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LOCAL GOVERNMENT RECORDS

The Record Office keeps records (chiefly minute books) of the Isle of Wight Council, as well as borough, district and parish councils of the island.

Many of these records are held in out stores and it is therefore necessary to contact the Record Office in advance to ensure that the items will be available when you visit.





Newport Corporation Dinner 1879



Pre 19th Century Boroughs

In the early nineteenth century there were 4 boroughs on the Island that had existed since medieval times: Newport, Newtown, Brading and Yarmouth. The Record Office holds records of Newport and Newtown; those of Brading and Yarmouth are still held by their respective Town Trusts.

Newport Borough Corporation


For Newport Borough Corporation catalogues online select and click on the relevant link

A list of other records available for Newport Borough Corporation can be accessed in the Record Office Searchroom. A catalogue will soon be made available on line

For a Glossary of Terms
Click here


Description	Dates	Class Ref

Links

Alehouse licences For Surname index click here	1730 – 1753	NBC/6


Charters and deeds	1180 – 1913	NBC/1/1 – 1599

Charters and deeds	1913 – 1954	NBC/1/1600 – 3722c


Apprenticeship indentures	1689 – 1835	NBC/3/1-572


Newport Borough Corporation
Ref: NBC3/1






Newport Borough Corporation Records
Ref: NBC3/248




Sacrament certificates	1673 – 1827		NBC/10/1-1113

Oaths and declarations	1716 – 1864		NBC/10A/1-40

Memorials and petitions	c1730-c1850s		NBC/18/1-7

Indictments	1768 – 1836		NBC/31/1-108

Certificates of conviction	1734-1833		NBC/36/1-22

Books of recognizances	1749 – 1798		NBC/45/5-16

Minute books	1654 – 1836		NBC/45/58-64

Grand jury presentments	1811 – 1836		NBC/45/72 – 73






Newport Borough Corporation
Ref: NBC45/118




Declarations	1817 – 1897			NBC/46/1-15

Poor rate books	1725-1789 1833-1836			NBC/48/1-16


Newport Borough Council Committee Minutes 1934-1974 A full list of Committees will soon be made available on line







Newport Corporation Dinner 1879 Music Program




Newtown Borough

These documents were deposited as part of the Swainston archive, with papers of the Barrington and Simeon families who owned large portions of the parish of Calbourne and after the abolition of the Borough acquired considerable interest in Newtown.

Newtown Borough Corporation

To access a list of classes (this will help you to access the references in which you are interested on the A2A website)
Click here

For catalogue on A2A
Click here

Note: To find the first reference number in a class Use the ‘Edit’ and ‘Find’ facility. Documents are then listed by reference in numerical order.




Later Boroughs, Urban & Rural District Councils

Urban and Rural District Councils were set up under the Local Government Act of 1894. Many of these had been preceded by Town Improvement Commissioners or by Local Boards of Health. The Record Office keeps minute books for the following years:-


Description	Covering Dates			Ref

Minute Books	1825 – 1974			Cowes U.D.C.
Minute Books	1859 – 1933			East Cowes U.D.C.
				merged with Cowes U.D.C. in 1933
Minute Books	1896 – 1974			I.W. Rural D.C.
Minute Books	1840 – 1974			Ryde B.C.
				St Helens U.D.C.
				merged with Ryde B.C. in 1933
Minute Books	1860 – 1974			Sandown/ Shanklin U.D.C.
Minute Books	1844 – 1974			Ventnor U.D.C.




Medina & South Wight Borough Councils


In 1974 the network of Rural and Urban District Councils was replaced by 2 larger authorities: Medina and South Wight Borough Councils. Medina comprised the former Cowes Urban District Council, Newport Borough Council and Ryde Borough Council; South Wight covered the rest of the Island. The Record Office retains the minutes of these two authorities.


