Nottinghamshire List of Folk Plays & Related Customs
Compiled by Peter Millington & Idwal Jones

Advice on Sources and Collections

Without doubt, the first place to go when trying to obtain copies of items in this bibliography is the Local Studies Library at Nottingham Central Library. Not only do they hold nearly all the published items - especially the local newspapers - they also have copies of most of the manuscript sources. Furthermore, it is readily accessible to the general public, and the staff can help you locate obscure Nottinghamshire material. Where possible, the "Archives" section for individual entries in this database gives details of the relevant Local Studies Library scrapbooks and files.

Archives holding manuscript originals are somewhat less accessible to the general public, and may require affiliation to a higher educational establishment and/or membership of the relevant society. However archivists and librarians are normally helpful to bona fide enquirers, although, of course, they may charge for photocopies, postage, etc.

It is usually difficult to obtain material held in private personal collections, so it is generally better to contact the institutions that hold copies first. A comprehensive and helpful repository of copies is the Ron Shuttleworth Collection, formerly the Morris Ring Archive on Folk Plays.

If all else fails, you can contact us by email for advice (petemillngton@virginmedia.com or idwal.jones@web.de). Note: Please quote the "TD" number listed in the "Archives" section of the individual entry.