Archives

What can you find at the Archives Centre?

The Collection

Areas Covered

Westminster’s collections are here for all to see, but may not be borrowed. They are for reference only.

The Archives Centre houses extensive collections relating to Westminster past and present. The City of Westminster covers the heart of London, extending from Marylebone and Paddington in the north to Pimlico in the south, and from Hyde Park and Knightsbridge in the west to Covent Garden in the east. It includes Bayswater and Queen's Park, St John's Wood and Maida Vale, Belgravia and Mayfair, and St James's and Soho.

For more detailed information about the collections, take a look at our Archives Guide.

Sources

The collections - largely unique - form the most complete picture of Westminster's history and growth in existence, and include:

• Books and pamphlets
• Newspapers and periodicals
• Prints, drawings and watercolours.(follow this link to see some examples of images in our collections .
• Photographs
• Maps and plans
• Theatre programmes and playbills
• Official local government records from 1460 onwards
• Rate books.
• Census returns.
• Parish registers
• Nonconformist records
• Wills.
• Directories.
• Electoral registers
• Business records (e.g. Liberty, Gillow, Jaeger, Lobbs the shoemakers, Watneys)
• Estate records

New material is being added all the time and we welcome deposits of local relevance. Please let us know if you hear of any local records that are at risk.

For more detailed information about the collections, take a look at our Archives Guide.

How we can help you

The collections provide an opportunity to explore:

• Family history (see also 'Familia', a database of family history resources in public libraries all around the UK and Ireland)
• Local history
• The history of your house or street
• The history of your school
• Architecture and town planning
• Fashion and design
• Business studies
• Academic research

Special services we provide

• Services for schools *
• Adult education courses *
• Publications for sale *
• Meeting room for hire *
• Conservation *
• Exhibitions
• Talks to groups
• Tours of the Archives Centre
• An excellent London-wide general reference collection

* a leaflet is available giving further information - please ask staff for a copy when you visit.

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