Archives and Special Collections - a guide for historians

1. Archives and Special Collections- a guide for historians

2. Special Collections in Durham • Over 70,000 books printed before 1850 • Approximately 3.5km of archival material • 100 medieval manuscripts • Over 30,000 maps • Around 100,000 photographs • Two Designated collections: Cosin’s Library and the Sudan Archive

3. Overview of collections • Range of subjects • History, Theology, Literature, Science, Languages, Politics, Geography, Archaeology, Engineering • Periods • Medieval, early modern, modern (less on C20th) • Range of material • Letters, papers, accounts, books, pamphlets, tracts, maps, illustrations, cartoons, newspapers, sermons, official publications

4. Starting your research • Secondary reading • Read around your subject • Look at bibliography • Tutors • Reference works • Bibliographies • Guides • Online guides / courses

5. Online help and advice www.dur.ac.uk/library/asc/collection_information/users/history/

6. Mapping material

7. What we’re doing behind the desk • Watching you! • Fetching your records from strong rooms • Answering enquiries: user variety • Reprography • Cataloguing • Academic liaison • Schools education outreach • Conservation (specialist staff) • Exhibitions • Concerns: security, preservation, connecting with and properly supporting (all kinds of) researchers, opening hours, underused collections, funding, demonstrating value

8. Printed Special Collections material • Can be found via the Library catalogue (demo) • Don’t forget about online sources (EEBO etc.)

9. Printed material: few highlights • Cosin – over 5000 items, predominantly C17th • Bamburgh Library – c8,500 items, many C17th and earlier • Howard Library – over 200 items, from C16th and C17th • Kellett – collection of Renaissance medicine texts • Civil War pamphlets – Routh Library

10. Archives • Not organised/categorised in the same way as books • Can’t browse or help yourself • Key is the creator or creating body • Remember to think around the subject • Remember… • not everything has survived • not everything is kept • not everything is easy to find

11. Archives Discovery network, or how things get findable • Accession • Summary reported to Historical Manuscripts Commission, now TNA: NRA & ARCHON • Collection Level Description • Catalogue (skeleton list to full item-level descriptions) • Accruals • Backlogs

12. Researching Archive catalogues • Each archive will have own catalogue • Not all online • Not all complete • Durham University Special Collections • Durham County Record Office • National Archives – Search the Archives (new catalogue) • Access to Archives + ARCHON • Digitised resources (SPO, MEMSO)

13. Understanding archival references HO 42/95 f.375 Collection = Home Office Division = Domestic Correspondence Subdivision = part year 1808 Folio HO 42: The National Archives, Home Office, Domestic Correspondence, George III

14. Regional repositorieshttps://www.dur.ac.uk/durham.collections/areas/

15. Access to Archives (A2A) http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/

17. National Register of Archives http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra/default.asp

19. Manorial Documents Register http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/mdr/

21. ARCHON http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archon/

23. Where do I see it? The newly opened Barker Research Library. • All enquiries should be directed there in the first instance (in person / 42972 / pg.library@durham.ac.uk) • Need to bring ID (Campus Card) • Register as reader and then sign in • BRL: Mon-Fri, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. • 5 The College (Cathedral Archives): Wed-Fri 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

24. Visiting Archives • Plan your visit(s) ahead: surrogates, references, skills, accessibility, appointment (ID requirements) • Copying and Photography policy • Search Room rules • Carefully document what you have seen • Ask for help if you need it: specialists and on that note…

25. Highlights: medieval and early modern history • Cathedral Archives • One of most extensive medieval archives in the country • Also post-dissolution records • Cathedral Library, C6th-present day (much not searchable online) • UshawCollege • Durham Palatinate, Bishopric and Diocesan records • Mickletonand Spearman, and other antiquarian manuscripts • Medieval manuscripts (Cosin, Howard) • Printed material – Cosin’s Library, Bamburgh and Routh collections

26. Highlights: modern history Printed material – Cosin’s Library, Bamburgh and Routh collections Family papers: Baker Baker, Backhouse, Clavering Durham Bishopric Records Cremation Society Earl Grey papers Macdonald papers Sudan Archive

27. 1826 Northumberland Election • Who is involved? • What kind of event? • What kind of records? • Generated by whom / what? • Collected by? • Held by what types of repository, and where? • In what format?

28. The candidates • Thomas Wentworth Beaumont – incumbent Whig • Matthew Bell – newly elected incumbent Tory • Henry Liddell – Tory • Henry George, Lord Viscount Howick - Whig

30. (Some) repositories • Robinson Library, Newcastle University • Northumberland County Record Office • Durham County Record Office • Tyne & Wear Archives • British Library, Bodleian • DULSC

32. Links and contacts www.dur.ac.uk/library www.dur.ac.uk/library/asc www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/catalogues-and-online-records.htm www.dur.ac.uk/palace.green/collections/dc/ Francis Gotto pg.library@durham.ac.uk