KENT DIRECTORY ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES
Bexley Local Studies And Archive Centre
a Central Library, Townley Road, Bexleyheath DA6 7HJ
t 020 8303 7777 e archives@bexley.gov.uk
w bexley.gov.uk/services/
archives-and-local-history
The diocesan record office for the Church of England parishes within the London Borough of Bexley also holds records for several nonconformist churches.
Bromley Historic Collections
a Central Library, High Street, Bromley BR1 1EX
t 020 3931 0907 e historic.collections@GLL.ORG
w bromley.gov.uk/historic
collections
The market town of Bromley was chartered in 1158, and was an ancient parish in the county of Kent. An index to the names in the creed registers of the Bromley Poor Law Union Workhouse is at bromley.gov.uk/downloads/ download/755/indexes_to_ records. You can explore historic photographs via boroughphotos. org/bromley.
Canterbury Cathedral Archives
a Cathedral House, 11 The Precincts, Canterbury CT1 2EH
t 01227 865330 e archives@canterburycathedral.org
w bit.ly/cant
cath-arch The archive collection of the Diocese of Canterbury has now been moved to the Kent History and Library Centre in Maidstone. This includes tithe records, records of the church court and visitation records. The records of East Kent Parishes (including registers of baptisms, marriages and burials) remain at the Cathedral Archives, and are available via findmypast.co.uk. You can explore a free database of Canterbury Probate Records (1396–1858) at wills.canterburycathedral.org.
Institute Of Heraldic And Genealogical Studies
a 79–82 Northgate, Canterbury CT1 1BA
t 01227 768664 e enquiries@ihgs.ac.uk
w ihgs.ac.uk
This charitable organisation was founded in 1961 to promote research and education in genealogy and heraldry.
The website has details of the institute’s courses, its family history research arm Achievements, and collections such as biographical dictionaries, directories, maps, school and university registers, and Harleian
Society and other Visitation Series.
Kent History And Library Centre
a James Whatman Way, Maidstone ME14 1LQ
t 03000 413131 e archives@kent.gov.uk
w kentarchives.org.uk
The purpose-built Maidstone headquarters opened in 2012. The holdings here cover all of Kent aside from Medway, Canterbury and metropolitan Kent (Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Lewisham and Woolwich).
It looks after courts records, coroners’ records, registers of apprentices and freemen, and records of the Cinque Ports and the Commission of Sewers. Parish registers dated before 1920 held by the Kent Archives service are now available to view and search on findmypast.co.uk
– more than 2.6 million indexed baptism, banns, marriage and burial records. Finally the service has just published the 45page booklet How to Research the History of Your House,
with particular reference to its collections, for £8.95 plus P&P.
Lewisham Local History And Archives Centre
a Lewisham Library, 199–201 Lewisham High Street, Hither Green SE13 6LG
t 020 8314 8501 e local.studies@lewisham.gov. uk
w lewisham.gov.uk/inmyarea/
history/archives Districts covered include Bellingham, Beckenham (part), Blackheath (part), Brockley, Catford, Crofton Park, Downham, Forest Hill, Grove Park, Hatcham, Hither Green, Ladywell, New Cross, Southend and Sydenham.
Medway Archives Centre
a 32 Bryant Road, Strood, Rochester ME2 3EP
t 01634 332714 e malsc@medway.gov.uk
w bit.ly/-med-arch
The online catalogue ( medway. adlibhosting.com) enables users to search hundreds of historical documents held here, including parish registers from the Archdeaconry of Rochester, Poor Law material, petty sessions and shipping registers, plus nonconformist material and school records. The centre also has a newspaper index stretching back to 1830 (the newspapers themselves are on microfilm). Ancestry Library Edition and Findmypast can be accessed in the searchroom; Ancestry’s offerings include Poor Law union records (1836–1937) and Methodist registers (1798–1932), while Findmypast has school admission registers (1870–1914).
Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust
a Charlton House, Charlton Road, London SE7 8RE t 020 8856 3951 e info@rght.org.uk w bit.ly/greenwich-heritage
The trust looks after photographs, minutes, manuscripts, records, registers, prints, newspapers and books. Areas covered are Abbey Wood, Blackheath, Charlton, Deptford (part), Eltham, Greenwich, Kidbrook, Mottingham (part), New Eltham, North Woolwich (until 1 April 1965), Plumstead, Shooters Hill, Thamesmead and Woolwich. The research room is open on Tuesdays 10am–12pm and 2pm– 4pm by appointment only. Most of the older parish registers for Greenwich have been deposited with the London Metropolitan Archives ( search.lma.gov.uk).
GROUPS AND SOCIETIES Folkestone & District Family History Society
e secretary@folkfhs.org.uk w folkfhs.org.uk
The Folkestone & District Family History Society promotes the study of family history in Shepway and south-east Kent. Its transcriptions include the birth register of William Waylett, a midwife who delivered 2,495 babies in Lydd and the surrounding parishes on Romney Marsh between 1757 and 1815. This is now available on find mypast.co.uk.
Friends Of Medway Archives
w foma-lsc.org
FOMA publishes the quarterly journal The Clock Tower, and its website includes resources for anyone whose ancestor served in the First World War.
Kent Archaeological Society
a c/o Maidstone Museum, St Faith’s Street, Maidstone ME14 1LH e membership@kent archaeology.org
w kentarchaeology.org.uk
The society was founded in 1857, and now has more than 1,200 members. The website has details of transcribed memorial inscriptions, tithes and many other resources.
Kent Family History Society
a c/o 80 Northgate, Canterbury CT1 1BA
t 01227 495120 e chairman@kfhs.org.uk
w kfhs.org.uk
The largest and oldest society covering Kent holds branch meetings in Ashford, Canterbury, Deal, Maidstone and Medway; its Thanet branch ceased activities at the end of 2019. The society has published more than 2,000 records on fiche, and transcribed over 250 parish registers and census returns from across the county. The ‘Research in Kent’ page of its website details archives and libraries, where to find cemetery records, and civil registration districts.
North West Kent Family History Society
a Library and Resource Centre, 80 Summerhouse Drive, Joyden’s Wood Estate, Bexley DA5 2EE
t 01322 527604 e library@nwkfhs.org.uk
w nwkfhs.org.uk
The society focuses on SouthEast London and north-west Kent, and runs a library and resource centre in Bexley open Wednesdays 10am–4pm. The website’s ‘Resources’ section has a free database containing the names of nearly 37,000 individuals buried at Ladywell and Brockley Cemetery. In 2017 the society took on the region covered by the defunct Tunbridge Wells Family History Society.
MUSEUMS The Guildhall Museum
a 17 High Street, Rochester ME1 1PY
t 01634 332900 e guildhall.museum@medway. gov.uk
w bit.ly/roch-guild
The highlights here include a full-size reconstruction of part of a prison hulk, and a remarkably complete set of an 18th-century cabinet-maker’s tools.
Historic Dockyard, Chatham
a The Historic Dockyard, Chatham ME4 4TZ
t 01634 823800 e info@chdt.org.uk
w https://thedockyard.co.uk
Explore Royal Navy warships and shipbuilding heritage in this 18th-century dockyard museum, although it is currently closed to the public until 8 February 2020.
Kent Police Museum
t 01795 433028 e museum@kent.pnn.police.uk w museum.kent.police.uk
The Kent Police Museum is currently moving to Faversham Police Station, where it plans to reopen in early 2020.
Maidstone Museum
a St Faith’s Street, Maidstone ME14 1LH t 01622 602838 e museuminfo@maidstone.gov. uk
w museum.maidstone.gov.uk
The museum includes the Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment Museum.
Royal Engineers Museum
a Prince Arthur Road, Gillingham ME7 1UR t 01634 822839 w re-museum.co.uk
The Royal Engineers Museum, Library and Archive collection covers the history of the corps to the present day, although it does not include service records. A new Archive Store is being developed, meaning that the library/archive is closed until August 2020. In the meantime you can explore collections via the online catalogue.
WEBSITES Ancestry
w ancestry.co.uk
Ancestry includes more than 200,000 Medway workhouse records from the Strood Poor Law Union, the Medway Union (Chatham, Gillingham and Rochester) and Hoo.
Findmypast
w findmypast.co.uk Findmypast has a collection of Canterbury Archdeaconry banns, marriages, burials and baptisms, plus a collection of parish registers provided in association with Kent County Council.