Derbyshire Record Office

A bleak wintry scene, with a road and fields completely covered by snow. In the foreground is an abandoned car with snow piled on top of it.

We couldn’t find a Derbyshire polar bear for #InternationalPolarBearDay, but here’s a wintry scene where we’re sure one would feel right at home. This is Batham Gate Road in Buxton in the snowy winter of 1963. Are those footprints or bear tracks?

#PhotoFriday #snow #1960s

Secret Derbyshire - Preserving Derbyshire’s past - BBC Sounds A look behind the scenes at Derbyshire Record Office.

Our Senior Conservator, Lien, recently met up with Glenn Jones from Radio Derby to give him a sneak peek behind the scenes and explain how we look after our records. You can listen to the podcast on BBC Sounds: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0n2ljvj

Printed page from a catalogue with the title 'Fancy Knitted Goods Department - Cont. Bathing Costumes. Ladies' - Children's - Gentlemen's.' It features drawings of a child, a woman and a man, all wearing bathing costumes.

Are your thoughts turning to summer holidays on sandy beaches? Perhaps you could do with some lovely new woollen bathing costumes, such as these 1929 ones from George Brettle & Company Ltd of Belper.

#1920s #HistoricFashion #VintageSwimwear

Front cover of the publication 'Strutt Street Belper – ‘The First Fifty Years’ by Belper u3a Local History Group 3. It features a black and white photograph of Strutt Street ca. 1905.

New in our #LocalStudies library, 'Strutt Street Belper – ‘The First Fifty Years’ is a fascinating study of street development from the first proposal of a thoroughfare in 1877, to the interconnected history of its residents and businesses up until 1939.

#EYAConnections #LocalHistory

A small notebook laid open showing lined pages. On both pages is a recipe handwritten in pencil. On the left hand page is a recipe for ‘Wakes Cakes’. The recipe is written in list form down the page including amounts of flour, butter, sugar, eggs and currents and the direction to have the “Oven not to Hot”. On the right hand page is a recipe for ‘Pork pies’. It reads “1/2lb crust paste, 6oz meat, to 1lb pie & so on.”

Our latest #NewAccession is the recipe book of Fred Croft, apprentice baker at Wrigley and Son, confectioners, Matlock. Fred took it to France whilst serving during the First World War. It was returned to his family after Fred was killed at the Battle of the Somme.

#WWI #HistoricRecipes

A handwritten page in a notebook. It begins 'Friday May 29th 1840. Journey to London.' It then lists each stop on the journey and how many miles there was in between.

A double page from the same notebook continuing the details of the journey.

A modern document, showing a table which summarises the journey, giving place names and distances in miles.

Our #ArchiveOfTheWeek, this fascinating notebook, shows that if you were travelling from Chesterfield to London in 1840 you would have changed coach 17 times and have needed 65 horses in total! The 158 mile journey would have taken 7 hours and 45 minutes.
#EYAConnections

Missing the Winter Olympics already? Then here is a fabulous shot of skiers on Mam Tor back in 1979. The image is part of the Peak District National Park photography archive, currently being catalogued for the #LandscapesUnlocked project.

#snow #PeakDistrict #1970s

A handwritten letter saying: 'My Dear Little Sweetheart, I am sorry I couldn't come for your birthday but I am still on manoeuvers. I will come as soon as ever I can. I am sending you this little nightie I hope you like it and I am sending you this cake. I couldn't get any candles so ask mummy to get you some. I hope you are being a good girl and helping mummy. I think you are getting very clever I like your letters. Cheerio, tons of love Jeanne, from Daddy James xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"

This letter was written by James Leslie Riley of South Darley, to his daughter, Jeanne, whilst he was serving during #WorldWarTwo, sending her birthday wishes and kisses. James tragically died as a prisoner of war during a mining accident whilst forcibly working in a Polish coal mine.
#WW2

An elderly, smartly dressed man sits at the wheel of an open topped 1920s car. A spaniel stands on its hind legs with its front paws on the car door, looking up at the man, who smiles down at it.

It may well be #LoveYourPetDay but we wonder if Dr Josiah Court of Staveley minded his dog jumping up the side of his shiny car? He seems to be smiling so obviously doesn’t mind the odd scratch.
#PhotoFriday

A brightly coloured front cover dissected diagonally bottom left to top right with the background colours of blue top left and red bottom right, over which is laid the title in orange and white "Heraldry For the Local Historian and Genealogist by Stephen Friar". In the centre of the front cover is a tableau illustrating a medieval battle scene with armoured knights on horseback carrying numerous heraldic banners, very brightly coloured.

