Saturday opening and special events for Shropshire Archives collections in Shrewsbury
Anyone looking to the past for research projects will be able to access the services of Shropshire Archives on selected Saturdays from this month (February 2022).
Shropshire Archives will be open to everyone on the first Saturday of every month; and as well as access to records, visitors will be offered demonstrations, tours and talks on the collections.
Tomorrow (Saturday 5 February) Shropshire Council’s senior archivist Sarah Davis will be talking about the history of the Census from 1841 to 1921, and offering advice on how to get the best results from online searches.
She said:-
“Shropshire Archives is fortunate to have some rare Census returns for 1821 and 1831 which are searchable on our website. The Archives also has free access to online Census returns 1841-1911; though the most recent Census to be published, from 1921, is currently pay-per-view and we don’t have free access.
“We are very excited that Shropshire Archives is resuming opening on the first Saturday of each month. Saturdays will be a bit different to our weekday opening as people will need to pre-order documents; and we will be running some demonstrations, tours and talks, as well as being open for visitors to access our collections.”
From Shropshire Archives collections: A charabanc outing in Whitchurch around 1921 (Ref: PH-W-18-8-163)
Cecilia Motley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for communities, culture, leisure and tourism, and transport, said:-
“Shropshire Archives is an absolute treasure trove of information and holds fascinating information about our past.
“It is always a delight to be able to visit and connect with our local history.”
The reading room and search room at Shropshire Archives in Castle Gates, Shrewsbury, will be open for visitors to consult pre-requested documents and books from 10am to 4pm on the first Saturday of every month.
Sarah’s talk, “The Census Through History, 1841-1921” is at 2pm. The talk is free; however, places must be booked in advance by emailing archives@shropshire.gov.uk
Visitors are reminded that the computers will not be available in the afternoon, due to the talk.
The next event, on Saturday 5 March 2022, will be a sale of surplus Ordnance Survey maps, with the Friends of Shropshire Archives.
