Lincolnshire Record Office

Lincolnshire Record Office
Name	Lincolnshire Record Office
Established	1948
Location	Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England
Type	County archive
Collections	County records, parish registers, maps, estate papers, court rolls
Parent institution	Lincolnshire County Council

Lincolnshire Record Office is the principal archival repository for the historic county of Lincolnshire. It holds original documents spanning medieval charters to modern administrative records and serves researchers interested in Domesday Book, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Henry VIII, Oliver Cromwell, and Margaret Thatcher-era materials. The office supports scholarship related to Lincoln Cathedral, Grimsby Docks, RAF Scampton, and the agricultural estates associated with families such as the Percy family and the Cecil family.

History

The institution was founded in the mid-20th century under the auspices of Lincolnshire County Council as part of a nationwide expansion of county repositories that followed recommendations influenced by figures connected to Public Record Office reforms. Its collections grew from muniments deposited by local aristocratic houses like the Earl of Yarborough and municipal deposits from boroughs including Lincoln, Boston, Grimsby, and Louth. During the Second World War, archives from regional offices such as Kesteven and Holland were consolidated here; post-war archivists engaged with peers at The National Archives and professional bodies including the Society of Archivists to develop cataloguing standards. Major acquisitions have included papers relating to Joseph Banks, estate maps linked to Enclosure Acts, and court records connected to the Assize Courts and Magistrates' Courts.

Collections

Holdings encompass manorial records, parish registers, tithe maps, estate collections, municipal minutes, school logbooks, apprenticeship indentures, and business archives from firms like Redbourne Works and maritime collections tied to Grimsby Fishing Fleet. The repository houses medieval cartularies, feudal surveys contemporaneous with Edward I, and probate inventories from the era of Elizabeth I. Military material includes records from units posted at RAF Waddington and documents relating to recruitment during the Crimean War and the First World War. Notable private papers include correspondence of local MPs associated with Lincolnshire constituencies and material from civic leaders involved with Lincoln Industrial Museum initiatives. Genealogists use parish registers for baptisms, marriages, and burials linked to parishes such as St Mary le Wigford and St Peter at Gowts.

Services and Access

The office provides public searchrooms staffed by archivists trained to national standards endorsed by The National Archives and the Institute of Historical Research. Services include document retrieval, copy services, research enquiries, and tailored support for academic projects affiliated with universities such as University of Lincoln and University of Nottingham. Outreach programmes engage with schools including Lincoln Christ’s Hospital School and heritage partners such as Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust and Museum of Lincolnshire Life. Readers consult finding aids, catalogues cross-referenced with national indices like the Manorial Documents Register and the National Register of Archives. Access requires registration in accordance with data-handling policies shaped by legislation including the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Facilities and Conservation

The building offers climate-controlled strongrooms designed to meet standards promulgated by the British Standards Institution for archival storage. Conservation workshops undertake paper repair, parchment stabilization, and binding treatments for items ranging from vellum charters to 19th-century ledgers produced for firms such as HM Stationery Office. The conservation team collaborates with specialists at institutions such as the British Library and the Victoria and Albert Museum for complex conservation projects. Facilities include microfilm readers, digitization suites equipped with high-resolution scanners used in projects similar to those by the National Library of Scotland, and secure storage compatible with standards from the National Preservation Office.

Digital Archives and Cataloguing

A comprehensive catalogue is maintained and increasingly exposed via online portals mirroring practice used by The National Archives and regional partners like South Kesteven District Council. Digitization priorities have included parish registers, tithe maps, and wartime unit diaries, often following grant-funded initiatives supported by bodies such as the Heritage Lottery Fund and the National Manuscripts Conservation Trust. Metadata practices adhere to guidelines from the Archives Hub and employ controlled vocabularies compatible with the Integrated Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue approach. Collaborative digital projects have linked items to research networks at Historic England and to crowdsourcing transcription initiatives modeled on Transcribe Bentham.

Governance and Funding

Governance is administered by Lincolnshire County Council with advisory input from local stakeholders including representatives from borough councils like East Lindsey District Council and cultural institutions such as Lincolnshire Archives Advisory Committee. Core funding comes from the county budget, supplemented by grants from national funders including the Arts Council England and project support from trusts such as the Pilgrim Trust. Partnerships with universities, heritage charities, and private depositors contribute both material and financial resources; occasional fundraising and legacy donations from families like the Plessey family underpin strategic acquisitions and conservation campaigns.

Category:Archives in Lincolnshire Category:County record offices in England