Archive

What historic and modern Coroner’s records do we hold? Worcestershire Archives, as parent body and approved Place of Deposit on behalf of WCC holds historic and modern Coroners’ records from the 19th – 21st century. These include records known as ‘Coroners’ Cravings’ which record Inquests in the late 19th century, through to Coroner’s Daily Record,...

Since 1194 Coroners have existed to investigate unnatural, sudden or suspicious deaths, and of deaths in prisons. The function of Coroners, their status and relationship to the state has changed over time and this has affected the type and survivability of records which exist today. For instance, you are more likely to find a newspaper...

Family history research can take you beyond the census, via newspapers, and into the original archives. One of our staff researching her great-great-grandfather in Worcester discovered he built some important local buildings, including the now demolished Worcester Dispensary. His name shows up on building plans and in his church cashbook, as he kept himself busy.

  Starting a new endeavour is rarely easy. Delving into the story of market gardening reveals the challenges faced by the Vale of Evesham’s first growers. These are highlighted by one village’s struggle against high tithe payments – Dr Alan Wadsworth (Worcestershire Farmsteads Project) explores the challenge made against unfair charges in Offenham, just north...

Asparagus is intrinsically linked to Worcestershire, especially the Vale of Evesham where it has protected food status. This luxury vegetable has had its ups and downs, with commercial growing dwindling from the 1970s until a revival in the 21st century. It was popular among market gardeners, with plants providing a good cash crop for over...

A short History of a corner of a Worcester Street The Butts is a long straight road which runs almost from the River Severn to Foregate Street, Worcester’s main thoroughfare. The Butts stops abruptly and becomes Shaw Street which continues up to Foregate Street. The Butts used to bear to the left at this point...

Worcestershire archives have been used in a new project looking at 17th and 18th century petitions. It’s great to see our resources used in new ways and contribute to different research projects and we’ve enjoyed hearing about what they’ve been up to and reading some of the stories. ‘The Power of Petitioning in Seventeenth-Century England’...

As Volunteers' Week draws to a close, here's an account of one of our young volunteer's work on our upcoming Ice Age exhibitions

  Two workshops have recently been hosted by Worcestershire Archive & Archaeology Service to bring together the prehistoric, Roman, and medieval ceramic research groups to discuss the creation of universal terminologies and study approaches. At present each group has their own terms for pottery forms (shape) and there are many geographically specific and overlapping reference...

Interested in pottery identification? Our recently updated reference resource is freely available online to help anyone trying to identify pottery that was made or used in Worcestershire. Since 2003, the Worcestershire Ceramics Online Database has made the Worcestershire ceramic fabric type series accessible to all. The database holds information on all of the pottery fabrics found...