Records and archives

Welcome to the Bristol’s City Record Office home page, your access to over 800 years of Bristol’s historic archives.

Who we are and what we do

We look after the documents, maps, plans, photographs and film which tell Bristol’s story. You can find out more on the 800 Years of Bristol's History web page.

Now available online -
Handlist of Parish Registers, Nonconformist Registers and Bishop's Transcripts

This handlist gives the dates of the registers of baptisms, marriages and burials of all the Anglican parishes and nonconformist chapels and the Bishop's Transcripts held at Bristol Record Office. Click here for more details

Artist in residence

Find out summary information on our third artist in residence, Colin Higginson, here.

Visiting in person

You are welcome to visit our spacious searchroom to consult documents yourself. Friendly staff are on hand to advise. You can arrange a visit and view our regular opening hours. Please be aware that we close for two weeks in January every year for stocktaking.

National Survey of Visitors to British Archives 2009

We have now concluded this regular survey of our visitors, which took place between Tuesday 16th and Friday 26th June. If you visited us during this period and completed a questionnaire we are very grateful to you for sparing the time to do so. The results will be analysed over the coming months and we will provide some feedback on the results when they are available later in the year.

Online catalogue

Our catalogue is online 24 hours a day to enable you to find out whether we have the records that you need. In March 2009 we updated the online catalogue with thousands more catalogue records, click here for more information on the update. Please read the help section for tips on how to maximise your success of finding a document. If you are unable to visit the Record Office we may be able to copy the item you wish to see. Please contact us stating the reference number and we will send you a quotation.

Research Service

Many of our existing visitors and enquirers will be aware that for many years we operated a Research Service for people who were unable to visit the Record Office in person. Unfortunately, we have had to temporarily suspend this service. Please click here for details.

Depositing or donating records to Bristol Record Office

If you have records, whether they are your own or your family's photographs, letters, diaries etc, or you care for the records of a business, organisation, church, chapel, and you would like them to be preserved please click here for more information on how to deposit them with us. If you are aware of records at risk, please contact us.

Community, Outreach and Inclusion

Bristol Record Office is committed to being socially inclusive and ensuring that its services are accessible and relevant to all people in Bristol. Click here to find out about the work of our Outreach, Learning and Inclusion Archivist.

Bristol Black Archives Partnership

The Bristol Black Archives Partnership is an alliance of African-Caribbean organisations and individuals; the City's Museums, Galleries and Archives Service, Libraries Service and Equalities Unit; the England's Past for Everyone (EPE) history team at the University of the West of England; HM Lord Lieutenant of Bristol and others committed to protecting local black history.

Bristol Wills Index 1781 - 1858

*NEW* These pages previously only featured a name index to wills proved at Bristol between 1793 and 1858. Now we have expanded the index to cover the years 1781-1792 as well. The years included on these pages will be added to regularly, working backwards in time by year. Click here to see the index.

Digitisation Bureau

The Bristol Digitisation Bureau can provide digital copies of documents that interest you. Email bro@bristol.gov.uk if you would like to make use of this service.

Bristol and Avon Family History Society

The Bristol and Avon Family History Society Research Room is based at Bristol Record Office. Click here for more details.

Desert Island Docs

We invite a member of staff or special guest of the Record Office to pick a document and tell us why it's their favourite. Find out about some of the quirky and exciting treasures you may not have even known existed. Click here to discover the documents that have been chosen so far; the latest addition being from December 2008.

Contact us

Bristol Record Office
'B' Bond Warehouse
Smeaton Road
Bristol
BS1 6XN

Tel: 0117 922 4224
Fax: 0117 922 4236
Email: bro@bristol.gov.uk

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