Warwickshire County Record Office
Encyclopedia
Warwickshire County Record Office is located in Warwick
in England
. It collects, preserves and makes available records relating to the history of Warwickshire
and its people dating from the early 12th to the 21st century. It is owned and run by Warwickshire County Council.
. The building was later refurbished and extended in 2002 to 2003, with two new strongrooms and improved facilities for researchers. A new conservation workshop was also provided, in an adjacent building, which is a remaining part of the original 16th/17th house on the site that was demolished (except for this small part) in 1925.
s for Warwickshire, local government records for the county, school records for the county, court records including quarter sessions
and coroner's records and the records of the Warwickshire Constabulary. Several hospital archives are at the Record Office including those of Warwickshire County Lunatic Asylum at Hatton
and the former Warneford Hospital in Leamington Spa
. The records of a few local firms can also be found, with many solicitors records and those of concerns like Eagle Engineering, Needle Industries Ltd and Stanley Brothers of Nuneaton
.
A number of prominent local families also have records in the office including the Greville family (Earls of Warwick
), the Feilding family (Earls of Denbigh
), the Seymour family (Marquises of Hertford
) and the Newdigate family of Arbury Hall
.
's birth, marriage and death certificates).
Other archives that hold records relating to the historic county of Warwickshire include:
Warwick
Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England. The town lies upon the River Avon, south of Coventry and just west of Leamington Spa and Whitnash with which it is conjoined. As of the 2001 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 23,350...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It collects, preserves and makes available records relating to the history of Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
and its people dating from the early 12th to the 21st century. It is owned and run by Warwickshire County Council.
History
It was first founded in 1933 when it was sited in the Shire Hall. Forty years after its founding it moved to its present site, which is a purpose-built building next to Priory ParkPriory Park, Warwick
Priory Park is an urban park located in the centre of Warwick, England. Originally the land was the grounds of a 12th century priory dedicated to St Sepulchre and built in 1124 but this was closed down by King Henry VIII during the dissolution of the Monasteries...
. The building was later refurbished and extended in 2002 to 2003, with two new strongrooms and improved facilities for researchers. A new conservation workshop was also provided, in an adjacent building, which is a remaining part of the original 16th/17th house on the site that was demolished (except for this small part) in 1925.
Records held
Records in the County Record Office include parish registerParish register
A parish register is a handwritten volume, normally kept in a parish church or deposited within a county record office or alternative archive repository, in which details of baptisms, marriages and burials are recorded.-History:...
s for Warwickshire, local government records for the county, school records for the county, court records including quarter sessions
Quarter Sessions
The Courts of Quarter Sessions or Quarter Sessions were local courts traditionally held at four set times each year in the United Kingdom and other countries in the former British Empire...
and coroner's records and the records of the Warwickshire Constabulary. Several hospital archives are at the Record Office including those of Warwickshire County Lunatic Asylum at Hatton
Hatton, Warwickshire
Hatton is a village and civil parish about north of Warwick, in the Warwick District of Warwickshire in England. It has a population of 1,078...
and the former Warneford Hospital in Leamington Spa
Leamington Spa
Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or Leamington or Leam to locals, is a spa town in central Warwickshire, England. Formerly known as Leamington Priors, its expansion began following the popularisation of the medicinal qualities of its water by Dr Kerr in 1784, and by Dr Lambe...
. The records of a few local firms can also be found, with many solicitors records and those of concerns like Eagle Engineering, Needle Industries Ltd and Stanley Brothers of Nuneaton
Nuneaton
Nuneaton is the largest town in the Borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth and in the English county of Warwickshire.Nuneaton is most famous for its associations with the 19th century author George Eliot, who was born on a farm on the Arbury Estate just outside Nuneaton in 1819 and lived in the town for...
.
A number of prominent local families also have records in the office including the Greville family (Earls of Warwick
Earl of Warwick
Earl of Warwick is a title that has been created four times in British history and is one of the most prestigious titles in the peerages of the British Isles.-1088 creation:...
), the Feilding family (Earls of Denbigh
Earl of Denbigh
Earl of Denbigh is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1622 for the courtier and soldier William Feilding, 1st Viscount Feilding. He was Master of the Great Wardrobe under King James I and also took part in the Expedition to Cádiz of 1625...
), the Seymour family (Marquises of Hertford
Marquess of Hertford
The titles of Earl of Hertford and Marquess of Hertford have been created several times in the peerages of England and Great Britain.The third Earldom of Hertford was created in 1559 for Edward Seymour, who was simultaneously created Baron Beauchamp of Hache...
) and the Newdigate family of Arbury Hall
Arbury Hall
Arbury Hall is a Grade I listed country house in Nuneaton in Warwickshire, England, and is the ancestral home of the Newdigate family, later the Newdigate-Newdegate and Fitzroy-Newdegate families....
.
Other resources
In addition to the archive material kept by the record office, there are various other resources for researchers. These include a library of secondary sources relating to Warwickshire, newspapers, maps, photographs, microfilm copies of census returns for Warwickshire and microfilm copies of the GRO index (an index of the General Register OfficeGeneral Register Office
The General Register Office for England and Wales is the section of the UK Identity and Passport Service responsible for the civil registration of births , adoptions, marriages, civil partnerships and deaths in England and Wales and for those same events outwith the UK if they involve a UK citizen...
's birth, marriage and death certificates).
Other record offices with Warwickshire material
The Warwickshire County Record Office is not the only repository holding archives relating to Warwickshire. Many of the records for certain areas of the historic county of Warwickshire are held by other record offices.Other archives that hold records relating to the historic county of Warwickshire include:
- Birmingham City Archives - holds records for the BirminghamBirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
area - Coventry Archives - holds various records for the City of CoventryCoventryCoventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
- Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Record Office - holds many of the records relating to the Stratford-upon-AvonStratford-upon-AvonStratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
area.