TheFriendsA guide to The Friends of The National Archives

The Friends of The National Archives is a registered charityand voluntary organisation set up in 1988 at the thenPublic Record Office (PRO) and launched at a conferencecelebrating 150 years of the setting up of the PRO.

We were registered as a charity in 1990. We now have over1100 members across the UK and globally too - including Europeand North America. We have a governing Council, comprisingmembers of the Charity with trustee status and responsibility. Thegovernance of the Friends is entirely on a voluntary basis.

The Friends is a member of the British Association of the Friendsof Museums (BAFM). We also network with other like-mindedvoluntary organisations supporting local archives, in addition tolocal and family history societies. We have a range of membershipcategories including individual and joint, life, charity, corporate andresearch groups and organisations.

FOLLOW US! @FriendsTNA www.friendsofthenationalarchives.org.uk

Who we are

What we doOur objectives are to promote and assist the work of TheNational Archives (TNA) through fund-raising and practicalsupport and to educate the public in the knowledge ofpublic and other records.

Since 1988 the Friends has provided vital assistance tonumerous projects through our volunteers and funding support.We have enabled records of all kinds and classes to beconserved, preserved, catalogued, calendared, indexed, madeaccessible and studied.

FundingSome of the project work we have supported include SP 20/10-13 (Parliamentary Sequestration Committee); KB 9 (King'sBench Indictments) MH 47 (Conscientious Objectors Tribunals);C 5, 7, & 8 (Chancery proceedings); WARD 2 (Court of Wardsand Liveries) and HCA 30 & 32 (Prize papers – the High Courtof Admiralty). We have supported various conferences, includingthose on RMS Titanic; Railways; various aspects of the FirstWorld War and the Prize Papers. We help to fund talks andevents at The National Archives and supported the Writer of theMonth series in 2013.

We have supported competitions based on the use ofhistorical records to create films and computer games. We havejointly funded projects with the British Association of LocalHistory, the Federation of Family History Societies and the

National Maritime Museum. We work closely with TNA’seducation and outreach teams by providing funds for projectsinvolving a wide range of activities with schools and communitygroups. Between 2014 and 2016 we have disbursedapproximately £50,000.

VolunteeringSome of the projects we have worked on include the PrerogativeCourt of Canterbury wills and administrations (PROB 12/17-119), Chancery proceedings (C 2 - C 10), Admiralty papers(ADM 106, 354, 359), War Office records (WO 69, 97, 119, 121,374), the vast collections of photographs submitted toStationer's Hall prior to 1912 (COPY 1), Civilian Awards forBravery in WWII (HO 250) and PIN 26 (pension payments afterWWI). Some members work from home and others at Kew. Ourmembers support The National Archives in other ways too.Volunteers assist in the Library and provide tours of the Keeper'sGallery. Members also undertake book reviews for theBookshop, help with recruiting for the Friends, assist duringfamily days and provide general assistance during events andpublic surveys. We do so on the basis of ‘in addition to’, ratherthan ‘instead of’ so that we provide extra flexibility and supportfor staff.

Some examples of our support

July 1916 saw the final completionof the WO 374 project to expandthe catalogue description availableon Discovery of this very importantWWI series of Army Officers’records. To record the completion ofthe final file this photograph wastaken to mark the occasion showinga number of the volunteersinvolved in the project. The seriescontains 77833 Officers files andthe project was planned to take twoyears. The task was finished sixweeks ahead of schedule and withinthe cost budget. The volunteerteam has 22 members who eachdevote one day per week.

The completion of WO 374

Medieval Family DayFamily events are a growing part of TheNational Archives’ public eventsprogramme. For the Medieval Family Dayevent in 2016 we suppor ted theprogramme by funding the attendance of the weapons specialists from the Royal Armouries. They provided re-enactment displays using weapons anddemonstration of armed tactics of the period.

Here are just a few of the projects the Friends have been involved with.

Lampson unlocked:Fear God! Fear nought!We were involved in a highly successfulart and drama project that interpretedthe life and times of Commander Locker-Lampson, who was in charge of theBritish Armoured Car Squadronstationed in Petrograd during 1917. Theproject involved The National Archives’Outreach team, the V&A and the WrenAcademy. It brought together materialheld by the V&A and The NationalArchives that was used by A-Levelstudents at the Wren Academy tointerpret aspects of the First World War

and the Russian Revolution. Our fundingsupported the project and enabled asuccessful outcome with a dramaperformance and art display at the V&A.

