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ARCFTTVES
THE HISTORY OF LONDON
& LONDONERS FROM 1067

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London Metropolitan Archives
is a public research centre which
specialises in the history of London. If
you haven't visited an archive before,
it's a little bit like a library but with one
key difference. The majority of items
in an archive are unique, handwritten
documents which cannot be seen
anywhere else.
$7e care for and provide access to
the historical archives of businesses,
schools, hospitals, charities and all
manner of other organisations from
the London area.'With roo km of
books, maps, photographs, films and
documents dating back to to67 in our
strong rooms, we're proud to provide
access to one of the finest city archives
in the world - you could call it the
memory of London.
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Our users have a wi<lc r:ulg(' ol'rcscarch
interests, including f:rmily, t'onuttuniry
and local history, antl wc work with
students, artists, prorluccrs anrl
architects. However, you <krt't ltrtvc
to have a specific rcilson to visit us!
If you're fascinatc<l by Lontlon yoit'rt'
always welcomc t<l rlrop irt iut<l lrrowst'
the collections, you ncvcr know, y<lu
may uncove r part <lf its lost history!
This guidc will introduce you to
London's archives and the services
we offer. For more information please
visit our webpages
www. cityo fl o ndo n. gov uk/lma
Opening Times
Access to the collections and
research facilities is free and open to
everyone. There is no need to make an
appointment, you can simply drop in.
If you can't find the information you're looking for
Monday - g4oarln- 4.41prn(closed on our webpages or in our online catalogue, or if you
bank holidays) have any other questions, please contact us:
Tuesday, \Tednesday andThursday -
London Metropolitan Archives
98o^rn- 78opfJl
Friday - Closed 4o Northampton Road
London
Sarurday - Usually the second
ECIR oHB
Saturday of the month (excepting
Tel' (*+4) ozo 7332382o
November), g.3oilln - 4.41;pran-.
Fax' (*44) ozo 78y 9ry6
Visit our website or contact us for
further details.
Email: ask.lma@ciryofl ondon.govuk
'Web
: www. ciryof ondon. govuk/lma
Our telephone and email enquiry
services are in operation from
gqoarra- 4.41;prrn, Monday - Friday
Please note that we close on public
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holidays and also for two weeks at the
beginning of November.
London Metropo litan Archives is provided by tbe
Please see our webpages for further
City of London Corporation as part of its contribution
details.
to the beritage and cuhural life of London and tbe nation.

Ptanning Your Visit
Although we provide access to a wealth
of digitised resources online, if you
want full access to all of the collections
we manage, we recommend that you
pay us a visit. \fe're located in central
London, close to a number of tube and
rail stations.
Before you visit, please consider the
following points:
You will need a pencil to take your
notes, as pens cannot be used near
original documents (just ohe way that
you can contribute to our mission to
ensure the long term preservation of
the collections).
You are welcome to bring your laptop
but please note that we have a limited
number of power points for charging, so
make sure you have a full battery before
you leave home.
Bags and coats are not allowed in our
research areas. Lockers and secure coat
racks are provided free ofcharge and
special bags for carrylng notebooks,
stationery and any small valuable items
are also provided.
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Accessibitity
S7e warmly welcome all disabled :i
visitors. Our staffreceive ongoingl ' i
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disability awareness training and will do
everything they can to ensure that your
visit is both comfortable and enjoyable.
Sfe provide many facilities which
will help to make your visit as
straightforward as possible including
parking for Blue Badge holders, and How to find us
you can find out more byvisiting our
webpages or contacting us. Tube
Farringdon
Copying Documents Angel
'We providc
a full range of copying
services, fr<lm high quality images Rait
for publication and broadcast to low King's Cross St Pancras
resolution files for reference. \7e also Farringdon Station
allow users to bring their own cameras
By bus
to take picturcs of documents and you
Sfe are close to a number of bus routes
can apply for a onc day sclf-service
including 19,38,34r,53, 55 and 243.
photography pcrmit whcn you arrivc.
The History Card By bicycte
If you want to scc original documcnts \7e have cycle racks available for visitor use, please ask our reception team for access.
during your visit (of course you do!), you There are also several docking stations for the TFL cycle hire scheme nearby
will need a History Card. Our History By car
Card is free and you can register online \)7e are within London's Congestion Charge zotte. Parking spaces are available only to
in advance. In order to complete your Blue and Orange Badge holders.
registration you will need to present
some identification when you arrive. For more detailed maps and transport information, visit our webpages and the
Please see our webpages for full details. Ti'ansport for London website.

