2015: Top 10 file series at The National Archives
Now that we're well into 2016, I thought it might be worth reflecting for a moment on the year just past. Although my work takes me to archives and libraries around the country, I spend the vast majority of my time at The National Archives in Kew, my second home (and luckily not very far from my first home!) During an idle moment last week, while I was waiting for files to be brought up from the depths, I happened to click on the 'past orders' button to see all the files I've read since I got my reader's ticket. Last year alone, I read more than 400 files in the reading rooms, not counting the digitised material available for free on the computers in the open access area. So, purely for the archive anoraks out there - and for anyone who may be interested in hiring me - here are my top ten file series by orders in 2015:
1. Department of Health and Social Security (BN) - 83 files
2. Ministry of Health (MH) - 68 files
3. War Office (WO) - 53 files
4. Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) - 49 files
5. Foreign Office (FO) - 29 files
6. Cabinet Office (CAB) - 26 files
7. Colonial Office (CO) - 22 files
8. Admiralty (ADM) - 20 files
9. Medical Research Council (FD) - 18 files
10. Special Operations Executive (HS) - 6 files
The presence of the Department/Ministry of Health files at the top of the list reflects a large project I undertook at the start of the year, but taken together, the various incarnations of the Foreign Office and its successors, would amount to over a hundred files.
