Archives - General Information
West Dunbartonshire Council Archives
The archives collect and preserve the written heritage of West Dunbartonshire. Our collections date from the 14th century to the present day and are open to anyone interested in the history of the area.
Our collections include:
- Official council records, including minute books which date back to the 16th century, documenting decisions made about how the town should be run
- Medieval charters, describing the powers and rights that were granted to the people of the local area
- School records, including registers and log books
- Poor law relief records, including poorhouse registers
- Church records such as baptism, marriage and burial records
- Records from local industries, businesses, societies, sports clubs, trade unions, notable families and individuals, which include correspondence, photographs, financial papers, technical records, social publications, manuscripts, and ephemera such as advertisements
We also hold the Singer Archive which has been officially recognised as a collection of national significance by Museums Galleries Scotland and the Scottish Government.
Log book kept by Captain George Moodie during his first voyage aboard the Cutty Sark, between London and Shanghai (ref: 7/5/2)
Collections and Archive Catalogue
Click on the image to visit our collections and archive catalogue
Access
Material from the archives can be viewed at Dumbarton Heritage Centre and Clydebank Museum, Local History and Archives, by appointment. We are unable to facilitate drop-in requests to view archive material.
Please email archives@west-dunbarton.gov.uk to arrange a visit. Appointment slots are two hours long, and are in line with the archivist’s working days of Mondays, Tuesdays and alternate Wednesdays.
Archive material can also be seen in the museum at the Vale of Leven Heritage Centre in Alexandria Library.
Donations
We are not currently in a position to take in material, due to upcoming building moves and staff capacity. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience. This may change in future, so you are welcome to advise us of potential donations by contacting archives@west-dunbarton.gov.uk
Enquiries
Enquiries are welcomed and the archives can be contacted directly at archives@west-dunbarton.gov.uk. Please note that we currently aim to respond to enquiries within 20 days, although some enquiries may take longer.