The history of the city is written in the
pages of our collections, from a charter
to the citizens of London byWilliam
I following the Norman Conquest
in rc66 to messages of condolence
collected in the aftermath of the 717
attacks in zoo5.
Xfe care for a vast and diverse collection
of manuscripts, images, films and maps
which cover almost every aspect of life
in London. Some of our most popular
archives are from the parish churches
in London, used by family historians to
trace their ancestors back to the r6th
centuryr These collections tell us about
neighbourhoods andcommunities as
well as individuals and we also have
archives for Non-Conformist and Jewish
communities in London. The diversity
and extra-ordinary history of London
as a place for newly arrived immigrants
to become citizens throughout the last
thousand years is well documented
throughout our collections.
Our London government collections
cover almost of rooo years of municipal
development in the capital, recording
the decisions that changed the lives of
Londoners along with detailed records
of buildings, engineering projects,
and highways and transportation.
-We
are also home to the archives of
a number of organisations concerned
with health and wellbeing, and our
collections include those of Guy's and
St Thomas's Flospitals. School and
education collections include details
of Second'World $Var evacuation,
school attendance records and the
organisation, development and
structure of the educational system
across the capital. Londoners at play
- in the theatres, music-halls, parks,
cinemas, pubs and restaurants, concert
halls and their own homes can be found
in the archives. Business archives tell
us about the growth of London from
a medieval trading centre through to a
world centre for business and finance.
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The archives of ancient manors and all walks of socieqr Collections such as
estates are arich source of information the Middlesex Sessions document crime
for social, economic, local and family in London in the days of highwaymen
history Through documents such as and public executions at Tyburn (the
court rolls, field surveys and lists of west end of Oxford Street today!).
tenants, a researcher can reveal the
To complement the archive collections,
complexity of a communiry; identifti"s our reference library boasts over Bo,ooo
officials, witnessing crimes and learning
books which have been collected for
who held economic power. They
over roo years and cover all aspects of
can also track urban development, to
London's history
reveal how quiet medieval hamlets miles
away from the small medieval ciry of $7ith all this incredible content
London became suburbs of the vast city available for you to use free of charge
at our Clerkenwell research centre, the
The records of courts of law and other only question that remains is which
legal bodies document the development
aspect will you explore as you begin
of judicial systems in London and your journey into London's history with
beyond, as well as enabling researchers us?
to trace the histories of individuals from
The Ontine Catalogue
Our online catalogue allows you to search our collections from anywhere in the world.
\)7ith full browsing options,a history of your document requests and filters for your
search results, we aim to provide a flexible system which meets the varying needs of
ouf usefs.
Over 2.5 million of the documents in our collections are described on the catalogue,
allowing you to conduct in depth research before you visit us, and once you have a
History Card, you can also use it to reserve documents in advance. Vsit our webpages
to search the catalogue and find out more about Flistory Card registration.

Famity History
\7e are an essential destination for
anyone researching ancestors from the
London area. Our holdings include
some of the most important family
history sources for London including
parish records, bishops' transcripts,
non-conformist registers, electoral
registers, school records, parish poor
law records, boards of guardians'
records and the Land Tax.
Full details of our holdings and how to
research your family history with us can
be found on our website and the suite of
information leaflets published there is a
great starting point for researching any
aspect of the collections.
Digitised records on Ancestry.co.u k
-We
are working in partnership with
' Ancestryco.uk to digitise and index our
key sources for family historians and
make them available online.
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The London County Council
Bomb Damage Maps
The London County Council Bomb Damage Maps were annotated extensively with
the use of colour keys, building by building, to record bomb damage in London during
the Second \forld !Var. This is the most detailed record of damage to the capital's
built environment cause d by aerial bombardment.
Used frequently by architects, surveyors, town planners and local and family
historians seeking information on the precise degree of damage suffered by properties
across the t7 square miles of the London Region r94o-rg41 the maps are a symbol of
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Londoners'resilience in adversity and highlight the enormous effort and forethought fi
of the London Counry Council to serve London and Londoners in their 'hour of &
need'. O
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In zot3, the maps were added to the UNESCO UK Memory of the'World Register.
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So far, we've added approximately zo
million digital images from 8o,ooo
L
it
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documents. It's a huge project and one
which will significantly enhance your
of tracing your ancestors with nfi,lAw^
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You can access the records from s:rrru
anpvhere in world by taking out an
Ancestry subscription package. The
following sources are already available
to use on the Ancestry website: parish
registers, non-conformist registers,
workhouse admission and discharge
records, school admission & discharge
registers, wills, City of London Freedom
papers, electoral registers, poll books,
marriage bonds and transportation
papers. Flowever, by visiting us you
can not only access the Ancestry site
free of charge but you can also ask our
knowledgeable staff about the best way
to use these and other non-digitised
sources for your family tree research.
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ilibiic. Dispiairs iiis.: li:atui'er itetr-ls from otl-lcr"London l
coilections, iilustr:'rtlnt{ r}roxt lc{-'enr iristory through is one of the iinest.
fi Xms ancl pirotoeraphs. ij
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.Fart o{t thc 'Guilrih;etrl Gallerie :,;', thc I lcritage Calle ry t'l-.
is free to rrisit an"1 open cluring rcgtrlar Gr,rilclhall Art
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 Lost London
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Our photograph collections record life in the capital from
the r85os to the present day. Many of the images show parts '
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of the ciry or aspects of everyd ay life which feel far removed ...! i"'
from the sights and sounds of today evoking a strong sense of
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the people and places that preceded us. This view shows
us the communiqy in Albury Street, Deptford in r9rr.
IThile some of the houses on the right remain today,
the street has changed significantly. The Electric
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Palace on Deptford High Street
is now a'sports bar'.

