FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Visiting the Somerset Heritage Centre

Do I need to make an appointment?

As we can get very busy, we strongly advise visitors who would like to use microfiche or consult documents to make an appointment before travelling - sometimes we do not have space to accommodate visitors who have not booked a space.  You can do this by phoning us on 01823 337600 (+ 44 1823 337600 if phoning from overseas) or by emailing archives@somerset.gov.uk.  If requesting a booking via email, please allow two working days for us to reply. 

If you would just like to consult library items you do not have to make an appointment, but please be aware that if we are busy you may not be able to look at documents from the archives during your visit. 

When are you open?

Our opening hours are:
Monday: 1.00 pm - 5.00 pm
Tuesday-Friday: 9.00 am - 5.00 pm
Alternate Saturdays: 9.00 am-1.00 pm.  Saturday opening dates 2012

Where are you located?

The Somerset Heritage Centre is situated to the west of Taunton, in the new industrial estate off Silk Mills Road.  Directions can be found on the directions page. 

What do I need to bring with me on my first visit?

If it is your first visit to the Heritage Centre you will need to register for a reader's ticket, which will be valid for four years.  To do this you will need some proof of your name and current address - a driving licence is ideal.  Please note that we do not accept passports or ID cards, library cards or CARN tickets issued by other record offices. 

We have lockers for bags, which are not allowed into the searchroom.  These are free of charge, and some lockers are available for larger pieces of luggage. 

Can I use a pen to make any notes?

In order to prevent accidental damage to documents we only allow the use of pencils in our searchrooms.  These can be purchased at the reception desk.  Alternatively, you are welcome to use your laptop - plug points are available in the searchroom, as is wireless Internet access.

Do you have parking facilities?

The Somerset Heritage Centre has 30 public parking spaces, including three disabled spaces for Building 1 and three for Building 2. 

Is there anywhere I can eat my lunch?

There is a refreshment area in Building 1, with tables and chairs. Free water is available, and tea and coffee are available for 60p.

It is best to bring lunch with you, as there are no shops close by.  However, there is a vending machine selling snacks, and a sandwich van visits every weekday at about 10.00am.  

Do you have copying facilities??

You can copy library books yourself in the searchroom, using the book photocopier, but archives need to be copied by a member of staff.  In many cases we can photocopy original documents, but this is dependant upon the document's size, format and physical condition.  Printouts can be made from microfiche and microfilm, and we also provide a scanning service. 

Can I book a computer?

Yes. When you make an appointment to visit, you can book a computer then. You can have an hour’s session per day, and longer if we are not too busy; please let us know what time you would like. You can book a computer with us whether or not you have a Somerset library card. You cannot book a computer here on a library computer somewhere else, because we don’t use library cards.

Can I bring my laptop with me?

Yes. When you make an appointment, if you let us know you are bringing a laptop, we will reserve you a space with a power point. The searchroom has WiFi Internet access - please ask searchroom staff for the code.

Can I use my digital camera to photograph documents?

You are able to use your camera to photograph documents (including pages from bound volumes), as long as you obtain a photography licence from us.  These cost £3 for a daily licence, £12 for a weekly licence and £60 for an annual licence.  You will also need to fill out a declaration form, which confirms that you will only be using the image for private research purposes, and will be given a form to make a note of what you photograph.  If you intend to publish images or to post them on the Internet, you will need to ask for permission before you do so - please fill in a permissions form (PDF) (new window).  

Do I need permission to use any images of documents held by you?

Permission must be obtained to publish any images or full transcripts of documents held by the Somerset Heritage Service.  We will need you to fill in our permissions form (PDF) (new window).  We advise that you make your request at least 5 weeks before any deadlines you may have - if we do not own the documents ourselves, we have to contact the document owners, which can take some time.  Depending upon the nature of the publication, you may also be required to pay a reproduction fee.  For details of the charges (which apply to documents that we own ourselves), please see our Charges for Services leaflet (new window). 

Are any of your catalogues available online?

The majority of our catalogues can be viewed online via our website's online catalogue.  The catalogues provide a brief description of the records held at the Somerset Heritage Centre.  Images of the actual documents themselves cannot be viewed online.

I am unable to make it to the Heritage Centre. Do you provide a research service?

 Yes, we provide a research service for archives and local studies enquiries.  Please see our research service guide for more details. 

