Archives and Local Studies

Here is a wealth of information you can use to research anything from local history, archived documents & your family tree.

To help you with you research, the following areas include links to other articles or external websites.

These links include:

• Local Studies
• Family History
• Parish Register Holdings
• Archives

Local Studies & Archives Centre
2nd Floor, Central Library
St Nicholas Way Sutton, Surrey SM1 1EA
tel: (020) 8770 4747, fax: (020) 8770 4777
email: local.studies@sutton.gov.uk

OPENING HOURS :
Tue, Fri 10am-5pm; Wed 10am-8pm;
Closed Mon & Thur;
Alternative Saturdays 9.30am-5pm;
Alternative Sundays 1-4.30pm

We will be open the following weekends in 2014 :
9/10 Aug, 23/24 Aug, 6/7 Sep, 20/21 Sep,
4/5 Oct, 18/19 Oct, 1/2 Nov, 15/16 Nov, 29/30 Nov, 13/14 Dec

An Introduction to the Archives & Local Studies Collections

The Local Studies Collection: encompasses a variety of different resources — printed books, photographs, maps, newspapers, pamphlets and slides. These resources relate particularly to the past, present and future life of this Borough and more generally to Surrey and Greater London (especially south of the Thames). We have especially strong collections of material relating to Croydon Airport and the River Wandle.

The Borough’s Archives: These are kept separately from the Local Studies Collection and comprise primary source material relating almost exclusively to this Borough. The main exceptions to this rule are records of the Wallington (previously Croydon) Magistrates Court and a large collection of copies of Surrey parish registers. Again, material is held in a variety of different formats – paper, parchment, magnetic tape and video. Because archives are, by their very nature, unique, readers are asked to observe a number of guidelines designed to protect this material.

Where are the collections kept? The Local Studies Centre is situated on the 2nd Floor of the Central Library. You may need to produce proof of identification (e.g. library ticket, driving licence, CARN ticket etc) before using some material.  Whilst we try to have as much material as possible readily available for consultation at least 24 hours notice is required before we can produce archives and hard copy of reports to council and council minutes prior to 1965.

Finding a particular item: Only a small percentage of the Local Studies Collection, and none of the Borough’s Archives, appear on the Libraries’ computerised catalogue. Instead, separate catalogues exist for books and larger pamphlets and for the Archives. These can be found in binders in the Local Studies Centre. Place, person and subject indexes to the Archive catalogues are also available there.

A large proportion of our archive catalogues can be accessed via A2A – National Archives external website.