Research services

The most enjoyable way of doing any family or local history research is to come to a Local Studies library and experience the thrill of finding out for yourself. 

If this is not possible for you then we welcome enquiries by post, fax, email and telephone. Many questions can be answered free of charge. If it will take a lot of time to answer your question we offer a chargeable service.

Copies of material can be sent by post (where copyright regulations permit) at a cost of 30p a sheet for photocopies and 55p a sheet for microfilm. A handling charge of £2.50 per order is added, plus postage 50p UK; £1.50 elsewhere.

Enquiries for individuals are charged for at £8.50 per half hour of research time. You would pay this fee, for example, if you ask us to search unindexed census returns or Civil Registration Indexes for a birth, marriage or death when you do not know the exact date. 

We ask you to pay in advance and the fee is charged even if no useful information can be found. We will send you a report giving details of the materials searched and any information found together with up to four photocopies or microfilm copies. Any additional copies of information relative to your enquiry can, if required, be forwarded to you when the total cost is known. 

A commercial research service for business purposes is also available at £20.00 per half hour. Please contact us to discuss your needs.

Contact the Local Studies library at County Hall, Matlock or Chesterfield for more information.

Chargeable enquiry services

Please print out the form in the more information section on this page and send it to the appropriate library with your payment.

We can accept credit card payment at County Hall. Otherwise a cheque (pounds sterling) or postal order should be made payable to Derbyshire County Council.

Please send your enquiry to the Local Studies Libraries at County Hall, Matlock or Chesterfield where the widest range of research materials is available. We will refer your query to other Derbyshire libraries as necessary to give you a full response. 

If your enquiry covers the whole county there is no need to send letters or emails to every Derbyshire library. Please send your initial enquiry to County Hall and we will organise a county-wide response if appropriate.