To mark the end of the commemorations for WW1, at West Sussex Record Office we are planning to create a display in our Reception area. This will include a feature of poppies made by staff or members of their family, volunteers, researchers, and our friends at West Sussex Archive Society. The poppies will be our personal way…
Lauren Clifton
The ‘Sussex Declaration’ of Independence held at West Sussex Record Office
Many of our followers will recall the news last year of the 'Sussex Declaration', an early copy of the US Declaration of Independence, and the only other ceremonial copy of the Declaration known to exist besides the signed 1776 copy now displayed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Although the manuscript has been catalogued and stored here at West Sussex Record…
Continue reading ➞ The ‘Sussex Declaration’ of Independence held at West Sussex Record Office
From Windsor to West Sussex: Wedding Fashion from the Archives
While the country gets swept along in the media frenzy of the royal wedding this weekend, here at WSRO we’re looking back at some of the memories and celebrations that are preserved in our collections. On Saturday, all eyes will be on the young couple, and every detail of their day will be scrutinised for…
Continue reading ➞ From Windsor to West Sussex: Wedding Fashion from the Archives
Historic baking – 18th Century Sponge Biscuits
At West Sussex Record Office, our aim is to make our extensive archive collections ‘come alive’ for our researchers, and engage them with the history of the county they call home. Many records create a vivid image of what life was like for our ancestors, but none do the job quite like the commonplace books…
Continue reading ➞ Historic baking – 18th Century Sponge Biscuits
Priory Park 100
In 2018 it will be 100 years since the Duke of Richmond and Gordon gave Priory Park to the people of Chichester for their leisure and as a perpetual memorial to those who lost their lives in during WWI. Priory Park 100 is an initiative run by the Friends of Priory Park to celebrate this centenary…
100 years of the RAF – Staff Stories
The Royal Air Force (RAF) was formed on 1 April 1918 and was the world’s first independent air force. It was the result of the merger of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service which was deemed to be necessary due to the growing importance of aviation in the war. The Women’s…
International Women’s Day: West Sussex Women and the Centenary of Suffrage
Between the centenary of the Representation of the People Act on 6th Feb 2018, which granted the first women the right to vote, and International Women's Day on 8th March, we have been using Twitter and Instagram to share some of the notable West Sussex women involved in the campaign for suffrage. Using the tag #WestSussexWomen you can follow…
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What’s on: 2018 at the Record Office
Happy New Year to all who follow and support West Sussex Record Office! We have a lot planned for 2018, and thought we would use the start of the new year to highlight some of our upcoming talks and events that may interest you in the coming months. Our regular 'Talks on Tuesday' series will…
Merry Christmas from WSRO!
Wishing all of our friends and followers a very Happy Christmas from everyone at West Sussex Record Office! Many thanks to everyone who has been following our posts and supporting us through 2017. We’ll be back in 2018 with more exciting stories from the archives! Christmas/New Year closures – Saturday 23 December to Tuesday 26…
What we’ve been up to: WSRO’s annual Closed Fortnight period
Every year come December, West Sussex Record Office closes its doors to the public for an annual period of stocktaking, cleaning, and cataloguing. This year, we began closed fortnight with a deep clean of our public searchroom! Staff pitched in to dust shelves and clean books to make sure our library collection and resource material was in good shape for researchers to…
Continue reading ➞ What we’ve been up to: WSRO’s annual Closed Fortnight period
West Sussex Record Office 