Watch our new video of our conservator at work
Earlier this year a group from the Towne Family Association based in the USA made an organised visit to Lichfield Record Office to look at some of our records, in particular the will and inventory of a relation, Alice Perkyns of Hillmorton. The will and inventory dated 31st July 1538, is interesting in that Alice Perkyns makes quite detailed arrangements for the disposal of her personal effects. As the will is accompanied by an inventory it should be possible to work out the value of the bequests.
Unfortunately the will and particularly the inventory were in a very poor state and not easy to access. The Towne Family Association very kindly donated the money to enable the documents to be conserved. The conservation work is now complete and you can watch a short video of our Conservator in action here.
History Festival at Staffordshire Libraries
September sees the start of the Staffordshire History Festival across Staffordshire Libraries and Arts – a two-month celebration of our local history and cultural heritage in Staffordshire.
There will be a range of events, activities, exhibitions and other opportunities to engage with our glorious past. Whether you’re interested in finding out about your family tree, your community’s history, the vast range of historical documents held in the County, or events and exhibitions to commemorate the Great War, there will be something for you.
Exhibitions, talks, traditional craft workshops, history walks, history and heritage open days, family history sessions and activities for children will be running throughout September and October. There will also be events or exhibitions that will link with the commemorations of the Great War, in particular the impact of the war on Staffordshire and its people.
For all general local studies interest, our libraries hold a range of useful material, such as newspapers, trade directories and parish registers. A few libraries have collections of local photographs.
Find out about everything that is going on at Staffordshire
Libraries including access to family free history resources, such as Ancestry
or Find My Past, local studies collections. Sign up to our Staffordshire Libraries News and Events e-update.
 Museum Volunteer Awards 2017
The annual West Midlands Museum Volunteer Awards was held at the Birmingham Hippodrome in September, funded by Arts Council England. Congratulations go to Ian Denny who was one of the finalists. Ian has worked with the puppet collection at the County Museum for a number of years and his knowledge, support and skill is very much appreciated by the Museum team.
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 Heritage Open Day at the William Salt Library 'A true delight!'
The William Salt Library opened its doors on Saturday 9 September to over 100 people who came in to explore some of the library's treasures. The guided tours of the building were a great success as were the drop in sessions in the Court Yard. One visitor commented, "It's amazing that I've walked past the library so many times
& had no idea of the wealth of things you have there. A true delight."
 Puppets at the High House
Staff and volunteers have been working hard to take the new 'Puppets on Parade' exhibition on the road. It is now visiting its second venue of the tour, the Ancient High House in Stafford.
The exhibition features some real treasures from the County Museum collection. The puppets are both fascinating and diverse and this is a chance to see some that have not been on display for many years. There are plenty of activities for the family to try including starring on screen with their favourite puppet and putting on their own puppet show.
For full opening details visit the Ancient High House. Admission is free.
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