| About the Local Collections |
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As well as Shakespeare material of international importance, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Local Collections hold many thousands of documents, photographs, maps and books relating to Stratford-upon-Avon and the surrounding area. Anyone studying local history in Warwickshire and neighbouring parts of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, or tracing a family who lived there, is almost bound to find something of interest. For information on the Local Collections and how to search for material within the collections: History: The first documents to be placed in our custody were received in the early 1860s. Originally it was intended that the collections should relate to Shakespeare and his times, including the Stratford background. As a result we now hold unique Shakespearean items of national importance, many of which are described in Robert Bearman's Shakespeare in the Stratford Records, (Stroud 1994). However, with the increasing awareness of the importance of conservation, coupled with the enthusiasm of the early librarians, this objective was soon widened to include many thousands of historical records relating not only to Stratford but also to large areas of Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire. These range from mid twelfth-century charters to twentieth-century cinema programmes, from ancient parish registers to the latest electoral rolls, from seventeenth-century estate maps to recent planning applications. For Stratford we hold documentation of some sort on every town-centre property and for most of the people who have lived there. The same applies for many local (and not so local) villages. Alongside these archives, we have built up a fine local and family history library (including local newspapers, from 1806) and an important collection of prints, drawings and photographs.In short, if you are engaged on any aspect of local history research concerning Stratford and the surrounding area, or tracing a family who lived there, we will almost certainly have something here of use to you. Collecting Policy Since the 1940s, when the Warwickshire County Record Office assumed responsibility for safeguarding the county's records, the Trust has confined its active collecting to Stratford-upon-Avon. We are always pleased to accept, by gift, permanent loan or bequest, material of any date that helps document the history of the town. |
