More detail about the holdings of Bradford District Archives can be found in the Guide to Bradford Archives 1974-1995. Winner of the 1996 Phillimore Prize. Official Records Ecclesiastical Records Business Records Trade Union Records Political Records Other Records Official Records back to top These derive chiefly from borough and district councils and their predecessors which amalgamated in 1974 to become Bradford Metropolitan Council. The minutes and other records of the Bradford and Bingley Improvement Commissioners, and Bowling, Manningham and Shipley township books are among the earlier records. Bradford became a borough in 1847 and large quantities of its archives are available including minutes and departmental records.
Similar material is available for other local authorities.
There are collections for Bradford, North Bierley and Keighley Poor Law Unions and School Boards. The office is a place of deposit for the records of the Diocese of Bradford. It holds material for most of the parishes within the Metropolitan District with the earliest parish registers starting in 1562. Nonconformity was always strong in the region and the office has collections on many of the dissenting congregations. There are a number of large collections.