Guidance notes and limitations of the Research service

 

Guidance notes

Before you complete the Research Service order form, you may find it helpful to read these guidance notes.

Example of a request

Clarify what information you are looking for, for example:

• date of great grandmother’s birth, c1890 in Worksop
• who was living at 1, Anywhere Street, Nottingham between 1920 and 1925
• copies of maps of Newark, 1890-1960 showing what changes have taken place.

Be concise

Please be clear and concise and include all names, dates and places known, such as maiden names (where known), where born, etc.

Make sure to include the name of the parish or parishes, the personal names of who you are looking for and the date range to be searched.

If possible, confine your enquiry to the order form, but extra information can be attached if necessary. Photocopies of certificates, census returns or similar can all be included with the research request; however, please note that long and detailed accounts of background information can obscure the precise object of the search.

Be specific

Remember, the more specific you can be with your research request, then the better use can be made of the time for which you have paid. If your research request has a number of elements, please prioritise them.

To avoid duplication please list any sources already consulted (including those on the internet) and any information from these which you think may be relevant.

Due to the way in which records are written and kept, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to find the information that you are searching for. It may not have been recorded; it may have been recorded in a different parish or county; or the records may simply not survive; however, the Nottinghamshire Archives Research Service will endeavour to provide the best possible response.

If you require a continuation of research already carried out, please ensure that you include the reference of our previous report on the order form.

Transcriptions

The Research Service can provide transcriptions of documents if required and on occasion can provide Latin translations. If the original document is not held by Nottinghamshire Archives, then it is vital that a legible copy is supplied.

Property research

The Nottinghamshire Archives Research Service can also carry out research into your property. If you require a search to be made, please ensure that a detailed plan or map showing the location of the property.

We can use Ordnance Survey 6” and 25” maps, tithe and enclosure maps, estate maps, land tax assessments and rate books to find out about the history of a property. There may also be other suitable sources such as title deeds, manorial court books, valuation lists, building control plans and electoral registers.

Researchers are of course welcome to make a personal visit to Nottinghamshire Archives. For more information please see our Visiting Archives page.

Restricted access

Access to records which are marked Restricted Access in our catalogues is usually only possible via our Research Service. This is often due to the sensitive information contained within such records. If you come across anything which is marked Restricted Access, we would advise that you contact Nottinghamshire Archives in the first instance for advice regarding access.

Where records are restricted, Nottinghamshire Archives usually has to get permission from the relevant authority to allow access and for the information to be released. In some cases this can take a number of weeks. As permission for access rests with the relevant authority, if permission is refused Nottinghamshire Archives will not be able to carry out any research in those records.

More information on Restricted Access records can be found on our Restricted Access Records information leaflet [PDF].

Limitations

Unfortunately the Research Service cannot always provide all the answers.

Charges will still apply even if the result is minimal or negative, as a search has still been carried out.

Records may be missing, damaged or difficult to read. While every effort will be made to carry out research accurately, Nottinghamshire Archives cannot be held responsible for any inadvertent errors or omissions.

Information that we cannot provide

Births, deaths and marriages

Nottinghamshire Archives does not hold copies of birth, marriage or death certificates. If you wish to obtain a copy of a birth, marriage or death certificate, either apply to the appropriate district register office, or apply online to the General Register Office at website: www.gro.gov.uk.

Postal applications can be made to the following address:

Certificate Services Section
General Register Office
PO Box 2
Southport
Merseyside
PR8 2JD

• telephone: 0300 123 1837
• email: certificate.services@ips.gsi.gov.uk

We do not hold records before the mid twelfth century – our earliest document dates from c 1155.

Newspapers

Nottinghamshire Archives does not hold any newspapers. Newspapers have been preserved on microfilm and are held by the Library Service.

A full list of all local newspapers held in Nottinghamshire libraries, as well as the local newspaper collections of libraries in other counties in the East Midlands, is available via the website: newsplan.liem.org.uk.

This website can be used to find out which newspaper covers your area, and which library holds copies.