Celebrating our collections dating from 780AD to the present day
By Nichola Court, Archivist In 2024, WSRO hosted a visit from students at The Academy, Selsey, who were involved in a project guided by Millstream Productions to create a documentary film about the history of Selsey Pavilion. The film forms part of the restoration project led by Selsey Pavilion Trust. Following on from their initial…
By Nick Corbo-Stewart, Volunteer Coordinator and Archivist In the week that celebrates and recognises the contributions of volunteers around the country, we at the West Sussex Record Office (WSRO) would like to thank all our volunteers from the local community who continue to make a positive contribution towards the services WSRO provides. Our volunteers come…
By Victoria Evans, Searchroom Archivist As the archivist in charge of our social media at WSRO, I am always trawling through documents and photographs to share with our following. This led me to stumble across a comprehensive photographic collection (PH 28906-29041) of a woman’s service in the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS). Her name was (Kathleen)…
Continue reading ➞ The Auxiliary Territorial Service in West Sussex – Part One
By Mia Curtis-Mays, Archives Assistant When the Second World War was declared, the protection of the children in targeted city areas, such as London and Portsmouth, was put into action. My great-uncle was a Portsmouth evacuee. Although not evacuated to West Sussex, my Nan’s recollections of her brother being evacuated inspired me to look more…
Continue reading ➞ Escape to the Country: The rural education of evacuees in West Sussex
By Nick Corbo-Stewart, Archivist In 1999, a collection recording the administration of water supply in West Sussex was deposited at WSRO. Covering the years 1833 to 1979, the archive included the records of 23 organisations consisting of private companies, local government bodies and regional authorities. Catalogued by volunteers throughout 2024, these papers were given the…
By Lois Bodie, Archives Assistant The Battle of Quebec, also known as the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, took place on 13th September 1759 and, since reading about it several years ago, it has stayed stuck in my mind. Upon starting at the Record Office, I was excited to learn of a Sussex connection…
Continue reading ➞ ‘An Almost Perpendicular Ascent’: The Battle of Quebec and its Sussex Connections
By Victoria Evans, Searchroom Archivist With Spring just beginning, farms across the country will be abuzz with preparations for new life and new crops. Looking to just one collection that documents farm life, we will be delving into East Harting Farm (AM 1134) which was farmed by William Lory Hosking from 1930 to until his…
Continue reading ➞ Farm life during the month of March, 1951
By Nick Corbo-Stewart, Archivist and Volunteer Coordinator In this series of blogs looking at new collections at West Sussex Record Office (WSRO), I will continue to guide you, the reader, through the variety of work undertaken by the volunteers. Through a culmination of sorting, listing, ordering, cataloguing and packaging, their completed collections are now open…
By Imogen Russell, Archives Assistant PH 30099, 30084, 30138,30103 & 30085 Every few years or so, we get an enquiry about the "Men of Bosham". It has always intrigued me and I've wondered why it is so important to the history of Bosham and Chichester. According to several sources, including Maurice Hall’s book on the…
Continue reading ➞ The Men of Bosham – who are they and what do they want
By Jenny Bettger, Archives Assistant (Research) While producing research guides for Quaker and English Civil War records in the Record Office archive I came across the memories of Mary Pennington (MP 3899 and MP 1875), which refer to both the Siege of Arundel and her faith. Mary’s first husband Sir William Springett (or Springate) fought…
Continue reading ➞ The Siege of Arundel and The Springett Family
West Sussex Record Office 