Nottinghamshire Archives houses archives for the county of Nottinghamshire, the city of Nottingham, the diocese of Southwell & Nottingham, and other local bodies, families and individuals.
- Archives are original documents produced by official bodies, societies and individuals that are no longer in current use
- The documents range from the 12th to the 21st centuries
- They include official and privately-owned archives
- Most archives are unique and have to be housed in secure conditions and handled with care
- Many archives have been copied onto microfiche in order to save wear and tear on the originals
- An online catalogue is available on our web site
- Contact details are available on our contact archives page.
Featured News Item
Charles Dickens - the Nottinghamshire Legacy
The recent dramatisation of The Mystery of Edwin Drood has aroused renewed interest in both the novel and how the Legacy of Dickens has come down to us through the generations. Documents on display at Nottinghamshire Archives reveal how his daughter Kate was in demand for 'answers' to the Drood mystery and how his sons continued the celebrated Dickens' readings.
Dickens himself had given a couple of notable readings at the Nottingham Mechanics Institution, being described at one reading as 'a live author'. Continuing that legacy his three sons gave readings around the country, including Nottingham. Alfred Tennyson Dickens performed 'A Night With Dickens' at the Mechanics in 1910 and Henry Fielding Dickens recited 'The Christmas Carol' in 1912.
Local diarist Sydney Race records a meeting with Kate Perugini, Dickens' younger daughter. He recalls how at the time of his visit Kate was taking tea in a Victorian-style drawing room with 'an American visitor'. Race remembers her being 'amused' by the 'quarrels' caused by speculation over the ending to 'Edwin Drood'. She stated that the ending was probably only ever revealed to one person and that was Dickens' close friend and biographer John Forster.
The display case can be viewed in the Reception area at Nottinghamshire Archives from 7 February. Find out more about visiting archives.
Sydney Race's encounter with Kate Perugini is our Document of the Month for February 2012, marking the bicentenary of Charles Dickens' birth.
Other news items
New collections available at Nottinghamshire Archives
A Grisly History of Nottinghamshire
On The Trail! Competition awards evening
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