The Libraries and Information Service is part of the Cultural Services Division of Worcestershire County Council

Bromsgrove Library
Stratford Road
Bromsgrove, Worcs.
B60 1AP
Tel: 01905 765025 (Also via County Offices exchange in business hours 01527 575855)
Fax: 01527 575855
Email: [email protected]

Evesham Library
Oat Street
Evesham Worcs.
WR11 4PJ
Tel: 01386 442291/41348
Fax: 01386 765855
Email: [email protected]

Kidderminster Library
Market Street
Kidderminster
DY10 1AD
Tel: 01562 824500
Fax: 01562 827303
Email: [email protected]

Malvern Library
Graham Road
Malvern
Worcestershire
WR14 2HU
Tel: 01684 561223/573582
Fax: 01684 892999
Email: [email protected]

Redditch Library
15 Market Place
Redditch
Worcs.
B98 8AR
Tel: 01527 63291
Fax: 01527 68571
Email: [email protected]

Worcestershire Library and History Centre
The Trinity
Worcester
WR1 2PW
Tel: 01905 765922
Fax: 01905 765925
Email: [email protected]
(NB: The Centre holds most of the family and local history materials formerly held at Worcester Library in Foregate Street and the County Record Office in St Helens, Worcester)

Bromsgrove Library
Monday: 0930-1900
Tuesday: 0930-1700
Wednesday: 0930-1700
Thursday: closed
Friday: 0930-1900
Saturday: 0930-1600

Evesham Library
Monday: 0930-1730
Tuesday: 0930-1730
Wednesday: closed
Thursday: 0930-2000
Friday: 0930-1730
Saturday: 0930-1600

Kidderminster Library
Monday: 0930-1730
Tuesday: 0930-1900
Wednesday: 0930-1730
Thursday: 0930-1900
Friday: 0930-1730
Saturday: 0930-1600

Malvern Library
Monday: 0930-1730
Tuesday: 0930-2000
Wednesday: 0930-1300
Thursday: 0930-1730
Friday: 0930-1730
Saturday: 0930-1600

Redditch Library
Monday: 0930-1900
Tuesday: 0930-1700
Wednesday: 0930-1700
Thursday: 0930-1900
Friday: 0930-1900
Saturday: 0930-1600

Worcestershire Library and History Centre
Monday: 0930 - 1900
Tuesday: 0930 - 1730
Wednesday: 0930 - 1730
Thursday: 0930 - 1730
Friday: 0930 -1900
Saturday: 0930 - 1600

All libraries have some local material; smaller full-time libraries and part-time libraries have only a little material. The following larger full-time libraries have a reasonable amount of material on the local area, although not as much as those libraries listed separately above under Principal Libraries.

Droitwich Library
Tel: 01905 773292/779970
Email: [email protected]

Pershore Library
Tel: 01386 553320
Email: [email protected]

Stourport-on-Severn Library
Tel: 01299 822866
Email: [email protected]

Library Headquarters has no family history resources but may be contacted for general advice on which specific library to contact:

David Drewitt
Principal Librarian: Information Services
Cultural Services
Worcestershire County Council
County Hall
Spetchley Road
Worcester WR5 2NP
Tel: 01905 766240
Fax 01905 766244.
Email: [email protected]

Service available? No. The library will do a small amount of checking of sources etc., but generally enquirers should go to the libraries themselves to do their own research.

Fee-based? N/A

Registrar General's Indexes from 1837 (microform), or Registrar General for Scotland's Computerised Index from 1855.

Locations
Held at the County Record Office.

Held at Bromsgrove Library: 1811; 1821; 1851; 1891; 1901: Bromsgrove & district

Held at Evesham Library: 1891: Evesham & district

Held at Kidderminster Library: 1841- 1901: Kidderminster: Stourport: and surrounding villages

Held at Malvern Library: 1891: Malvern Hills area incl. Ledbury, Upton-on-Severn, Colwall

Held at Redditch Library: 1841- 1891: Redditch town and parts of surrounding areas

Held at Worcestershire Library and History Centre: 1851: Worcester city: 1831- 1891: General England and Wales reports

Held at Stourport Library: 1891: Lower Mitton, Upper Mitton, Hartlebury

Most records for Worcestershire are also held in the County Record Office.