Our #LocalStudies book 'Heraldry for the Local Historian & Genealogist' is a favourite read of our Archives Assistant Amanda. A guide to the mysteries of heraldry’s language, interpreting heraldry on buildings, street furniture, household items, beautifully illustrated.
#NationalYearOfReading

A number of paper and parchment documents relating to the house in Buxton.

Our latest #NewAccession are deeds for a dwellinghouse in Buxton. They begin in 1829; later the property becomes known as 17 & 19 Spring Gardens, then The Hardwick Hotel in the #1970s. This was demolished to allow access to the Springs Shopping Centre.

Sepia photograph of a man standing on skis, holding two ski poles. He is wearing a hat with flaps over his ears and a voluminous knee-length coat, strapped in at the waste. He is standing in a snowy, mountainous landscape.

Have you had enough snowfall this week to strap on some skis? Maybe choose some twenty-first century ones rather than these early twentieth century ones though! We do rather like the coat…

#snow #skiing #WinterOlympics #1900s

The cover of the fixture card has two lines of lattice work at the top and bottom, framing most of the text. This reads: Gresley Hockey Club Affiliated to the Derbyshire County Hockey Association Season 1938-9. It lists the President and Vice Presidents, the Honorary Secretary and the Honorary Assistant Secretary.

Our #ArchiveOfTheWeek is a Gresley Hockey Club fixture card for the 1938/9 season, part of the Sharpe Bros & Co Ltd, Swadlincote collection. It remains a mystery how this came to be grouped with the papers of sanitary earthenware manufacturers…

#1930s #hockey

Thank you for having stuck with us for so long! Enjoy your pancakes, however you decide to make them...

Pancake recipe for Shrove Tuesday Looking for a slightly different recipe for this year’s pancakes? Why not try this recipe from Clara’s friend Mrs Coke at Depdale. Pancakes Take three spoonfulls of fine flour, a pint o…

How about giving your pancakes a historical twist this year, with this early 19th century recipe? It contains a pint of cream, orange flower water and three spoonfuls of sweet wine... recordoffice.wordpre...

#PancakeDay #ShroveTuesday #FoodHistory #HistoricRecipe

Researching LGBTQ+ history The criminalization, stigmatisation and persecution of the LGBTQ+ community has made researching LGBTQ+ history a challenge. Throughout history people have for religious, social and personal reason…

It's #LGBTHistoryMonth , and for researchers into this subject it can be challenging to find material, with stories and experiences of the LGBT+ community often being concealed, and sources not immediately obvious. Have a look at our guide for a few tips:

Printed cover of a pamphlet of sheet music. It features a black and white engraving of a woman with long dark hair, who is listening to a small winged cupid who is whispering into her right ear. The text reads 'Love's Whisperings. Waltz by Ezra Read. It is dated 1902.

On this #ValentinesDay we send waltzing whispers of love to all our wonderful visitors and social media followers 💕

#valentine #music #1900s

Three men are in a radio studio. One sits behind the desk with vinyl records ready to be played at his side and a console full of switches and dials in font of him. He wears headphones and has a microphone in front of him. Another man sits in front of the desk looking at a piece of paper a third man is showing him.

On #WorldRadioDay we join some of the staff of BBC Radio Derby, celebrating their 10th birthday in 1981. We doubt you’d see many vinyl records being played in the studio nowadays.
#PhotoFriday #1980s

A small printed plan, with the title ‘A Plan of the Navigable canal now making from Chesterfield in the County of Derby to the River Trent near Stockwith in the County of Nottingham surveyed in 1770’. It shows the route from Chesterfield to Gainsborough and distances between various places.

We love this small-scale plan of the navigable canal connecting Chesterfield to the River Trent near Stockwith, surveyed in 1770 by J Lodge, showing journey distances and landmarks along the route. What an amazing achievement it was!

#EYAConnections #18thCentury

Short handwritten letter: My dear sir I am very much obliged to you for your great kindness in having lent me your magnificent work on Cave Hunting. I was yesterday reading with much interest your article on the Basques. With many thanks yours sincerely, Ch Darwin

On #DarwinDay, here is a letter Charles Darwin sent to geologist and archaeologist William Boyd Dawkins in 1874. Darwin thanks him for lending him a copy of his book on Cave Hunting and says he has been reading WBD's article on the Basques "with much interest".

