Record Office

Derbyshire Record Office provides the archive service for Derbyshire, Derby City and Diocese of Derby.

You can now search online for archive collections held at Derbyshire Record Office using our Record Office Guide.

Visit our collection to check our source guides to types of records such as parish registers and read our step-by-step guide to tracing your ancestors in the related documents section on this page.

We can answer general enquiries about collections by telephone, post or email.

For more complex or detailed enquiries, we offer a specialised search service.

Visit us in person - anywone is welcome to visit the Record Office to use records free of charge where our friendly, helpful staff can assist you with your enquiry

Copies of specific documents may be ordered from us using our reprographic services.

Selected Tithe Maps on CD

A new resource will help local and landscape historians.

We are undertaking an extensive programme to scan and digitise Tithe Maps in our collections and the first tranche of Tithe Maps from 100 Derbyshire parishes is now available on individual CDs.

Each map on CD costs £15, plus £1.50 postage where appropriate.

A Tithe Map was drawn up in about 1850 for each parish where there was land subject to tithe. The maps are of particular interest because of their large scale. This means that often individual landscape features, buildings, roads, fields, and so on can be identifed. So the maps are an indispensable starting point for many types of research including environmental history, transport and communications and village history.

For an order form and further details of maps currently available on CD, please contact us by emailing record.office@derbyshire.gov.uk or calling 01629 585979.

Family history leaflets

We have put together two new information leaflets which provide help and guidance for those beginning research into their family history.

Our Tracing Your Ancestors: A Step-by-Step Guide and Family History Resources on the Internet provide information on the many types of records available to the family historian, both held at the Record Office and elsewhere, along with the steps to take when beginning your family tree. The documents are available in the related documents section.

Saturday opening

In addition to our regular weekday opening hours (9.30am to 4.45pm), we open one Saturday morning per month from 9am to 12.30pm.

You can consult original documents, use microform machines and PCs in the Search Room or browse our finding aids to the four miles of archives relating to Derbyshire in our collections.

Next Saturday dates in 2009 are:

June 20
July 18
August 22

Archives 2008

Archives 2008 is our summary guide to new archives in the Record Office
It notes covering dates and type of record - official series, parish or town council records, diocesan and ecclesiastical parish records, family, estate and personal papers, nonconformist records, school archives, business records, maps, archives of charities, societies and voluntary groups.

A copy of Archives 2008 is available free of charge on these webpages and for reference in the Record Office Search Room. If you require a hard copy, there will be a small charge.

Introductions to the Record Office Search Room

Do you want to find out more about how to use the services and facilities of the Record Office and, in particular, the Search Room?

Then come to our introductory sessions. These last thirty minutes, there is no need to book in advance and you will be given an information pack.
Even if you only want to find out how to access sources some time in the future, you will be welcome. The next date is Thursday 25 June 9am to 9.30am.

Some history…

We are located in New St. in Matlock in an attractive complex of stone buildings, formerly a Victorian hydro and a Grammar School.

We are legally appointed to hold and make available to the public archives of all types. These include church, business, family, school and hospital records. These records are of Derbyshire origin. They date from the Middle Ages to the present day.

Contact us

Derbyshire Record Office (address for correspondence only)
County Hall
Matlock
Derbyshire
DE4 3AG

Tel: 01629 585347 (Record Office Search Room)
Fax: 01629 57611
email: record.office@derbyshire.gov.uk

Record Office

Related documents