Archive
This collection has been gradually built up and added to since the foundation of the Society in 1966. It is unusual in that the catalogue index contains a large number of personal names making it a good source of material for local history and family historians.
The Society used part of a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to finance an archivist, Francis Gotto, who carefully checked and corrected the cataloguing and storage of our collection. His work involved checking the handwritten catalogue against the computerised entries, changing them where necessary (to make them more consistent), checking the contents of the storage boxes, listing items that needed conservation, removing rusty pins and other damaging materials, and re-wrapping the collection in acid-free archival paper. He did an excellent job.
Our Record Collection
The archive contains documents, books, maps, newspapers and an important collection of local photographs relating to families, property, trade, church, school etc. The catalogue is searched by computer. The parishes covered by the collection are those of the old Bromyard Rural District Council.
Click here to see the parish map of the area for which we hold records
| Records Available | Method of Storage/Retrieval |
| Over 16,000 entries relating to papers, documents & maps. | Computerised document retrieval system. Includes many names of people and places |
| Over 4,000 photographs | Computerised document retrieval system. Includes many names of people and places |
| Calendars of the local newspapers 1883-1969 | Computerised document retrieval system. Includes many names of people and places |
| Parish registers of baptisms, marriages & burials in Bromyard and surrounding parishes, see map. A few are indexed. Some gaps in our films are made good with photocopies | Roll Film and Originals/ Photocopies |
| Marriage Notice Books. 1843 – 1948. Indexed. These are impending marriages notified to the Bromyard Registry Office and include Non-Conformist & Catholic marriages |
Originals/ Photocopies |
| Monumental Inscriptions for the following parishes: Acton Beauchamp, Bishops Frome, Bromyard (churchyard & cemetery), Castle Frome, Edvin Loach, Fromes Hill, Grendon Bishop, Little Cowarne, Moreton Jeffries, Much Cowarne, Ocle Pychard, Stanford Bishop, Tedstone Delamere, Tedstone Wafre, Thornbury, Upper Sapey, Wacton and Suckley in Worcs. |
Fiche |
| Monumental Inscriptions for Bromyard Independent Church [Congregational] | Computer |
| Census returns for Bromyard RD 1841-1871 | Roll Film |
| Census returns for Bromyard RD 1841-1871 | Roll Film |
| Census indexes – Herefordshire & Worcestershire 1881 | Fiche |
| Census indexes - British Isles 1881 |
CDs |
| Census indexes – Herefordshire 1851 |
Fiche |
| Census indexes – Herefordshire 1851, 1891 & 1901 |
CDs |
| The local newspapers - 1883 – 1970 | Roll Film |
| The local newspapers - 1977 – 2000 |
Originals |
| IGI | Fiche |
| Land Tax | Roll Film |
| Tithe Maps | Roll Film |
| Tithe apportionments | Roll Film |
| 1886 25 inch OS maps | Originals |
| 1904 25 inch OS maps | Roll Film |
The Research Room, Exhibition Room and Shop are open:
Thursday & Friday 10am – 1pm & 2pm – 4.30pm
Saturday 10am – 12.30pm