Title 

The title that is physically on the record. Sometimes extra description is given in brackets to make it easier to find the record.

Years 

The years the contents of the record were started and finished. If this information is not known, the record is undated.

Item ID 

Also known as the ‘R’ number. You can use this number to search for a record without needing the full archives reference.

Agency

The government agency that transferred the records to us. Each government agency has a four-letter code.

Series 

A group of records that are related to each other, like probated wills, coroners' inquests, or military service records. The series has a short numerical code.

Accession 

A group of records that were transferred to us at the same time. Each accession has a numbered code beginning with the letters W, A, D, or CH, depending on which of our archives the record is held in.

Record number 

The number given to a record by the government agency that transferred it to us. Often, records are numbered according to a classification scheme, where the numbers represent a subject or function. For example, in the record number 3/2/1 an agency may have used the number 3 to represent ‘human resources’ and the number 2 to represent ‘recruitment’.

Record type

The physical format of the record. This may be text document, art work, photograph or others.

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