Archives & resources for
Suffolk
ARCHIVES & LIBRARIES
Norfolk Record Office The Archive Centre, Martineau Lane, Norwich NR1 2DQ 01603 222599 norfrec@norfolk.gov.uk archives.norfolk.gov.uk The record office looks after original parish registers for the Lothingland Deanery in the north of the county, and its probate collections include records of several ecclesiastical courts. The consistory court of Norwich covers Suffolk and part of Cambridgeshire. Suffolk Libraries suffolklibraries.co.uk/ special-collections This page details special collections housed in local history libraries across the county, such as the racing collection at Newmarket Library and the African-Caribbean collection at Ipswich County Library. Suffolk Record Office, Bury St Edmunds 77 Raingate Street, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP33 2AR 01284 741212 bury.ro@suffolk.gov.uk bit.ly/sro-bury This branch looks after parish material for West Suffolk, including registers, parish minutes, and churchwardens’ accounts and papers. The archive is also home to census material, Poor Law records, businesses, charities, institutions and the archives of the Suffolk Regiment. Suffolk Record Office, Ipswich Gatacre Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 2LQ 01473 263909 ipswich.ro@suffolk.gov.uk bit.ly/sro-ipswich The Ipswich branch covers East Suffolk, looking after parish material, diocesan records, estate records, and records of schools, hospitals, clubs and societies. It also houses a collection maintained by Suffolk Family History Society. Suffolk Record Office, Lowestoft Lowestoft Library, Clapham Road South, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR32 1DR 01502 674680 lowestoft.ro@suffolk.gov.uk bit.ly/sro-lowestoft This branch covers north-eastern parishes of Suffolk, including the Waveney district, and has maritime material relating to Lowestoft, including shipbuilders’ records, ships’ logs, crew lists and agreements.
MUSEUMS
Association for Suffolk Museums 01473 265008 jayne.austin@suffolk.gov.uk suffolkmuseums.org/museums The association’s website includes contact information and links for the county’s museums. Lowestoft Maritime Museum Sparrows Nest Gardens, Whapload Road, Lowestoft NR32 1XG 01502 561963 admin@lowestoftmaritime museum.co.uk lowestoftmaritimemuseum.co.uk The museum is celebrating its 50th year in 2018. Palace House Palace Street, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 8EP 01638 667314 palacehousenewmarket.co.uk Palace House is home to the National Heritage Centre of Horseracing and Sporting Art, and the National Horseracing Museum. However, note that its library and archive are currently closed for renovation.
SOCIETIES
Alde Valley Suffolk Family History Group 01728 830949 a_skelcher@hotmail.com aldevalleyfamilyhistorygroup. onesuffolk.net The group runs an informal research centre in Leiston. Bury St Edmunds Past and Present Society burypastandpresent.org.uk You can explore the Spanton–Jarman collection of local photos on this site. Felixstowe Family History Society fxfhs@hotmail.com felixstowefhs.onesuffolk.net The society covers Brightwell, Bucklesham, Falkenham, Felixstowe, Hemley, Kirton, Levington, Martlesham, Nacton, Newbourne, Trimley St Martin, Trimley St Mary, Waldringfield and Walton. Publications include memorial transcriptions and transcriptions of parish registers. Suffolk Family History Society admintrustee@suffolkfhs.org.uk suffolkfhs.org.uk The group has a busy programme of publications. The latest baptism index CD is of Fordham deanery (1650– 1753), which covers an area bordering Cambridgeshire and Norfolk, including Newmarket. You can order other titles, including marriage, burial and memorial inscription transcriptions, via the website, which includes links to the society’s Facebook page. It runs branches in Bury St Edmunds, Haverhill, Ipswich, Lowestoft, Sudbury and West London. The society’s library is at the record office’s Ipswich branch. Suffolk Records Society claire@ejbarker.co.uk suffolkrecordssociety.com The society has been publishing county records and documents since 1957.