We hold the records of many local businesses, which often had national or international impact. These collections are often over-looked and under-used as research sources.
Here are our top five reasons to look past that indecipherable double entry book-keeping and give business archives a chance-
1. They’re not just for economic or business historians. It’s true that financial records can be an excellent resource for quantitative research, but business collections can also consist of minute books, letter books and other papers suitable for qualitative research for all sorts of disciplines.
2. They can complement other sources. Business collections held at local record offices are often overlooked in favour of school or church records, family/estate papers etc, but they can actually be used alongside them. Individuals, communities and the local landscape were shaped just as much, if not more, by local industry.
3. Although survival of business archives before 1800 is uncommon, they can still pre-date statutory records (e.g. births and deaths registration from 1837 or company registration from 1844).
4. They can help you find an original piece of research. Because these business collections have often been left uncatalogued, and under researched, they have rarely been used. So, if you find something of interest for a dissertation, PhD etc., you’re almost guaranteed no-one else has used it as a source before.
5. Expect the unexpected! The entrepreneurs who founded some of Wales’ most important companies were very active in business, with their fingers in a lot of pies. Consequently their papers often contain some surprising documents.
If you’d like to learn more about the business collections we hold, and start discovering their research potential, have a look at our subject guide.