If you are new to using archives or have not had much research experience, this background information will help you to understand what you are using when looking for information about the sources relating to the First World War. It is divided into three parts, with the second and third parts following in September and October.
1. What are archives?
By today, flexible use of ‘archives’ and ‘archiving’ is often confusing, so it is worth noting the following:
• Archives are traditionally defined as the written material created and accumulated by individuals, organisations or businesses as part of their daily activities and retained for reference. They also include images, maps and plans and, by today, an increasing range of media, recorded sound and moving images. Most archives are unique and unpublished.
• Archives such as minute books, registers, property deeds, agreements, contracts etc., are records in the legal sense, because they record official processes and transactions.
• Today’s IT language uses ‘archiving’ for saving material not required for immediate use in a particular place where it can be found when needed.
• Actively collecting resources about neglected or ‘special interest’ subjects to create an ‘archive’ adds further confusion.
• Current interest in creating ‘community archives’ has produced varied resources, usually focused on a website where information of local interest is made available by scanning original items belonging to the participants and adding comments, stories and links. This is seen as a new approach to local history and to developing under-represented or specialised interests.
• The word ‘Archives’ is also widely applied to organisations or departments which have custody of archives/records, e.g. The National Archives (at Kew), Tate Archives, Ceredigion Archives etc.
1.1 There are two major categories of records/archives in the UK
a) The ‘Public Records’ are defined by legislation (mid-19th – mid-20th centuries) as the records of central (Westminster) government and the judiciary, and of extensions of central government which operate locally, such as coroners, customs and excise, law courts, hospitals and shipping. They do not include local government records.
NB: (1) The use of ‘Public’ in this context has nothing to do with public access, because most archives and records in the UK are publicly accessible. The main exceptions are categories of current or recent records such as business records. (2) Definitions and concepts of Public Records differ internationally.
b) Other archives and records are ‘private’, i.e. they are not Public Records as defined by law and are outside the remit of Public Records legislation. They are equally extensive, if not more so, and immensely valuable as historical sources, including the records of the Church and Parliament from medieval to modern times, those of landed estates which held most land in the UK before the 20th century and are rich in local interest and topographical evidence, and the records of business and industry.
NB: Archives and records in the ‘private’ category are the responsibility of their creators and owners, but the majority have been either ‘deposited’ or given to archives services and are accessible to researchers.
It is worth noting that Copyright issues are easier to deal with for Public Records as they are subject to Crown Copyright which may be waived for appropriate purposes. The position is more complicated for archives and records of private origin.
1.2 Why are archives important?
Archives are important for two reasons: they are ‘evidence’ in the legal sense but also offer immense ‘culture and heritage’ interest and are an irreplaceable legacy for our descendants. They record the existence and activities of our predecessors, their interaction and relationships with administrations and organisations, and the influences that affected their lives. Archive users have many reasons for their searches, ranging from professional/legal purposes to community, personal and family interests or academic research.
In an international context, UNESCO includes archives in the term ‘Documentary Heritage’ and works to ensure that they are protected globally, not only because of their immense cultural value but also their vital importance as evidence of personal and community identity. UNESCO’s definition also includes the wider range of manuscript material (Iiterary, narrative, artistic, technical etc.) and now extends to digital media. See: https://en.unesco.org/programme/mow
1.3 How extensive is our ‘documentary heritage’ in the UK?
We have a long tradition of record keeping and a rich accumulation of archives and records dating back to before the 12th century, alongside other kinds of manuscripts (narrative, literary and technical works etc.). Most are handwritten until the later 1800s when typewriters became popular, but handwriting remained vital well into the 1900s – and now we have digital technology!
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| Modern technology is helpful for reading ancient documents. The iPad is displaying a digital copy of official accounts for Merioneth in the early 14th century, parts of which need enlargement to clarify faded or deleted sections. |
The records of Westminster government are among the longest continuous series in the western world. We also have extensive records that originated outside state government (and are therefore ‘private’), such as those of the Church, landed estates, institutions and corporations – many of which stretch from medieval to modern times – and those of business and industry, together with unique texts that reflect the different histories of the constituent parts of Britain and the UK. The wealth of our ‘archival inheritance’ is a key part of our ‘documentary heritage’ today.
Blog by Dr Susan J Davies, member of the Aberystwyth at War Project Steering Group
