Treasures of Cumbria Archive Service
2022 marks the 60th anniversary of Cumbria Archive Service, providing us with an opportunity to reflect on our legacy, achievements, and future direction. Cumbria Archive Service (CAS)
Lancashire into the county. After a
was born out of the decision
brief period in Dalton, an archive
by Carlisle, Cumberland, and
centre was opened in Barrow. In
Westmorland to support
1996, Whitehaven Archive and
the creation of an archive
Local Studies Centre opened.
service which would cover much of what is now
Today, CAS is composed of four
modern-day Cumbria.
archive centres based in Barrow, Carlisle, Kendal, and Whitehaven.
When we look back at the first
A specialist Conservation and
years of the Service (or Joint
Digitisation Service that supports
Archives Committee, as we were
our work throughout Cumbria is
then known), we see a service that
At Kendal, Sheila MacPherson
also based in Carlisle. In all, twenty-
has changed beyond all recognition. worked alone until Nancy Woof
four staff work to collect, preserve
The Cumbria Record Office in
joined in 1965. The creation of
and facilitate access to our written
Carlisle opened in 1962 with just
Cumbria County Council in 1974
heritage for researchers in Cumbria,
two archivists, including our first
saw the service develop further with the United Kingdom, and throughout
County Archivist, Bruce Jones.
the inclusion of the Furness area of
the world.
CARLISLE Solway Firth
Carlisle
Cu mb erla n d
We st mo rla n d
Penrith
We s t mo r la n d WHITEHAVEN
Part of Lancashire
BARROW
KENDAL
1962 - 2022
Treasures of Cumbria Archive Service
Our Archive Centres contain a wide range of documents relating to Cumbria’s past. Cumbria’s archives are a unique, exciting, and inspiring resource, that can help everyone explore and appreciate what is so special about Cumbria, its people and places.
George Romney's sketch book, 1770s George Romney was born in Dalton-in-Furness in 1734 and became one of the most fashionable artists of his day, working as a portrait, landscape, and historical painter. After first moving to London in 1762, Romney spent a period travelling in France and Italy where he studied the
masters and developed his craft. After returning to England, he became a leading society painter and met Emma Hamilton, later Admiral Lord Nelson’s mistress, who became his muse. The sketchbooks held at Barrow provide a fascinating insight into the development of his artistic style. Barrow Archive Centre and Local Studies Library, Ref. Z/241
Thomas H Mawson’s plans Mawson was a world renowned landscape architect, garden designer, and town planner. Mawson initially started a plant nursery business in Windermere before concentrating on garden design. Mawson would come to great success, designing gardens at Graythwaite Hall, Rydal Hall, Holehird and Brockhole. He notably received commissions from the King of Greece and Alexandra of Denmark, and won an international competition to design the grounds at the Peace Palace in The Hague. The Mawson
archive includes thousands of plans and photographs of his designed landscapes. Kendal Archive Centre, Ref. WDB 86
Treasures of Cumbria Archive Service
ANCIENT RIGHTS AND TITLES Many of our documents relate to ownership of land and associated rights. They can range from small title deeds to ornate letters patent issued by a monarch.
Ulverston Market Charter, 1280 This charter is from Edward I to Roger of Lancaster granting a market every Thursday and an annual fair at his manor of Ulverston on the eve, day and morrow of the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary [7, 8 and 9 September]. Barrow Archive Centre and Local Studies Library, Ref. BPR 2/M/1/1
Lanercost Cartulary, 1252-1370 One of the oldest documents held arose. The canons continued to at Carlisle is the Lanercost
before being entrusted to the care
update the Cartulary until 1364. The of Carlisle Archive Centre during
Cartulary. Lanercost was a priory cartulary eventually came into the
the 1980s.
of Augustinian canons founded in possession of the Howard family
Carlisle Archive Centre, Ref. DZ/1
1169 by Robert de Vaux, Sheriff
of Cumberland. The Baron Thomas de Multon, an ambitious noble, claimed the rights to the Priory’s lands, even going to the extent of occupying its buildings. The canons responded by creating the Lanercost Cartulary, a book which set forth the history of the Priory through copies of deeds and other documents. It detailed their claims to the estate and maintained a record of any legal disputes which
Treasures of Cumbria Archive Service
C U M B R I A ’ S C O A S TA L T O W N S Cumbria is renowned around the world for the beauty of its landscape. However, trade with the rest of the world was a cornerstone of the Cumbrian economy from the 18th century and its coastal towns supported varied industries that were key to this.
