British Library
Either BL web site
or British Library, Explore the Catalogue.

- Papers relating mainly to the Derbyshire estates of Sir Richard Arkwright (Ref Add MSS 6668-97).
- Adam Wolley bequeathed his manuscripts relating to Derbyshire to the British Museum and they are now at the British Library (Add M 6666 -6718). You can search their on-line catalogue.

On The Andrews Pages web site are: Wolley Manuscripts, Matlock | Wolley Manuscripts, Derbyshire

Derbyshire Ancestral Research Group [DARG]
An informal group who meet at :
Birchwood Methodist Chapel, Birchwood Lane, Somercotes, Near Alfreton, Derbyshire.
Web site shows who to contact.

Enquiries must be accompanied by a stamped self addressed envelope, or in the case of overseas enquiries by two IRCs (International Reply Coupons). Although they do not make a charge for their services, a donation towards their funds is always very much appreciated. Please make any cheques payable to "Derbyshire Ancestral Research Group" (DARG is not acceptable by their Bank).

Their transcripts of Matlock & Matlock Bath burials can be found on FindMyPast

Their archives include:
- St. Giles Church Monument Inscriptions*
- United Methodist Church, Imperial Road Baptisms (1841-1900) records
- Matlock Congregational, later the United Reform Church. Baptisms (1866-1922), Marriages (1866) and Deaths (1881-1926)
- Glenorchy (Congregational) Chapel, Matlock Bath. Baptisms (1785-1836)

*If you are seeking an MI published by the Derbyshire Ancestral Research Group (for example, an MI in St. Giles' Churchyard) please contact the web mistress before you write to them as I should be able to provide the reference.

Derbyshire Record Office
County Hall, MATLOCK, Derbyshire, DE4 3AG.
(It became a joint service with County Hall LSL on 12 Feb 2013)
Web site
For those travelling by road, the Record Office is situated in the Ernest Bailey Building on New Street and has limited parking. From 5 June 2017 they no longer open on Mondays and their opening hours have changed.

They house original records and their archives cover the County of Derbyshire, City and Diocese of Derby.
A request form for their fee paid search service is available.

There are too many to list here but their archives include the following relating to Matlock:
- Chesterfield-Matlock Turnpike
- Church records: Parish register for Holy Trinity Church, Matlock Bath and St Giles, Matlock (Matlock Parish Church). The St. Giles' Baptisms, Marriages & Burials are now onsite; details of the Glenorchy Chapel, Matlock Bath etc.
- Deeds and Family papers for the Evans family of Matlock Bath (1628 - 1912)
- Property Sales - descriptions and names of owners in the 1800's etc. Look in the subject index drawers.

Derby Local Studies & Family History Library
Re-located to Riverside Chambers.
Web site
When contacting them, please try to include any shelf reference or accession number if you have it.

Their archives include:
- Ince Pedigrees (Ref: 8022), drawn up by Thomas Ince who was a solicitor in Wirksworth for many years. If you require a photocopy of an Ince Pedigree the library provides a photocopying service. You will need to quote the suname and a reference, if possible.
- microfilm of newspapers such as The Derby Mercury.
- Picture the Past
A project digitising the photos of Derby City Libraries and Derby Museums, and Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Libraries. The biggest photo resource on Derby and Derbyshire, and one of the biggest such resources in the country.

County Hall Local Studies Library
(formerly Matlock LSL)
Moved venue, becoming a joint service with County Record Office on 12 Feb 2013.
See County Record Office web site

If you would like photocopies of documents listed on this web site, please look at the County Record Office's web pages for up to date information regarding cost. When contacting the library please quote the volume and folio number(s) provided here, and a brief description if you can. For example, "The surname XXX from the Wolley Manuscripts".

Card catalogue and indexes can be consulted without an appointment, but anyone wishing to consult microfilms should make an appointment to book a reader to avoid disappointment.

Their archives include:
- Catalogue to the Wolley Manuscripts.
Matlock and Matlock Bath Names in the Wolley Manuscripts are on this site but please contact the library for copies of documents.
- St. Giles Church Monument Inscriptions, transcribed by the DARG
- microfilm of newspapers such as The High Peak News
(see Newspapers, National and Local below)

Publications include:
- Gordon, Ruth (2nd ed. 1996) Local Newspapers in Derbyshire Libraries 1996 © Derbyshire County Council ISBN 0903463 45 8. Historical newspaper files held at Matlock in 1996.
- Wood, Miriam. (1977) Index to the Catalogue of British Museum Additional Manuscripts Numbers 6676 to 6686 being the Manuscripts relating to the Derbyshire Lead mining Industry which are part of the British Museum Additional Manuscripts numbers 6668-6718, otherwise known as the Wolley Manuscripts, prepared from a microfilm copy for Derbyshire County Library. ISBN 0 903463 04 0 pub. Derbyshire County Council. Three books - a catalogue of the deeds, a subject index and a place and person index.

