Local HistoryNot online London School of Jewish Studies Library London School of Jewish Studies The London School of Jewish Studies Library holds books, pamphlets and journals covering the history of the Anglo-Jewish community. It is part of the London School of Jewish Studies (LSJS). Archive Description The core of the collection is the historic Jews’ College Collection with over 70,000 volumes of Judaica and Hebraica. This collection began in 1859 and was modernized in 2015. The collection contains Jewish and Biblical study texts, and works in a number of languages: English, German, Hebrew, and Yiddish. It holds material on Anglo-Jewish communities, biographies, and general works of Anglo-Jewish history. Access Information The library is open to the public from Monday to Friday, 9-5, with the library staffed Monday to Wednesday 9-3. In order to access the archive you must make a booking in advance at: library@lsjs.ac.uk . An online catalogue is available to browse the collection. Street Address 44a Albert RoadLondonNW4 2SJ https://www.lsjs.ac.uk/about-our-library.php
Commercial | Family History | Historical Documents | Immigration | Local HistoryNot online The Waddesdon Archive at Windmill Hill Waddesdon is a stately home, managed by the Rothschild Foundation on behalf of the National Trust, who took over ownership in 1957 and opened it to the public in 1959. The house was built by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild between 1874 and 1885 to display his collection of arts and to entertain the fashionable world. Archive Description The Waddesdon Archive brings together records and material relating to the history of Waddesdon Manor, the Waddesdon Estate and the members of the Rothschild family who have owned and managed Waddesdon from 1874 until the present day, particularly James & Dorothy de Rothschild. We also hold archives relating to the Rothschild Family’s wider interests including those of PICA (the Palestine Jewish Colonisation Association) and the Butrint Foundations archaeological archive. We also hold the business archive of P & D Colnaghi, the London art dealers. Access Information The collections are available for researchers to use by appointment. If you wish to consult the records or have an enquiry please contact the archive team on archive@waddesdon.org.uk or 01296 653413. Opening hours are Monday-Friday 9.30am to 5pm. At least 24 hours advance notice is required to access the archive. You will need a driver’s licence or other ID. If you are an academic student or staff member you will also need a letter of support from your institution. All researchers are required to complete a researcher agreement. Waddesdon Archive
Cultural | Family History | Local HistoryNot online The Salomons Museum The Salomons Museum comprises two rooms within the Salomons Estate located on the edge of Royal Tunbridge Wells in Kent. The Salomons were a Victorian family renowned for scientific endeavour and for campaigning for the political rights of Jews and other religious minorities. Sir David Salomons (1797-1873) became the first Jewish Lord Mayor of London in 1855. In 1937 Vera Bryce Salomons left the house to Kent County Council with the proviso that it be used in an educational, scientific, medical or museum capacity. The family heirlooms and papers were collected together into the Memento Rooms which now make up the museum. The Estate also features on the Jewish Country Houses website. Archive Description The Salomons Museum commemorates three generations of the Salomons family and includes artefacts and documents illustrating the wider Jewish world in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The main elements of the collection are family heirlooms including letters, photographs, portraits, religious books, scientific books, official catalogues, testimonials, patent specifications, medals, embroideries, furniture and other memorabilia. Access Information Many of the items are on display in the museum which is open daily to visitors to the Salomons Estate. Check opening times with Reception at the Salomons Estate 01892 515152. For general collection enquiries and access to photograph albums and other documents please contact the museum curator. You will need to arrange a date and time in advance of your visit and bring official identification. Online Accessibility Malcolm Brown’s 1968 catalogue continues to be a good general guide to the collection. The catalogue can be downloaded from the National Archives website (NRA 13573). There is also detailed information on Jisc Archives Hub (GB 2464 SF). Street Address Broomhill RoadSouthboroughTunbridge Wells, KentTN3 0TG
Cultural | Family History | Jewish LifeNot online Manchester Grammar School Archive The Manchester Grammar School Archive holds the records of Manchester Grammar School, where many of Manchester’s Jewish population received their education. Archive Description The MGS Archive contains documents, photographs, artefacts and audio-visual material relating to the 500 year history of the School. In fact, our oldest item actually predates the foundation of the School – a deed from 1357 for a building once owned by the School at its previous site at Long Millgate, now in Manchester City Centre. The photographs, admissions registers, text and scrap books, uniform, a complete collection of Ulula which began publication in 1873, drama and music programmes, all contribute to demonstrating first-hand the history of MGS. It is continuing to add to the archive with material from the life of the School as it happens, and so the archive has material in the archive from as recently as 2020. The archive also contains documents relating to the Old Mancunians’ Association and the three preparatory schools which were once associated with MGS (Sale High School, South Manchester School and North Manchester School). Access Information The archives are open to the public by appointment. They are open Wednesday to Friday, 9am-2pm, and appointments must be made in advance by contacting archives@mgs.org Digital Accessibility An archive catalogue is available online here. Street Address Manchester Grammar SchoolOld Hall LaneManchesterM13 0XT https://www.mgs.org/2011/the-mgs-archives
