North Shields Customer First Centre, Northumberland Square, North Shields NE30 1QU 0191 643 5270 discover@northtyneside.gov.uk bit.ly/north-shields-local-studies The library has microform copies of General Register Office indexes; parish registers of Killingworth, Longbenton and Tynemouth; census returns; memorial inscriptions; and an index to the Shields Daily News (1864–1960), also available on britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk, together with partial indexes to other local newspapers.
Northumberland Archives
Woodhorn, Queen Elizabeth II Country Park, Ashington NE63 9YF 01670 624358 archives@northumberland.gov.uk northumberlandarchives.com Northumberland Archives looks after parish registers and nonconformist records, census material, cemetery records and newspapers. Probate material includes indexes of pre1858 wills proved in the consistory court of the diocese of Durham (on microfilm), plus copies of Newcastle District Probate Registry wills (1858–1941). The website has a short ‘How to’ family history video, guides to record collections, and an Archive Starter Pack. Northumberland Archives also houses the Local Studies Library and Woodhorn Mining Museum Library collection.
Tyne & Wear Archives
Blandford House, Blandford Square, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4JA 0191 277 2248 archives@twmuseums.org.uk twarchives.org.uk The archives looks after material relating to Gateshead, Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Sunderland. It also has parish records from Newcastle upon Tyne and North Tyneside on microfilm.
SOCIETIES Borders Family History Society
52 Overhaugh Street, Galashiels, Scotland TD1 1DP 01896 750387 bordersfhs.org.uk The society’s website has indexes to parish records, journal articles etc.
Northumberland and Durham Family History Society
7th Floor, Percy House, Percy Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4PW 0191 261 2159 ndfhs.org.uk The society has branches in Alnwick, Belmont (Durham), Blyth, London, Newcastle, North Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Tynedale and Wansbeck. The library and research centre, which will soon be a FamilySearch Affiliate Library, runs family history courses. Its resources include General Register Office indexes, census returns and transcriptions, parish registers and memorial inscriptions, and access to Findmypast and TheGenealogist.
new, temporary catalogue is at northumberland.spydus.co.uk.
“In time, we will have an online shop and the ability to purchase copies of documents right from the catalogue. Watch this space!” he adds.
The archives has material relating to local industry: coal and lead mining, sea fishing and agriculture. This includes ‘bargain books’ – agreements between groups of lead miners to work together; an index to the compensation cases considered by the Northumberland Coal Owners Mutual Protection Association; and records of many local coal companies. Family/ estate records may also contain references to tenant farmers, agricultural labourers and even fishermen.
Enigmatic hero
Since our last visit there have been a number of new additions to the collections, such as records of the Baker-Cresswells of Bamburgh (NRO 10082). One noted member of this long-standing family was Joe Baker-Cresswell, who captained HMS Bulldog when it captured a complete Enigma Machine and codebook in 1941. His notebook records the action, and the captured U-boat was photographed.
The archives also has records of Constance Leathart of Angerton, who flew Royal Air Force aircraft on transit flights in World War Two as an air transport auxiliary. In 1927 she became the first British female pilot outside London, and one of the first 20 overall, to receive a pilot’s licence.
“The material is a fascinating record of this pioneer,” says Michael, “and includes some remarkable photographs, as well as log books and diaries.”
Another unique collection arrived in 2015, from the offices of 200-year-old Alnwick legal practice Dickson, Archer and Thorp. The acquisition, costing £150,000, was made possible through internal fundraising, plus grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Lord Crewe’s Charity, Friends of the National Libraries, and the V&A Purchase Grant Fund. Michael says it is often described as a “time capsule”, representing an unrivalled record of Northumberland’s social, political and economic history, stretching from the practice’s establishment in the 18th century, through to the death of its last partner, Reginald Thorp, in 2003.
“It is the only legal collection in the care of Northumberland Archives to have this level of historical volume and scope.”
Not much has changed in terms of facilities at Northumberland Archives, but Berwick Record Office has vacated its long-standing home in Council Offices in Wallace Green and moved to Berwick Library. The office serves the north of the county – from Berwick, south to Ellingham, west to Ingram and north to Carham on the River Tweed – with microform copies of some county-wide resources.
Michael says: “It’s best to contact them ahead of your visit, as all their material is stored off-site and needs to be retrieved in advance. It’s hoped that in the future Berwick Record Office will find a permanent home in a redeveloped Berwick Heritage Hub.”
Finally Northumberland Archives has also been working with The National Archives to revise, update and digitise the paper-based Manorial Documents Register. Manorial documents are protected by law because they contain proof of title to copyhold land, and include court rolls, surveys, maps, terriers (registers of landed estates) and all other documents relating to the boundaries, franchises, wastes, customs or courts of a manor.
“These records offer a wonderful source of information about local communities and places. They can provide detail on topics such as family, agriculture, crime, property and land ownership. They date from the 12th to 20th centuries, so offer insight into parts of our history where few other records have survived.”
Michael adds that the records will be searchable by manor, parish, type of record, or date. “The updated online Manorial Documents Register is far more detailed and accurate than the original paper indexes, improving both the quality and quantity of the information provided.”
The new Northumberland Manorial Documents Register will be available soon.
The archives also has records of Constance Leathart, who flew RAF aircraft in World War Two