Family History Resources
Frome Museum holds an astonishingly wide collection of historical information and items relating to Frome and the surrounding villages. Many items and records include information on individuals as well as the places they lived and worked – much of which is like gold dust to the family historian! Items that you won’t find on subscription sites are readily available to search on our collection catalogue.
Below is a list of the type of items available but new material is being donated weekly and who knows when something useful to you will turn up. Recently we have added the data from the old Frome Research website. The are also working with Frome’s St John the Baptist Church and we have access to searchable BMD records, some of which go back to the 1500s. We also hold some some records from other churches in the town.
MATERIAL OF INTEREST TO FAMILY HISTORIANS:
BOOKS – Over 6000 books – All the local villages history books; Scrap Books; WW1 & WW2 books; Frome Directories (older ones with addresses) & Guides from 1854.
CLUBS & GROUPS – Vast collection of local groups such as Dramatic Societies, Flower Show committees, Oddfellows, Sports & Social Clubs etc.
WORK & INDUSTRY – Nearly all the big local industries, BTs, Beswick, Notts, Singers, Express Dairies, Tuckers etc, plus lots of smaller workplaces & people.
EVENTS – Items of interest from local newspaper have been clipped and saved plus many photos from local events like Carnival, Cheese Show, Frome Festival etc. You never know who you might recognise!
MAPS – The collection, over 1200, of maps date from 1774 and shows how the town and local villages have grown over the years. Some maps even include named houses.
CHURCH RECORDS – This is a vast subject with records dating back to the early 1700s
FROME RESEARCH collection by David Smart is available to search and to download to your computer, covering family history, censuses, church and property records. In the Collection box type in Frome Research BMD and this will bring up a list to choose from. When opened each one can be downloaded with the link. There is also Frome Research surveys with many searchable documents.
HOUSES & ESTATES – There is an enormous collection of indentures, mortgages and leases going back to the 1600s. There are large estate auctions (some have estate maps), often due to death duties. There are over 1300 Estate agent brochures (many with photos) for the whole of Frome. There are also a few house inventories.
INDIVIDUALS – Documents & photos donated from individuals and families – just search for a surname.
NEWSPAPERS – Somerset Standard newspapers from 1886: BMDs; Obituaries; Marriage reports that often include a guest list and in some cases a list of gifts for the couple; Property sales with the householder’s name; Holiday trips; Sports clubs results with named players; School photos and events; Annual & town activities.
SCHOOLS – A large collection of Grammar/College photos; Photos of all other schools & activities; Lots of school memorabilia.
PHOTOGRAPHS – Over 4700 photos of beautiful images of Streets, Houses, Shops, Industry, Farming, Churches, Education, Sport, People, Clubs, Events, Villages.
VILLAGES – Mostly from the old Frome Rural District which includes Beckington, Berkley, Buckland Dinham, Chantry, Cloford, Coleford, Cranmore (East & West), Downhead, Great Elm, Holcombe, Laverton, Leigh-on-Mendip, Lullington, Marston Bigot, Mells, Nunney, Oldford, Orchardleigh, Rodden, Rode, Standerwick, Stoke St Michael, Trudoxhill, Tytherington, Vallis, Vobster, Wanstrow, Witham Friary, Woodlands (East & West) and Woolverton.
WW1 & WW2 – A large collection of memorabilia of those in service plus the Home Guard and how Frome hosted evacuees plus prisoner camps.
OTHER ITEMS – Voting lists, Jury lists, West Woodland survey 1568, Buckland Dinham survey 1803, Rent Rolls, Inhabitants of Frome Selwood 1785, Census 1785, Somerset Wills, Survey Frome Selwood 1814, Frome Union paupers 1895-1908, Child vaccinations registers.
Using the collections
Have a go at using the online Collections Catalogue – you never know what you might find. Try using different keywords if you don’t immediately find what you are looking for.
If you need advice or would like to make an appointment to call in and look at our records in person, please contact us either by email at info@frome-museum.org or by telephone on 01373 454611.
An appointment is essential, as we are normally unable to help you access specific records without advance notice. With enough notice, we are more than happy to pull out relevant items and have them waiting for you when you arrive.
