Celebrating our collections dating from 780AD to the present day
By Tim Hudson, guest writer What is the largest building in Chichester after the cathedral? Most residents will know County Hall, tucked away behind West Street. A public right of way runs past it; and whenever a news item about the County Council appears in the press it is likely to be accompanied by a…
By Alice Millard, Archivist To mark the recent upload of the Graylingwell Hospital Archive catalogue to our website, this blog will dip into the vast history of this significant hospital through its archives. Founding Before the establishment of lunatic asylums in the mid-19th century, people living in poverty with mental health issues were dealt with…
Continue reading ➞ The story of Graylingwell Hospital through its archives
By Alice Millard, Archivist If you haven’t read part one of the Tommie and Betty Archive blogs, you can catch up here. Just as we used the archive to delve into the early lives of Tommie and Betty in part one, we are going to explore what the collection can tell us about the significant…
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 Alice Millard, Archivist Figure 1 Tommie (L) and Betty (R) planning a road trip, 1958. (AM 1768/2/2/3/86) In May 2023, we were delighted to take in the archive of two Worthing women, Myra ‘Tommie’ Thomas and Betty Hakesley. Known affectionately as ‘Tommie and Betty’, the couple lived together in Worthing from the 1980s until…
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 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 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…