Kirklees
WYAS, Kirklees
Central Library
Princess Alexandra Walk
Huddersfield
HD1 2SU
Tel: +44 (0)1484 221966
Email: kirklees@wyjs.org.uk
We are members of the County Archive Research Network (CARN) readers’ ticket scheme. Please bring your CARN readers’ ticket with you when you visit. If you do not have a ticket please bring official proof of ID which includes your name, address and signature.
Click here for more information.
Appointments recommended. Some archives are held offsite and our search room may be subject to unplanned closure because of staffing difficulties.
Opening Hours
Full Archive Service with access to original documents:
Monday 9.30am - 5.00pm
Tuesday 9.30am - 5.00pm
Thursday 9.30am - 5.00pm
third Saturday in the month 9.00am -1.00pm
Saturdays with full service 2010: 21 August; 18 September; 16 October; 20 November; 18 December
Access to Archive Service catalogue with advice and guidance from Local Studies staff:
Monday , Tuesday, Thursday 5.00 - 8.00pm
Wednesday 9.30am - 5.00pm
Friday 9.00am - 8.00pm
Saturday 9.00am - 4.00pm
Microfilm available in Local Studies Library, no appointment necessary
Monday 9.30am to 8.00pm
Tuesday 9.30am to 8.00pm
Wednesday: 9.30am to 5.00pm
Thursday: 9.00am to 8.00pm
Friday: 9.00am to 8.00pm
Saturday: 9.00am to 4.00pm
Facilities: No refreshment facilities available in the building but cafes etc are close by.
Toilets are located on the first floor.
How to find WYAS, Kirklees… (External website)
| Car Parking | We are situated in a pedestrianised area Car parking is available at Alfred Street and Springwood. |
| Train | We are approximately 600 metres from Huddersfield Railway Station |
| Bus | We are approximately 500 metres from Huddersfield Bus Station |
The archive service in Kirklees is housed in the Central Library in Huddersfield and since its creation it has been very closely linked with the Local Studies collection.
Records at Kirklees Archives
More detail about the holdings of Kirklees District Archives can be found in the Guide to Kirklees Archives 1959-1989.
These comprise records from Kirklees Metropolitan Council and its eleven predecessor authorities - the County Boroughs of Dewsbury and Huddersfield, the Boroughs of Batley and Spenborough, and the Urban Districts of Colne Valley, Denby Dale, Heckmondwike, Holmfirth, Kirkburton, Meltham and Mirfield. Records are also held of still earlier authorities such as Huddersfield Lighting and Watching Commissioners, Huddersfield and Dewsbury Boards of Guardians and the townships of Batley, Denby, Dewsbury, Honley, Mirfield, South Crosland and Thurstonland and Upperthong.
Among the deposits of family and estate papers the most notable are those of the Ramsdens of Byram and Longley, Beaumonts of Whitley and Thornhills of Fixby. The Ramsden papers include deeds, rentals, surveys and valuations for Huddersfield and Almondbury 1200-1921 and the Almondbury court rolls from 1627. The papers of the Beaumont family cover the twelfth to the twentieth centuries and mainly relate to Kirkheaton, Lepton, South Crosland, Mirfield and Whitley. The papers of the Clarke-Thornhill family of Fixby supplement those held by the Yorkshire Archaeological Society. The collection includes accounts, deeds and leases mostly for the Calverley, Fixby, Lindley, Longwood and Rastrick areas.
The records in this class depict the wide range of business activity in the Kirklees area. The textile industry is represented by woollen, worsted and fancy cloth manufacturers in the Huddersfield area and shoddy, mungo and rag merchants in the Dewsbury and Batley area. Other records of firms include accountants, shovel makers, valve makers, shoemakers, land surveyors, auctioneers, maltsters, iron and lead works, wire rope manufacturers, theatres, tanners, the Huddersfield Canal Company and a number of solicitors. A large collection of records of co-operative societies is held, including minutes of more than thirty local branches.
The parish registers for most of the churches within Kirklees and for other parishes in West yorkshire are available on microfiche (or microfilm) but it is advisable to confirm holdings before a visit. Records are held of over 130 Nonconformist churches including Baptists, Christian Brethren, Congregationalists, Independents, Methodists and Unitarians, with registers and Sunday school records. The records of Highfield Independent Chapel contain papers relating to Highfield Schools and to the Huddersfield Girls' College Company.
A wide range of records relating to local societies, trade unions and bodies established for special purposes are held. These include minutes of Holmfirth flood relief fund 1852 and records of the National Union of Dyers, Bleachers and Textile Workers. There are also records of a number of Friendly Societies, Trades Councils and Chambers of Commerce. The musical heritage of the area is well represented and records include Huddersfield Choral Society, the Glee and Madrigal Society and a number of Feast Sings. The records of G W Tomlinson reflect the interests of a middle class Victorian gentleman, being extremely diverse and including political posters, transcripts of medieval deeds, pamphlets and genealogical and heraldic notebooks.
Collections Team
As part of the WYAS Mission Statement, the Collections Team actively seeks to strengthen its holdings and establish links with communities, individuals and specialist groups with a view to preserving their written histories.
The focus of the Collections Team is to preserve these unique collections and make them accessible to the public for future generations.
If you are an individual, part of a community group, local business or society and would like to receive more information about donating records, please contact us and one of our team will be happy to talk to you
Contact: Collections Team
PO Box 5
Nepshaw Lane South
Morley
LS27 0QP
Tel: 0113 2898 285
For the contact details
of our offices click here
© West Yorkshire Joint Services
