SHROPSHIRE DIRECTORY ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES
Bishop’s Castle Heritage Resource Centre
a Chapel Yard, Bishop’s Castle SY9 5DE t 01588 630556 w bchrc.co.uk
The centre is owned and run by the House on Crutches Museum Collection Trust. Its resources include parish registers, census returns and trade directories. Bridgnorth Library a 67 Listley Street, Bridgnorth WV16 4AW
t 01746 763358 e bridgnorth.library@shropshire. gov.uk
w shropshire.gov.uk/libraries/ find-a-library/bridgnorthlibrary
Like all libraries across the county, Bridgnorth Library provides access to ancestry. co.uk, britishnewspaperarchive. co.uk and findmypast.co.uk.
A local history collection here mainly comprises books on Bridgnorth and the wider Shropshire area, dating from the 19th century to the present. Herefordshire Archive And Records Centre a
Fir Tree Lane, Rotherwas, Hereford HR2 6LA
t 01432 260750 e archives@herefordshire.gov.uk
w herefordshire.gov.uk/archives
Because parts of Shropshire are covered by the three separate dioceses of Lichfield, Hereford and St Asaph, you will need to access other archives to use the likes of Bishops’ Transcripts, marriage licences and probate material. The Diocese of Hereford covers some 356 parishes, including South Shropshire. Try the archive’s index search at bit.ly/harc-search – note that the drop-down list of parishes defaults to those in Herefordshire. Ludlow Library a 7–9 Parkway, Ludlow SY8 1PH t e 01743 250510 ludlow.library@ shropshire.gov.uk
w shropshire.gov.uk/libraries/
find-a-library/ludlow-library
Ludlow Library holds a local history collection covering South Shropshire and North Herefordshire. The collection includes 19th-century censuses, memorial inscriptions, maps, newspapers, trade directories, plans and parish registers. The National Library Of Wales a
Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales
SY23 3BU
t 01970 632800 e gofyn@llgc.org.uk
w llgc.org.uk
The St Asaph Diocese covers the north-west parishes of Shropshire around Oswestry. The diocesan collection here include episcopal registers from St Asaph Cathedral, Bishops’ Transcripts, marriage bonds and affidavits. You can download a finding aid from archives.library.wales/ downloads/diocese-of-st-asaphrecords.pdf. Oswestry Archives a
Oswestry Town Council, The Guildhall, Oswestry SY11 1PZ
t 01691 680222 e enquiries@oswestry-tc.gov.uk
w oswestry-tc.gov.uk/oswestry
archives.html
The archive looks after local borough and council records – the oldest document, from 1324, is a grant by the Earl of Arundel of two shops to the Burgesses of Oswestry. The collection includes public records such as quarter sessions material, as well as local photographs and maps. Oswestry Library
a Arthur Street, Oswestry SY11 1JN
t 01743 250351 e oswestry.library@shropshire. gov.uk
w shropshire.gov.uk/libraries/
find-a-library/oswestry-library
Oswestry Library houses the Local Studies Collection and the Welsh Collection: books, papers, photos, documents and scrapbooks for Oswestry and surrounding areas. Shropshire Archives a
Castle Gates, Shrewsbury SY1 2AQ
t 0345 678 9096 e archives@shropshire.gov.uk
w shropshirearchives.org.uk
The archive service for the county of Shropshire, which includes the Borough of Telford and Wrekin, looks after registers of baptism, marriage and burial for most of the 300-plus Shropshire parishes, as well as nonconformist and Roman Catholic registers. Via shropshirearchives.org.uk/ collections you can learn more about the archive’s Poor Law and workhouse records; maps and plans; electoral registers and poll books; newspapers; school material; cemetery records; census returns; and court records. Registers of policies taken out with the Salop Fire Office between 1780 and 1889 can be useful for identifying where a particular person lived. Use the search box at the top of each page to look for a particular keyword, combination of words or reference number. This returns results from within the catalogue, as well as the research advice pages. Read tips for narrowing search results at
shropshirearchives.org.uk/ advice-and-guides/how-tosearch-our-catalogue. 6WDIIRUGVKLUH 5HFRUG 2IÀFH
a Eastgate Street, Stafford ST16 2LZ
t 01785 278379 e staffordshire.record.office@ staffordshire.gov.uk
w staffordshire.gov.uk/archives
Lichfield Record Office, which looked after records of the Lichfield Diocese, closed in December 2017. All of its records are now available at Staffordshire Record Office. Lichfield Diocese covers the northern half of Shropshire, and relevant records include Bishops’ Transcripts, marriage bonds/allegations, tithe maps and pre-1858 wills. Search the online catalogue at archives. staffordshire.gov.uk/CalmView. Whitchurch Library
a High Street, Whitchurch SY13 1AX
t 01948 662238 e whitchurch.library@ shropshire.gov.uk
w bit.ly/whit-lib
Among the resources at this library are parish registers, tithe maps, memorial inscriptions and the Whitchurch Herald on microfiche for 1869–1950. Whitchurch Museum And Archives
a Whitchurch Heritage Centre, 12 St Mary’s Street, Whitchurch SY13 1QY
t 01948 664577 e info@whitchurch-heritage. co.uk
w whitchurch-heritage.co.uk
Resources here include electoral registers, probate inventories, trade directories, tithe apportionments and name indexes – a 1700–1850 index is at bit.ly/whitchurch-names.
