Bromley Central Library

Collections

The library contains the following collections (subjects are in brackets)

Local Studies Collection
Bromley Archives includes records of all kinds relating to this borough and the people and organisations connected with it - local authorities, parishes, businesses, schools, societies, family history and estates. Please Note: References to Bromley London prior to 1965 almost certainly refer to Bromley by Bow, now in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. ,
(Genealogy, Local history)

Crystal Palace Collection
This collection is of interest for its contribution to the study of London and its history in the Victorian era.,
(Local history)

Newspaper Collection
The library holds a collection of local and national newspapers,

H.G.

H.G.Wells Collection

(Authors, English literature (general))

newspapers

Bromley Family and Local History Resources
A collection of family and local history resources as follows: 1. Births, Deaths and Marriages Registrar General's Indexes from 1837 (microform), or Registrar General for Scotland's Computerised Index from 1855. Locations England and Wales 1837-1997. No appointment needed -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Census returns Area of London Borough of Bromley 1841-1901 1881 census index and transcript. England and Wales. Appointment needed -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Directories 3(a) County and Regional Directories Kent (and some Home Counties) 1840-1938 - incomplete series 3(b) City and Town Directories Bromley 1866-1962 Beckenham 1897-1939 (some including Anerley and Penge) 3(c) Telephone Directories Bromley 1952 to date Orpington 1967-1970. Included in Bromley 1972- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. Electoral registers and polls books 4(a) Electoral Registers Beckenham 1925- last non-current year Bromley 1905-70 (continued as Ravensbourne 1971-) Chislehurst 1912-1995 Bromley and Chislehurst 1996- Orpington 1939- Penge 1899-1947 (continues as part of Beckenham) Ravensbourne 1971-1995 N.B. The Reference Library has current registers 4(b) Poll Books Kent: 1791, 1803 West Kent: 1835, 1837, 1847, 1852, 1857, 1865, 1868 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5. International Genealogical Index (IGI) British Isles 1988 and 1992 editions, microfiche British Isles 1992/1994 CD-ROM (Family Search) Appointment needed for family search -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6. Unpublished Indexes Archives name and place index Biography index (names, etc. of local notables) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7. Parish Registers Parishes in diocese of Rochester in LB Bromley 16th-20th centuries Original registers and microfilms. Some transcripts Microfilms to c 1900 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8. Periodicals (excl. newspapers) Kent FHS and NW Kent FHS journals (complete) Several parish magazines East Surrey FHS journal and Genealogists' Magazine (incomplete) Family Tree Magazine (complete) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9. Published Transcripts of Archival Material Not of our archives. We hold London Record Society publications (complete) and Surrey and Kent (incomplete) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10. Other material Other parish records School records, mainly log books Personal and estate papers Soldiers died in the Great War (CD-Rom) British Isles Vital Records Index -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11. Guides to Collections -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12. Local Record Offices London Borough of Bromley Local Studies Library Archives Section Central Library High Street Bromley BR1 1EX Tel: 020 8461 7170 Fax: 020 8313 9975 Email: localstudies.library@bromley.gov.uk -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other information Chapman County Codes (BS 6879): KEN, SUR, MID, LND Appointments recommended for archives, microfilm, and CD-Rom. Not needed for microfiche Other Libraries: There is substantial related material at the Centre for Kentish Studies, County Hall, Maidstone, as this area was historically part of Kent ,
(Electoral registers, Genealogy, Local history, Parish records, Poll books, Population censuses, Registration of birth, Registration of death, Registration of marriage)