All main libraries have later, general or county statistical reports.

6(a) County and Regional Directories

Held at Bromsgrove Library: Kelly's directory for Worcestershire 1896-1936; Cassey's directory of Worcestershire 1860; Pigot's Worcestershire directory 1835; Lewis's Worcestershire directory 1820

Held at Evesham Library: Kelly's directories for: Worcestershire 1880-1940; Gloucestershire 1919, 1939, 1940; Warwickshire 1940; Oxford 1939. Littlebury's Worcestershire 1879; Bentley's Worcestershire 1840.

Held at Kidderminster Library: Various Worcestershire directories 1783-1966.

Held at Malvern Library: Pigot's Worcestershire 1822-1823; Robinson's Western Counties 1838; Hunt & Co. Gloucestershire Hereford and Worcester 1847; Cassey's Worcestershire 1840; Billings' County of Worcester 1855; Bennett's Worcestershire 1889; Kelly's Worcestershire 1860-1940; Kelly's Herefordshire 1917, 1941.

Held at Redditch Library: Worcestershire (various 1835-1940); Warwickshire (various 1830-1940).

Held at Worcestershire Library and History Centre: Worcestershire and other Midlands areas (various 1816-1965).

Held at Stourport Library: Worcestershire 1842, 1850; Herefordshire 1842, 1850; Shropshire 1842, 1850; Kelly's Worcestershire 1904, 1940.

6(b) City and Town Directories

Held at Bromsgrove Library: Palmer's Directory of Bromsgrove 1860-1949 (incomplete); Bentley's Bromsgrove 1841, Dudley 1841; Post Office Birmingham 1854; Lascelles Worcester 1851; Littlebury's Worcester 1879.

Held at Evesham Library: Pigot's Worcester 1835, 1842, 1850; W.H. Smith's Evesham and area 1894-1974, 1980.

Held at Kidderminster Library: included in regional/county directories.

Held at Malvern Library: Malvern 1851-1960 (incomplete) often included in directory for Worcester and District.

Held at Redditch Library: Redditch area: Needle District Almanacks 1873-1936 (excluding 1915, 1916, 1933, 1935).

Held at Worcestershire Library and History Centre: Worcester area: various 1906-1919.

Held at Pershore: Pershore Almanac 1904-1938.

N.B. Most towns in Worcestershire and Herefordshire do not have their own directories, but form a section in a county or a regional directory.

6(c) Telephone Directories

Current telephone directories are held at Bromsgrove, Evesham, Kidderminster, Malvern, Redditch and Worcester libraries. In addition, the following telephone directories are held:

Evesham Library: Worcestershire 1989-

Kidderminster Library: Kidderminster 1949, 1950; Worcester area 1988- ; Yellow Pages 1969-90

Worcester: Yellow Pages (local) 1971-

7(a) Electoral Registers

Held at Bromsgrove Library: Bromsgrove District 1979/80-

Held at Evesham Library: Evesham, Pershore and District 1988-

Held at Kidderminster Library: Kidderminster 1934-38, 1948-49; Kidderminster, Stourport, Bewdley and surrounding villages 1951, 1953-69, 1971-92, 1994- (later ones for whole Wyre Forest District)

Held at Malvern Library: Malvern 1903, 1904, 1910-15, 1919, 1971-74, 1977-96; Malvern Hills District 1991- ; Leominster Constituency 1991-

Held at Redditch Library: Redditch 1967-68; Redditch Borough 1995- .

Held at Worcester Library: Worcestershire East Division 1863-64; Worcester City 1896-1900, 1902-1915, 1918 (absent voters), 1918-21, 1923-26, 1929-34, 1936-40, 1945-

Please note that because of changes to the regulations relating to the way the Data Protection Act and Human Rights Act affect Electoral Registers, in some cases Electoral Registration Officers are no longer providing full versions or even edited versions of the Register to libraries in Worcestershire. Copying from current or historic Registers is forbidden by any means other than copying by hand a small amount (this means that you cannot photocopy, scan, or otherwise copy by electronic means).

