The Kew building.

The Public Record Office (PRO) of the United Kingdom is one of the two organisations that make up the National Archives (the other is the Historical Manuscripts Commission). The name is no longer used officially, though many scholars prefer to continue to use it since there is the possibility of confusion with the National Archives of several other countries, including the USA. Image File history File links Public Exhibit area of the National Archives Building, Washington, DC, 1998, by Rick Dikeman This looks like its the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. ... Image File history File links Public Exhibit area of the National Archives Building, Washington, DC, 1998, by Rick Dikeman This looks like its the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. ... The National Archives is a British Governmental organisation created in April 2003. ... The National Archives building at Kew. ... More than one country maintains a national archive: The Canadian Library and Archives Canada The New Zealand Archives New Zealand (formerly National Archives) The United States National Archives and Records Administration The United Kingdom National Archives This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that...

Functions

The functions of the archives remain unchanged. It holds a collection of records of public business in England, Wales and the UK, including the records of court proceedings going back to the Middle Ages, and the original manuscript of the Domesday Book. Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ... Motto: (Welsh for Wales forever) Anthem: Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau Capital Cardiff Largest city Cardiff Official language(s) English, Welsh Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Rhodri Morgan AM Unification    - by Gruffudd ap Llywelyn 1056  Area    - Total 20,779 km² (3rd in... A trial at the Old Bailey in London as drawn by Thomas Rowlandson and Augustus Pugin for Ackermanns Microcosm of London (1808-11). ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Doomesday Book (also known as Domesday, or Book of Winchester), was the record of the great survey of England completed in 1086, executed for William the Conqueror, that was similar to a census by a government of today. ...

History

The Public Record Office (PRO) was established in 1838 to reform the keeping of government and court records which were being kept, sometimes in poor conditions, in a variety of places. Some of these were court or departmental archives (established for several centuries) which were well run and had good or adequate catalogues; others were little more than store-rooms. Many of the professional staff of these individual archives simply continued their existing work in the new institution. | Jöns Jakob Berzelius, discoverer of protein 1838 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

The PRO was placed under the control of the Master of the Rolls, a senior judge whose job had originally included responsibility for keeping the records of the Chancery Court, and was originally located in the mediaeval Rolls Chapel (the former Domus Conversorum) on Chancery Lane at the boundary of the City of London with Westminster. The Master of the Rolls is the third most senior judge of England, the Lord Chancellor of Great Britain traditionally being first and the Lord Chief Justice second. ... One of the courts of equity in England and Wales. ... The Domus Conversorum (House of Conversion) was a building and institution in London for Jews who had converted to Christianity. ... Coat of arms The City of London is a small area in Greater London. ... Westminster is a district within the City of Westminster in London. ...

A purpose built archive was designed and built between 1851 and 1858 (architect: Sir James Pennethorne) and extended onto the site of the Rolls Chapel, which was demolished as it was structurally unsound, between 1895 and 1902. 1851 (MDCCCLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1858 (MDCCCLVIII) is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Architect at his drawing board, 1893 An architect is a person involved in the planning, designing and oversight of a buildings construction. ... Sir James Pennethorne (June 4, 1801 – 1871) was a notable 19th century English architect and planner, particularly associated with buildings and parks in central London. ... 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1902 (MCMII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

The growing size of the archives held by the PRO and by government departments led to the Public Records Act 1958, which established standard procedures for the selection of documents of historical importance to be kept by the PRO. Even so, growing interest in the records produced a need for the Office to expand, and a second building was opened at Kew in south-west London in 1977. The Kew building was expanded in the 1990s and all records were transferred from Chancery Lane to Kew or the Family Records Centre in Islington by 1997. The Chancery Lane building was taken over by King's College London, which uses it as a library. The Public Records Act 1958 is the main legislation governing public records in the United Kingdom. ... Kew is a place in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in South West London. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... See also 1990s, the band The 1990s decade refers to the years from 1990 to 1999, inclusive, sometimes informally including popular culture from the late 1980s and shortly after the year 2000. ... The Family Records Centre provides access to family history research sources for England and Wales. ... Islington is an inner-city district in north London. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Kings College London was founded in 1829 and received its royal charter that same year, making it Englands third oldest university institution (predated only by the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge). ...

Merger with the Historical Manuscripts Commission

In April 2003 the PRO merged with the Historical Manuscripts Commission to form a new previous site on Chancery Lane to Kew in 2004. The National Archives of Scotland and the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland were and remain entirely separate institutions. 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The National Archives building at Kew. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Based in Edinburgh, the National Archives of Scotland (NAS) claims to have one of the most varied collection of archives in the British Isles. ... The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) is situated in Belfast, Northern Ireland. ...

Most documents held by the PRO were formerly kept "closed", or secret, for 30 years, although this changed significantly when the UK's Freedom of Information Act came into force. The 30 year rule was abolished and closed records in the PRO are subject to the same access controls as all other records of public authorities under the FOIA. However, some records remain closed for long periods, for example individual census returns are kept secret for 100 years. In 2002 the PRO set up a website to allow online access to the records of the 1901 census, and was overwhelmed by the numbers of people wanting to access the site. Secrecy is the condition of hiding information from others. ... Nearly sixty countries around the world have implemented some form of freedom of information legislation, which sets rules on governmental secrecy. ... 1870 US Census for New York City A census is the process of obtaining information about every member of a population (not necessarily a human population). ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... This page as shown in the AOL 9. ...

External links

• The National Archives - official website.
• Specialist and Local Records Offices in England and Wales
• Specialist and Local Records Offices in Scotland
• Research Guide: Visiting a Records Office

The Australian state of Victoria also calls its archives the Public Record Office. Emblems: Pink heath (floral)Weedy Seadragon (Aquatic) helmeted honeyeater (bird) Leadbeaters possum (faunal) Motto: Peace and Prosperity Slogan or Nickname: Garden State, The Place To Be, On The Move Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Government Const. ...