Barnsley Family History Society

 

Record Repositories holding material relating to Barnsley and the surrounding District

Introduction

Because of the many changes in local government boundaries over the years, and in particular that of 1974, which abolished the three historic Yorkshire 'Ridings' as administrative counties, the materials useful to Family Historians in Barnsley and District have become dispersed to a number of different offices. If you are a newcomer to our area, a useful first point of contact would be the West Yorkshire Archive Service HQ in Wakefield. This office was formerly the County Record Office for the (pre-1974) West Riding of Yorkshire, and its collections cover a wider area than present day West Yorkshire.

Where opening information is shown below, it is based on material produced by the archives listed, as well as information provided by members at our meetings. As the opening information appears to be subject to change at short notice, users are advised to telephone the centre concerned for the latest information before making a special journey of any distance. If we are aware of an Internet site provided by the repository, we have provided a link from this page. Many of the organisations listed produce useful printed guides to their collections, which may be ordered directly from the office concerned. We are always pleased to hear from users of these resources who may wish to share information about changes or improvements to the services listed below.

Overseas researchers should note that the telephone numbers quoted below are shown as internal British format. If direct dialing from abroad, you will need to add your own country's prefix to open an international circuit, include the country code for the UK (44) and drop the leading '0' from the UK area code. If any information held within this guide is found to be outdated, the Barnsley FHS Web Page Editor would appreciate an email providing the new details.

 

Barnsley

Barnsley Central Library, Shambles Street, Barnsley, S70 2JF Tel: 01226 773950

From 1st April 1999, Barnsley Central Library and associated Local Studies/Archives Departments will be closed ALL DAY on Thursdays.

For those travelling any distance to carry out research, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council has assembled a list of local accomodation, which may be found, along with maps and other information relating to the town, on the Council's own web pages.

Barnsley
Registration of Births, Deaths & Marriages
Town Hall, Barnsley
S70 2TA
Tel:(01226) 770770

 

Bradford Central Library

Prince's way, Bradford BD1 1NN

Tel: (01274)753600

West Yorkshire Archive Service

15, Canal Road, Bradford BD1 4AT

Tel (01274) 731931
Fax: (01274) 734013

 

Calderdale Central Library, Halifax

Northgate House, Northgate, Halifax HX1 1UN

Tel: (01422) 357257

West Yorkshire Archive Service (Calderdale), Halifax

Central Library, Northgate House, Northgate, Halifax HX1 1UN

Tel: (01422) 392636
Fax: (01422) 341083

 

Doncaster Archives Department

King Edward Road, Balby, Doncaster DN4 0NA

Tel: (01302) 859811

Doncaster Central Library

Waterdale, Doncaster, DN1 3JE

Tel: (01302) 734307

 

Kirklees Central Library

Princess Alexandra Walk, Huddersfield HD1 2SU

Tel: (01484) 221965 ( Local Studies Library)

West Yorkshire Archive Service, (Kirklees), Huddersfield

Central Library, Princess Alexandra Walk, Huddersfield HD1 2SU

Tel: (01484) 221966
Fax: (01484) 518361

 

Leeds City Library Headquarters

Calverley Street, Leeds LS1 3AB
Tel: 0113 247 8290

The Reference library, adjacent to Leeds City Hall, holds a set of the St Catherine's House Civil Registration indexes on microfiche, along with Census material relating to the whole of Yorkshire.

West Yorkshire Archive Service, Leeds

Chapeltown Road, Sheepscar, Leeds LS7 3AP

Tel: (0113) 214 5814
Fax: (0113) 214 5815

Making an appointment by telephone is necessary.

Leeds Register Office,

Superintendent Registrar,
Leeds Register Office,
Belgrave House, Belgrave Street,
Leeds LS2 8DQ
Tel: 0113 247 6711

Yorkshire Archaeological Society,

'Claremont', 23 Clarendon Road, Leeds, LS2 9NZ

Tel: (0113) 245 6362
Fax: (0113) 244 1979


The Yorkshire Archeaeological Society Collections include a large number of CoE Parish Register Transcripts, in printed and manuscript form, covering a wide area of 'Pre-1974' Yorkshire.

