Somerset Archives and Local Studies

Somerset Archives and Local Studies is the county archive service for Somerset, based in Taunton, preserving documentary and physical records relating to Somerset, Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset, and Mendip District. The service holds parish registers, estate papers, maps, photographs and business records that illuminate connections with Roman Britain, Anglo-Saxon England, Norman conquest of England, Medieval fairs, and the Industrial Revolution. It supports research into figures such as William Blake, Edward Jenner, John Wesley, and institutions including Glastonbury Abbey, Wells Cathedral, St John's Hospital, and Somerset County Council.

History

The archive's origins trace to local civic initiatives linked with Somerset County Council and the antiquarian interests of figures like John Collinson and Arthur Moody. Early collecting reflected county concerns similar to collections at Bristol Archives, Devon Heritage Centre, Gloucestershire Archives, and Dorset History Centre. During the 20th century the service developed in response to statutory milestones such as the Public Records Act 1958 and the Local Government Act 1972, and wartime pressures related to World War II evacuees and document salvage. Postwar conservation practices were influenced by standards from The National Archives (United Kingdom), the Society of Archivists, and preservation work at British Museum and National Trust properties like Montacute House.

Collections and Holdings

Holdings include extensive parish registers for parishes across Taunton Deane, Sedgemoor District, South Somerset District, and West Somerset District; manorial and estate papers for families connected to Hestercombe House, Fyne Court, Dunster Castle, Stawell Family, and Portman Family; cartographic resources including estate maps, tithe maps, and Ordnance Survey sheets tied to Enclosure Acts; and business archives from firms such as Arcworks, regional mills linked to the Somerset coalfield, and cider producers associated with West Country cider. The photographic collection documents events like the Glastonbury Festival, agricultural shows at Bath and West Showground, and flood events affecting the Somerset Levels. Manuscript material covers items relating to English Civil War, correspondence involving MPs from constituencies like Bridgwater (UK Parliament constituency), and local legal records from sessions at Taunton Crown Court. Ephemera includes posters for theatrical productions at Wells Cathedral School, records from local schools such as King's School, Wells, and printed broadsides tied to fairs at Shepton Mallet. The archive also houses sound recordings from local oral historians, maps by surveyors influenced by John Ogilby style, and prints associated with artists who worked in Somerset, like John Constable and J. M. W. Turner.

Services and Public Access

The service offers a staffed searchroom for researchers, document reprographic services used by genealogists tracing families connected to Somerset Militia and migrants to New England, and a cataloguing program interoperable with systems used by The National Archives and Archives Hub. Readers consult wills proved at Perton Registry, tithe schedules, and digitised newspapers such as editions of the Taunton Courier and Somerset County Gazette. Staff collaborate with local studies librarians at institutions including Somerset Libraries Service, provide advice on conservation issues encountered by owners of archives from places like Castle Cary and Minehead, and run booking systems comparable to those at Bristol Museum and Bath Record Office.

Outreach, Education and Publications

Outreach includes exhibitions on themes connecting to Glastonbury Tor, the Somerset Levels, and local military units like the Somerset Light Infantry, as well as talks co-organised with Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society and Somerset Art Works. Education programs target pupils from schools such as Huish Episcopi Academy and King Edward VI Community College, offering curriculum-linked sessions on local aspects of Roman Britain and Medieval economy. The service publishes guides, catalogue leaflets, and research aids; notable publications address topics like parish register research, family history case studies tied to emigration to Australia, and studies of local industries such as woollen mills in Bruton. Collaborative projects have linked the archives with museums including Museum of Somerset and heritage bodies like Historic England.

Governance and Funding

Governance is provided by committees within Somerset County Council working alongside advisory groups including representatives from Friends of Somerset Archives, academic partners at University of Bath, and local history societies such as the Somerset Archaeological Research Group. Funding streams comprise local authority budgets, grants from bodies such as the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England, and income from paid services and donations from trusts like the Pilgrim Trust. Conservation and digitisation projects have received competitive support from national funding streams administered by The National Archives and partnerships with universities including University of Exeter.

Category:Archives in Somerset