Spedding’s plan of Whitehaven and mine workings, 1752 Carlisle Spedding was colliery steward for the Lowther family and was responsible for their mining interests in Whitehaven.
The darkened colours reflect the long and interesting life of this map, drawn in 1752 or possibly even earlier. This plan shows mine workings under the town with recognisable features of Whitehaven town centre superimposed on top. The town was built on the coal mining industry which endured into the 1980s. Whitehaven Archive and Local Studies Centre, Ref. TNCB/Plans/24-4
Port of Barrow Coloured map detailing a panoramic view of the docks, Barrow-in-Furness, 1881-1885 Barrow Archive Centre and Local Studies Library, Ref. Z/558
Treasures of Cumbria Archives
Royal Letters Patent, 1543 This document is a grant of land to Christopher Crackenthorpe by Henry VIII. The grant is important as it sheds a light on the Reformation in England and, in particular, the dissolution of the monasteries. The land
mentioned here formerly belonged to Holme Cultram Abbey. The document is also highly unusual in being illuminated, or coloured. The quality of the decoration is very high. Kendal Archive Centre, Ref. WDCAT/CRK/1
A R T I S T RY I N A R C H I V E S
Carlisle City’s Dormont Book, 1561-1950 The city purchased this book in 1561 to record important information about Carlisle. It was used to document oaths to be taken by the Mayor and city officials and rules
and regulations for governing Carlisle. It was also a register of apprentices from 1645-1849 and recorded the admission of honorary freemen between 1889-1950. Its title page is beautifully decorated. Carlisle Archive Centre, Ref. CA/2/17
Treasures of Cumbria Archive Service
Muncaster, St Michael Parish
True love is not always a smooth path as an extract from the marriage register of Muncaster parish church reveals.
The marriage did not take place due to the ill conduct of the bridegroom who came to the church in a state of intoxication! Whitehaven Archive and Local Studies Centre, Ref. YPR 5/18
U N L O C K I N G T H E PA R I S H C H E S T Many people visit Cumbria’s Archive Centres to study parish records. The information they provide can be very useful and sometimes most revealing
Crosthwaite and Lyth, Cleator, St Leonard Parish St Mary Parish A terrible tale is told in Cleator’s burial
A 1669 copy of a pew order of 1534 showing the importance of
register in 1822.
social status in the church at that time. Estates, marital status and
A young labourer, James Francis, had his
gender all dictated where you got to sit.
leg shattered in the machinery of the crushing mill at the lead mine at Kinniside.
Whilst this practice was not unusual, it is rare to find documentary evidence of it.
He died during surgery to remove the leg,
It is also a rare means of identifying those named with their properties.
aged just 12 years old. Whitehaven Archive and Local Studies Centre, Ref. YPR 24/5
Kendal Archive Centre, Ref. WPR 3/4/3/1
Treasures of Cumbria Archive Service
FA M I LY A N D E S TAT E R E C O R D S Our Archive Centres hold many records created by families and individuals during the course of their everyday private and working lives. Typical records include diaries, wills, letters, photographs, pedigrees, genealogical notes, scrapbooks, and household and personal accounts. They reflect many aspects of the personal, social, financial and business lives of the individuals and families concerned.
