www.wiltshire.gov.uk
About the Records
Records are documents which survive from earliest times to the present day in a variety of forms: letters, maps, registers, minute and account books and deeds. They were produced in the course of everyday personal, legal, business and administrative affairs, but now form a significant source of historical information for all aspects of life in Wiltshire. Modern records are held as well, to ensure that the present is documented for historians of the future.
Further gifts or deposits of archives are eagerly sought, as is news of archives in danger of destruction or dispersal. The archivists are always willing to examine them on the spot and would much rather see them complete even if unsorted and dirty than be told that some had been judged to be of no use and discarded before their arrival. No charge is made for looking after archives.
Advice can also be given on the safe keeping of records kept in private custody by individuals, businesses or bodies of any kind
Detailed information on the organisations and individuals represented within the archives can be found in the on-line catalogue:
In summary though the types of record held include the following:
Local Government records from:
- Wiltshire County Council
- Boroughs of Calne, Chippenham, Devizes, Malmesbury, Marlborough, Salisbury, Swindon, Wilton and Wootton Bassett
- Urban and Rural District Councils
- District Councils
- Parish Councils
Court records from:
- Quarter Sessions
- Petty Sessions
- County Courts
Records of other official services:
- Water authorities
- Health services
- Poor law unions
- Probate records
- Tithe awards
- Inland Revenue
- Charity Commission
Records of the Anglican Church:
- Salisbury Diocese - central diocesan records
- Parishes
- Salisbury Theological College
Records of Nonconformist Churches
Charities
Newspapers, directories and other printed sources
- See our guide to printed sources
Family and Estate records
- See our Family and Estate Archives guide
Miscellaneous societies and organisations including:
- Trade unions
- Community organisations
- Political parties and members of parliament
- Wiltshire Friendly Society
- Rural Development Commission
- Women's Institutes
Solicitors including:
- Andrews and Hepworth, Pewsey
- Awdry & Co, Devizes
- Bevan Ashford, Swindon
- Bevirs, Wootton Bassett
- Creswicks, Chippenham
- Elwells, Highworth
- Farnfield & Nicholls, Warminster
- Forrester & Forrester, Malmesbury
- Goughs, Calne
- Hoare's Bank, London
- Mann, Rodway and Green, Trowbridge
- Merriman, Marolborough
- Mullings, Cirencester
- Parker Bullen, Salisbury
- Pinniger Finch, Westbury
- Trethowans, Salisbury
- Wilkins & Hill, Bradford on Avon
- Wilsons, Salisbury
- Woods & Awdry, Chippenham
Businesses including:
- Avon Rubber, Melksham, tyre manufacturers
- Beavans, Holt, tanners
- Bowyers, Trowbridge, sausage manufacturers
- British Gas
- British Rail, Western Region (including Great Western Railway)
- Butcher's, Warminster, builders
- Case's, Westbury Leigh, tanners
- Chivers, Devizes, builders
- Clarks, Trowbridge, cloth manufacturers
- Colliers, Trowbridge, cloth merchants
- Cow & Gate, Trowbridge, baby food manufacturers
- Cunningtons, Devizes, wine merchants
- Higgins, Salisbury, chemists
- Lavertons, Westbury, cloth manufacturers
- Nestle, Staverton, milk products
- Reeves, Bratton, machine makers
- Rendells, Devizes, builders
- Salters, Trowbridge, cloth manufacturers
- Sawtells, Melksham, feather purifiers
- Spencers, Melksham, engineers
- Spencer Moulton, Bradford, rubber mfrs
- Sykes, Warminster, farmer
- Swindon Cable TV
- Swindon Permanent Building Society
- Unigate, Trowbridge, milk products
- Ushers, Trowbridge, brewers
- Wadworth, Devizes, brewers
- Westinghouse, Chippenham, engineers
- Wilton Royal Carpet Co
Professional firms including:
- A Borthwick, archaeological research
- Bothams, Salisbury, architects
- Brakspear, Corsham, architects
- Carter Jonas, Marlborough, estate agents
- Fielder & Jones, Malmesbury, estate agents
- Humberts, Salisbury, estate agents
- Imrie Porter and Wakefield, Warminster, architects
- Strutt and Parker, Salisbury, estate agents
- Woolley & Wallis, Salisbury, auctioneers
- Wyvern Group, Devizes, architects
Maps and plans
- See archived maps for further information
Contact Details
