Research and the Study Room
Researchers are welcome to use the museum’s collections and the borough records deposited with us. The Study Room is open by appointment on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, 10.00 to 13.00.
What we hold
- The borough records deposited by the town council in 1975: court books, chamberlain’s accounts, bridge wardens’ accounts and rate books, 1598 to 1835.
- The Town Clerk’s letter books, 1871 to 1935.
- Copies of the wills and inventories of townspeople, 1598 to 1858, made for the Historical Society.
- About 4,200 photographs, from 1858.
- The records of the Lilac Fair committee since 1899.
- Parish magazines, sale catalogues, posters and other printed ephemera.
- Maps and plans, including the tithe map of 1842 and the borough survey of 1634 (copy).
Parish registers, most estate papers and the later records of the town council are held at the county record office, not at the museum.
Visiting the Study Room
Please book at least a week ahead, telling us what you would like to see, so that items can be brought from the store. The Study Room has space for four researchers. Pencils only; we provide foam supports and weights for bound volumes. You may take photographs for private study without flash.
The full collections catalogue, including records not published online, can be searched on the reading-room terminal in the Study Room. A volunteer will show you how to use it. A selection of the catalogue is on this website.
Enquiries by email or post
We answer research enquiries by email or post. The first half hour of research is free; after that we charge £15 an hour, and we will always tell you before we start. Members of the Trust have one hour free each year.
| Service | Charge |
|---|---|
| Research by staff or volunteers, after the first half hour | £15 an hour |
| Digital copy of a photograph or document page, for private study | £5 |
| Scan for publication, plus a licence fee agreed in advance | £12 |
| Photocopy, A4 (not for fragile items) | 50p |
Email curator@vengerberg.org or write to the Curator at the museum.
Access to records
Most records can be seen by anyone. A small number are closed or restricted, because they are fragile, because they contain personal information about people who may still be living, or under the terms on which they were deposited. Restricted records can be seen in the Study Room with the Curator’s permission. If a record you need is restricted, please ask and we will explain why.