Research resources
Whether you’re tracing your family history or exploring local history, we have a wealth of resources available for you to use.
Our resources
The local studies libraryThe library has about 12,000 items covering the borough’s history, life, and culture from the earliest times to the present day, including:
- trade directories
- information about people who lived and worked in the area, local industries, and buildings
- reference books for research, such as tracing your family tree
- trade and auction catalogues
- election pamphlets
- theatre playbills and programs, posters, and promotional material from societies and organisations
- local newspapers from the mid-19th century (on microfilm)
- Ordnance Survey maps from the 19th century onwards
- street maps, boundary maps, and Goad plans
- oral history recordings and transcripts
- photographs
You can search our online public access catalogue (OPAC) to see what we have, but it only includes a small part of our collection. We are actively adding to it. To find out which local history books are available in our research room, you can:
- search the catalogue - type in the subject or author and then refine the search by selecting ‘Local History Centre’ as the library location
- view all Local History Centre books
You can also find items from our collection on:
- the National Archives website
- the Black Country History website, a searchable online catalogue. This resource is shared with the other Black Country archives and museums. To view Walsall's collections, filter the results by partner and select 'Walsall Local History Centre'.
All censuses from 1841 to 1921 are available via Ancestry.com and Findmypast.com. You can access these sites for free by visiting the archives.
Our other resources that can help with your research include:
- copies of the censuses from 1801 to 1831
- electoral registers and poll books
- Catholic church transcripts and free church information
- monumental inscriptions
- probate records and quarter sessions
- property records
- information about immigration in the area
- documents for researching First World War military family history
Most original Church of England records are held by Staffordshire Record Office or at the individual church.
We have registers (some originals, some copies or transcripts) for local Church of England, nonconformist and early Catholic churches.
- Aldridge churches
- Bentley churches
- Blakenall churches
- Brownhills and Ogley Hay churches
- Bloxwich churches
- Darlaston churches
- Delves churches
- Great Barr churches
- Moxley churches
- Norton Canes churches
- Pelsall churches
- Pleck churches
- Rushall churches
- Shelfield churches
- Short Heath churches
- Streetly churches
- Walsall churches
- Walsall Wood churches
- Wednesbury churches
- Willenhall churches
You can find out more about the history of the towns that make up Walsall Borough, and read some specialist articles:
- Aldridge in history
- Brownhills in history
- Bloxwich in history
- Darlaston in history
- Pelsall in history
- Rushall in history
- Streetly in history
- Walsall in history
- History of Walsall's bus station
- Walsall Wood in history
- Willenhall in history
- History of Walsall's Sister Dora and the steam engine
- History of Walsall's town wharf
- History of Walsall's train station
Fees and charges
It's free to visit the archives and use our resources. We charge for copying, printing and photography:
Ordering copies without visiting
If you know what you need, you can ask for copies to be posted or emailed to you. We can take payment for copies over the phone, and tell you what postage and packing costs are (there's no charge to send by email). Contact us to order copies and/or pay.
Our archival research service is available if you need extra assistance. There is a charge for this.
