West Sussex County Council: Record Office Holdings

The Record Office holds local government records of West Sussex County Council and other predecessor authorities including Urban and Rural District Councils, Chichester City Council, Boards of Health, Sanitary Authorities, Boards of Poor Law Guardians, School Boards, and the West Sussex Constabulary.

Records of local courts and Quarter and Petty Sessions including the plans of roads, railway and canal schemes for the County are also held in the Record Office.

Diocesan Records

As the Diocesan Record Office we hold the official records of the Bishops of Chichester; the Dean and Chapter of Chichester and the property they owned. The records include the original parish registers of baptisms, marriages and burials and the bishops transcripts from every parish in both West and East Sussex. Also wills for the Archdeaconry of Chichester and the peculiar jurisdictions together with copies of wills for the Archdeaconary of Lewes up to 1858. Later wills for Chichester District Probate Registry (which covered most of West Sussex) up to 1928 are also held in the Record Office. Refer to 'Family History' (see link below).

Private Collections

Records deposited by private individuals and organisations include the records of local solicitors, those of Goodwood, Cowdray, Parham, Standen and Wiston estates. Records of Petworth estate can be consulted at the Record Office on two weeks notice being given. Other important private collections are those of Richard Cobden, L.J. Maxse, Wilfrid Scawen Blunt and the records of the Royal Sussex Regiment. A number of collections also have their catalogues available on-line. Refer to 'Special Collections' (see link below).

Maps

West Sussex Record Office has a fine collection of maps ranging from the late sixteenth century. They include county, parish, town, estate and Ordnance Survey maps. Original tithe maps are available together with microfilm copies of the majority of parishes in West and East Sussex.

Newspapers

West Sussex Record Office holds copies of many local newspapers from 1746 to the present day. Some of these are available on microfilm only.

Prints and photographs

We have vast numbers of images of the county in the past including prints, sketches and photographs. Refer to 'Photographs, Prints and Drawings' (see link below).

Other Sources

Census records, 1841-1891, International Genealogical Index (IGI), General Register Office indexes, National probate indexes to wills proved in England and Wales, 1858-1943, Soldiers Died in the First World War. Refer to 'Family History' (see link below).