Walsall Archives

Following the success of May's Ancestry and Find My Past Taster Sessions we are offering another chance for complete beginners to find out more about researching their family history. Each session is one hour and completely free of charge!

Contact us today to book a place.

We were thrilled to be presented with author, Fynn O'Connor's new book, LGBTQ+ Voices. Fynn is an AuDHD non-binary gay artist and author and the book highlighting LGBTQ+ Voices was presented to Walsall Archives and library staff from the Lichfield Street Hub on Friday as part of Pride Month.

It features a collection of photographic portraits and heartfelt interviews with over 100 people from right across the West Midlands and includes stories from people of diverse ages, ethnicities, sexualities and mixed abilities.

It is available to read in the LSH reference library and the local studies library of Walsall Archives during our opening hours.
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Walsall Pride - official

Our display 'Key Dates for LGBTQ Equality in the UK' in the library at The Lichfield Street Hub, providing an insight into the history of the LGBTQ community. Walsall Pride - official gave permission for us to use some beautiful photographs from the annual Pride festival in August. This display is available to view during the library's opening hours at the Lichfield Street Hub.
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Good luck to the super Saddlers tomorrow in the League 2 Play Off final at Wembley. To mark the occasion we ae sharing some images of some of the material in our collections.
We hold some archive material (Acc. 522) relating to the club and included in this are a selection of match report books. The images show the reports from Walsall's first home game of the 1961/62 season in the old Second Division (now the Championship) against Sunderland (Acc.522/2/30), which followed promotion the previous season, with Walsall winning a thriller 4-3 at Fellows Park, and the final home game of the 1962/63 season against Charlton Athletic,(Acc.522/2/31) where a narrow 2-1 loss saw a return back to the old Third Division (now League One).
The full catalogue is available to view on the National Archives Discovery platform here - https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/N13646629
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If you are looking for something to entertain the children next week, then a reminder that we have a V.E. Day inspired Half Term activity being held in conjunction with our friends in the Library in Lichfield Street Hub.
Join us on Wednesday 28 May at 10.30am. The event is completely free, but spaces are limited so please book your slot by either visiting the Library reception during opening hours or emailing [email protected]
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Join us on Wednesday 28 May for our V.E Day themed craft activity and make your own Spitfire!
Suitable for children aged between 7 - 12. Spaces are limited, so book your place at Lichfield Street Hub, with a refundable £2 cash deposit.
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We are commemorating the 80th anniversary of VE Day with a display of archival images that document Walsall Borough during the Second World War. It can be seen in the Lichfield Street Hub Library and Archives at any time during opening hours.
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Wanted to delve into your families past, but don't know where to start?
Then why not book onto one of our free 30 minute family history taster sessions to get yourself going.
Thursday 1 May, 1pm - 3.30pm at Walsall Archives, within the Lichfield Street Hub Library and Archives.
Email us at [email protected] to book your place.

We've done a bit of digging into this particular mystery and there doesn't seem to be any concrete evidence out there. 'A Short History of Pelsall' by Joyce Hammond states that the "stone was used as a resting place for coffins being carried across the Common for burial" and William G. Farmer’s ‘Pelsall in the Early Years of the 20th Century’ states that “On Pelsall Common, towards Station Bridge, there is a large oblong stone, an old resident told me years ago it was used as a resting place for Coffins being borne for burial at the old cemetery in Paradise Lane.”
These accounts seem to corroborate the majority view, but neither gives a source for the information. Hopefully you'll assist us in leaving no stone unturned as we look to confirm this one way or another.

Calling all local history buffs! 🕵️‍♀️ We need your expertise to help us uncover an ancient mystery.

We're on a mission to solve the enigma of the mysterious slab on Pelsall Common.

Once mistaken for ancient fly-tipping, our local history guru, Maureen Payton, ex-Chairman of Friends of Pelsall Commons, has shed some light on its possible origins. Could it be:

🔎 A resting place for coffin bearers on their way to St Michael & All Angels Church, Pelsall's church and graveyard?
🔎 The burial site for the old vicar's house?

Our Walsall Healthy Spaces team found that these theories match up with what other locals have said. Now, we're on a mission to get to the bottom of this historical puzzle. Do you have any clues or theories to share?

Drop your thoughts in the comments below and let's piece together Pelsall's past, one slab at a time! 🧩

Walsall Archives

Exciting news for us at Walsall Archives, we can't wait to get started with this project. Watch this space for updates, and news as to how you can get involved.
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The ‘Walsall Archive for All’ (WAFA) project has been made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund! 🎉

Thanks to National Lottery players, we will be able to digitise thousands of images and audio history recordings, creating a digital archive for all.

The project will also deliver a community exhibition programme, while Walsall College will begin incorporating the Jack Haddock Collection into their photography courses. 📸

Walsall Archives

We are currently consulting on extending our opening hours, you can find the link to the survey here - https://online1.snapsurveys.com/Interview/78edd48b-0a5d-4e4c-a47f-f22f23c8e047
The survey closes on Friday 14 March. We would love to hear your views!
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Looking for something to do in Half Term? Then why not join us and our Library colleagues for this painting and history workshop, inspired by Walsall's Canal Heritage.
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