Queen Elizabeth’s letter to George Clifford, 1591 George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland, rose high in the Queen’s favour, and was later appointed her personal champion and awarded the Knight of the Garter. In the letter Elizabeth is enquiring after the success of George’s voyages against the Spanish fleet. These voyages were to prove a strain on his marriage and a drain on his resources. The debts accrued were a major factor in his decision not to leave the Westmorland and Craven estates to his only surviving daughter Anne Clifford, but to his brother Francis. After George's death in 1605, his wife Lady Margaret produced documentary evidence to undermine Francis’s claims to the Clifford estates. Although Margaret’s findings proved insufficient to secure her daughter Anne’s inheritance, they were put to good use when Anne took up the mantle herself, creating ‘The Great Books of Record’ during her 40-year battle to reclaim her inheritance Kendal Archive Centre, Ref. WDHOTH/3/44/6/15
Browne family of Townend The Brownes lived at Townend
period of several generations.
in Troutbeck for over four
The extensive collection includes
hundred years.
household accounts,
Although the Brownes were a
correspondence, commonplace
family of yeomen farmers, they
books, and farming and estate
could boast a High Constable of
management records.
Kendal in the family and were prolific collectors of books over a
Kendal Archive Centre, Ref: WDTE
Treasures of Cumbria Archive Service
C U M B R I A ’ S I N D U S T R I A L PA S T
Cowans Sheldon Co., Ltd Civil engineers John Cowan and Edward Sheldon opened the Woodbank Iron works in 1847 and moved to St Nicholas in Carlisle in 1869. They gained a worldwide reputation for making heavy lifting cranes and railway turntables. Shown here is a colour drawing of a crane used to lay and maintain tracks on the London
Underground around 1960. Carlisle Archive Centre, Ref. DB 40
Isaac Braithwaite and Son, engineers of Kendal The firm started out as drysalters, dyers, rope, line, and twine manufacturers, and had started building laundry machinery by the 1890s.
The machines were manufactured at the Ibis works in Kendal. Kendal Archive Centre, Ref. WDB 12/7/1
Bessemer Converter, Workington steelworks Steel was made in Workington from 1856. It was known to be of a very high quality and was exported all over the world. The British Steel archive includes photographs, plans, accounts, minutes books, files on new projects, as well as records of staff sports teams. Whitehaven Archive and Local Studies Centre, Ref. YBSC/22/2/1/184
Arnold and Annie Lowther Pits, Hodbarrow The Hodbarrow Mining Company collection contains plans of the mines and the Inner and Outer Barriers required to keep the sea out of the mines. The collection also includes minutes, share records, some staff records, financial ledgers and production records. Barrow Archive Centre and Local Studies Library, Ref. BDB 21
Treasures of Cumbria Archives Staff favourites
A R C H I V E S TA F F FAV O U R I T E S A selection from each of Cumbria Archive Service’s four offices
Thompson family of Farlam Hall, Farlam The Thompson family collection contains details of family life, social and sporting events, excursions and foreign travel, local and regional events. The collection includes photographs, postcards and press cuttings. The letter and picture relate to Carlisle Flower Show, 1910. Carlisle Archive Centre, Ref. DTH
Membership card of J B Mossop of Whitehaven, to the ‘Ancient Order of Froth Blowers’, 1926
This humorous society consisted of gentlemen of leisure and ex-soldiers. The order had its own ‘anthem’, its members were called ‘Tornados’, and had the special privilege of immunity from arrest, if wearing Froth Blowers cufflinks! The Order of Froth Blowers was a fund-raising charity for waifs and strays in the East End of London. Whitehaven Archive and Local Studies Centre, Ref. DH/472/1
Sketches of Shap Wells Prisoner of War Camp by Johannes Langner Langner was an officer of the Wehrmacht and Prisoner of War from 1945 to 1946. He spent some of his time sketching the camp and surrounding areas. The camp was at Shap Wells Hotel which was requisitioned as a prisoner of war camp in 1941. Kendal Archive Centre, Ref. WDX 2017
Dalton Book Club, 1923 The club first met in 1764 and claims to be the oldest book club in the world. The club still meets every month. Barrow Archive Centre and Local Studies Library, Ref. BDSO 130/8/5/1