This research guide provides an overview of the archive collections held by Explore York Archives. It includes information about the type of records in those collections, how you can access them, and where you can look for more information.
Explore York Archives manages the archive collections of the City of York Council.
The archive includes the council’s own archive collections, known as the civic archive. This consists of records of historic and evidential value created by the council through their day-to-day activities, and records created by their predecessor bodies, such as the Corporation of the City of York.
The archive also includes public records which are deposited with Explore York Archives as a registered ‘place of deposit’, and community collections which have been deposited with the Council by community groups, families, or businesses.
The archive collection contains around 350 cubic metres of records, in a wide range of formats including parchment deeds, volumes, paper records, correspondence, photographs, audiovisual material, and digital records.
Together these records tell the history of the City of York and the everyday lives of its citizens from 1155 to the present day.
The archive is split into three main categories:
The civic archive contains records created by the City of York Council and its predecessor bodies, relating to civic life in York. These records are arranged according to council function, into the following series of records:
Includes records relating to the governance of the city such as city charters, records relating to the civic party, and to officers and staff of the council.
Includes council minute books from 1476, minutes of council committees, records relating to city gilds and fraternities, registers of Freemen and records relating to the management of the city strays, and electoral registers.
Includes records relating to city festivals, the management of outdoor spaces, cultural institutions in the city including the York School of Art, the York City Art Gallery, the York Castle Museum, and the York Mansion House, and some papers relating to tourism in the city.
Includes school records and other records relating to schools, records relating to adult and higher education, and records relating to libraries and archives.
Includes records relating to the management of sanitation and waterways, including the Ouse and Foss Navigation Companies, the regulation of trades, air pollution, food supply and hygiene, pest control, and records relating to the management of Gypsy and Travellers’ sites.
Records relating to the management of city finances, notably including chamberlains’ records and bridgemasters’ rolls.
Records relating to the management of health and health care in the city, including records relating to the management of infectious diseases, maternal and child health, mental health care, and records relating to health reporting and sanitary inspections.
Note: these records do not include NHS records or public hospital records, which are kept by the Borthwick Institute for Archives.
Includes records relating to the management of property owned by the Council, including registers of deeds, lists of properties, rent rolls, deeds and conveyances, leases and terriers.
Includes records relating to York Gaol and Debtors prison, records relating to the military such as muster rolls and militia registers, records relating to civil defence in the city, and records relating to city courts, notably the Quarter Sessions of the Peace and the York Court of Record. Also includes calendars of felons and briefs at assizes relating to persons convicted at Assize Courts.
Note: records of the Assize Courts are held at The National Archives.
Includes records relating to the management of civic building and public transport including roads, trains and tramways, records relating to town planning and property clearances and improvements, and a large series of architects’ and engineers’ plans relating to the built environment across York.
Includes records relating to council support services, public welfare, charities, and public housing.
Records relating to the management of gas and electricity supply.
Records created by public bodies and institutions, and which are designated as ‘public records’ under the Public Records Act. Explore manages these collections as a registered ‘place of deposit’ for public records.
Principal collections held at Explore York include:
CNR – York Coroner’s Records
YMC – York Magistrates Court Records Note: also includes Records of the Police Courts (adult and juvenile), and Records of the Court of Summary Jurisdiction [known as the Petty Sessions].
PLU – York Poor Law Union and Workhouse records (including records of the York Public Assistance Committee)
COM – York City (Improvement) Commissioners
Records created by individuals, families, businesses, or clubs, groups and societies in their private capacity. The records offer an ‘unofficial’ view on the history of York, and cover a wide range of topics and formats, including personal diaries and letters, account books and business records, legal and property papers, club records such as musical groups and sports clubs, and photographs.
Read other research guides in our collection for more information about specific collections.
The archive also includes some manorial records. Many of these can be found within other community collections, however some of these can be found in a stand-alone collection:
MAN – Manorial Records
Speak to a member of the archive team for further advise about manorial records.
The best way to find records of interest is to search our online catalogue, which you can access here.
You can find a useful guide to using our catalogue here.
If you are interested in finding specific records which you cannot find on our catalogue, please speak to a member of the archive team who can advise you further.
Local history library: In addition to our archive collections, Explore York manages a reference library of material relevant for studying the local history of York. This material can found on the library catalogue, and can be accessed on open shelving during advertised opening times for the local history room.
Rare books and special collections: The archive team also manage a collection of rare books and publications, including items such as York Poll Books, City Guides, and histories of York. This material can be found on the library catalogue, and can be accessed in the archive reading room.
Microfilms and microfiches: Some of our archives have been microfilmed, and can be accessed in our Family History Room. We also hold microfilms and microfiche copies of some York based newspapers. You can access microfilms during library opening hours.
Online resources: Some of our archives have been digitised and can be accessed through FindMyPast. Explore York provides free access to FindMyPast, Ancestry, and the British Newspaper Archive. You can find out more information about how to access these resources here.
You can access the library opening times here.
You can access the library catalogue here.
Researchers wishing to look at archives relating to the history of the City of York, may also be particularly interested in the records held at the following archive repositories:
The Borthwick Institute for Archives: notably hold church records relating to the City of York, records of the NHS and hospitals in York, as well as many smaller community collections, with considerable overlap in theme and content to the archives at Explore York.
North Yorkshire Archives: holds archives relevant to areas within the current City of York boundaries which were historically within the North Riding of Yorkshire. Also holds some records relating to the civic administration of the City of York as a district of North Yorkshire County Council, 1974-1997.
West Yorkshire Archive Service: holds archives relevant to areas within the current City of York boundaries which were historically within the West Riding of Yorkshire.
East Yorkshire Archives: holds archives relevant to areas within the current City of York boundaries which were historically within the East Riding of Yorkshire.
Please speak to a member of the archive team for further advice about finding specific archives and records.
Archives and special collections items can be consulted at York Explore in our archive reading room. You can find out more information about visiting our reading room, including the terms and conditions of using our reading room online, here.
Data Protection: Archives which are more than 100 years old, will usually be open for consultation in our reading room without restriction. Any unpublished archives of less than 100 years old may remain under ‘restricted access’ if they contain, or are likely to contain, personal information, such as individuals’ names and addresses.
If you would like to consult an item marked as ‘restricted access’ you will be asked to complete an ‘Access to Restricted Records’ form, and an archivist will then review this request in line with data protection legislation. Every effort is made to grant access as often as possible.
Some of our records, such as court records and police records, contain highly sensitive information. It may not possible to provide access to these records, or we may need to provide access to redacted information.
Other access restrictions: Some collections have additional access restrictions which have been agreed with the depositor of the collection. This may take the form of a closure for a specific time period.
Requesting items from offsite storage: Around two thirds of the archive collection is stored at a specialist offsite storage facility. One week’s notice is usually required to access these items as they will need to be ordered back to Explore York.
Please refer to individual catalogue entries for the access conditions of specific items, or speak to a member of the archive team.