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Do you know your place?
May is local history month, so if you've ever been curious about your local area it's a great time to start some research.
A combination of official and personal records can tell us so much about places and people over periods of time.
Find out more about the area you live in, the people who lived there, or the history of your house.
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Local history collections in libraries
Libraries hold local history collections with reference materials and books to borrow.
Our larger libraries have a range of books, pamphlets, periodicals, trade directories, maps, photos, Census returns and parish registers.
Look out for opportunities to hear from local experts at special events. Congleton, Holmes Chapel and Sandbach libraries hold regular monthly local history talks with guest speakers, where you can hear fascinating facts about local buildings, industries and people.
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You can use the British Newspaper Archive for free on one of our public computers.
With millions of pages of UK and Irish newspapers from the 1700s to the 1950s, and more added regularly, the British Newspaper Archive is a fantastic resource. As well as news articles, you'll find family notices, letters, obituaries and adverts, all providing fascinating insights into both world events and day-to-day life.
Just call in and register online for unlimited access, then read your saved searches on any computer.
Some libraries have local newspaper archives available to read on microfilm or microfiche. Contact your library to find out what they have and to book a film reader.
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What sort of things can I find out?
Home Guard at Tytherington Hall, Macclesfield, date unknown
Find out how the way local buildings were used varied to meet local and national needs. Have any important buildings or landmarks disappeared? What were the main industries in your area and how have they changed over time?
1960-1969 View from Mill Street, Macclesfield, showing market stalls outside the Town Hall
Find out how much, or how little, places, people and habits have changed. How did people work and play? Are any local traditions or celebrations still held in your area?
If this has piqued your curiosity, pop in and see what you can find out from our local history materials.
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Family history
There are lots of resources in our collections to help you discover how your ancestors worked and played.
Share your findings with like-minded people at one of our family and local history groups at Crewe, Holmes Chapel or Wilmslow libraries. The Family History Society of Cheshire hold monthly meetings at Congleton and Nantwich libraries.
As well as physical materials, you can access two great online family history resources for free with your library membership.
Explore billions (that's right!) of records with Ancestry and Find My Past, including the 1921 Census, the 1939 Register and the Cheshire Collection. Just visit your library and start delving into your family's past. You might find a few surprises!
The image above is taken from the 1939 Register. One of our Library Managers discovered that her mum was an Addressograph Operator when she was just 16.
Look out for special 1:1 online family history sessions throughout the year, or book one of our regular sessions at Bollington Library.
Keen to get started? Can't visit yet? Why not get started at home with these useful local and family history websites?
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Some libraries hold special collections relating to significant local people and industries:
- Whitfield collection in Knutsford
- Silk and Tunnicliffe collections in Macclesfield
- Romany collection in Wilmslow
Contact the libraries for more information about the collections and how to view them.
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Cheshire record office
Once you've exhausted our local history collections, there are lots of ways the Cheshire Archives and Local Studies can help online or in person, with materials for:
- local studies
- family history
- house history
They have the fantastic Cheshire Image Bank, a database of over 30,000 digital images created from original material such as:
- photographs
- postcards
- prints slides
- negatives
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Ready to get started?
If you'd like to discover more about your local area, or your family history, pop into your local library and we'll point you in the right direction.
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We hope to see you soon!
We always welcome feedback about our services. If you have enjoyed this newsletter or have any suggestions for improvement, please send us an email to libraries@cheshiresharedservices.gov.uk.
Alternatively pop into your local library and let the staff know. Thank you.
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