Researching our Records

Once you have discovered that we hold records which may be relevant to you, there are four main ways of researching the records we hold:

You can visit the Record Office to search, free of charge.
You can ask staff by email, phone, or letter, to carry out one short, specific search. We will search for up to 10 minutes, free of charge. An example of this might be ‘please check for a marriage between John Smith and Ann Jones in Bunbury in 1798’.
You can book an appointment with our research consultant for a 1-1 session in our searchroom. This will cost £10.00 for 30 minutes. Please contact us or phone 01244 972574 for further details or to book a session.
Research Service. If you cannot visit the Record Office in person, our professional researcher can undertake more extensive genealogical and historical research on your behalf. This will cost £25.00 per hour. There is a maximum of 5 hours per request.

How to apply for the Research Service

Please use our research application form.
Payment in advance of £25 is required and you can pay online. If you require more than one hour's research, then you can specify the maximum amount you would be willing to pay in the space provided on the form, up to a limit of £125 for five hours' research. You will be asked to pay any outstanding balance when the work has been completed
Please specify the object of the search as clearly as possible, eg: "To find the marriage of John Thompson and Ann Byron at Bunbury, 1730 - 1745" "Information on the building and occupancy of Lower Hall Farm at Eccleston in the 17th and 18th centuries"

When requesting work on the history of a building, please supply a grid reference, copy of a map and photograph if possible.

What happens next?

We will acknowledge your application within 10 working days and inform you of the current waiting time. We aim to answer all enquiries within six weeks of receipt, but occasionally the volume of work may result in delays.
We will make every effort to supply the information requested, but cannot guarantee a positive outcome. Even a fairly lengthy search may produce a negative result.
We reserve the right either to refuse to undertake a search, or to limit the time that may be spent on it. Payments will be returned if a search is not feasible.
Where a search is completed in a shorter time than has been paid for, the outstanding amount can either be held in credit against future work, or refunded.

Your report

Your report will give full details of the sources checked and information found. Advice will be given on the existence and whereabouts of other relevant sources where appropriate.

Copies

We may supply copies of relevant documents with the report, depending on the size, format, condition or any access or copyright restrictions. The cost may be taken out of the search fee and the search time reduced accordingly.

Copies can also be ordered separately (see our list of charges).

How to pay

You can pay online using the online application form. Advance payment of £25 is required, and you will be asked to pay any outstanding balance when the work has been completed. The total cost will not exceed the maximum limit you have specified and you will only be charged for the number of hours spent on your enquiry

If you would like to know more, please e-mail the Record Office