Making an appointment by telephone is necessary.


Chapeltown Road, Sheepscar, Leeds, LS7 3AP
Tel: 0113 214 5814 Fax: 0113 214 5815
Email: jim@wyashq.demon.co.uk
Web Site: http://www.archives.wyjs.org.uk

 

Lichfield Joint Record Office

Lichfield Library, The Friary, Lichfield, WS13 6QG

Tel: (01543) 256787

 

Derbyshire Record Office, Matlock

Ernest Bailey Building, New Street, Matlock, Derby DE4 3AG

Correspondence to - Education Deparment, County Offices, Matlock DE4 3AG

Tel: (01629) 580000 ext 7347

 

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Archives

Brian O'Malley Central Library, Walker Place, Rotherham S65 1JH

Tel: (01709) 823616

The Library is home to the Yorkshire & Lancashire (65th Infantry) Regimental Museum Collection. In May 1998, an enquiry to the Library disclosed that the former full time curator was now based at the Clifton Park Museum. At that time, interested researchers could still contact the curator (Mr Don Scott) by telephoning the main Rotherham Council switchboard on (01709) 382121 and asking for ext. 3632 or 3625. There is a large stock of regimental documentation in the archive, which is available to the public by appointment only.

 

Sheffield Archives

52 Shoreham Street, Sheffield S1P 4SP

Tel: (0114) 273 4756
Fax: (0114) 273 5066
email: sheffield.archives@pipex.dial.com

Their hours are as follows: Mon & Fri: CLOSED Tue-Thu: 9.30am - 1.00pm; 2.00pm - 5.30pm Sat: 9.00am - 1.00pm; 2.00pm - 5.00pm. ( Source: Federation of Family History Societies)

Kath Wright informs us that the GRO (St Cath's) index to UK births, deaths and marriages is available at this office on microfiche. An appointment is necessary.

 

Cutler's Company Archive

Cutler's Hall, Church Street, Sheffield S1 1HG

Tel: (0114) 272 8456

This office holds the records of the Cutler's Company from 1624 to the present.

Church of the Latter Day Saints (Mormon) Family History Library

Grenoside, Sheffield

Tel: (0114) 245 31324

The opening hours are reported to be Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays 10am - 4pm
and 7pm - 9pm. Saturdays 9am - 12 noon.

National Centre for English Cultural Tradition

University of Sheffield, 9 Shearwood Road, Sheffield S10 2TN

Tel: (0114) 2226296

This department holds material on English cultural tradition, folklore and language. Appointments are necessary.

Sheffield Cemeteries & Crematoria

Head Office, City Road Cemetery, City Road, Sheffield S2 1GD
Sammy Snow has forwarded the information that there are 16 council cemeteries in Sheffield. Abbey Lane Cemetery, Abbey Lane, Sheffield 8; Beighton Cemetery, School Lane, Beighton, Sheffield 19; Burncross Cemetery, Burncross Road, Sheffield 30; Burngreave Cemetery, Melrose Road, Sheffield 3; City Road Cemetery, City Road, Sheffield S2 1GD; Crookes Cemetery, Mulehouse Road, Sheffield 10; Darnall Cemetery, Coventry Road, Sheffield 9; Ecclesfield Cemetery, Priory Road, Sheffield 30; Handsworth Cemetery, Orgreave Lane, Sheffield 30; Intake Cemetery, Mansfield Road, Sheffield 12; Norton Cemetery, Derbyshire Lane, Sheffield 8; Shiregreen Cemetery, Shiregreen Lane, Sheffield 5; Stocksbridge Cemetery, Bole Hill Lane, Sheffield 30; Tinsley Park Cemetery, Barleywood Road, Sheffield 9; Wisewood Cemetery, Loxley Road, Sheffield 6; Woodhouse Cemetery, Stradbroke Road, Sheffield 13.

