Chancery court records

From the mid-16th century, anyone running an inn or alehouse needed permission from the justices of the peace. Later, landlords were required to pledge not to allow disorderly conduct in their establi

When you’re ready to dig into your Essex roots, there are many museums and local-history collections that may contain traces of your ancestors’ lives. The Museum of Chelmsford (chelmsford.gov.uk/museu

The judges weren’t happy with the faces on the TV. “We reported we had difficulties with legal aid,” a lawyer on the very large screen said. “It is impossible to comply with that date because funding

Samuel Pepys’s self-incriminating diaries

Recently, at the Western Cape Archives in Cape Town, South Africa, I had to suppress my tears as I finally read the horrifying details about my late mother’s tragically cruel early childhood. Iris Ale

Essex Record Office a Wharf Road, Chelmsford CM2 6YT t 033301 32500 e ero.enquiry@essex.gov.uk w essexrecordoffice.co.uk You’ll find parish registers, census material, wills, Poor Law records, family