We have supported two competitions

run by The National Archives to

encourage and promote the archives to

younger and different audiences. Young

film-makers drew their inspiration from

a wide range of original documents to

produce short films. We provided funds

for the prizes in support of this

innovative approach. We have also

supported a similar approach involving

computer gaming and the creation of

new games based on information

derived from original documents.

Files on Film

Supported by

The Crown Jewels

With money received from a legacy we

purchased a book to fill an important

gap in The National Archives’ library. The

Crown Jewels book, edited by the late

Claude Blair, is a limited edition two-

volume set in a slipcase and was

published by the Stationery Office in

1999. The book was given to the library

in memory of the donor.

Care and Comfort in the First World War

series of creative making workshopswere designed with the artists thatallowed participants to reflect on theexperiences people at the time of theFirst World War would have had insending and receiving letters and gifts.Ten two hour workshops werecompleted with a total of 35participants. Both groups praised theactivity and the outputs and recognizedhow well it fitted with their roles asorganizations providing befriending,counselling and socializationprogrammes. The Friends funded andsupported a reception for both groupsat The National Archives. This enabledparticipants to visit The NationalArchives, in many cases for the firsttime, and also get an opportunity tomeet one another.

One of our most significantcontributions in terms of funding hasbeen the support we have given for thesorting and cataloguing of the HighCourt of Admiralty ‘Prize Papers’. Theserelate to captured vessels from hostilecountries (notably France, Spain andHolland) between the 16th and 18thcenturies. They contain a rich source ofpersonal, business and legalcorrespondence between belligerentcountries and their colonies. Thecollection also includes re-capturedBritish papers taken from previouslycaptured British vessels. We have alsosupported an international conferenceexploring the richness and scope of thecollection at Kew and in other Europeanarchives.

Prize Papers

Somme TalesWe funded a film-making workshop

involving ten students (aged 16-19)

who created a short film under the

guidance of a professional film-maker.

They were given access to a range of

original documents relating to the

Somme and life on the home front at

the time. From this they produced a

short animated film that was screened

at The National Archives. This is

another example of how our funding

has helped to encourage and inspire

new audiences.

As part of a programme on the FirstWorld War, the Outreach Teamdesigned a new project on the theme ofcare and comfort that ran fromSeptember 2015 to March 2016. Thecare and comfort theme focused on thestories of everyday humanity andfriendship people demonstrated whileapart from one another as a result ofthe war. Through writing letters, makingcards and sending parcels, the projecttried to simulate some of theexperiences of people affected by thewar. A project such as this was a meansof giving people an accessible andengaging entry into commemoratingthe war.

Working with two groups, one inSouthall (Neighbourly Care) and theother in Battersea (Contact Club, partof the Katherine Low Settlement), a

Friends of The National Archives. ARK – The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 4DU email : enquiries@friendsofthenationalarchives.org.ukwww.friendsofthenationalarchives.org.uk

The Friends of The National Archives is a registered charity (number 328630), established in 1988.

The Friends

How can you contribute to help the Friends support The National Archives?

MagazineOur members’ magazine is published in May and November (witheditorial deadlines on 13 March and September). It has features andarticles by members and staff based on the collections held at Kew, andin other archives. The editor always welcomes articles based on researchusing the records at Kew, or linked to other archives. We are spoilt forchoice and there are many topics and historical aspects yet to be covered.Please get in touch to discuss opportunities and possibilities. It is also aneasy way to get published for those at the beginning of a research oracademic career, or just wanting to share a passion for history.

FundingThe Friends’ main support for TheNational Archives comes through ourfunding for document related projects of all kinds, the purchase of specialistequipment, prizes for competitions,events and conferences. Yoursubscription will help us to fund anddevelop the support we provide forthe various activities undertaken byThe National Archives.

Practical helpThere are opportunities to volunteer for document related tasks,for example transcribing and cataloguing. There are alsoopportunities for volunteers to assist the Friends directly byjoining our recruiting team to help promote our cause andincrease the membership, and staffing an information point formembers. There are opportunities to assist at events to meetand greet, or assist with registration. All practical support andvolunteers’ time are always greatly appreciated.

Contact usenquiries@friendsofthenationalarchives.org.ukrecruiting@ friendsofthenationalarchives.org.uk

Join us now and help to make a difference.

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