Local history collection

The Reference Library's Local Collection contains a wide range of books as well as other printed materials, such as reports, newsletters, community magazines and ephemera. Concentrating on the N.Yorkshire/Teesside region, the collection includes histories of: villages, towns & parishes; businesses & societies; prominent buildings. The library also holds a collection of local maps dating back to the 19th century.

The photographic collection, containing approximately 3,500 images illustrates the social history of the area. The majority, taken by local photographer A.E. Graham in the early 1900s, include pictures of streets, buildings, people and events. A selection of the photographs can be viewed at www.redcar-cleveland.gov.uk/librariesby following the links to the Historical photo archive.

We also hold materials of interest to family historians such as local census returns, monumental inscriptions and some parish records.

Materials relating to our region are also held at Teesside Archives ^† and the North Yorkshire County Record Office ^† in Northallerton.

Teesside Archives, a joint service managed by Middlesbrough Borough Council, is responsible for the collection and preservation of materials relating to the areas covered by Redcar & Cleveland, Middlesbrough, Stockton and Hartlepool Borough Councils. A postal search facility is available for members of the public who are unable to visit in person.

Directories in stock at Redcar Reference Library

Photocopied pages of Directories at Redcar Reference Library

For Marske-by-the-Sea:

For Redcar and Coatham:

For Saltburn:

For Skelton:

For Brotton, Marske, Redcar, Saltburn, Skelton:

Local History Directories

Directories set out to record the principle inhabitants of a community, those in trade, or those affluent enough to be recognised as the important people in a community, such as gentry, clerics or professionals. Trade directories were produced by commercial publishers at almost random intervals during the late 18th and 19th Centuries. Directories were sold primarily to the gentry and leisured classes in the 1700s. From 1850 onwards, however, the directories were designed for a more commercial market.

Many directories were composed by a local correspondent and sent into a central publisher. Nineteenth century directories are usually arranged alphabetically by Church of England parish, preceded by an alphabetical list of the townships.

Each entry has a brief historical description of a village, followed by a contemporary description and a list of private inhabitants and local trade's people. They contain topographical details (including mineral deposits); history - in some instances the information having been taken from previous directories; a description of a village at a fixed point in time; population figures; details of transport (e.g. stage coach, carrier, railway); names of public buildings (e.g. inns, schools); names of local officials and businesses.

Newspapers & Periodicals
We have the following titles of local significance, some in hardcopy, some on microfilm. It is advisable to pre-book a film-reading machine in order to use the latter.

H - Hardcopy

Other Records include:

Council Minutes:
Redcar Corporation Accounts: 1923 - 1967
Redcar Borough Council: 1922 1967
Teesside County Borough Council: 1967 - 1974
Langbaurgh Borough Council: 1973 - 1995
Cleveland County Council: 1974 - 1996
Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council: April 1996 - present

Electoral Registers: 1964 - 2002

Telephone Directories:
Middlesbrough Area: 1967 - 1998 (Incomplete)
Newcastle Upon-Tyne: 1962 - 1963

Yellow Pages: Middlesbrough Area 1977 present

Access to Archives:
The English strand of the UK archives network
Website: www.a2a.org.uk ^†