Archives

Access to Records

Records will be made available to the public for research during the advertised opening hours of the Record Office, and in accordance with the search room rules and the principles and conditions of the Data Protection Act (1998) and the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act (2000).

Record Office staff will comply with any common law or statutory provision governing public access to records. Individual depositors may negotiate their own conditions of access with the Borough Archivist.

The Berwick-upon-Tweed Record Office is open Wednesdays & Thursdays, 9.00am – 1.00pm & 2.00pm – 5.00pm. A postal research service is also provided for people who are unable to visit the search room in person.

Cost: Access to the records is free. There may be costs for additional services, e.g. photocopying of documents. The charge for the postal research service is £25 for the initial hour’s research, and then £12.50 for each subsequent half hour.

BERWICK-UPON-TWEED RECORD OFFICE RESEARCH SERVICE

Berwick-upon-Tweed Record Office
Council Offices
Wallace Green
Berwick-upon-Tweed
Northumberland
TD15 1ED

Tel : 01289 301865 (direct dial) or 01289 330044 ext 265
Fax : 01289 330540
E-mail : archives@berwick-upon-tweed.gov.uk

WHOM CAN THE RESEARCH SERVICE HELP?

The Berwick-upon-Tweed Record Office appreciates that it is not always possible to visit the Record Office in person to carry out research. Therefore it offers a paid Research Service which can help people looking for information on families or the local history of the area that it covers.

The service can help a variety of people, including the following :

• Individuals who cannot visit the office in person
• Researchers who have been unable to complete their research during a visit to the Office
• Genealogists who have gone beyond the basic sources used for Family History Research and want to check more specialised sources
• Individuals looking for ancestors who were “Cross Border” and moved frequently between England and Scotland.
• Local Historians wanting to find out about local history in the North Northumberland area
• Individuals wanting advice on further sources to check

WHY USE THE SERVICE ?

The Research work is carried out by the Borough Archivist who has over 20 years experience of carrying out both Genealogical and Local History research in Northumberland. With her extensive knowledge of the collections kept in the Archives, this means that it is possible to offer a professional and high quality service.

WHAT RESEARCH CAN BE UNDERTAKEN?

The Service can carry out research using any of the records that it holds. The most popular area of research is Family History, however, it is also possible to carry out local history or property research, providing we have the appropriate records and it relates to the area covered by the present Borough of Berwick-upon-Tweed.

WHAT IS THE COST?

The minimum charge for using the service is £25.00 which covers the first hour’s work. Thereafter the charge is £12.50 per half hour up to a maximum of three hours. Payment must be made in sterling. The first hour must be paid in advance and the rest is invoiced on completion of the work.

In addition to the normal research charge, an additional charge is made if you wish to obtain copies of any entries found. The cost per entry is £1.00 plus postage. You will be sent a list of entries which can be provided on a separate sheet once the research has been completed and can then order the entries you require.

WHAT SOURCES CAN WE CHECK?

The Berwick Record Office holds a variety of sources relating to the North Northumberland area which can be checked for information. For family historians, these include parish and non conformist registers of baptisms, marriages and burials; census returns, 1841 – 1901; St Catherine’s House indexes of births, marriages and deaths, 1837 to 1955 and many others (see leaflet on Family History Resources in the Berwick-upon-Tweed Record Office). In addition, the Office also holds a number of other sources - estate collections, official records including Quarter Sessions and Petty Sessions, coroners and shipping records, local newspapers and the Berwick Borough Archives relating to the town of Berwick itself. These can all provide information for anyone interested in specific subjects of research or local history for the North Northumberland area.

WHAT INFORMATION DO WE NEED FROM YOU?

To enable us to make the best use of your research time, it is helpful if you can be precise about what you want us to look for. For example, please state approximate dates, places and names in relation to family history enquiries. In addition, please let us know what you have already found out so that we do not waste time duplicating work which has already been done.

Whilst we will endeavour to check all the sources that we can within the allotted time, there is no guarantee that we will find the information requested.

HOW WILL I RECEIVE THE RESULTS OF MY RESEARCH?

The results of the research will be written up as a report, stating what sources have been checked and any information which has been found. A list will be provided of copy entries which can be purchased.

HOW CAN I REQUEST RESEARCH?

If you wish to use the Research Service, you will need to print out and complete the attached form and return it with the initial payment of £25.00. The form should be returned to the Berwick-upon-Tweed Record Office, Council Offices, Wallace Green, Berwick-upon-Tweed TD15 1ED. On receiving your request, we will contact you to confirm that we have received it and give you an approximate idea of how long it will take to complete the research. Please note that requests are dealt with in order of receipt and so at particularly busy times, there may be a delay of up to 6 weeks or longer in receiving the completed research.

GEOGRAPHICAL AREA COVERED BY THE BERWICK-UPON-TWEED RECORD OFFICE  

The Berwick-upon-Tweed Record Office covers the area of the present Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council. This extends from Berwick-upon-Tweed in the north to Ellingham and Beadnell in the south. Westwards it extends along the River Tweed to Carham and then south to the parish of Ingram in the Cheviot Hills.

The Record Office covers the following Anglican parishes in North Northumberland :

Ancroft
Bamburgh
Beadnell
Belford
Berwick-upon-Tweed
Carham
Chatton
Chillingham
Cornhill
Doddington
Eglingham (part)
Ellingham
Ford
Holy Island
Ilderton
Ingram
Kirknewton
Kyloe
Lowick
Lucker
Norham
North Sunderland
Scremerston
Spittal
Tweedmouth
Wooler

Please note that there is some duplication between the sources kept at Woodhorn and the Berwick-upon-Tweed Record Office for the North Northumberland area. For further information, please contact either Record Office.

Download a research request form here.

Family History Resources

If you would like to find out more about family history resources in the Record Office, select this link

Withdrawal of Records information.