Record Society, The Staffordshire
Cover of paperback book WILLIAM SALT AND HIS LIBRARY by Randle W. Knight was
published by The Staffordshire Record Society as an occasional paper in 2002. Copies
can be purchased from The William Salt Library, Eastgate Street, Stafford, ST16 2LZ.
History
THE STAFFORDSHIRE RECORD SOCIETY originated in 1879 as the William Salt
Archaeological Society. It took its name and inspiration from William Salt, a banker of
Staffordshire family whose antiquarian collections form the core of the holdings of the
William Salt Library at Stafford, opened in 1872.
The Society was the brain child of General George Wrottesley, a younger son of the 2nd
Baron Wrottesley of Wrottesley Hall, Tettenhall, and a veteran of the Crimean War. He
was the Society’s mainstay as secretary and author until his death in 1909. He was
succeeded by Josiah Wedgwood, the future Lord Wedgwood.
Purpose
The purpose of the Society has always been the publication of documents, local and
national, relating to the history of Staffordshire, although articles and monographs have
also been included. The Society’s name was changed in 1936 to the Staffordshire
Record Society as being more suited to its work. The series of publications, which has
the title Collections for a History of Staffordshire, includes pipe rolls, plea rolls and feet of
fines, episcopal, cathedral and monastic records, parish and family histories, the minute
book of the parliamentary committee at Stafford 1643-5, biographies of Staffordshire
MPs to 1841, and a facsimile edition of William Yates’s map of Staffordshire, 1775. A well
stocked pipeline of future volumes continues the series well into the 21st century. There
are indexes to material in the William Salt Library and Staffordshire Record Office.
Subscription
The annual subscription is £5.00. New members are welcome, and enquires should be
address to the Hon. Secretary, Staffordshire Record Society, c/o The William Salt Library,
Eastgate Street, Stafford, ST16 2LZ.
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