Archives
THE ARCHIVES
The history of the Parish Church of St Wulfram, Grantham goes back over a thousand years but the early years are shrouded in mystery.
None of the early records are kept at St Wulfram’s, and in 2009 we reluctantly decided that the majority of the documents prior to the 20th century should be transferred to Lincolnshire Archives so that they could be stored correctly and preserved for future generations.
Many of these are becoming available on www.lincstothepast.com which is a free-to-view site. Alternatively, contact the Search Room at Lincolnshire Archives via www.lincolnshire.gov.uk .
Resources for family and local history
Parish Registers
The Parish holds Baptism Registers from April 29th 1962 and Marriage Registers from 1948. Copies can be provided if required. There is a charge for this, which will be according to the Table of Parish Fees. Please contact the Parish Office.
All the earlier registers, and all the Burial Registers, are held at Lincolnshire Archives. The registers date from 1562 and can be browsed free of charge at www.lincstothepast.com and are available at some subscription sites, such as www.findmypast.co.uk .
Confirmation Register
Information on confirmation candidates is available from 1857 to the present day. This is a useful if little used resource for the family historian. Some years include the address as well as the age of the person confirmed.
Parish Magazines
Parish magazines are a rich resource for exploring the life of the parish and in addition to providing dates of baptisms, marriages and funerals, they describe parish activities, often listing the names of those involved.
In some cases, other parishes in Grantham and the surrounding villages are included.
The St Wulfram’s parish magazine collection is from the 1870’s to the present date, but is incomplete.
Scrapbooks and Parish Log Books
These mostly date from the 1920’s and record special services as well as the regular seasonal events of parish church life. Sometimes the writer’s personal observations are recorded.
The scrapbooks contain many photographs, which have still to be catalogued. Some photographs are from the nineteenth century.
Other Material
The Archives contains many other papers relating to the life of St Wulfram’s Church which may be of interest to those carrying out specialized research on the history and development of Anglican worship and parish life.
The Bellringers maintain their own archive.
Archive material can be viewed with permission of the Curator of Archives. Please note that it is only in exceptional circumstances that documents can be removed from the Church.
Family History Research Service
It is recognised that many people will not be able to visit St Wulfram’s to look at the records. The Curator of Archives will be happy to undertake research and provide advice.
Charges are as follows:
· Advice on how to proceed with research is given free of charge.
· Simple look ups, where the date and name is given accurately, are carried out free of charge.
· Requests that involve a search are charged at £8 per hour. This fee goes to the Parish Church of St Wulfram. Please contact the Curator of Archives (link to jwresearch@btinternet.com) for an estimate.
Information on the history of St Wulfram’s church, its architecture and the clergy and parish clerks through the ages can be found here www.discoverstwulframs.org.uk