Presentation Archive & Heritage Centre
Web site (currently not working, Jan 2018)
Contact Sr Susan
Presentation Sisters,
Chesterfield Road,
Matlock,
Derbyshire,
DE4 3FT

The Presentation Sisters have established an Archive & Heritage Centre in one of the buildings on their Chesterfield Road site. It holds all their historical records from both home and abroad since 1836 is be open for all, but you will need to make an appointment.

Within Derbyshire they have worked in both Glossop and Matlock. For a long period they ran the Presentation Convent School on the Chesterfield Road site as well as the Nagle Preparatory School. They are applying for Lottery Funding for this project, as they hope their centre will be used for research, for study and reading as well as for more general community use, so as a venue for meetings.

GENUKI site for Derbyshire
Web site

The web site is an invaluable resource for Derbyshire researchers.

Staffordshire Record Office (Lichfield Record Office closed 1 Jan 2018)
Web site (Family History)

The RO has an online catalogue - Gateway to the Past. Follow the links on their site.

Holds Bishops Transcripts (BTs), marriage licences, wills.
Please note that to obtain a copy of a marriage licence you will need to provide the date of marriage and the search for the licence will mean you have to pay a fee. You'll also have to pay search fees for wills unless you can provide full probate details. Stating the year only does not provide them with enough information.

Also see "About Wills" on this web site

What happened to the National Newspaper Library at Colindale?

Colindale, in North London, closed after 82 years and the repository was relocated to Boston Spa, Yorkshire.
The newspapers Colindale held can be read in the British Library Reading room at St. Pancras.
Many publications can be read online at Find My Past.
Or many U.K. counties have the facility to use your local library card and use the online resources that are available in your area.

The National Archives - TNA
(formerly the Public Record Office)
Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 4DU.
Web site

Their holdings are vast but of special importance to Matlock historians are '"The Duchy of Lancaster Manorial Rolls". These go back to the 13th century.

There is a sample on this site. See:
Documents Relating to Matlock, 14th Century - Leases 1376-1377

Society of Genealogists
14 Charterhouse Buildings, Goswell Road, London, EC1M 7BA
Web site

Large range of material, including copy of DARG transcripts of MI's from St. Giles Church, Matlock.

William Salt Library
Stafford, Staffordshire, England
Web site
The library building is currently closed. For further updates please check their planning a visit page.

Has papers relating to the Vernon family (1797-1812).

A. Matlock through the ages

• GENUKI - Matlock and Matlock Bath
  
  
• 1828/9 description of Matlock and Matlock Bath, from Pigot's Directory typed by Heather Faulkes, both on the DBY GENUKI site.
  
  
• Civil Registration Districts
• The Office of National Statistics
  Certificates of births, marriages and deaths for England and Wales may be purchased from ONS. You will need to check the full reference from the indexes before making an application.
  
  
• National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland, 1868
  This gazetteer entry for Matlock is one of many for the whole UK, a result of Colin Hinson's OCR of the National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland, 1868.
  
  
• National Portrait Gallery - search the collection
  Although not all the portraits are on display you will find amongst the names those of Richard Arkwright and Florence Nightingale. A portrait of Arkwright by Joseph Wright is on display and also three of Florence Nightingale.
  
  
• Old maps maps can be found on the National Library of Scotland's Old Map collection
  The Landmark maps are no longer available.
  
  
• Peakland Heritage - This excellent resource is a joint venture between Derbyshire County Council, Peak Park and the British Library is aimed largely at school children. Over 700 topics are included.
  This site is not currently available (Jan 2018), but this is left here in case it re-appears.

B. Modern Matlock and District

• Peak District Information Website - Attractions around Matlock.
  Part of the Cressbrook pages, with details of the tourist attractions in and around Matlock and Matlock Bath.
  
  
• Hundreds of photographs of Derby and Derbyshire are on Andy Savage's site. This is well worth a visit
  
  
• Visit Let's Stay Peak District at http://www.peakdistrict-nationalpark.com
  (Apologies that there is no hyperlink. Please use copy and paste.)
  Peak District tourist guide featuring hotels, cottages, pubs, b&bs, campsites, caravan parks as well as places to eat and drink, visitor attractions, places to see, walks and more.
  
