Archive Mole

Archive Mole specialises in locating and copying the UK's archival resources, helping researchers everywhere overcome the barriers of distance, time, and cost.

[Archive Mole @thearchivemole]

💥 On this day in 1605, the Gunpowder Plot was foiled.

Guy Fawkes was discovered in the early hours beneath the House of Lords, guarding barrels of gunpowder. Arrested under the false name John Johnson, he later signed his confession with his true name – Guido Fawkes.

That signed declaration, dated 17 November 1605, survives in the State Papers at The National Archives (SP 14/216).

[Archive Mole @thearchivemole]

Archives are complicated enough without unexpected costs on top.

We keep things simple: £135 for a half day (£100 for students) plus travel. That's it.

https://t.co/0cfZR2AZlk

[Archive Mole @thearchivemole]

📅 On this day in 1977, the new Public Record Office building at Kew opened its doors.

Built on the site of a former First World War hospital, the vast modern complex was intended to supplement the overcrowded Chancery Lane site. One newspaper at the time described it as "fortress-like."

Now known as The National Archives, the institution holds over 11 million records spanning more than 1,000 years of history.

[Archive Mole @thearchivemole]

📅 On this day in 1854, Oscar Wilde was born.

One of the most brilliant literary figures of the nineteenth century, Wilde’s wit and works made him famous across Europe.

Less well known is that in 1895, following his conviction for 'gross indecency', Wilde's reader's ticket for the British Museum Reading Room (now the British Library) was revoked!

The British Library symbolically reinstated his reader's pass in 2025.

[Archive Mole @thearchivemole]

📚 On this day in 1902, the permanent home of Gladstone's Library was formally opened in Hawarden, Flintshire, Wales.

William Gladstone had founded the library in the 1890s, personally moving thousands of his own books from Hawarden Castle to a temporary iron building in the village. After his death, a public appeal funded a new memorial building, which was opened by Earl Spencer.

Today it remains Britain's only Prime Ministerial library and serves as the national memorial to the 'Grand Old Man'.

[Archive Mole @thearchivemole]

📅 On this day in 1537, Edward VI was born.

His reign brought significant religious change.

Proclamations complained that "divers unquiet and evil disposed persons" were reviving the old Latin service, and letters ordered that all "superstitious" Catholic books be handed over and destroyed.

For lovers of books, archives and libraries, it is a stark reminder of how much was lost and how precious the few survivors now are.

[Archive Mole @thearchivemole]

🔦 Spotlight On: Lambeth Palace Library

Founded in 1610, it is the official library of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the principal archive of the Church of England. Often called the largest religious collection outside the Vatican, it includes:

📜 Manuscripts from the 9th century
✒️ Papers of every Archbishop since the 12th century
📚 120,000+ printed books
🌍 Collections spanning art, politics, colonial history, genealogy and more

Prefer to spend your time on the research, not the legwork? Archive Mole can pre-scope file lists, consult what you need, and pick up anything a reading-room day misses.

[Archive Mole @thearchivemole]

Good images make all the difference when you are working with fragile or hard-to-reach material. We take care to provide copies that you can rely on for detailed research.

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[Archive Mole @thearchivemole]

📅 October marks the start of American Archives Month.

Did you know there are only 26 known surviving Dunlap broadsides of the Declaration of Independence, and three of them are in British repositories?

Printed in Philadelphia by John Dunlap on 4 July 1776, these poster-sized sheets were the very first official printings of the Declaration.

From flea markets to intercepted letters, these documents have extraordinary journeys.

[Archive Mole @thearchivemole]

We know that not everyone can make it to the archives themselves, and we are here to bridge that gap.

https://t.co/jZn7kS8iyY

[Archive Mole @thearchivemole]

🔦 Spotlight On: The India Office Records

Among the British Library's most significant holdings are the India Office Records, a collection of around 175,000 items documenting Britain's administration in South Asia and beyond.

