http://suffolkheritagedirect.org.uk/ All the news from Suffolk Heritage Direct en-gb http://www.suffolkheritagedirect.org.uk/news/2010/march/default.aspx Welcome to the new Suffolk Heritage Direct website - The Heritage Gateway to Suffolk’s collections. It brings the county’s past to life in one easily accessible place by drawing together information and images from, Suffolk archives, local studies, museums and archaeology collections. March, 01 2010 20:30:00 GMT http://www.suffolkheritagedirect.org.uk/news/2010/may/default.aspx#webMaintenance From the 14th of May 2010 the Suffolk Heritage Direct website will not be accessible due to sever maintenance. It is expected that the website will be back up on or shortly after Monday the 17th of May 2010. May, 11 2010 11:50:00 GMT http://www.suffolkheritagedirect.org.uk/news/2010/november/default.aspx#webMaintenance The Suffolk Heritage Direct website will not be accessible from 08.00am on Thursday 18 November 2010 due to essential work on the server. It is expected that the website will be back up by 08.00am on Friday 19 November 2010. We apologise for any inconvenience caused by this work. November, 09 2010 08:45:00 GMT http://www.suffolkheritagedirect.org.uk/news/2011/january/default.aspx#folk A new catalogue of over 700 oral history recordings, recently digitised thanks to a grant of £35,700 from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the Suffolk Voices Restored project, is now available on Suffolk Heritage Direct. The majority of these recordings were collected between 1985 and 1988 and include tapes produced by the Women’s Institute, Suffolk Local History Council, Eastern Angles Theatre Group, the Museum of East Anglian Life, Wickham Market Local History Society and the Ipswich and Norwich Co-operative Society. Further interviews were conducted to fill gaps in geographical and subject coverage creating a unique collection of Suffolk related sound recordings and oral reminiscences of life histories which preserve local words, dialects and customs. These stories are not available in standard history text books and supplement information found in the record office’s other archival and local studies sources thereby enabling researchers to gain a more rounded picture especially of agriculture, domestic service, the fishing industry, both World Wars and family life. Continue reading... January, 31 2011 10:35:00 GMT http://www.suffolkheritagedirect.org.uk/news/2011/january/default.aspx#corder A catalogue including some stunning images of the Corder collection is now available on Suffolk Heritage Direct. This collection was purchased for the county in 2006 through the generosity of local people, trusts and societies, as well as grants from national bodies such as the Victoria and Albert Museum, Friends of the National Libraries and the Heritage Lottery Fund. Continue reading... January, 31 2011 10:35:00 GMT http://www.suffolkheritagedirect.org.uk/news/2011/january/default.aspx#history Did you know that records capturing the history of local allotments, playing fields, village halls, war memorials and cemeteries, bus shelters, rights of way, coronations, jubilees and other celebrations, charities, council houses, schools, roads and bypasses and much more are to be found in Parish and Town Council Collections in Suffolk Record Office? You can now search on Suffolk Heritage Direct to find lists of what is held for your local community. January, 31 2011 10:35:00 GMT http://www.suffolkheritagedirect.org.uk/news/2011/january/default.aspx#trail Catalogues describing the contents of all Suffolk Record Office's 508 Parish collections some dating back to the 16th century can now be found on Suffolk Heritage Direct. Each collection is a treasure trove of information on its community. Apart from registers of baptisms, marriages, banns and burials you can expect to find other records which will help you to understand how your ancestors lived. These might include archives relating to the care of poorer inhabitants or the administration of local charities and the church school. Parish Magazines and rate books can also provide valuable information. January, 31 2011 10:35:00 GMT http://www.suffolkheritagedirect.org.uk/news/2011/february/default.aspx#web Suffolk Heritage Direct will be taken down for essential maintenance from 8.00am on Monday 28 February until 9.00am on Tuesday 1 March 2011. We apologise for any inconvenience caused. February, 21 2011 16:50:00 GMT http://www.suffolkheritagedirect.org.uk/news/2011/february/default.aspx#agriculture Farming has always been at the heart of the rural community in Suffolk. The East Suffolk Agricultural Association was formed in 1831 in Wickham Market by a group of progressive farmers and landowners who wanted to improve farming techniques in their county by holding an annual show. Since this date the Suffolk Show has mirrored and helped to shape agriculture and rural life in Suffolk both before and after it moved to a permanent Suffolk Showground in 1960. In 1833 the West Suffolk Association began its own Show and in 1856 the two merged to form the Suffolk Agricultural Association. Read more... February, 22 2011 12:30:00 GMT http://www.suffolkheritagedirect.org.uk/news/2011/february/default.aspx#ships Lowestoft’s maritime history is brought to life in a remarkable collection of archives. Until recently Lowestoft was the busiest fishing port in Britain, and was also a leading centre of shipbuilding. Every single vessel registered in Lowestoft from 1854 to 1993 was recorded in detail in the Registers of Ships that were kept in the port. Over the years the Registers were moved around to different places, including Great Yarmouth, Ipswich, and Cardiff. Now they have all come home to Lowestoft and are stored in special secure archival conditions in the Suffolk Record Office in Lowestoft Library. Read more... February, 22 2011 12:30:00 GMT http://www.suffolkheritagedirect.org.uk/news/2011/february/default.aspx#photos Housed at Ipswich Record Office, the Suffolk Photographic Survey was started in 1954 by Mr R B Pratt of Capel St Mary, to create a collection of photographs that would illustrate as fully as possible the life of the county in the past. It now contains about 17,000 prints and negatives covering the whole of Suffolk, mainly from the late 19th and early 20th centuries and is growing all the time. The fully searchable catalogue enables you to find photographs of a community - maybe the parish church, village shop, main street or major buildings - or relating to subjects such as agriculture, transport, windmills or rural occupations and crafts. Read more... February, 22 2011 12:30:00 GMT http://www.suffolkheritagedirect.org.uk/news/2011/february/default.aspx#regiment The Suffolk Regiment Archives are housed at the Bury St Edmunds Record Office and cover the records of battalions from the early days of the Regiment as well as those of individual soldiers. The Regiment saw action in many theatres of war particularly in Egypt, India, Malta, Shanghai, South Africa, Palestine, France and Flanders. The collection includes over 19,000 photographs illustrating the life of the Regiment from 1862-1959. Read more... February, 22 2011 12:30:00 GMT