WEST YORKSHIRE ARCHIVE SERVICE

LEEDS

The records of Leeds Corporation itself form the backbone of the collections. They include minutes from 1662, Quarter Sessions orders from 1698 and Overseers' minutes from 1726 as well as records from the modern departments of Leeds City Council. To these have been added the records of the boroughs of Morley and Pudsey, the urban districts of Aireborough, Garforth, Horsforth, Otley and Rothwell, and the rural districts of Wetherby and Wharfedale, all of which were incorporated into Leeds Metropolitan District in 1974. In some cases these authorities had themselves inherited archives from their predecessors, such as the Yeadon Township Records dating from 1668 which were discovered in the offices of Aireborough UDC. Other official records of bodies absorbed by Leeds City Council include the Leeds Board of Guardians and Public Assistance Committee (1844-1948) and the Leeds School Board (1870-1903). The office also holds certain classes of Public Records including those received from the British Coal Corporation, the Health Authorities and the Territorial Army Association.

The Office holds the records of the Diocese of Ripon, most Anglical parishes in the Archdeaconry of Leeds and some in the Diocese of Bradford. The Diocese of Ripon was formed in 1836 but inherited the archives of the Archdeaconry of Richmond. These together with wills and records of the associated probate jurisdiction, date from the fifteenth century. They include bishop's transcripts of parish registers from the late seventeenth century, faculty papers and many tithe awards. Until the formation of the Diocese of Wakefield in 1888 and the Diocese of Bradford in 1920, the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Ripon extended over much of the West Riding and the western part of the North Riding.

Records held from nonconformist churches include those of the Yorkshire Congregational Union (1813-1968), several United Reformed Churches, Mill Hill Unitarian Chapel, Leeds and numerous Methodist circuits and other organisations.

Deposits from private sources contain all the usual classes of records of local and estate administration including a wealth of medieval material. Particularly notable are the records of Fountains Abbey, Studley Royal, Ripley Castle and Nostell Priory. There are manorial court rolls of Hatfield (1324-1818), Methley (1339-1935), Pollington (1333-1935), Thorner (1345-1879) and Sherburn in Elmet (1346-1922). Material of interest to art historians includes plans and accounts for building and furnishing such houses as Temple Newsam, Newby Hall and Harewood. There are political and administrative papers of national significance including the correspondence of Sir John Reresby (1639-88), George Canning (1780-1827), Lord Canning's Indian papers (1856-62) and records relating to the Council of the North (1585-1636), English and Irish customs accounts (1604-45), London port books (1717-20) and the administration of Minorca (1735-55). Such family archives reflect the territorial and other interests of their owners throughout Yorkshire, neighbouring counties and occasionally abroad.

Most aspects of the commercial life of the area are represented, particularly in the traditional textile, clothing, engineering and mining sectors. The archives of some firms such as Kirkstall Forge, Middleton Colliery and Tetley's Brewery date from the eighteenth century. They are supplemented by those deposited by a number of local solicitors and estate agents, some of whose practices have continuous histories covering the past two centuries. Their archives include medieval court rolls, the records of local charities, title deeds, estate papers, plans and rentals arising from the interests of clients past and present.