Monday 8th March 2010 - County Records Office, Worcester

I paid a visit today to the County Records Office, County Hall branch at Spetchley in order to look at some documents relating to Witley Court. There is a vast archive of material stored here that is available to the public to view, and a visit to this establishment can be recommended to those who may wish to extend their knowledge further than that which is given in guide books and similar publications. Such items as maps, diagrams, plans, sketches, photographs, deeds, wills, general correspondence etc. provide a fascinating insight into all that went on at Witley in times gone by. I have added a couple of items to the bibliography section of the main web site, as I discovered another couple of books on the shelves of which I never knew even existed. I also spent an hour attempting to decipher an extract of the will of the "old" Earl of Dudley, John William Ward, whose vast fortune left in trust to his kinsman was used to purchase Witley Court from the Foley's in about 1837.