Information about the Diocesan Archives

Canon Law requires every Diocese to keep specific records and examples of its mission, evangelisation, and pastoral actions. Portsmouth Diocese’s Archive holds episcopal and administrative records of the Diocese from its foundation in 1882. These Archives aim to preserve the past, to inform the present and to shape the future of the Diocese by ensuring the consistent and managed growth of the collection.

Our priority is to keep Portsmouth Diocesan Archives safe, preserving them as a repository of our history, mission, and work of bringing people closer to Jesus Christ through His Church. To this end, the archives are currently held by a professional data management company on behalf of the Diocese. A series of Archive policies are in place, covering four areas:

Collecting criteria, which defines what the Archive should (and should not) contain;
Access, covering how to access the Archive;
Charges, which sets out the various costs associated with accessing the Archive and copying archival material; and
Volunteers.

Enquiries about the Archive should be directed to the dedicated Archive mailbox and a response will be given within 10 working days. At the present time, the Diocese is without a dedicated Archivist; therefore, any queries will be picked up in the first instance by the Governance Manager who will deal with enquiries as best they can.

The governance manager is Vicki Munday and can be contacted:

Phone: 02394 216500

Email: archives@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk

Archive Policies

Diocesan Operating Procedures - Collecting

Diocesan Operating Procedures - Access

Diocesan Operating Procedures - Charges

Diocesan Operating Procedures - Volunteers

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