Historical Documents | Jewish LifeNot online Jewish Military Museum The Jewish Military Museum is a collection and archive of material relating to the military history of Jews in British and commonwealth service and is funded by the Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen (AJEX) Charitable Foundation. Archive Description The paper archive consists of material concerning Jews in the military and the history of AJEX. It covers the role of Jewish men and women in British society and defence, and the collection includes records such as military and official documents, personal documents, written and recorded testimony. These are mostly drawn from UK and Commonwealth content but also includes some overseas records such as those from Israel. There is also a substantial collection of Chaplain Cards. These are a unique collection of 70,000+ index cards of Jewish military personnel who encountered the Military Jewish Chaplaincy service. The cards contain a mixture of basic and detailed comments and as part of a digitisation pilot project some of the cards will soon be available to view online. The museum artefacts (e.g. photographs, uniforms and medals – including a Victoria Cross, memorial plaques, military items and personal items) are currently located in long-term storage. Access Information The paper archives are stored at the AJEX Head Office in Hendon, north west London and are available for consultation. Researchers can request to visit the archive by booking an appointment through the AJEX contact page and in conjunction with AJEX archivist Martin Sugarman who is also available for telephone advice. There is limited access to the museum artefacts but if there is something in particular that a researcher wants to view, they can also request an appointment through the AJEX contact page. Digital Accessibility Around thirty percent of the collection has been digitised and there are plans to complete this digitisation. There is currently no online catalogue but researchers may be able to access a collection contents file on request.
Communal Records | Historical Documents | Local HistoryNot online Hull History Centre Opening of Hull Central Synagogue • Hull History Centre The Hull History Centre is a partnership between Hull City Council and the University of Hull. It is open to the public and contains the records of Hull’s Jewish community. Archive Description This collection houses the papers of Hull’s Jewish community between 1767 and 2012. It includes records from 1860-2011 relating to various Hull-based Jewish organisations responsible for regulating and overseeing the lives and wellbeing of the community’s members as well as records from 1852-2010 relating to the administration and activities of individual Congregations and Synagogues in Hull. It also has additional printed material about the Hull Jewish Community including biographical works relating to some members of the community. Access Information Hull History Centre is open to the public Tuesdays-Thursdays 9.30am – 4.30pm and on the first and third Saturday of each month 9.30am – 12.30pm. You can find opening times here. Users will need to bring photographic identification and proof of address. No appointment is necessary but it is advised that you contact the archive in advance. Enquiries can be made to hullhistorycentre@hcandl.co.uk. Digital Accessibility The archive has a digitised catalogue available for download on their website. Street Address Hull History CentreWorship StreetHullHU2 8BG http://www.hullhistorycentre.org.uk York Commodity Bond Bond produced following the Statute of the Jewry (1275) • Hull History Centre Victor Weisz’s Lamp Garden Cartoon Letter from political cartoonist ‘Vicky’ to his wife • Hull History Centre
Commercial | Communal Records | Holocaust | Jewish Life | Religion | SocialNot online Leeds Jewish Archive This archive is currently closed. The Leeds Jewish Archive has been assembled by Makor Jewish Culture, Leeds. Its holdings cover over one hundred and fifty years of Jewish presence in Leeds. Archive Description In 2010, the Leeds Jewish community celebrated the 150th anniversary of the first custom built synagogue in Leeds. To commemorate this and leave a legacy for Leeds’ rich Jewish history, Makor Jewish Culture launched the search for Leeds archive material. The Centre conducted a large number of interviews with people whose families had lived for generations in Leeds, producing a wealth of interviews containing many anecdotes that would not normally have been preserved. The archive holds material that includes all aspects of Jewish religious, social, economic and political life, including local history, refugee experiences, wars and conflict, the Holocaust and relationships with Israel. This includes audio-visual material from TV stations such as ITV, Chanel 4 and the BBC have searched their archive for information to enrich Leeds based documentaries. Access Information This archive is currently closed.
