Cumberland Archives and Libraries

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England

Cumberland

Archive and Libraries

• Cumberland is a historic county (shire) which has become part of Cumbria. In April 2023, Cumberland will be revived as an administrative entity when Cumbria County Council is abolished and replaced by two unitary authorities; one of these is to be named Cumberland and will include most of the historic county, with the exception of Penrith and the surrounding area.

Archives

Cumbria Archive Service has four Archive Centres. The Cumbria Archives Service map shows areas of Cumbria covered by each office.

• Cumbria Archive Services Map
  

The Archive Service cares for parish registers, other church records, wills, electoral registers, maps and plans, poor law records, title deeds, and photographs. The archives of many families, businesses, local authorities, solicitors, societies and schools also help form a fascinating record of all aspects of life in the county.

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Carlisle (Cumberland) Archive and Local Studies Centre
Lady Gillford's House
Petteril Bank Rd
Carlisle, Cumbria CA1 3AJ UK
Telephone: 01228 227 284
Email:carlisle.archives@cumbria.gov.uk
Website

• Original documents from the twelfth century to the present day, relating to the part of the historic county of Cumberland which is north of the River Derwent
• The areas around Carlisle, Keswick, Penrith and Maryport are amongst those for which material is available.
• These include:

• Church of England Parishes
• Nonconformist Churches
• Local Authorities
• Diocese of Carlisle
• Dean and Chapter of Carlisle Cathedral
• Schools
• Businesses and Industries
• Families and Landed Estates
• Civil Parishes
• Solicitors
• Societies
• Official records

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Whitehaven Archive and Local Studies Centre
Scotch St.
Whitehaven, Cumbria CA28 7NL UK
Telephone: 01946 506 420
Email:whitehaven.archives@cumbria.gov.uk
Website

• Original historical documents dating from the twelfth century to the present day relating to the area of West Cumbria bounded by the River Derwent in the North and the River Duddon in the South.
• The areas around Workington, Cockermouth, and Whitehaven are amongst those for which material is available.
• These include:

• Businesses and Industries
• Church of England Parishes
• Civil Parishes
• Landed Estates, Solicitors, Societies.
• Local Authorities
• Nonconformist Churches
• Official records
• Schools
• Shipping registers and crew lists

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Libraries

• Links to libraries throughout Cumbria, including Cumberland
• Cumbria Library Catalogue

Museums

• List of museums in Cumbria in Wikipedia.
• Google listing of museums in Cumbria

Record Offices

The General Register Office holds a central copy of all birth, marriage, and death registrations in England. These certificates can be ordered from their website (a login is required but it is free to register and search). However, nn some cases research can be more efficient working with the smaller, more specific records collections of county/district registry offices. There are six register offices in Cumbria. Carlisle, Penrith, Whitehaven, and Wigton serve areas once part of Cumberland:

• Births, deaths, marriages and ceremonies for all of Cumbria.
• Order a copy of a certificate from all of Cumbria.
• Cumbria Register Offices: Clickable map with links to contact information.

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Sometimes research might be required to determine where a town or parish was in a former registration district, or even its current district. For a list of the historic and current registration districts and their parishes, in Cumberland, see UKBMD: Registration Districts in Cumberland.