Medina and South Wight Borough Council Committee Minute Books 1974-1994

A full list of Committees will soon be available on line

Electoral Registers

For a List of Electoral Registers Click here

This list includes those for the Isle of Wight Council for the period 1995 - 2007




Isle of Wight [County] Council

Records for the Isle of Wight County Council date from 1890 when the council was formed. In 1995 a unitary authority was created, leading to a single council for the whole Island - the I.W. Council. This replaced Medina Borough Council, South Wight Borough Council and the I.W. County Council


Isle of Wight County Council


For Catalogues on A2A select and click on the relevant A2A link


Description	Date			Ref

A2A Link

Account books	1891 – 1943			IWCC/ACC

Acts of Parliament	1806 – 1921			IWCC/AP

Agenda & reports	1893 – 1945			IWCC/AG

Air Raid Precautions log books	1939 – 1944			IWCC/ARP

Committee minutes	1890 – 1974			IWCC/MIN

Cowes Ferry Committee	1827-1969			IWCC/CFC

Education Department	1891 – 1974			IWCC/ED

Title Deeds of Council Property in Newport	1658-1899			IWCC/NPT

Vehicle Licensing	1926-1976			AC99/73


Isle of Wight County Council Committee Minute Books 1890-1973

A full Catalogue is available in the IWCRO searchroom

This catalogue will soon be available on line


Isle of Wight [County] Council Access to Information Minutes

For Minutes available on line for the period 2001-2009 or to make an enquiry for minutes prior to 2001

Click here


Building Control Plan Registers Building Control Registers survive for Cowes Urban District Council, Ryde Borough Council, St. Helens Urban District Council, Sandown-Shanklin Urban District Council, Ventnor Urban District Council and the Isle of Wight Rural District Council for both East and West Wight. These Registers are held at the Isle of Wight Record Office at Hillside and can be accessed by personal visit.

Plans survive for various dates for Cowes and East Cowes, Newport, St. Helens, Ryde and Ventnor. To access these plans you will first need to identify the plan number in the Building Control Register. The plans themselves are housed in an out store and you will need to allow approximately 5 working days for these to be retrieved you will then be able to access them in the Search Room at Hillside.

Please note that there are no Building Control Plans for Sandown, Shanklin or the Rural District.

Building Control Plans for Cowes Urban District Council (which includes East Cowes) have been indexed by Date for the period 1870-1948.

For a Catalogue of Building Control Registers

click here

For an index to Cowes Urban District Council Plans

click here




Parish Councils


The Record Office holds the records of many parish councils established by the 1894 Local Government Act. The following list gives the covering dates of the minute books.


Description	Date

Arreton (North)	1894 – 1907
Ashey	1911 – 1928
Binstead	1894 – 1933
Bonchurch	1895 – 1898
Brighstone	1894 – 1979
Brook	1894 – 1929
Carisbrooke	1894 – 1933
Chale	1895 – 1981
Gatcombe	1894 – 1953
Godshill	1897 – 1938
Mottistone	1894 – 1931
Niton	1895 – 2000 (gap May 1981-March 1984)
Northwood	1924 – 1933
St Lawrence	1894 – 1933
Shalfleet	1894 – 1977
Shorwell	1894 – 1993
Whippingham	1894 – 1933
Whitwell	1894 – 1933
Wootton Bridge	1920 – 1937
Wroxall	1894 – 1933
Arreton (North)	1894 – 1907




Local Non-Government Organisations


This office holds the records for some local, non-government organizations, which have fulfilled social functions on the island.

For Local Non-Government Organisation catalogues available on A2A select and click on the relevant link

Description	Date			Ref

A2A Links

Clerk to Lieutenancy	1774 – 1931			JER/CTL

Coastguards log books	1962 – 1974			IWCC/CGL

Highway Commissioners	1813 – 1957			HC/




Highway Commissioners Map
Ref: AC91/7



Petty Sessions County	1819-1857 (some gaps)			CPS/

Petty Sessions Newport	1837-1919 (some gaps)			NPS/


COWES REGISTRY OF SHIPPING

A Catalogue is available in the IW Record Office searchroom, and an index by ship name to CWS/54 and AC84/50 will be added to the web site shortly


Cowes Registry of Shipping.	c1786-c1930			CWS/54 AC84/50 AC2001/136 AC2007/018

Page last updated on: 13/05/2010

LOCAL GOVERNMENT RECORDS

Pre 19th Century Boroughs

Newport Borough Corporation

Later Boroughs, Urban & Rural District Councils

Medina & South Wight Borough Councils

Isle of Wight [County] Council

Parish Councils

Local Non-Government Organisations