HEREFORDSHIRE - ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES
This web page contains information about the location and use of
Archives
and Libraries for Herefordshire-related family history research.
Generally speaking,
Archives (more commonly known as
Record Offices) are repositories for original source material,
such as Wills or Parish Registers, whereas the Local Studies Sections of
Libraries are where you'd expect to find the Census, and printed
local source material, such as Trade Directories.
If you're looking for assistance by post or email in Herefordshire, the
Hereford Record Office provide an
Enquiry Service.
If nothing less than a personal visit will suffice, more detailed information, and
some useful comments based on our own experiences, are offered below.
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Note: Between 1974 and 1998 the county of Herefordshire was amalgamated
with Worcestershire and the county known as Hereford &
Worcester (H&W). Although the buildings remained separate, this
was reflected in a joint web presence for the Hereford and Worcester Record
Offices on Worcestershire County Council's website which lasted until
April 2000. See also the current
Worcestershire Record Office website.
Hereford Cathedral Library holds Marriage Bonds for the Peculiar of the Dean of Hereford.
Opening hours are restricted.
The National Library of Wales holds Probate Records for Wills proved in the
Archdeaconry of Brecon, and a small amount of other Herefordshire-related material.
See also the
ARCHON (Archives On-Line) Information service for locations of
other Record Offices throughout the country.
Specific contents of Herefordshire Record Office Catalogues are
searchable independently using the
Access to Archives Database. This is a valuable resource - whilst
the original records are not available online, some of the catalogue entries
may be a revelation in their own right.
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Although there are other
Local Libraries, the Central Library in Hereford is the
only one in the county which has a Local Studies Collection, and
copies of the Census returns.
[The above information was transferred from the main GENUKI/Herefordshire index page on 27 Aug 2003]
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