Join our friends

We work with a number of other organisations to deliver a range of projects across the county.

The support and assistance of our partners is invaluable, and our work with them has enabled us to ensure that there is greater access to the historic records of the county.

Friends of Historic Essex

The Friends of Historic Essex is the charity which supports the work of the Essex Record Office. Support us by becoming a member for just £12 a year.

The Essex Place-Names Project

The Essex Place-Names Project aims to record the place names which appear in the tithe and enclosure awards and other Essex documents. The recording of names is undertaken by volunteers, who may be individuals, local societies or other groups. The information gathered is then put into a database.

If you are interested in becoming involved in the work of the Place-Names Project, please contact us.

The Essex Society for Family History

Located in the ERO Searchroom, the Essex Society for Family History research centre contains copies of material useful for researching family history, including the General Register Office indexes for births, marriages and deaths.

The research centre is open to users of the ERO with a CARN ticket. It is open at the following times:

  • Wednesday: 1pm – 4pm
  • Thursday:  10am – 1pm

Space is limited, and it is necessary to make a reservation by calling 01245 264 773.

The Victoria County History of Essex

The Victoria County History was founded in 1899 as a private enterprise, with the intention of producing a history of each English county to a standard plan. Work began almost immediately in 34 counties, and volumes (still known as big red books) appeared regularly from 1900. Today the VCH continues to produce red books, paperbacks, and web resources.

VCH Essex is useful to anyone who wants to find out about almost any aspect of the history of our county, or of any particular place within it. Many simply refer to the Essex VCH as a source of information in itself, while others use its footnote references to guide them to the original documents or printed sources, so that they can follow up their own interests. The comprehensive nature of the research makes the VCH a standard work of reference that no county interested in learning should be without.

The Essex Place-Names Project

The Essex Place-Names Project aims to record the place names which appear in the tithe and enclosure awards and other Essex documents. The recording of names is undertaken by volunteers, who may be individuals, local societies or other groups. The information gathered is then put into a database.

If you are interested in becoming involved in the work of the Place-Names Project, please contact us.