#19thCentury

Black and white photo of a class room. Several teenage girls are sitting at and standing by a large wooden table, carrying out an experiment with a container and a glass bell jar.

On #WomenAndGirlsInScienceDay we join in with a 1930s chemistry lesson at the National School in Long Eaton, where these budding scientists are carrying out exciting experiments.

#WomensHistory #science #1930s

Page of a volume showing a handwritten family tree. At the top of the page written in red capital letters is the family name of Gell. The rest of the page is covered in writing with lines linking family members. Next to some names are the relevant family coat of arms in the shape of shields with various colourful decorations, including stripes, rosettes and swords and crowns.

Lineage, inheritance, or simply knowing who was who—pedigrees were once essential. Our #ArchiveOfTheWeek, this 1830 volume tracing the Gell family of Hopton Hall (and their connections) is packed with beautifully illustrated coats of arms. A striking window into family history.
#EYAConnections

Page 46 of 'The Derbyshire Countryside', with title 'On conducting'. Within the text are several drawings showing how the baton should be moved.

Front cover of the magazine 'The Derbyshire Countryside', which features a green silhouette illustration of a farmer sewing seeds. It is dated 'July 1931, Vol.1 No.3, Price 3d.'

How's this for information you wouldn't expect to find in a magazine called 'The Derbyshire Countryside': lessons in how to be a conductor!

#SearchroomSurprise #conducting #music #1930s

A hand-coloured portrait of a blonde-haired young woman. She stands facing the camera wearing a floor length cream coloured dress with lace cuffs. There are red flower details at the collar and waist, with a red bolero style jacket and a long sash with red bands at the end. She carries a red bag and wears red shoes.

On #NationalWearRedDay here is Elsie Smith, attendant to the Carnival Queen at Long Eaton carnival in 1936. This beautiful hand coloured studio portrait shows her dress off to perfection.
#PhotoFriday #1930s

Cream coloured archive folder tied with archival tape showing a small cartoon sheep face poking out.

A very different type of #SearchroomSurprise: a happy face peaking out of this file of church minutes 😄
Just a shame it was a sticky post-it note, which are not archival friendly and can cause a lot of problems during cataloguing!

Two elderly women sit facing each other chatting. One woman leans on her walking stick. She wears a long gingham apron and a knitted shawl around her shoulders. Her hair is in a bun. They sit by a market stall while crowds of shoppers mingle around them.

These two women have found the time to sit and talk even amongst the hustle and bustle of the Cockpit Hill Market in Derby in 1954. Very apt for #TimeToTalkDay when we are encouraged to have open conversations with friends and family about mental health.
#LocalStudies #1950s

Handwritten text in black ink on parchment.

Our latest #NewAccession is an 8 April 1779 release for a house on St John’s Street, Ashbourne — once home to John Howard.
The deed records a transfer from Dorothy Bower (widow), her sons Edward and Joseph, to John Goodwin, Gentleman of Ashbourne.

Our #ArchiveOfTheWeek is a Granada Television programme created to mark 300 years since the plague struck Eyam.
These clips offer a fascinating glimpse into village life — from atmospheric footage of Eyam itself to pageant rehearsals and interviews with villagers of all ages.
#LocalHistory

A handwritten table entry giving details of registered premises with explosive material onsite. Information included is: business owner's name, profession/business, address and parish. This cropped image shows 7 entries from the first page of the log book. One entry reads: John Morton, hairdresser, 10 High Street, Alfreton, shop

This is an entry for licences for premises with explosive material, covering the Alfreton & District area between 1893 and 1897. An unusual entry features a hairdresser on Alfreton High Street. Not sure what they were using and why, but thank goodness it's not used now. At least we hope it isn't!

A man stands behind a bar with bottles of spirits on the wall behind him and beer pumps in front of him. He leans with his chin resting in his hand, looking quite forlorn as he stares down at a group of empty pint glasses on the bar.

On #PhotoFriday we join this Derby pub landlord looking rather forlornly at his empty glasses in the Sherwood Forester’s Public House in 1980. Don’t worry, #DryJanuary will soon be over and you can fill them with beer once again 🍻

#1980s