Archive of East Sussex County Council

The archive of East Sussex County Council is a fascinating social history resource, and especially interesting for those whose family tree has links to East Sussex or Brighton & Hove.

Since 1889 we have been responsible for many aspects of peoples’ lives – including education, social services, rights of way and planning. If you want to know more about an ancestor’s schooling or source historic photographs of the county, this is a great place to search.

Highlights of the collection

Thanks to our impressive records management system, the East Sussex County Council archive is one of the most extensive in the country and is of national significance. A collection this broad contains a vast amount of material and is of appeal for various reasons. Sections of note (with references in brackets) include:

• records from local authority controlled schools (ESC), including admission registers, log books, plans and photographs and magazines
• South Downs Preservation Bill 1934 (C/C 2) – papers, minutes, correspondence, photographs and plans concerning the promotion of the bill in the House of Lords between 1923 and 1938
• council and committee minutes 1889–1990s (C/C 11) – topics of interest include roads and bridges, planning, public health and housing, Ashdown Forest, evacuation and children’s committees
• statutory registers (C/C 25) 1913–1974 – including registers of outbreaks of animal diseases, register of licences issued under the 1939 House to House Collections Act, register under the 1925 Theatrical Employees Registration Act, register of guarantees to building societies, register of grants under the 1926 Housing (Rural Workers) Act, register of applications to build refused under the 1935 Restriction of Ribbon Development Act, register of planning applications granted and refused, register of premises requisitioned or hired for Air Raid Precautions purposes
• electoral registers (C/C 70) 1888–1974 – for Eastbourne, East Grinstead, Lewes, Rye and Mid-Sussex divisions and registers of county electors
• rights of way (C/C 44; C/C 97; C/R 44) 1954–1963 – definitive maps and statements compiled under the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act
• Major RL Thornton's photographs of floods at Uckfield (C/C 110) 1943
• smallholdings registers (C/J 3) 1915–1969 – includes register of sales, changes in tenancies and holdings leased by the Council
• Royal Commission of Historical Monuments survey of Lewes (C/P 58) 1970–1971 – with plans of buildings in a number of streets including Castle Precincts, High Street and Cliffe High Street
• aerial photographs (C/P 63) 1946–1973 – county-wide surveys and surveys of particular areas
• photographs (C/R 9) 1931–1974 – including images of bridges, sea defences, flood damage and South Downs preservation
• police and roadmen tenancy registers (C/R 13) 1920–1963
• photographs and negatives (R/P 30) – consisting of departmental publications, visits and ceremonies and First World War female munitions workers
• Hastings County Borough Council (R/W 5) 1934–1961 – register of premises under the 1875 Explosives Act and registers of applications under the 1933 Pharmacy and Poisons Act.

A full list can be found on Access to Archives.

Viewing these records

You may view these records at East Sussex Record Office. Most are held off-site, so we will need one week's notice. You are limited to either five volumes or 10 documents per person at a time. Find out more about visiting East Sussex Record Office.