  
• High Leas Farm has an interesting history - Sorry, website currently unavailable.
  Apart from the stunning view from the hillside above the farm, which is a real treat to see, the web site discusses the farm's history. It mentions the Nightingales, the Taylors of Castle Top Farm and some characters in Alison Uttley's books.
  
  

For a full list of Derbyshire newspapers see:
Gordon, Ruth (2nd ed. 1996) "Local Newspapers in Derbyshire Libraries" 1996 © Derbyshire County Council ISBN 0903463 45 8. Historical newspaper files held at Matlock.
or visit Newsplan East Midlands web site (see below)

There are three local newspapers which cover current events in Matlock and District. They are:

• The Derbyshire Times
  Derbyshire Times Newspapers, Dunston Innovation Centre, Dunston Road, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S41 8NG
  
  
• The Matlock Mercury* (formerly known as the Coming Events)
  Matlock Mercury, The Balance, 2 Pinfold Street, Sheffield, S1 2GU.
  *The link now takes you to the Derbyshire Times website although both website addresses are printed in the copies of this newspaper (July 2022). Announcements and celebrations from the Mercury are now included on the Derbyshire Times website. A few more historic notices from the Mercury, such as slightly older Obituaries, can be found online but links on them may not be valid.
  
  
• The Peak Advertiser
  First Floor Offices, Orme Court, Granby Road, Bakewell, Derbyshire, DE45 1ES
  

For historical information in National British Newspapers try:

• Find My Past

Within Derbyshire and the East Midlands try:

• Derbyshire County Council Leisure & Culture (Libraries) (now part of the County Record Office). See above.
  
  
• Derby Local Studies Library
  
  *Both of the above libraries hold microfilms of some old newspapers (though not necessarily the same at both libraries).

• Newsplan - Newspapers in the East Midlands and East of England
  This web site lists which newspapers have been preserved and where to find them, including those held by the above two libraries

I have a list of these for Matlock and Matlock Bath.
Email any queries you may have

• Join the Derbyshire Family History Society.
  
  
• Rootsweb announced that "Beginning March 2nd, 2020 the Mailing Lists functionality on RootsWeb will be discontinued". This affected DERBYSGEN - the Derbyshire Genealogy Discussion Group.
  Go to: derbysgen2 Genealogy group covering Derbyshire UK
  It remains a thriving (and free) e-mail group. Originally created by Jane Smith as a forum for genealogical and historical exchanges of information relating to the county of Derbyshire and of surname interests of subscribers who have ancestors within the county. Although active participation is encouraged, it is not mandatory if you don't feel comfortable posting messages to the list. To join in, so that you can receive e-mails, just send an e-mail with the word "subscribe", without the quotes, as the only text in the body of a message. It is helpful if you turn off any signature files you may use.
  
  If you subscribe you'll receive a lot of emails; they will cover all kinds of topics. You won't be interested in in all of them, of course, but you can often guess from the Subject whether or not you want to read them.
  
  
• There are quite a few one name studies relating to Matlock surnames. See, for example:
  • Statham of Matlock

• Visitor Information
  Station Yard, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 3NA.
  Contact details on the website.
  You should be able to find plces to stay on that site.
  
  
• Heights of Abraham
  For those wishing to visit, either on foot or by the cable car.
  They have just (2018) been awarded a Visit England Gold Accolade for the third time.
  
  
• The Grand Pavilion, Matlock Bath - this Edwardian building was rescued and is now owned by a charity run by local people.
  
  
• Discover Derbyshire and the Peak District
  A wonderful resource for those keen on walking. It is non-commercial and based on Discover Derbyshire Supplements published by the Derby Evening Telegraph, written by the site's compiler, Denis Eardley
  There is a section on the Matlocks
  
  
• Derbyshire - the Peak District
  The Official Tourist Board of the Peak District & Derbyshire
  
  
• 10adventures - Find hiking trails and adventure tours in the most stunning places on earth. There is a good section on hikes in the Peak District, for example.
  
  
• A few local hotels have web sites. The list below is of those which may be of historic interest and is not a complete list of all hotels. Some of the properties are no longer operating as hotels, so there is no current link.
  
  
  • Bradley House Hotel, Dale Road, Matlock
  • Hodgkinson's Hotel, Matlock Bath
  • The New Bath Hotel re-opened under new ownership in October 2016.
  • Riber Hall
  • Temple Hotel, Matlock Bath