Dudley Archives and Local History

Dudley Archives and Local History Dudley Archives and Local History Service collects, preserves and makes available archive and local

INTERNATIONAL ARCHIVES DAY, 9th June: This is a watercolour and ink design for a 'Drinking Fountain for Dudley. The trou...
09/06/2026

INTERNATIONAL ARCHIVES DAY, 9th June: This is a watercolour and ink design for a 'Drinking Fountain for Dudley. The trough below is for dogs' by John Gibbs, Architect (1862). This was one of several proposed designs for the Market Place in Dudley, which included a proposed clock tower. The fountain that now stands in Dudley Market Place was designed by James Forsyth, a Scottish Sculptor (1867) and was a gift from the Earl of Dudley to the Town and Borough of Dudley. The Archives holds several drawings of the different designs.
DE/9/5/1 - Designs for Dudley Fountain, with related papers.

To celebrate !🎉 we have a Dudley Archives Newsletter which provides updates on our volunteers and their recent projects...
05/06/2026

To celebrate !🎉 we have a Dudley Archives Newsletter which provides updates on our volunteers and their recent projects!

We would like to send a huge 'thank you' to all of our volunteers for their hard work and dedication which helps to support the Archives Service.

To find out more about our volunteers and their recent projects, in addition to upcoming talks by the Friends of Dudley Archives and recent records added to our collections, please take a look at the Newsletter.

🌟🎉 🎉🌟

🌟ONE WEEK TO GO 🌟On Tuesday 9th June, Ned Williams will be presenting his talk 'Stage and Screen in Dudley' at Dudley Ar...
02/06/2026

🌟ONE WEEK TO GO 🌟

On Tuesday 9th June, Ned Williams will be presenting his talk 'Stage and Screen in Dudley' at Dudley Archives.

Ned Williams will be taking a look back at the world of cinema and theatre in the borough through his extensive research into the subject. For anyone interested in cinema, theatre and local history, this is a talk not be missed!

THIS IS A FREE EVENT. TO RESERVE YOUR PLACE, PLEASE CONTACT US ON: 01384 812770 OR EMAIL US AT: [email protected] (BOOKING REQUIRED)

To find out more about the Dudley Writers' Festival please visit: https://www.better.org.uk/.../wha.../dudley-writers-festival

LOCAL HISTORY MONTH: As May is Local History Month we are sharing a page from "Patchwork" a collection of poems and writ...
19/05/2026

LOCAL HISTORY MONTH: As May is Local History Month we are sharing a page from "Patchwork" a collection of poems and writings about Sedgley and it's surroundings and published in the 1930s by E. A. Underhill (LD 821). Underhill also wrote a detailed history of Sedgley called 'The Ancient Manor of Sedgley' in the 1940s (LD 942.4). Come and explore our collection of Local History books here at the Archives.

THE GENERAL STRIKE of 1926. These photos show people collecting coal from "Bob Holes", during the general strike. The pr...
12/05/2026

THE GENERAL STRIKE of 1926. These photos show people collecting coal from "Bob Holes", during the general strike. The practice of digging and selling coal from seams close to the surface was illegal. Later it was legalised by giving permission for the coal to be mined on a royalty tonnage basis.
(C9639/4/2/8) Four mounted sepia photographs of coal digging in the Buffrey during the General Strike in 1926. From records donated by the Dudley Archaeological and Historical Society.

THE GENERAL STRIKE of 1926, lasted nine days, from 4th May to the 12th May, it was called by the TUC in support of the c...
04/05/2026

THE GENERAL STRIKE of 1926, lasted nine days, from 4th May to the 12th May, it was called by the TUC in support of the coal miners who were protesting against the lowering of their wages and longer hours. Here is a Bulletin issued by the Express and Star on 4th May, 1926. ( R18227, LD 072 P). We also have a copy of a document issued by the Strike Emergency Committee of Brierley Hill on 11th May, 1926 (LS 9582/19/33)

On Tuesday 9th June, Ned Williams will be presenting his talk 'Stage and Screen in Dudley' at Dudley Archives. Ned Willi...
23/04/2026

On Tuesday 9th June, Ned Williams will be presenting his talk 'Stage and Screen in Dudley' at Dudley Archives.

Ned Williams will be taking a look back at the world of cinema and theatre in the borough through his extensive research into the subject. For anyone interested in cinema, theatre and local history, this is a talk not be missed!

THIS IS A FREE EVENT. TO RESERVE YOUR PLACE, PLEASE CONTACT US ON: 01384 812770 OR EMAIL US AT: [email protected] (BOOKING REQUIRED)

To find out more about the Dudley Writers' Festival please visit: https://www.better.org.uk/library/dudley/dudley-library/whats-on/dudley-writers-festival

With the bin service changing in Dudley, it's interesting to note how rubbish was collected in the past. The poster is f...
21/04/2026

With the bin service changing in Dudley, it's interesting to note how rubbish was collected in the past. The poster is from 1869 advertising a new service for the collection of household waste (PO/612). The horse and cart is a Disinfectant cart from the late 1800s that collected bedding etc. for treatment (p/149). The tricycle was a Sanitary Department vehicle from 1935 (p/150). The last image is a new lorry and carts from the Dudley Corporation Sanitary Department in the 1930s (p/1938).

WORLD ART DAY: This image is taken from a notebook dating back to 1848 from Alessandro Aducci, an art dealer from Rome, ...
15/04/2026

WORLD ART DAY:
This image is taken from a notebook dating back to 1848 from Alessandro Aducci, an art dealer from Rome, to Lord Ward (William Ward later 1st Earl of Dudley). The notebook contains copies of art works, possibly from Alessandro Adduci's collections for sale. This particular drawing is believed to be a copy sketch of a piece created by Pierino Bonacorsi, known as Perino del Vaga (1501-1547), depicting the nativity, with Christ surrounded by Mary, Joseph and other saints. The notebook includes an introductory letter in Italian addressed to Lord Ward from Aducci. [Reference: DE/15/8/1]

Happy Easter from Dudley Archives 🐇🐣💐To celebrate spring, this is a programme for a Grand Bazaar and Garden Fair in Apri...
05/04/2026

Happy Easter from Dudley Archives 🐇🐣💐
To celebrate spring, this is a programme for a Grand Bazaar and Garden Fair in April 1926, organised by St John's Church Stourbridge and held at the Town Hall. Some of the activities at the Bazaar were a 'Lucky Wheel', 'Bran Tub' (lucky dip) and 'Silhouette Studio', as well as flower stalls and an orchestra. The Church of St John's was designed by the Architect George Edmund Street and completed in 1861. The Bazaars were held regularly to raise funds for the church.

(PR37/15/3/4)

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