What is the role of an archive?

An archival institution such as Jersey Archive are legally constituted entities responsible for identifying, managing and preserving the integrity of an institution’s official records of long-term value.

This means they can be responsible for preserving old documents such as maps, constitutional laws, photos and letters. Keeping them in an immaculate condition so that they can still be recognizable for centuries after being taken in.

When we visited the Jersey Archive, we looked at documents and war memorabilia, this included; letters from the king pleading for people not to get the death sentence, World war identification cards and letters sent from islanders to loved ones and family members off island. After doing some of my research prior to my visit, I found out that they currently hold 300,000 images and documents.

Within the family history collection, the archive holds books, family trees, indexes of baptisms, marriages, burials and censuses. This outlines the extensive amount of files that the archive has on different family history. Having archival material available to the public, allows us to gain a better understanding of that set period of time and explore the past and our family history. Another aspect of Jersey’s archive is the extensive archival material they hold on the German Occupation, WWII. Within this aspect of the archive, they hold, letters from the Bailiff, German Register Cards, German ID cards and items from the Law Officer’s department.

During our visit to the archives, we visited one of the holding rooms where we saw loads of old documents and images. When you first walk in there is a pocket of air blowing downwards and out, I learnt that this is in place to prevent any bugs from entering the vaulted rooms, which could eat the valuable paper documents and spread larvae, and ruin priceless objects.

The Jersey Archive allows family members to look at their jersey ancestors and the life they may have lived. With their birth, marriage, death and divorce records, you can really find a lot of information on ancestors and the heritage you may not have known a lot about.