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 Robert Hooke's maior contribution to rTth century scientific research and London
architecture is clearly revealed in his diary (t672-ft83). Kept as a memorandum book
to remind him of the many places he had been and people he had met each day, along
with his pithy thoughts and observations about scientific research and the world
around him, the diary offers an unparalleled glimpse into the exciting and vibrant
world of restoration scientific discovery and the rebuilding of London from the ashes
of the Great Fire.
Robert Hooke's diary was added to the UNESCO UK Memory of the World Register
in zot4.

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\7e manage one of the finest collections of images of London in the world, dating

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from the fifteenth century to the present day You'll find photographs, prints, 'L.J - rc1",Q'pr,L 6n h.y6r.t41n**1eu. *LA
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drawings, watercolours, maps, and films which illustrate a wide variery of aspects of ,J^i^*4l,ry4,y,*.,**y**k##ulT*,&. , ,
life in the capital.
Our Mediatheque, located within our research rooms, provides access to digitised
images, maps, films and videos, a selection of which are available to view on YouTube, '
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archive film network for London and provide films for screenings around the London |,'(n,l"Anl{|F"f,4.,J"4-4,l:,"/a,r:,,.*;,liw*@,,o:|}r,',,(t4.*ll&8Bi
area and beyond. ,-o*fr*t-'Cl"f ,*!fl 4 nir&ti*y ,r;'!- .yF*r,hrnr ,'ni fr.":/ P4 L""i6' rp t er g [o

COLLAGE The London Picture Archive 4

COLLAGE is our online image database for London's history, topography and people
day containing approximately r8o,ooo images from our collections.
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The material on COLLAGE ranges from prints and drawings to maps and
photographs and all parts of London are included, as are the adjoining counties.

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everyone and airn rc ififfi
of archives and their poaential I fd,P:"'{iti:1t't....
education, in an environment of
collaboration, learning and fun. To
encourage this, we offer a variety of
information packs and run a programme
of instructive workshops. Each is
tailored to suit a broad range of topics,
including history, science and literacy
To ensure the information we provide is
appropriate to all levels, we work closely
with educational standards such as the
National Curriculum.
Schools
A key part of our learning strategy is
to introduce students to archives and
their role and relevance in sociery The
immediacy of working with archives
offers a unique way of bringing the past
to life and literacy, history and science
can all be enhanced by our collections.
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The collections mcsh pcrfcctly with
many parts of the KSz ancl KS3
curricula, including: Local I{istory in
London, Mctorian Britain, the Second
STorld \Var, and Britain since r93o.
\7e understand the pressure on teachers
and want to make your visit as useful as
possible, so we are happy to tailor our
class sessions to your requirements. If
there's a topic you want us to look at,
get in touch and find out if we are able
to help. Be warned: our sessions are
popular and get booked quickly!
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Further and Higher Education
\\t' ol1-er archive orientation scssions fbr further and higher
t'rlucation student groups which outline our strengths as a place
lor inclividual research and explain how to get started. $7e are
rt'uularly used as a case study for arts policy and manage ment
\l u(lcnts from City LJniversity and as a venue for courses run by
liirl<beck College, and we welcome PGCE students to attend
r rrrr I NSET days. If you are a tutor zrnd would likc to zlrrange
t
;r scssion for your group, please contact us.
Community and Youth Projects S,?;
Io cnable wider access to the collections, we work closcly -b3,]l**'
r,r'i( Ir :l number of loc :egional and national community
:rrr<l youth projects. Each project has an interest in the
.,rrlr jcct ilreas covered in our collections and in certain
ur\r;urccs) have enriched them by depositing relevant
,rr. lrivll material.
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Conservation \7e also provide pre-arranged tours

of our studio for professionals, the
general public, and also for groups of
Our team of skilled and experienced
school children. If you'd like to see
conservators work on a great variety of tL, :

materials and formats of records. They

what happens behind the scenes, keep 4#'

an eye on the events listings on our &&'t'ft

have the task of repairing, conserving
webpages where upcoming tours will be
and thereby allowing access to the
items in our collections, ensuring that advertised.
the collections are kept under the
best environmental conditions in our
stfongfooms.
Our approach to conservation work is
one of minimal intervention, however
sometimes we have to do a complete
treatment on items that are in urgent ffi J