7(b) Poll Books

Held at Kidderminster Library: Kidderminster 1714, 1747, 1849, 1859, 1862.

Held at Worcestershire Library and History Centre: Worcester 1741, 1747, 1835 (list of voters), 1841, 1847, 1852, 1857; 1878-79 (Ward List); Index to Polls 1835-1865.

Held at Bromsgrove Library: 1992 Worcestershire

Held at Evesham Library: 1992 Worcestershire, Gloucestershire.

Held at Kidderminster Library: 1992 Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Shropshire.

Held at Malvern Library: 1993 Worcestershire, Herefordshire.

Held at Redditch Library: 1992 Worcestershire, Warwickshire.

Held at Worcestershire Library and History Centre: 1992 Worcestershire, Herefordshire.

Held at Evesham Library: card index to local history items in pamphlets, articles, sections in books.

Held at Kidderminster: various indexes to parish registers.

N.B. Local collections with some analytical entries are being catalogued retrospectively and will be available as each entry is completed on the Libraries' Department's OPAC, available in all libraries, and on the Internet at:http://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/libraries/opac/homepage.htm

Held in Bromsgrove Library: Clent Parish General Register 1562-1782; baptisms and burials 1783-1812; marriages 1754-1812 (transcripts)

Held at Evesham Library: Bretforton Parish 1538-1837 (published transcript)

Held at Kidderminster Library: various parish registers for parts of Kidderminster and surrounding areas, various dates from 1539 onwards - transcripts, some microfilm. Printed transcripts: Adderley 1692-1812; Astley 1692-1812; St Michael, Bedwardine 1546-1812; Bretforton 1538-1837; Cleobury Mortimer 1601-1812; Condover and Selattyn indexes; St Kenelm, Clifton-upon-Teme 1598-1837; Eastham, Hanley Childe, Orleton, Hanley William 1572-1812; Hopton Wafers 1660-1812; Hughley 1576-1812; Kidderminster Old Meeting House 1727-1837; Kinnerly 1677-1812; Knightwick and Doddenham 1538-1812; Leebotwood 1547-1812; Little Malvern (catholic register); Longnor, Salop 1586-1812; Oldswinford 1719-1835; Oldswinford vols. 4-5; Over Areley 1564-1812; Ruyton-Eleven-Towns 1719-1812; Stirchley, Shropshire 1658-1812; Stoke-upon-Trent 1629-1688; St Mary, Stone 1601-1812; Stourport Lower Mitton 1693-1840; Uffington 1578-1812; Upton Snodsbury 1577-1837; Withington 1591-1812; Wolverley 1539-1659; St Alban, Worcester 1630-1812; St Helens,Worcester 1538-1812; Worcester Cathedral 1693-1811; Wribbenhall 1723-1814; Microfilm copies: Kidderminster, St George's 1824-1977; Kidderminster, St John's 1843-1979; Kidderminster, St Mary's 1539-1965; Martley (marriages) 1933-1971; Middle Littleton (baptisms) 1972-1978; North Littleton (baptisms) 1972-1978; Norton Barracks (baptisms) 1954-1962; Norton-juxta-Kempsey (marriages) 1965-1979; Norton-with-Whittington (marriages) 1965-1973; South Littleton (marriages) 1969-1978; Wichenford (marriages) 1963-1976; Wolverley, St John's 1539-1967; Worcester, St Clement's (burials) 1965-1971. Microfiche transcript: Ribbesford 1574-1653

Held at Malvern Library: all transcripts: Worcester Parish Registers - Marriages (Phillimore) vol.1; Bushley 1538-1812; Eastham, Hanley Childe, Orleton, Hanley William 1572-1812; Knightwick and Doddenham 1538-1812; Worcester Cathedral 1693-1811; Little Malvern (Catholic Register) 1783-1875; Worcester Catholic Registers, published 1887; Worcester St Helen's 1538-1812; Malvern Priory 1556-1708 (baptisms and burial); Malvern Priory 1556-1754 (marriages); Malvern Priory 1709-1837 (baptisms and burial); Malvern Priory 1754-1837 (marriages)

Held at Redditch Library: microfilm copies (all): Redditch Parish baptisms 1770-1972, marriages 1808-1973, burials 1770-1905, 1968-1970; Redditch Wesleyan Methodist baptisms 1810-1976, marriages 1844-1872.

