Swindon, Wiltshire - The Swindon Collection

The Swindon Collection is a large collection of printed material, with special emphasis on Swindon and the surrounding parishes, together with the Great Western Railway. It is housed in the Central Library in Swindon:

Swindon Collection
Central Library
Regent Circus
SWINDON   
SN1 1QG.

The Swindon Collection also has a free online history gallery of the Swindon Borough.

An email from the library in November 2008 gives a summary of the information available:

Microfiche:

• Complete GRO Births, Deaths and Marriages 1837-1999 (England & Wales).
• The IGI.
• GRO Overseas indexes (50 sets of data)
• All parish records for the Swindon Borough, including Blunsdon, Chiseldon, Highworth, Lydiard, Wanborough, Wroughton.
• All WFHS transcriptions for other parishes where available.
• All relevant local census returns, 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901 (with all available street and name indexes).

Microfilm:

• The (London) Times - Complete : 1785 to date.
• Swindon Evening Advertiser - Complete :1854 to date
• Gazette & Herald, Swindon Star, Messenger and all relevant local papers for the Swindon area.

Self-printing is available, or staff can print for you.

• Free access to Ancestry.com Library Edition with full census records for the UK 1841 to 1901 and much, much more.
• Voters lists and poll books back to the 18th century.
• All books, magazines, newsletters, journals, pamphlets, leaflets & ephemera relating to Swindon and local parishes.
• Full collection of local street and trade directories, almanacs, and telephone books.
• A large collection of material concerning the Great Western Railway, including the staff magazine from the 19th century onwards.
• Full collection of local maps (OS, historical, geological, political, electoral, street maps, GOAD etc)
• An extensive collection of local photographs and illustrations.

OTHER INFORMATION SOURCES.

Swindon Museum and Art Gallery Bath Road, SWINDON   SN1 4BA.	Steam Museum Kemble Drive, SWINDON   SN2 2TA.	Wiltshire and Swindon Archives Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre, Cocklebury Road, CHIPPENHAM   SN15 3QN.	National Monuments Record Centre The Engine House, Fire Fly Avenue, SWINDON   SN2 2EH
Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society (Wiltshire Heritage), 41 Long Street, DEVIZES, Wiltshire   SN10 1NS.	Wiltshire Buildings Record At Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre	Wiltshire Studies Library At Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre	Centre for Oxfordshire Studies Central Library, Westgate, OXFORD   OX1 1DJ.