Commercial | CulturalNot online The Rothschild Archive The Rothschild Archive, based in London, is a private archive holding the commercial records and personal papers of members of the Rothschild family, focusing on the records of London-based N M Rothschild & Sons and the French bank of M M de Rothschild Fréres. Archive Description The archive was established in 1978 to look after the records of the Rothschild family, notable for its impact on world economic, political and social history. The collections reflect the banking, finance and merchant trading activities of the Rothschild businesses, together with the family’s private interests in politics, science and nature, the arts and philanthropy. Access Information The archive is not open to members of the general public. Researchers must first contact the archivist with details of their research proposal, before registering with the Rothschild Research Forum and providing two written references. A contact form is available online. The archive can be visited between 10 am and 4.15pm, Monday to Friday, but requires advance notification to arrange access. Online Accessibility The Rothschild Archive does not have a digital catalogue but collection descriptions are available on the website Street Address New Court, St Swithin’s LaneLondonEC4N 8AL https://www.rothschildarchive.org
Commercial | Communal Records | Family History | Local History | ReligionNot online Merseyside Jewish Community Archive at Liverpool Record Office The Merseyside Jewish Community Archive, collected by the Merseyside Jewish Representative Council, is housed at Liverpool Record Office in Liverpool Central Library. Archive Description Liverpool Record Office holds the archives of the Merseyside Jewish Community from the mid 18th century to the present day. The records are of tremendous significance as the Liverpool community is considered to be the first organised Jewish community in the north of England, and until the mid-19th century it was the largest Jewish community outside of London. Liverpool’s Jewish community established their first synagogue around 1745 and there has been a continuous Jewish presence in the city since then. The archive holdings reflect the vibrancy and activity of the community which has contributed to Merseyside life and national and international organisations. The Jewish archive is also one of the largest community collected archives held in the Liverpool Record Office. In 2025, it was the 50-year anniversary of when the community first started depositing documents to the Central Library in 1975. One of the most extensive collections in the Merseyside Jewish Community Archives is the records of the Old Hebrew Congregation. The earliest archive of a Jewish organisation in Liverpool is found in this collection, namely the ‘Register Book of the Jews in Liverpool’ which records births, deaths and marriages from 1804 to 1816. The register also includes retrospective information on members of the community from as early as 1722. The 1789 indenture also provides the full history of the development of the Upper Frederick Street synagogue and burial ground. The records of the Old Hebrew Congregation capture the development of the community from the 18th century and give an insight into the life of many of the early members of the Liverpool Jewish Community. In 2024-2025 a funded joint project of Merseyside Jewish Representative Council and Liverpool City Council’s Libraries Service took place to sort, catalogue, preserve, and make available to the public additional material that has accumulated in the community over the last 20 years. The collection now celebrates 280 years of the history of the Liverpool community. The goals of the MJRC as regards their archive are to act as a facilitator between the community and the local authority and to represent civic, cultural and religious Jewish communities in Merseyside. The archive now consists of around 200 collections, mostly representing an organisation: a synagogue, welfare, professional, philanthropic, social, cultural, or political group. Access Information The Archive is open to the public and can be accessed through the public search room in Liverpool Central Library. Opening times are available on their website. Readers will need to be a member of Liverpool Libraries and can join on the day with proof of address. We require at least two days’ notice for access to the collections. Requests for access and information can be made to: archives@liverpool.gov.uk. Online Accessibility The archive catalogue is available online. Street Address Liverpool Central LibraryWilliam Brown Street,Liverpool,L3 8EW Jewish archives – Liverpool City Council Liverpool Wedding Photo The Clumpus, Finestone & Bennet families • Merseyside Jewish Community Archive Galkoff’s Kosher Butcher Original Family Butcher’s Shopfront • Liverpool Museum 9 Aug 2024 Collection Encounter: Liverpool Record Office Collection Encounter: Liverpool Record Office