Held at Worcestershire Library and History Centre: printed transcripts (all): Bretforton 1538-1837; Bushley 1536-1817; Clifton-on-Teme, St Kenelm 1598-1837; Cropthorne 1557-1717; Dymock, St Mary 1538-1790; Eastham, Hanley Childe, Orleton, Hanley William 1572-1812; Frankley St Leonard 1598-1748, 1813-1900 (burials); Great Witley, St Michael 1538-1874 (baptisms), 1538-1835 (marriages), 1538-1849 (burials); Hanbury St Mary 1577-1837; Himbleton 1713-1727; Inkberrow 1613-1774; Bromsgrove Independent Baptist and Wesleyan to 1837; Knightwick and Dodderhill 1538-1812; Great Malvern Priory 1691-1837; Rownley St Kennelm 1736-1841 (baptisms), 1736-1753 (marriages); Stone 1601-1812; Upton Snodsbury 1577-1837; Bromsgrove and Chadwick (extract from Society of Friends register) 1635-1797;. Held at Stourport: Lower Mitton 1693-1840 (transcript); Lower Mitton 1693-1916 (microform copy); Areley Kings 1539-1941 (microform copy); Ribbesford 1574-1653 (microform copy).

Held at Evesham Library: Transactions of the Worcester Archaeological Society 1923- ; Evesham Historical Society Papers; some parish magazines.

Held at Kidderminster Library: various local periodicals 1968- ; some parish magazines.

Held at Redditch Library: Redditch Parish Magazine 1882-1974 (incomplete).

Held at Worcester Library: Midland Ancestor 1975- ; Family History News and Digest 1977- ; Midland Catholic History (formerly Worcester Recusant) 1963- .

N.B. All major libraries have virtually complete runs of local newspapers, although in a few cases these may be held in stores elsewhere; please check at the relevant library.

Held at Worcester: Worcester Hearth Tax on microfilm; publications of Worcestershire Historical Society including transcripts e.g. Bishop of Worcester's Registers

Most libraries have collections of individual items, pamphlets, booklets, etc. published locally. All libraries have books and other items on their locality.

Largest collections are in the 6 main libraries listed in Section 1 above; Worcester Library collects for the county of Worcestershire.

Some libraries have printed guides to some collections: check with individual libraries.

County Record Office
Worcestershire County Council
County Hall
Spetchley Road
Worcester
WR5 2NP

Tel: 01905 766351
Fax: 01905 766363
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/records/homepage.htm

A joint Libraries Service/Record Office unit, the Worcestershire Library and History Centre, opened in April 2001; see contact details at beginning of Worcestershire's entry.

It is essential to check availability of materials, and to book microfilm readers, beforehand.

All Worcestershire libraries have free-of-charge public Internet terminals, which can access any genealogical information that is available on the Internet. Terminals are used heavily, and it is normally essential to book.

A Worcestershire Library and History Centre opened in Trinity Street, Worcester, at the end of April 2001. This new centre combines much of the local history material (including some useful for family history) from both Worcester Library (Foregate Street, Worcester) and the Worcestershire County Record Office. Opening hours are the same as for Worcester Library. Other material will continue to be available in the Worcester Library and the Record Office at County Hall.

The County Council website is at www.worcestershire.gov.uk, with the Countywide Information Service (public information) at www.worcestershire.gov.uk/cwis, and the Libraries and Information Service at www.worcestershire.gov.uk/libraries.

Please note that on 1 April 1998, the COUNTY OF HEREFORD AND WORCESTER was re-organised into two completely separate authorities: Herefordshire Council (a unitary authority covering the whole of Herefordshire), and Worcestershire County Council (covering the whole of Worcestershire) Worcestershire libraries still receive a number of enquiries relating to Herefordshire. . THESE PAGES REFER TO THE HOLDINGS OF WORCESTERSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION SERVICE ONLY.

Enquiries about holdings of Herefordshire Council should made to Herefordshire Council; suggested first contact is Hereford City Library, Broad St, Hereford HR4 9AU, tel: 01432 272456, fax: 01432 359668.