There is a fax number for the Bereavement Services (Cemetery Records at City Road Cemetery), (0114) 239 3757. The telephone number given below is the central enquiry number located at City Road.
Tel: (0114) 2396068

Sheffield Library

Surrey Street, Sheffield S1 1XZ

Tel: (Local Studies) (0114) 2734753

Sheffield Probate Sub-Registry

PO Box 832, Law Courts, West Bar, Sheffield S3 8YR

Tel: (0114) 2812596

Sheffield University Library

Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN

Tel: (0114) 2768555

Sheffield Register Office

Surrey Place, Sheffield, S11YA

Tel: (0114) 2735321/2

 

Wakefield District Library Headquarters

Balne Lane, Wakefield WF1 0DQ

Tel: (01924) 302210

This library holds the entire census returns for the WEST RIDING of Yorkshire 1841 -1881 (Pre 1974 boundaries) on Microfilm. A dedicated facility to make hard copies from census microfilms is offered. Car parking is available at the library for users. It is necessary to obtain a car parking voucher from the returns desk, to display in your car.

West Yorkshire Archive Service Headquarters

Registry of Deeds, Newstead Road, Wakefield,WF1 2DE

Tel: (01924) 305980
Fax: (01924) 305983

This office was the County Record office for the old West Riding of Yorkshire prior to re-organisation in 1974, and its collections still cover a wider area than modern West Yorkshire.

During 1997, an appointments system was introduced for use of the public search room, and opening was reduced to Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday only. See the WYAS pages for latest opening information, and links to other WYAS offices. Bags are not allowed in the search room. Lockers are provided. The office now closes for one hour at lunchtime. There is a restaurant, the 'Clock Tower' on the top floor of the Town Hall building in Wood Street which may be found useful. This building also contains the Tourist Information Office. Car parking is difficult in the immediate vicinity of the building, although you can obtain tokens from the office to use the car park alongside the building, space is limited. It is probably easier to park elsewhere in Wakefield City Centre and make your way on foot. Newstead Road is located off Wood Street, about 100 yards beyond the Town Hall. If you require special access to the building, it is helpful to the staff if you can let them know in advance of your visit.

The building contains a vast amount of material of interest to family historians, and the service has published it own 'Guide for Family Historians' , now out of print though available for reference in the search room.

The CoE Parish Register material is held on microfiche in the reception room. The procedure for finding particular Parish material is as follows:
First consult the 'WYAS Guide for Family Historians' usually kept on a table in the centre of the reception room. Note the reference number. For All Saints Darton this would be D62. On racks near the entrance door you will find a large collection of ring binders. These binders are filed in numerical order. Find the one containing D62, and you will find a listing of all the Darton Parish material held at WYAS, including the microfiche parish registers from 1539 to the 1920's. The actual fiche are held in steel filing cabinets by the window. Return to the table, and fill in a FICHE REQUEST FORM. Select your fiche from the cabinet, and place your request form in the space so created. When you have finished with your fiche, return them to the staff at the reception desk, not the filing cabinet.

Also kept in the reception room are a large number of printed parish register transcripts, the work of the Parish Register Section of the Yorkshire Archeaological Society.

If you wish to order original material, use the green/white request slips and hand them to a member of staff. You may order up to four items at a time. The material will be produced for you in the searchroom. It is a rule of this office that you will only be issued one item at a time. When you have finished with the current item, return it to the desk and you will be issued with the next item.

The Archive Service does not accept genealogical enquiries via email.

 

Borthwick Institute of Historical Research, York

St Anthony's Hall, Peasholme Green, York YO1 2PW

Tel: (01924) 642315

World Wide Web Pages

Part of the University of York. Holds the main collection of Bishop's Transcripts for the York Archdiocese. Appointments necessary. See WWW pages for opening hours.

York Minster Archives

York Minster Library, Deans' Park, York YO1 2JD

Tel: ( 01904) 625308

 

 

© Barnsley Family History Society 2008