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Frequently Asked Questions | ||
Please follow the links below to find the answers to some frequently asked questions - you may be able to find all the information you need on our website. |  |  |
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| Do I need to book an appointment for my visit? | ||
There's no need to book an appointment for your visit and you can visit at any time during our opening hours. If you plan to consult original documents, please note that document production ceases half an hour before closing time. We don't operate a booking system for our computers, microfilm/fiche readers or desks for consulting original documents. The only service you need to book is the guided tour of the searchroom by a record office volunteer. Back to the top | ||
| Do I have to request documents in advance? | ||
No, you do not. If you are travelling some distance to visit us, it may be worthwhile to contact us in advance to check that the documents are available. Some records may be unavailable for public access in the search room as they contain sensitive material. Records that fall into this category include hospital patient records, coroners' records and court records, so if you are planning to look at these then please contact us with the details of the records you wish to look at and the covering dates so that we can check whether these are available for general access. If the records are not available for general access, then you need to submit a request in writing (either by letter or e-mail) so that we can process your request in line with the Freedom of Information Act (2000). Please visit our Freedom of Information page to find out more about this process. You can request documents in advance if you wish. so that they are ready for you when you arrive. For more details placing orders in advance, see the searchroom services page. | ||
| What are your opening hours? | ||
We are closed on Mondays, and open Tuesday - Thursday from 9am - 5.30pm, Friday from 9am - 5pm and Saturday from 9am - 12.30pm. Warwickshire County Record Office now closes to the public for the first complete week in every calendar month. Please check our calendar (link below) before visiting. Please note that we will continue to be open to the public on Saturdays between 9am - 12.30pm during closure weeks. County Record Office Calendar 2011-2012 For more information about the closure weeks, including FAQ, please see our Collection Weeks page. Back to the top | ||
| Do you issue copies of birth, marriage or death certificates? | ||
No, we do not as we are not a register office. You can only look at the General Register Office index that we hold, which is an index to registered births, marriages and deaths. The GRO indexes to births, marriages and deaths are arranged by year, then by quarter year, and within that by surname. The indexes will not give you the precise date of birth, for example, or the names of other parties involved, only the information you need to order the full certificate. To order a copy certificate, visit the General Register Office website. If you are researching births, marriages or deaths in Warwickshire, you can also obtain certificates from the Warwickshire Registration Service. For further information visit the Copy certificates Back to the top | ||
| Do you have the parish registers for a particular parish? | ||
You can see a list of all the parish registers that we have by visiting our Church of England parish registers and census returns page. You can also view catalogues listing the items we have for each parish by searching Warwickshire's Past Unlocked. For the whereabouts of parish registers within Birmingham's pre-1974 borders please contact Birmingham Archives and Heritage Service. Back to the top | ||
| Can you trace someone's contact details for me? | ||
Tracing someone who may still be alive requires a great deal of research; we can only perform 15 minutes of research for free so we are unable to help with this kind of enquiry. Most of our records are over 25 years old, the point at which many records become public records, our General Register Office index is only as recent as 1983 and our bound volumes of electoral registers are only as recent as 1986, so the records we have may not be appropriate for your research. You could try employing a private researcher to trace the person for you, alternatively there is a DirectGov webpage about tracing missing persons, which contains useful information for starting your research. Back to the top | ||
| Can you issue copies of my exam certificates? | ||
No, we don't hold copies of exam certiticates. Each examination board keeps its own records, so you need to know which exam board awarded your qualifications. The school or college where you took the exams may be able to advise you on the exam boards responsible for awarding your qualifications if you don't know. Once you have the details of the relevant exam boards, you need to contact each board separately about obtaining replacement certificates. The contact details for exam boards (with details of their successors, if appropriate) can be found on the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority website. Back to the top | ||
| How much research can you do for me? | ||
Please visit our enquiry and research services page for details of the research we can do. Back to the top | ||
| Can I use my camera? | ||
Yes, you can use your camera to photograph documents, but we ask you to turn off the flash. We make a small charge for this and you will be asked to sign a copyright and data protection form. Details of our charging structure can be found here: Charges for the use of cameras at the CRO (PDF 30k) The duty archivist may not allow photography if an item is too fragile. | ||
| Can I purchase copies of records? | ||
Yes, as long as the documents are photocopiable or can be fitted onto a digital scanner. Please visit our copying services page for more information. Back to the top | ||
| Can I purchase copies of Church of England baptism, burial or marriage certificates? | ||
Yes, we can provide these. Please visit our copying services page for more information. Back to the top | ||
| How can I get access to records that are not available for general access? | ||
Please visit our Freedom of Information page to find out how to apply for information from these records to be released to you. Back to the top | ||
| Do you have wills in your archive? | ||
We only have a small number of wills, such as those that appear in estate and solicitors' collections, as we are not a diocesan repository. Those that are held here are all included in a card index held in the searchroom. For pre-1858 wills, you need to visit Worcestershire Record Office or Lichfield Record Office. Copies of post-1858 wills are obtainable from York Probate Registry, and you can use the National Probate index (available at the record office) to find the information you need to order a copy of a will. The HM Courts Service website has detailed information on obtaining copies of post-1858 wills. Back to the top | ||
| Can you tell me about the history of my house? | ||
Researching the history of a house takes a great deal of time and involves consulting a wide range of records. We can only spend up to 15 minutes preparing an answer to queries where appropriate and therefore would be unable to research the history of a building on your behalf (see our enquiry and research services page for more details). You are welcome to visit the record office to consult our records and further details about the kinds of records that can be used for researching the history of a house, as well as a research guide, can be found on our house history research page. Back to the top | ||
| Do you hold recent or current information about the activities or business operations of Warwickshire County Council? | ||
No, we do not. We hold the series of Warwickshire County Council minutes, and the most recent published minutes can be found on the WCC Council & Community web page. The record office only collects records that are valid for current and future historical research, such as local history or genealogy, and does not store records that are currently used by Warwickshire County Council to conduct its business. You can search for catalogues of the records held at the record office by visiting Warwickshire's Past Unlocked or click here for a summary of the main categories of records that we hold. If you require recent or current information about the activities or business operations of Warwickshire County Council, please visit the Warwickshire County Council Access to Information page. | ||
| Do you have any information available about the Bear and Ragged Staff emblem? | ||
Yes we do. Please follow this link to our webpage of information about the Bear and Ragged Staff Back to the top | ||
| Do you accept credit/debit card payments for services? | ||
Yes we do. We accept payment for all services we offer by credit/debit card by telephoning the main office on 01926 738959 where you will be asked to provide your card details from which the payment will be processed. We accept Visa, Mastercard, Maestro and Solo cards. Please note that we are unable to accept payment from any other type of credit/debit card and that the minimum charge for credit card payments is £10. | ||
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