Archives

There are a large number of archives/museums in the West Yorkshire region; I also cover the southern part of North Yorkshire including Harrogate and Skipton. 

West Yorkshire Archives - There are 5 offices containing a wealth of information including manorial records, council records, quarter sessions, police records etc

West Riding Registry of Deeds– held by West Yorkshire Archives Service in Wakefield they contain summaries of properties located in the West Riding before 1970.

Local studies Libraries– Are spread across the region and typically contain a wealth of local books, maps, newspapers, electoral rolls, trade directories and much more

Family History Centres– run by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provide access to their microfiche parish records.

Insight  - Bradford’s National Media Museum is our Collections and Research Centre containing photographs, books, periodicals, journals and trade literature.

Search Engine– York’s National Railway Museum library and archive centre which holds oral recordings, history of railway companies, staff magazines, accident books.

Regimental museums and archives - Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding) Museum in Halifax and Green Howards Regimental Museumin Richmond contain the history of the regiments.

Yorkshire Archaeological Society- collections include estate papers, family archives, personal archives including notes of archaeologists, historians and antiquaries, maps, plans, pedigrees, deeds, wills, and manorial court rolls.

British Library Boston Spa Reading Room– contains over 7,000,000 items from its research collection. The British Library is moving its national collection of newspapers from London to Boston Spa.

Yorkshire Film Archive- contains over 16,000 titles, from the early film pioneers of the late 1890s to recent footage.

Special Collections, University of Bradford- over 100 collections of rare books and archives: manuscripts, letters, photographs, artworks, newspapers, maps, pamphlets, objects relating to amongst other things archaeology, local history, history of the university, peace.

Special Collections, University of Leeds – contains a wide range of archive material including the Yorkshire Quaker (Society of Friends) archive, the Liddle Collection of First and Second World War material the Romany Collection as well as the University archive and a wide collection of Yorkshire books.

Special Collections, University of Huddersfield– includes the archives of local labour party movement, rugby football, local organisations, families and businesses as well as the history of the University of Huddersfield.

Borthwick Archives, University of York- contains early York Court and probate records, Diocesan Records, tithe maps, parish records as well as other collections including the Rowntree Mackintosh Company archives and York Health Trust.

Marks and Spencer Archive, University of Leeds - archive contains more than 70,000 items from the last 128 years of the company’s history.

The Saltaire Archive – held at Shipley College it contains books, newspapers, Salt family memorabilia, maps, plans, illustrations etc. on the history and present development of Saltaire.

Horsforth Museum – run by Horsforth Village Historical Society contains information and archive material on the people who lived in Horsforth.