LINKS, ADDRESSES AND ADVICE
If you are searching for your ancestors in Stanley, I hope that this site has been useful to you. I cannot stress too highly, however, that anything you have found here should be verified with reference to the original data. Although I have tried to be 100% accurate in my transcribing, errors will have crept in, and sometimes the quality of the source material leaves something to be desired too. So PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE check everything out if you possibly can (and let me know if you find any errors).
SO, where do you go to see the original documents? This page is a guide to their whereabouts. Most, of course, are in Derbyshire, so if you live miles away (or abroad) then you may have to use the Family History Libraries of the Mormon (LDS) Church, where you can order the appropriate films. Their website includes the catalogue of their holdings - you can find it at www.familysearch.com. If, however, you can travel to local records offices, here are the main ones:
Derbyshire Records Office is on New Street, Matlock. Their website www.derbyshire.gov.uk/recordoffice gives all relevant details. Essentially they have all the parish registers, post 1858 wills and other documents, but not censuses. For those you need to visit either the Local Studies Library in Matlock (5 minutes walk from the Records Office) or the LSL in Derby itself. The latter is on Irongate, near the cathedral, and as well as censuses they have an extensive collection of newspapers on microfilm, with an excellent card index. They are open on Saturday mornings as well as during the week, and the phone number is 01332 255393. Whilst you're in Derby, if you're a member of the Derbyshire Family History Society, why not visit them at Bridge Chapel House (within walking distance of the Local Studies Library)? Opening times can be found in your Society magazine, or alternatively at www.dfhs.org.uk. Bridge Chapel House holds a few transcripts of Stanley records, plus some booklets about the village. For parking in Derby, there are multi-stories in the city centre but I always use the "Park & Ride" from Pride Park (just off the A52). One word of warning, though. If you're using it on a Saturday in the football season, check to see if Derby County are at home first. If they are, the buses do not run. You can see the fixture list at www.therams.co.uk.
If you want to look at Stanley's marriage licences, pre 1858 wills or the original Bishops' Transcripts, then you need to visit Lichfield Records Office.
For births, marriages and deaths, there are a number of places which have the GRO indexes. A list can be found at http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/fiche-source.html Within the records offices mentioned above, you can find at least part of the GRO index at Matlock and Derby Local Studies Libraries and at Bridge Chapel House. It can also be consulted at any LDS library and of course at the Family Records Centre in London. If you visit the latter you can also see censuses for the whole country there. When searching for BMDs in Stanley, the registration district to look for is Shardlow (except for very recent entries, which will be listed under Derby). If you want to send for a certificate then the registers are now kept at Derby (Shardlow Registry Office having closed). The address is
Derby Register Office
9 Traffic Street
Derby
DE1 2NL
Note that cheques should be made payable to "Derby City Council" not "The Superintendant Registrar" - this is different to most registry offices.
If you are looking for marriages of Stanley folk in places other than Stanley, then my recommendation would be to start with the following regisration districts - Shardlow (includes neighbouring villages like Dale Abbey & West Hallam), Basford (includes Ilkeston), Belper (includes Mapperley, which is not far from Stanley), and Derby.
If you don't have time to search BMD indexes yourself, there are a number of researchers who advertise in Family History magazines. They will charge a few pounds over the cost of the certificate to go to the FRC on your behalf. Some will offer a five or ten year search of the indexes at extra cost.
OTHER USEFUL LINKS
The Ilkeston & District Local History Society
The West Hallam Village Website
Apart from Smalley, there do not appear to be any other One Place Studies in this corner of Derbyshire as yet. If anyone decides to do one for West Hallam, Dale Abbey or anywhere else remotely near Stanley, I will be delighted to post a link here......
And finally........
I am always happy to help with advice concerning research in Stanley. Although I don't live there I do have a little knowledge of the village from my studies. I also have everything on this site in a searchable database, plus other information not published here. A list of my unpublished data can be found here. Please feel free to contact me if you would like some assistance, and I'll see what I can do.
Back to Stanley One-Place Study index