The site bit.ly/whitchurch-ww1
contains the life stories of soldiers who fought in the First World War. GROUPS AND SOCIETIES Friends Of Shropshire Archives a c/o Shropshire Archives, Castle Gates, Shrewsbury SY1 2AQ t 0345 678 9096 w friendsofshropshirearchives.
org
Members help with cataloguing, digitising and conserving archives, photographs, maps and books. They also contribute to the Heritage Heroes project (see the Websites section). Ludlow Historical Research Group w ludlowhistory.co.uk
The group meets regularly at Ludlow Library during spring, autumn and winter. It also runs the website ludlowsoldiersww1. co.uk, which includes photos and biographies. Oswestry Family & Local History Group w oswestrygenealogy.org.uk
The group provides a support and advice service at Oswestry Library twice a week. Its website includes free digital resources including memorial inscriptions and a roll of honour from the First World War. Shropshire Family History Society e secretary@sfhs.org.uk w sfhs.org.uk
The society holds monthly meetings at the Community Centre, Cross Houses, Shrewsbury SY5 6JH. The website has a useful ‘parishes’ page, and free-to-search databases covering memorial inscriptions, strays, the War Dead, and Shropshire inns of 1828. Members run a help desk at Shropshire Archives Wednesdays to Saturdays. MUSEUMS Bridgnorth Northgate Museum
a Northgate, Bridgnorth WV16 4ER t 01746 763525 w bridgnorthmuseum.org.uk The museum is open between Easter and October every year. You can search the museum’s catalogue via the website. Ironbridge Gorge Museum
a Library & Archive, Coach
Road, Coalbrookdale, Telford TF8 7DQ
t 01952 435900 e library@ironbridge.org.uk
w ironbridge.org.uk
This World Heritage site includes 10 attractions. Its collections cover the iron and steel industries, mining, engineering and ceramics, plus local Quakerism and Methodism. Shropshire Museums t e 0345 678 9024 shrewsburymuseum@ shropshire.gov.uk
w shropshire.gov.uk/museums/
shropshires-museums
This site has details of museums such as Acton Scott Historic Working Farm, Ludlow Museum Resource Centre, Much Wenlock Museum, Coleham Pumping Station and Shrewsbury Castle. Shropshire Regimental Museum
a The Castle, Castle Street, Shrewsbury SY1 2AT
t 01743 358516 e curator@shropshireregimental museum.co.uk
w shropshireregimentalmuseum.
co.uk
The museum has material on several county regiments, militia, volunteers and territorials. Note that some archival material, including War Diaries, is now held by Shropshire Archives. WEBSITES Ancestry w bit.ly/anc-shrops
Ancestry’s offerings for the county include parish records (1538– 1812) and Kelly’s 1917 directory of Herefordshire and Shropshire. Findmypast w bit.ly/fmp-shrops Findmypast’s partnership with Shropshire Archives has produced this enormous collection of baptisms (1538– 1900), banns (1760–1900), marriages (1538–1900) and burials (1518–1900). Nine Men Of Madeley Project w ninemen.org
Find out more about the accident in which nine Shropshire miners lost their lives in 1864. Shropshire’s Heritage Heroes w www.heritageheroes.org.uk Join the online volunteers working to improve access to county collections by researching and checking catalogue descriptions, transcriptions and indexes. Telford: Our New Town w telfordournewtown.co.uk This visual archive includes footage of a visit by the Duke of Edinburgh in 1972.