Record Office

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 - anyone 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.

Discovery! programme – Archives of Medicine, Science and  Technology

Find out more about our exciting Spring programme of  free talks, archive skills workshops and displays of historical documents from our web pages.

Holiday closing

We will be closed from 4.45pm on Thursday 1 April 2010 until 9.30am on Tuesday 6 April 2010.

The office will also be closed on Monday 3 May and on Monday 31 May.

If you intend to visit the office on Tuesday 6 April, Wednesday 7 April, Thursday 8 April or Friday 9 April, advance booking is strongly advised.

Tel: 01629 538347 or email: record.office@derbyshire.gov.uk.

Saturday opening

We will be open on the following Saturdays in 2010:

• 20 March
• 24 April
• 15 May
• 19 June
• 17 July
• 14 August
• 18 September
• 16 October
• 13 November
• 11 December.

Winter weather

If you are planning to come to Derbyshire Record Office and the weather is wintry, please note that the Record Office is located on a steep hill off the main roads.

If you have mobility problems, please be aware that access may be difficult in adverse weather and it may be advisable to contact the Record Office by telephone (01629 539207) or email:record.office@derbyshire.gov.uk in advance of your visit.

Archives 2009

Each year we issue a summary list of our recent accessions. This is to provide a quick research aid to show what has been added to our archive collections.

From the summary list, you can find the unique collection number and then consult the detailed catalogue, either in hard copy form in the Record Office Search Room or online.

A copy of Archives 2009 is included in the related documents section on this page.

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.

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.

Forthcoming dates are:

• 24 February
• 9 March
• 22 April
• 25 May

Later dates will be advertised shortly.

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 538347 (search room bookings)
Tel: 01629 539202 (for all general enquiries)
Fax: 01629 57611
email: record.office@derbyshire.gov.uk