What are your charges?

 It is entirely free to visit the Heritage Centre and consult our resources, to use the North Somerset Archive Service, to receive general advice about your research and to deposit historical records here.  There is a range of charges for copying, camera use, detailed research, conservation work and education services.  Please see our charges leaflet (new window) for more details. 

Records that we hold

Do you hold records for parishes in North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset?

Yes we do.  We hold records relating to the county of Somerset as it was before local government reorganisation in 1974.  Many records relating to Bath are held at the Bath & North East Somerset Record Office.

Do you hold army service records for people from Somerset?

All surviving army service records up to 1920 (including details of medals and First World War soldiers' pensions) are held by The National Archives at Kew.  These have now been digitised and are available on Ancestry.com.  This is a subscription site, but many people - including all Somerset residents - can get free access at their local libraries. 

Enquiries concerning Army Service records for the period 1921 onwards should be addressed to the Army Personnel Centre, Historical Disclosures, Mailpoint 400, Kentigern House, 65 Brown Street, Glasgow, G2 8EX.  For further details, visit the Veterans' Agency website.

Do you hold birth, marriage and death certificates?

Not as such.  The civil registration of births, marriages and deaths began in 1837.  Copies of birth, marriage and death certificates can be obtained from the relevant register office.  A list of civil registration districts and register offices in Somerset can be found on the Genuki website.  The Somerset Registration Service is based at the Heritage Centre, but the heritage staff do not have any access to the Registration Service's records. 

We have a copy of the General Register Office (GRO) index in the searchroom.  This gives very brief details about births, marriages and deaths (the quarter of the year that the event took place, the names of the people involved and the registration district where the event was registered).  The GRO index will also tell you the volume and folio number of the event, which makes ordering a certificate quicker.

The cost of a certificate from the Registration Service is £9.00; in Somerset an extra charge of 50p is made when ordering online or by phone.  To order a certificate, phone 0845 345 9144 or order birth certificates, marriage certificates or death certificates online.  If you have the volume and folio number of the entry, you can also order certificates from the General Register Office (GRO), quoting the volume and page number if possible; these cost £9.25 each.  To order a certificate from the General Register Office by post, you will need to contact them first to get the right form.  You can collect forms from the Heritage Centre reception, or can request that one be posted to you by phoning 0845 603 7788 or emailing certificate.services@ipsi.gsi.gov.uk. Their address is: General Register Office, PO Box 2, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 2JD. 

To find out more about birth marriage and death certificates, see our Civil Registration leaflet (PDF).

Do you hold records that will help me in a boundary or parking dispute with my neighbour?

It is very unlikely that we will hold any records concerning the boundaries of your property or parking rights.  In the first instance, you should check any early deeds for your property or contact the Land Registry.  It may also be worthwhile contacting the County Council's Roads and Transport and Rights of Way departments.

Do you hold any newspapers for Somerset?

Yes - we have many runs of Somerset newspapers on microfilm, which can be ordered from our strongrooms.  A list of this can be seen on the Local Studies collection webpage, in the "General Advice" section. 

Do you hold emigration records?

Records relating to emigration (including passenger lists) are held at The National Archives at Kew.  There is an online register of convicts transported to Australia and Tasmania (etc.) produced by the State Library of Queensland. 

Do you hold historical coroners' inquests?

Apart from the boroughs of Langport and Bridgwater, the earliest surviving coroners' records we hold begin in the 1920s.  Newspapers often provided reports of sudden deaths and summaries of coroners' findings during the 19^th century and early 20^th century, and these can be consulted at the Heritage Centre. 

Coroners' papers less than 100 years old are closed subject to the Data Protection and Freedom of Information Acts.  If you are looking for information from these cases, you should contact the relevant coroners' office. 

Do you hold records relating to my ancestor who was evacuated to Somerset during the Second World War?

Records relating to evacuees are usually held in the county from which the individual was evacuated.  However, sometimes evacuees are mentioned in the admission registers of Somerset schools.  For the Bridgwater Rural District, we have a billeting register which lists all of the evacuees in the area and who they stayed with.  We also have some written recollections and oral history recordings from people who were evacuated to Somerset, or who took in evacuees.  The Evacuees' Reunion Association provides friendly guidance and a way to get back in touch with former evacuees.