Staffordshire in depth
On this page you’ll find links to content that was developed for Staffordshire Past track as standalone online learning resources, usually dealing in depth with a specific topic.
Heart & Sole
This website tells the story of shoe making in Stafford and Stone. You can find out about shoes and the shoemaking process, the companies and people involved, and the legacy and traditions it has left behind.
Staffordshire Working Lives
This website illustrates the working lives of the people of Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent, through a sample of documents which shows them at work in a variety of occupations. The records come from Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archive Service.
The First World War camps of Cannock Chase
In the autumn of 1914, only months after the start of the First World War, construction of two large camps began on Cannock Chase. The camps, when completed, held up to 40,000 men at one time and probably trained upwards of 500,000 men.
Weather in Staffordshire’s Archives
As we all become increasingly concerned about the impact of climate change on our world, this exhibition takes a look at weather in the past, drawing on the many sources available in Staffordshire’s rich archive collections.
A Millennium in the Archives
The Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archives Service marked the millennium in 2000 by putting on each month a small exhibition in County Buildings in Stafford, displaying records from the previous millennium, century by century. A selection of images of the documents from these displays is now mounted here, to bring this material to a wider audience.
Distinctive Staffordshire
An online exhibition to celebrate 60 years of the Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archive Service, reflecting aspects of past life in the county through a selection of items, selected from the thousands of archives in the care of the Archive Service.
Their Past, Your Future
This site showcases the work carried out by 24 Staffordshire Schools to commemorate and reflect upon the impact of the Second World War on the UK and all people who lived through it. Activities included interviewing veterans, visiting local and national sites and taking trips abroad.
Staffordshire at Sea
Staffordshire produced throughout its history a surprising number of very successful sailors and people, who were connected with the sea in a number of capacities. This site uses selected documents to reflect the activities of five particular people, chosen for their different roles in relation to the sea.
Staffordshire Views
The Staffordshire Views are a unique series of images of watercolours, drawings, sketches, engravings and lithographs commissioned and collected by William Salt, a London banker whose family came from Staffordshire.
Whittington Barracks – 125 years of history
Most military barracks are not long lasting, by contrast, Whittington Barracks still has its original boundary wall and a number of original buildings, as well as still being occupied and training troops. This web site aims to give a brief history of the barracks through its 125 years.
Crime & Punishment in the Archives
An audio-visual tour through the darker side of local history. Find out about bad behaviour over four centuries and the responses which it provoked. The experience may not be very edifying, but we hope you will find it informative.
A Night on the Town
What should you wear for a night out on the town? Is it formal or fun? Are you out with friends or out to impress? This exhibition uses evening wear to explore our changes in attitude towards dressing up and going out.
A Thousand Years of Staffordshire Churches
This exhibition can illustrate only a handful of Staffordshire’s many churches. Some more familiar than others. However large or small, the church will have stood at the centre of the life of its community, in some cases for a thousand years.
In Loving Memory
It is often a subject we try to avoid, but death is all around us. Monuments, statues, street names, buildings, and park benches are all used to commemorate people. This exhibition takes a look at the ways in which people have used objects to commemorate death in Staffordshire over the past 200 years.
William Palmer – was he really a serial killer?
Dr. William Palmer, born in Rugeley on 6th August 1824, hanged at Stafford 14th June 1856. Christened by the Newspapers as “The Rugeley Poisoner” and “The Prince of Poisoners”. Read all the facts and rumours on this web site.
Coal Mining in North Staffordshire
This exhibition aims to provide visitors with a broad overview of the coal mining industry using words, images, sound and artifacts from the North Staffordshire Coal fields.
Birth Rights
Discover how the role of mid wives have changed in the county over the last 100 years. Listen to mid wives recounting stories of their experiences as you look at images and text. This site is derived from the Birth rights exhibition at Shugborough between July 2000 and…