Posted by: Blog Administrator
on May 17, 2011
Tagged in:
Wiltshire Local History Forum ,
Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre ,
watchdog ,
Volunteer ,
The National Archives ,
Stars ,
Star Chamber ,
Sir Anthony Hungerford ,
Reach ,
public ,
property ,
Principal Archivist ,
preservation ,
plaintiff ,
photographs ,
performing ,
morris dancers ,
May Day ,
market ,
local history ,
local community ,
John Warneford ,
John Boller ,
historic maps ,
Highworth Historical Society ,
government ,
families ,
exhibition ,
enquiries ,
England ,
Elizabethan ,
Elizabeth I ,
education work ,
documents ,
costume ,
Claire Skinner ,
church ,
celebrations ,
cataloguing ,
awarded ,
assessment ,
Archivist ,
Archives ,
archive service ,
Andrew Crookston
The Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre has recently been officially recognised as providing one of the best archive services in the country. It was awarded a maximum four stars overall in an assessment by The National Archives, which acts as the government watchdog for archives. We are listed as seventh out of a total of 124 services in England and Wales.
See: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/information-management/our-services/self-assessment-results.htm for more details.
Posted by: Blog Administrator
on May 15, 2010
Tagged in:
‘A’ Troop ,
Yeomanry HQ ,
Wiltshire Yeomanry ,
Territorial Army ,
sergeant ,
Robert Pearson ,
regular army ,
regiment ,
records ,
non-commissioned officers ,
muster rolls ,
missing pages ,
missing ,
instruct ,
incomplete series ,
History Centre ,
help desk assistant ,
hard covers ,
file ,
examining ,
drill ,
documents ,
created ,
collection ,
Chippenham Troop ,
cavalry ,
c.1882 ,
bundles ,
book ,
Archivist ,
administration ,
1882/22 ,
1882/17
Hello, my name is Robert Pearson, and I am an archivist and help desk assistant here at the History Centre. As part of an enquiry I had been asked to find a sergeant in the ‘A’ or Chippenham Troop of the Wiltshire Yeomanry (the cavalry equivalent of the Territorial Army) in c.1882.
We have quite a good collection of muster rolls of the regiment for that period, although there is a gap after 1877. On examining the next roll for 1883-1890 (ref no.1882/17), I found that the first two pages covering ‘A’ Troop were missing, possibly when the hard covers of the book were removed; so I was temporarily frustrated in my search.
Yeomanry, 1863
At that time there was a small permanent staff of non-commissioned officers from the regular army attached to the Yeomanry to instruct in drill, run the administration etc. and I wondered if my man had been among them.
The records of these men are in a separate file (ref no.1882/22) and the first documents I saw on opening this file were the missing pages of the muster roll, with the sergeant listed, and dating from 1882; they had been sent to us by the Yeomanry HQ in those separate bundles, and it was a joy to me to be able to reunite the pages and their register, probably for the first time since they were created. Nature abhorring a vacuum has nothing on an archivist with an incomplete series, so to be able to fill a gap, even only to the extent of one year, is very satisfying. It only remains to try and find the rolls for 1870-1881.
Posted by: Blog Administrator
on Nov 3, 2009
Tagged in:
Work Experience ,
Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre. ,
volunteers ,
village ,
variety ,
unlock ,
treasure-hunting ,
townswomen’s guild have ,
telephone rings ,
team meeting ,
strong room ,
search room ,
research ,
public ,
profession ,
procedures ,
Principal Archivist ,
postal strike ,
post ,
photographs ,
past ,
paperwork ,
owner ,
mould-infected ,
local studies ,
local school ,
local hospital ,
local history ,
living records ,
legal case ,
late 19th and early 20th centuries ,
laptop ,
jigsaw puzzle ,
information ,
immediate action ,
heritage field ,
guest speaker ,
glimpse ,
front door ,
file ,
fictional ,
fascination ,
eager ,
e-mails ,
duties ,
drying room ,
donation ,
day in the life ,
database ,
data projector ,
Council staff ,
computer ,
community centre ,
collection ,
Claire Skinner ,
challenge ,
catalogue ,
Archivist ,
archives conservators ,
Archives ,
archive service ,
afternoon meeting ,
accessioning ,
A-level history
No day is ever exactly like another for archivists, which is one of the reasons I went into the profession. It offers variety, challenge and a fascination for anyone interested in the past. The day below is a fictional one, a composite of many days in my life and those of my colleagues, designed to give a brief glimpse of just some of our many duties.
The Principal Archivist, Claire Skinner at the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre Open Day, 2007
Today begins with our monthly team meeting – an opportunity for staff in both archives and local studies to talk about the operation of the search room and see if we can improve our procedures. Following this I unlock the front door at the usual time of 9.30 am and let in the people already waiting patiently outside, obviously eager to come in and begin or continue their research! 'Read more' to find out what else the day brings......
Posted by: Blog Administrator
on Jan 12, 2009
Hello I’m Claire Skinner, Principal Archivist at the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre. From Monday 25 January the Wiltshire and Swindon Archives are launching a new “pay-per-view” approach to the thousands of digital images on the on-line Wiltshire Wills database. See: www.wiltshirewills.org
Access to the catalogue of over 100,000 individuals' wills and other probate records, from the time of Henry VIII to 1858, will continue to be free of charge. Below is a wonderful example of an informal hand written will, found on the reverse of an old letter.
