LANCASHIRE DIRECTORY GROUPS AND SOCIETIES
ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES Lancashire Archives
a Bow Lane, Preston PR1 2RE
t 01772 533039 e record.office@lancashire.gov.uk
w lancashire.gov.uk/librariesand-archives/archives-andrecord-office
The website has a detailed section describing church registers, plus useful guides to collections relating to Burnley, Pendle, Blackpool, and Blackburn with Darwen. The online catalogue LANCAT ( archivecat.lancashire.gov.uk)
has guides to records, examples and indexes to all sorts of material including probate records, and plans are afoot to improve the website and catalogue for mobile devices. Highlights include probate material, crew lists, photographs, trade and other directories, local history publications and pedigrees, and there’s free online access to ancestry.co.uk, findmypast. co.uk and the British Library Gale Newspaper Archive.
You can also explore microfilm collections of Preston newspapers and cemetery registers from Preston, Blackburn and Lancaster. Estate records and solicitors’ collections include deeds, leases, registers, sales particulars and rentals. Business records here reflect Lancashire’s working past in the textile industry, fishing and seafaring, agriculture, industrial development and mining. /LYHUSRRO 5HFRUG 2IÀFH a 3rd Floor, Central Library, William Brown Street, Liverpool L3 8EW
t 0151 233 3069 w liverpool.gov.uk/libraries/archives-family-history
The record office holds photographs; council, ecclesiastical and school records; plus local/family history resources in hard copy, on microfilm/fiche and increasingly online. When it reopens after lockdown, you will need to make a searchroom appointment in advance to consult original archives, rare books and other material. Popular genealogical resources on microfilm, plus free access to Ancestry and Findmypast, are available.
Manchester Archives
a Manchester Central Library, St Peter’s Square, City Centre, Manchester M2 5PD
t 0161 234 1983 e archiveslocalstudies@manchester.gov.uk w bit.ly/mcr-lib-arch
The library is home to history books, maps and microfilms, as well as archive material, rare books and special collections.
University Of Liverpool Special Collections & Archives
a Sydney Jones Library, Chatham Street, Liverpool L69 7WZ t 0151 794 2696 e scastaff@liverpool.ac.uk w libguides.liverpool.ac.uk/
library/sca
The service looks after the university’s own archive as well as collections of the Cunard Steamship Co. (since 1878) and the archive and library of the Gypsy Lore Society (mostly dating from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century). Its postal address is Sydney Jones Library, University of Liverpool, PO Box 123, Liverpool L69 3DA.
Lancashire Family History & Heraldry Society
a 2 Straits, Oswaldtwistle BB5 3LU
t 01254 239919 e researchcentre@lfhhs.org.uk
w lfhhs.org.uk
As well as the society’s research centre in Oswaldtwistle, there is also a research centre at Astley Hall Farmhouse, Hallgate, Astley Village, Chorley PR7 1XA (call 01257 231600; email chorleyresearch@lfhhs.org.uk; or visit its website at cfhrc.com).
Lancashire Local History Federation
w lancashirehistory.org
The federation’s website brings together information on many local history societies.
Lancashire Parish Register Society
w lprs.org.uk
The society started in 1898 and has published over 250 volumes of parish register transcriptions in print and/or on CD.
Lancaster & District Family History Group
w lfhg.org
Formed in 1991, the group ordinarily meets at Bowerham Primary and Nursery School, Bowerham Road, Lancaster LA1 4BS. Its publications include memorial inscriptions.
Liverpool & South West Lancashire Family History Society
e membership@lswlfhs.org.uk w lswlfhs.org.uk
Established in 1976, the society
covers old Lancashire’s Hundred of West Derby, and has six groups in Leigh, Liverpool, Skelmersdale and Upholland, Southport, Warrington and Widnes. You can usually order transcriptions via the website.
Manchester & Lancashire Family History Society
t 0161 234 1060 w mlfhs.org.uk
The society supports family historians with interests in Greater Manchester, including Bolton and Oldham, and operates a helpdesk in Manchester Central Library.
North Meols (Southport) Family History Society
e secretary@nmfhssouthport.co.uk w nmfhssouthport.co.uk/
joining-the-society
This group was formed in 1990 to cover the area of North Meols, an ancient parish comprising the two townships of Birkdale and North Meols, and sells publications.
Ormskirk And District Family History Society
a
The Secretary, c/o 27 Bath Springs, Ormskirk L39 2XP e secretary@odfhs.email w odfhs.website
The society covers the 16 ancient parishes and townships of Western Lancashire.
St Helens Townships Family History Society
e contactus@sthelenstownshipsfhs.org.uk w sthelenstownshipsfhs.org.uk The society’s publications include transcribed parish registers.
Wigan Family & Local History Society
a 10 Wolfson Square, Ashtonin-Makerfield WN4 9RF
e wigan.fhs@gmail.com
w wiganworld.co.uk/
familyhistory
The society normally meets monthly at St Andrew’s Parish Centre, 120 Woodhouse Lane, Springfield, Wigan, WN6 7LZ.
MUSEUMS Duke Of Lancaster’s Regiment Lancashire Infantry Museum
a Fulwood Barracks, Preston PR2 8AA
t 01772 260584 e enquiries@lancashireinfantrymuseum.org.uk
w lancashireinfantrymuseum.org.uk
The museum claims to hold one of the largest infantry regimental collections in the country, and reveals the history of the East, South and Loyal North Lancashire Regiments and their antecedents.
Greater Manchester Police Museum & Archives
a 57A Newton Street, Manchester M1 1ET
t 0161 856 4500 e police.museum@gmp.police.uk
w gmpmuseum.co.uk
The museum’s extensive archive and photographic collections may be viewed by appointment. There’s also an online roll of honour for men and women of the Greater Manchester Police and earlier constituent forces.
International Slavery Museum
a Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool L3 4AQ t 0151 478 4499 w liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/
international-slavery-museum Find out more about the workings of the transatlantic slave trade.
Lancashire Museums
w lancashire.gov.uk/leisure
and-culture/museums Lancashire Museums runs the likes of Clitheroe Castle Museum, Lancaster Castle, Helmshore Mills Textile Museum and Queen Street Mill Textile Museum.
Merseyside Maritime Museum
a Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool L3 4AQ t 0151 478 4499 w liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/
maritime/archive
The museum looks after Mersey Docks and Harbour Board records, shipping/trade associations material, and merchant-shipping records. Its website has free research guides at bit.ly/lpl-maritime.
National Museums Liverpool
w liverpoolmuseums.org.uk NML presides over attractions that include the Walker Art Gallery, Museum of Liverpool and Merseyside Maritime Museum.
People’s History Museum
a Left Bank, Spinningfields, Manchester M3 3ER
t 0161 838 9190 e archive@phm.org.uk
w phm.org.uk
The museum is a specialist repository for researching the labour movement.
WEBSITES Ancestry
w ancestry.co.uk/search/places/united_kingdom/england/lancashire
Explore Ancestry’s collections relating to Manchester, Liverpool and historic Lancashire.
Findmypast
w bit.ly/fmp-lancs
The records on Findmypast include a searchable database of the victims of a cholera outbreak in Manchester in 1832.
Greater Manchester Lives
w gmlives.org.uk
Search a catalogue of material in archives and local history libraries within Greater Manchester.