Business Records
Nottinghamshire Archives holds a large number of collections of business records, for a wide and varied number of businesses, companies and firms based in or with interests in Nottinghamshire.
These documents can relate to all aspects of the business's history and work, and can be global in scope, with administrative, promotional and photographic records from all around the world.
Amongst the businesses whose records are held by Nottinghamshire Archives are
- The Atkey Motor Car Company (DD/ATK)
- The Co-Operative Society of Nottingham (DD/GN)
- John Player and Son Cigarette Manufacturer and Seller (DD/PL)
- The Raleigh Cycle Company (DD/RN)
- The Nottingham Playhouse (DD/NP)
Main groups of documents
Minute books
Accounts
Memoranda and articles of association
Agreements
Shareholders' records
Staff registers
Plans
Sales and promotional material
Photographs
How to find the document you want
Main groups of documents include:
Minute books
Coverage: 19th - 20th centuries
Minutes of business meetings, recording administrative decisions; and of committees.
Accounts
Coverage: 19th - 20th centuries
Records relating to the financial history of the business. These can include ledgers, balance sheets, receipts, invoices and wages.
Memoranda and articles of association
Coverage: 19th - 20th centuries
Statements of objectives drawn up usually when the business commences, detailing how it will be run and managed.
Agreements
Coverage: 19th - 20th centuries
Business agreements between individuals and other companies, for example regarding distribution of products overseas.
Shareholders' records
Coverage: 19th - 20th centuries
These can relate to all aspects of shares, including prospectuses, ledgers and share certificates.
Staff registers
Coverage: 19th - 20th centuries
Lists of staff employed by the business. These can include name, address, salary and dates of appointment and resignation.
The extent, nature and variety of staff records differs between each business. Some businesses have no staffing records at all.
Plans
Coverage: 19th - 20th centuries
Plans of business properties.
One significant collection of plans is that produced by Charles E Goad Ltd, a company of surveyors from London, which was created for the use of fire insurance companies (DD/GOAD). The detailed plans covered urban areas and show industrial and commercial buildings, providing information on the use of buildings, rooms, construction details, positioning of doors and windows, type of roof, and specialist details such as street widths, property boundaries, boilers and hydrants. The Goad plans comprise five editions for Nottingham between 1886 and 1962, with later editions often pasted onto them.
Sales and promotional material
Coverage: 19th - 20th centuries
Sales records include price lists, catalogues and brochures. Promotional material can be wide-ranging and often depends on the type of business concerned. It can include packaging, labels, posters, programmes, leaflets and photographs.
Photographs
Coverage: late 19th and 20th centuries
May include photographs of factories, offices, production, employees at work, products and promotional material. They can be global in scope, as with the Raleigh Cycle Company. The Nottingham Playhouse collection includes many photographs of productions and performances.
How to find the document you want
There are catalogues in the archive search room for each business collection.
Indexes can be used to help you find the right catalogue for the business you are looking for. There are subject indexes and a Business Index listing most business records held by the Archives.
Many business collections catalogues can be searched online on the Access to Archives web site.
