The History Room
The History Room in the Central Library is where we keep our main collection of materials relating to Plymouth and its surrounding areas.
See also our pages for Family History and Naval history.
Facilities
Free computer access with three dedicated PCs for local and family history research.
Microform readers with printing facilities.
To book computers or Microform readers phone 01752 305903 or email library@plymouth.gov.uk.
Books
- Over 35,000 volumes
- Resources range from transcriptions of the Devon and Cornwall sections of the Domesday Book to present day structure plans and tourist information
- Topics covered include transport, education, geology, mining, genealogy, archaeology and biography
- Special collections include books by Eden Phillpotts, the nineteenth and twentieth century West Country novelist and poet, and Sabine Baring-Gould, Exeter-born prolific writer of novels and non-fiction covering theology, folklore, social commentary, travel and history
- Long and up-to-date runs of Council minutes for Plymouth City Council
Periodicals
Runs of the major county historical periodicals, including:
- Transactions of the Devonshire Association
- Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries
- Publications of the Devon and Cornwall Record Society
- Devon Life from 1966 and Cornish Life 1974 to 1991
- Local periodicals and parish magazines
- Local Historian
Many of these are indexed on card; indexes from 2000 are available via our online catalogue.
Newspapers
Most of our local newspaper collection is on Microfilm.
Booking a microfilm reader is essential. Phone 01752 305909 or email library@plymouth.gov.uk.
For details of printing costs see our charges page.
- Plymouth Weekly Journal, 1721 to 1723
- Sherborne Mercury, 1737 to 1867, with gaps
- Plymouth and Dock Telegraph, 1808 to 1816
- Plymouth Chronicle, May 1809, part 1812, 1813
- Plymouth and Dock Telegraph and Chronicle, 1817 to 1821
- Plymouth and Devonport Weekly Journal, 1819 to 1863
- Plymouth and Plymouth Dock Weekly, 1821 to 1823
- Devonshire Freeholder, 1824 to 1825
- Plymouth Herald and Devonshire Freeholder, 1826 to 1828
- Royal Devonport Telegraph and Plymouth Chronicle, 1828 to 1834
- Plymouth, Devonport and Stonehouse Herald, 1831 to 860
- Devonport Independent and Stonehouse Gazette, 1833 to 1891
- Devonport Telegraph and Plymouth Chronicle, 1835 to 1851
- Plymouth Times, Devonport, Stonehouse and West of England, 1842 to 1858
- Devonport and Plymouth Telegraph, 1852 to 1863
- Plymouth Mail, 1852 to 1862
- Tavistock Gazette, 1857 to 1889
- Western Morning News, 1860 to present day
- Western Daily Mercury, 1860 to 1921
- Western Weekly News, 1861 to 1939
- Thunderbolt, 1871 to 1873
- Western Critic, Oct-Dec 1871
- Western Evening Herald, 1895 to present day
- Plympton Times and South Hams Advertiser, Jan-Feb 1898
- Plympton Gazette, 1907-1912
- Plympton District Times, 1921-1927
- Plympton and South Devon Times, 1927-1930
- South Devon Times, 1930-1950
- Sunday Independent, 1986-2010
Some newspapers, including the Western Morning News and the Western Evening Herald are indexed on card; indexes from 2000 are available via the online catalogue and via Newsbank from 2008.
We also subscribe to 19th Century British Newspapers. Use your library card to access in the library or from home.
Maps
- Ordnance Survey county series in Second and Third Editions for most of south and west Devon and Cornwall, in 6" and 25" scales
- Ordnance Survey county series first edition in 25" scale for most of south Devon, on microfiche
- National Grid 1:2,500 plans for southwest Devon and 1:1,250 for Plymouth
- County series 1:500 for Plymouth in the 1890s: 1st edition on microfiche
- Historical maps for Plymouth, Devon and Cornwall
- Specialist geological and land use maps, navigation charts and street plans
- Reproductions of early Plymouth maps, from 1643 to 1939. Available to buy - see the Library shop
Images and illustrations
- Photographs and engravings of Plymouth and the surrounding area
- Photographs of Plymouth before and after the Blitz, including aerial photographs
- Engravings from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries
- Early and recent postcards of Devon and Cornwall
- Slides of views of Plymouth and south and west Devon
- Images from the Francis Frith collection of photographs covering south and west Devon, on microfiche
Images from our collection are currently being catalogued and digitised by the Plymouth and West Devon Record Office. You can browse the images on their online catalogue.
Ephemera
Newspaper cuttings, periodical articles, leaflets, pamphlets, broadsheets, programmes of events and other ephemera.
Sound and video
- A small but important collection of sound recordings, including one of a service in the Garden Church of St Andrews in the late 1940s
- All films belonging to the library are on deposit with the South West Film and Television Archive, although videos are available
Special collections
Barbican Archive
A collection of historic photographs and oral reminiscences recording life in the area over the past century.
Plymouth Theatre History
Extensive archive of playbills, photographs and programmes from the eighteenth century to the present day.
Useful links
Plymouth and West Devon Record Office
South West Image Bank
Plymouth Data - Encyclopedia of Plymouth history
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