STAFFS DIRECTORY
ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES Birmingham Archdiocesan Archives
a Cathedral House, St Chad’s Queensway, Birmingham B4 6EU
t 0121 230 6252 e archives@rc-birmingham.org
w birminghamarchdiocesan
archives.org.uk
This repository for all parishes in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham covers the ancient counties of Oxfordshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire, and is open Thursday and Friday 8am–4pm by appointment only.
Birmingham Archives And Heritage
a Wolfson Centre for Archival Research, Library of Birmingham, Centenary Square, Broad Street, Birmingham B1 2ND
t 0121 242 4242 e enquiries@libraryof birmingham.com
w birmingham.gov.uk/archives
The archive looks after Anglican and nonconformist registers, court/coroner’s records, the Warwickshire Photographic Survey, wills, newspapers, trade directories, maps and holdings relating to the city’s industries.
Dudley Archives And Local History Centre
a Tipton Road, Dudley DY1 4SQ t 01384 812770 e archives.centre@dudley.gov.uk w www.dudley.gov.uk/archives Visit for trade directories, census returns, and electoral and parish registers from in and around Dudley, as well as records of local businesses and schools, newspapers and a vast image library. You can find out more via blackcountryhistory.org.
Sandwell Community History And Archives Service
a Smethwick Library, High Street, Smethwick B66 1AA
t 0121 569 4985 e archives_service@sandwell. gov.uk
w bit.ly/sandwell-archive
The archives service holds material relating to the six towns of Sandwell, including parish and electoral registers, records of burials and cremations, photos, maps, newspapers, and records of schools and institutions. One important collection is the business records of Chance Brothers and Company Ltd, which was based in Smethwick and was one of Britain’s great glass manufacturers. These can be searched via blackcountryhistory.org.
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a Eastgate Street, Stafford ST16 2LZ
t 01785 278379 e staffordshire.record.office@ staffordshire.gov.uk w bit.ly/staffs-record-office
The county archive service runs both Staffordshire Record Office and Stoke-on-Trent City Archives. The former Lichfield Record Office closed in 2017, and its records are now available here. Holdings include parish registers and Bishops’ Transcripts, nonconformist registers, tithe maps/awards, business records, colliery records, manorial records and electoral registers. The online catalogue is at archives. staffordshire.gov.uk/CalmView.
Stoke- On-Trent City Archives
a City Central Library, Bethesda Street, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent ST1 3RS
t 01782 238420 e stoke.archives@stoke.gov.uk
w bit.ly/sot-arch
Holdings here include electoral registers and rate books, plus there is microform and digital access to all sorts of
key resources (including the Staffordshire Collection on find mypast.co.uk). The archive also holds education, Methodist and business collections.
Walsall Local History Centre
a Lichfield Street Hub, Lichfield Street, Walsall WS1 1TR
t 01922 652212 e localhistorycentre@walsall. gov.uk
w go.walsall.gov.uk/
localhistorycentre
The centre holds the archives and local studies collections for Walsall Metropolitan Borough. The website hosts lists of church records and other material held here. There are free street and surname census indexes to parts of the Walsall Council area for records from 1841 to 1901, and you can explore images via aclickintime.co.uk.
William Salt Library
a Eastgate Street, Stafford ST16 2LZ
t 01785 278372 e william.salt.library@ staffordshire.gov.uk
w bit.ly/william-salt
The library is open from Tuesday
to Thursday, and has sources for family and local history, including pedigrees – search archives. staffordshire.gov.uk/CalmView.
Wolverhampton City Archives
a Molineux Hotel Building, Whitmore Hill, Wolverhampton WV1 1SF t 01902 552480 w bit.ly/wolv-arch
Collections here include books, maps, plans, more than 30,000 photos, records of local churches and schools, and material relating to local industries, clubs and societies. Genealogical material includes local newspapers, census returns, probate records and electoral registers (you will need to book a microfilm or microfiche viewer in advance of your visit). You can explore documents and images held here via blackcountryhistory.org.
GROUPS AND SOCIETIES Midland Ancestors
a Birmingham and Midlands Institute, 9 Margaret Street, Birmingham B3 3BS
t 0121 236 8977 e gensec@midanc.uk
w midland-ancestors.uk
The former Birmingham and Midland Society for Genealogy and Heraldry is the main family history society for Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire. There are two Staffordshire branches – North Staffs and Wolverhampton. The society also runs a Family History Centre and Reference Library, which is in the Birmingham and Midlands Institute.
Staffordshire Heritage Group
w staffordshireheritage.weebly. com
This website provides information on local history, genealogy and archaeology groups.
MUSEUMS Black Country Living Museum
a Tipton Road, Dudley DY1 4SQ
t 0121 557 9643 e info@bclm.com
w bclm.co.uk
This museum of rebuilt historical buildings includes a working brass foundry and a colliery.
Gladstone Pottery Museum
a Uttoxeter Road, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent ST3 1PQ t 01782 237777 w www.stokemuseums.org.uk/
gpm
The museum is based in a Victorian pottery factory with workshops and giant bottle kilns.
National Brewery Centre
a Horninglow Street, Burton upon Trent DE14 1NG t 01283 532880 w nationalbrewerycentre.co.uk The centre looks after records from the breweries that once occupied the site.
Potteries Museum And Art Gallery
a
Bethesda Street, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent ST1 3DW t 01782 232323 w www.stokemuseums.org.uk/
pmag
The collections here focus on the industrial history of the
Potteries, and include personal and business records. Search the catalogue at potteries. staffspasttrack.org.uk.
Wedgwood Museum
a Wedgwood Drive, Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent ST12 9ER t 01782 371900 e info@wedgwoodmuseum.com w wedgwoodmuseum.org.uk The Wedgwood archive ( wedgwoodmuseum.org.uk/ archives) has half a million items, which include ceramics, correspondence, drawings, plans and photographs.
WEBSITES Black Country History
w blackcountryhistory.org
This searchable website details the material held at archives and museums in Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton.
Findmypast
w bit.ly/fmp-staffs-coll
The site’s Staffordshire Collection includes banns, baptisms, burials and marriages, as well as marriage allegations and bonds (1636–1893), and wills and probate material (1521–1860).
Gateway To The Past
w archives.staffordshire.gov.uk/
CalmView
Search the holdings at Staffordshire Record Office, Stoke-on-Trent City Archives, the William Salt Library and the Staffordshire County Museum.