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need of intervention. The team also
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facilitates the process of digitisation of \l
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material in our collections by preparing -Yo/ \
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items to be digitised and we support I f €.. t
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The Great Parchment Book

I hc (ireat Parchment Book of the Flonourablc The Irish Sociery is a major survey,
t'orrrpiled rn t539, of all those estates in Derry managed by the City of I-ondon
t hrough the Irish Society and the City of Lonclon livery companies. It represenrs a

lrutcly important source for the City of I-onclon's role in the Protestant colonisation
:ur<l administration of Ulster. Flowevcr, it was badly damaged in a fire at Guildhall in
rr,\(r :rnd as a result had been unavailable to researchers for over 2oo years.
ili.re*.18j.&sikr11;l

I rr v, -ook on a ground breaking conservation, digital reconstruction

rttt 2oro to zor3,
,rrrt Ionline publication project to make the book accessible once again, the results of
* lr it'lt can be seen on the project website at ww'w:greatparchmentbook.org
Volunteer Donating
Volunteering with us is an excellent way to learn more about London, its fascinating
history and diverse communities. By joining our team, you will develop your skills and
Your
help to provide an essential service for everyone interested in the history of London.
There are a number of different ways to volunteer with us; four key areas are listed
Documents
below.

Hel,ping peopte who visit us

Our Public Services Team is responsible for welcoming researchers and providing
advice on using our collections. Our family history volunteers support the work of the
permanent staffon the Saturdays we open to the public. In particular they assist first
time visitors, showing them how to get started on their family history research.

Hetping to care for archives , ,,, :,

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The work of our Conservation Team is very varied; projects include repairing
damaged documents, taking action to prevent future damage and packaging archives
correctly. The Team works with volunteers in a number of ways and projects have
included cleaning arid numbering wills and. Fleedom papers and packaging some of
our most vulnerable photographic collections. I )rl yOU haVe some interesting
Ih unr('nts, photos or films lurking in your
'r
Hetping to describe archives , rrplrr,'rrrls? \)7ou1d you like to add them to
. rn ( olk'ctions, giving people around the
OurAcquisition and.Catalq,g"i"gTu- catalogues the large collections of recoras tfrii rr',,r k I r lrc chance to use and enjoy them?
we take in as well as lmprovrng and automating existing lists for use by the public, ,. 1

\\i' .rr,' ;rlways pleased to provide advice on

Volunteers working with the team have played a key part in making some of the ''::
p'tt'rrti:rl deposits or donations of material
collections in our care accessible to all. r, l.rtrrg to the City of London or Greater
I ,rrrk)n :trea.
Hetping to digitise archives
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Wetre par{icularly
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Our Imaging & M.Ji" tearn creates digital versions of our collections for onlin. u**;.tl,, interested
making the London collections accessible anyvrhere in the world. \With supervision in images and film which show different
aspects of London life, but please do get in
and s,-,[port, volunteers have created digital iopie, of some of our finest piint and
touch if you have any material which may
photographco11ectionStoaddtoCoLLAGE,ouronlinepicturearchive.
be of interest (please do not send us your
documents without contacting first!).llou can
If you would like to be involaed, please cuntact us. find further information and a guide to the
rypes for records we accept on our webpages,
as well as an enquiry form to let us know
about any potential material you may have for
deposit or donation.
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Events and Activities

Visiting one of our exhibitions is a great way to get acquainted with our services and
-We
collections and you might just find the inspiration for your own project! hold
three exhibitions every year, displ"ytrg a host of documents from our collections and
often including rare and unusual material for the first time.
Our previous exhibitions include'$Torkhouse','Mapping the London Bhtz' and
'Shakespeare and London'.
Wc ofti'r a livcly programmc of talks, walks, tours, workshops, exhibitions and events,
rn:ury of whit'lr arc lr-cc to:rttcnrl. [)p to <latc listings for forthcoming events can be
Iounrl on our wclrp:rgc:s ln<l lirrthcr <lctails arc often posted on our Facebook page.
Itccent events incluclccl a guirlcrl pulr an<l lrrcwcry walk, a workshop on historical
nlaps of London, a'Focus on Iiamily I listory'scssion and a study day on outbreaks of
.,rrr:rllpox in the capital.
\V' also host a number of conferences each yeaq working with groups who develop
discuss themes which are supported by our collections.
,rrr<l