Individual results

Coventry Borough Archive collection has received a number of sorting and listing efforts through different people's hands, which have brought about the current arrangement. Original details of former systems of the arrangements can be located in the research room in bound or printed format.

The earliest known listing of the Borough archive was set out by John Cordy Jeaffreson in 1896. He was a barrister but was also one of the Inspectors of ancient writings for the Commissioners of Historical Manuscripts. This was when the documents were housed in the Muniment room within St Mary's Hall. The layout was sorted by format of material. This remained the basic guide to the contents of the archive for the next 35 years. Sub-collection BA/I referrs to material that he listed.

A supplementary catalogue was created in 1931 by Frederick Smith, Town Clerk. Sub-collection BA/J refers to material that he researched. This catalogue listed additional items acquired since 1896 and was arranged chronologically. Jeaffreson's classification was not used at this point: instead new references were provided.

From April 1938 onwards a separate list of unofficial accessions was maintained but this is incomplete for the Second World War period. From 1945 -February 1948 the list was continued and accessions were recorded in the year they arrived with a sequential number.

In 1948 a card catalogue was begun which was formed around very broad subject areas. However during the 1960s cataloguing unfortunately lapsed and later material was not fully recorded.

Various staff's research on the collection has also been incorporated. Joan Lancaster worked in the City Archives from 1951-1953. She produced a body of work surrounding mayor and militia which is listed under Sub-Collection BA/M.

Doris Leech worked after Joan Lancaster during 1953 -1954. During this period she conducted a variety of research around the medieval collection. Her findings are now incorporated into the BA/N sub-collection section.

The collection and the card catalogue were later re-arranged by Michael Hinman, Assistant Archivist during 1981/1982 into alphabetical order of main headings with sub-headings. This was part of a larger re-cataloguing of the archive into the current sub-collection headings. The main Borough Archive collection is now catalogued as follows:

BA/A Corporation Estate contains warden/town clerk records
BA/B Corporation Ecclesiastical contains abbey and church records
BA/C Corporation and Freemanship contains freeman records listed under companies and guilds
BA/D Corporation Charity contains local charity records
BA/E Corporation Judicial contains court assizes/ town and county court and sherrif records
BA/F Corporation Powers and cases contains information on significant court cases
BA/G Corporation Manorial contains local manor records
BA/H Corporation administrative contains defence/poor law and taxation records

During this period other sections were also added including BA/L Mr Ford's sub-section and the BA/K 'W' collection residue sub-section. The former may relate to Ernest Hone Ford, City Engineer and Surveyor, 1924-47. Regretfully it is not known what the 'W' collection refers to, but it was additional material that had not been fully incorporated - probably material that was received in during the 1960s.

The earliest item in this collection is the 1182 Henry II's confirmation of Ranulf de Gernon's charter granting certain rights to burgesses. It is under reference BA/H/1/1/1 and is the earliest surviving archive item within Coventry Archives. Written in Latin and on parchment, the citizens of Coventry paid 20 marks (£13.6s.8p) for it sometime between Jan and Mar 1182. There is no date on the actual document but we know that the King was at Marlborough, where this charter is given, in Jan 1182 and that he went overseas in Mar. This document also confirms a charter (which has not survived) granted between 1149 and 1153 by Ranulf de Gernon, Earl of Chester, to the inhabitants of his 'half' of Coventry.