These records, which include official correspondence, administrative reports, maps, photographs, and personal papers, remain a crucial source for understanding the legacies of empire.

If your research depends on them but you can't reach the reading room, Archive Mole can help unlock the material you need.

[Archive Mole @thearchivemole]

🔦 Spotlight On: The Harleian Library

The Harleian Library is one of the core manuscript collections of the British Library.

It contains 7,660 manuscripts, including 2,200 illuminated manuscripts, more than 14,000 original legal documents, and over 500 manuscript rolls!

For medievalists and early modern historians alike, the Harleian collection is a cornerstone. And if you can't make the journey to consult it yourself, Archive Mole can do the work on your behalf.

[Archive Mole @thearchivemole]

From local historians to international researchers, we are here to help.

Another satisfied client below.

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[Archive Mole @thearchivemole]

🔦 Spotlight On: The Sloane Collection

One of the founding collections of the British Library began life in the early 18th century, when over 71,000 books, manuscripts, and natural history specimens were gathered together and later given to the nation.

That vast collection laid the foundations for three major institutions: the British Museum, the British Library, and the Natural History Museum. Many of those books and manuscripts remain part of the Library’s holdings today.

If your research leads you into this extraordinary collection but you can't get to London, Archive Mole can help you access it.

[Archive Mole @thearchivemole]

📅 #OnThisDay 1939, Britain declared war on Germany, beginning the country’s involvement in the Second World War.

The records of the conflict are vast. Files are spread across The National Archives (Army, Navy, RAF, Merchant Navy, Home Front, government policy) as well as the Imperial War Museums, National Army Museum, RAF Air Historical Branch, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, National Maritime Museum, and local record offices across the UK.

With so many archives and collections, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. One visit to an archive is rarely enough to do everything you need.

At Archive Mole, we solve that problem by finding, copying and connecting the records for you, so you can focus on the history.

[Archive Mole @thearchivemole]

We always appreciate kind words from clients.

Quick, accurate, and just what was needed – that is what Archive Mole aims to deliver.

Find out more: https://t.co/2fUsBSkAsm

[Archive Mole @thearchivemole]

📅 #OnThisDay 1950, British troops arrived in Korea from Hong Kong to support US forces during the Korean War.

Key records that preserve the official record of Britain's role in the conflict survive at The National Archives, Kew:
📂 WO 308 – Historical records and reports of British and Commonwealth forces in Korea
📂 WO 281 – War diaries of the British Commonwealth Division, recording daily operations, intelligence, and command reports

Researching the Korean War? Let Archive Mole help you unlock the stories hidden in these records.

[Archive Mole @thearchivemole]

📜 On this day in 1833, the Slavery Abolition Act received royal assent – a landmark moment that ended slavery in most of the British Empire.

The stories behind this history can still be traced in the records:
🔎 Slave registers list names, ages, genders, owners and parishes of enslaved people across Britain’s colonies (The National Archives).
🔎 Compensation records document payments made to slave owners after abolition.
🔎 Further evidence survives in local archives, private family papers, and the collections of former colonial territories.

At Archive Mole, we work with collections like these to recover stories of enslavement and abolition.

[Archive Mole @thearchivemole]

🔦 Spotlight On: The British Library

The British Library is the largest library in the world, with a collection estimated at over 200 million items. Each year it adds around three million more – books, manuscripts, newspapers, maps, recordings, and digital files.

If all its shelves were lined up, they would stretch for more than 746 km (464 miles) and grow by about 12 km every year!

If you need something from those shelves but can't be there in person, Archive Mole can help.

[Archive Mole @thearchivemole]

⚔️ The English Civil Wars began on this day in 1642.

Oliver Cromwell’s letters are scattered across UK archives, from the British Library and Bodleian to the Cromwell Museum, Pembrokeshire Archives, Churchill Archives Centre, National Library of Scotland, and more.

At Archive Mole, we help researchers navigate collections like these, connecting the pieces when the sources are dispersed.

#EnglishCivilWar #Cromwell #Archives