The Access to Archives (A2A) on line catalogue allows you to find material held in over 300 repositories across England. It also enables you to obtain copies of documents.
The Public Record Office, The Historical Manuscripts Commission and the British Library are leading the A2A project. Some 187 Record Offices, repositories and other organisations are taking part in the scheme. Currently 3.9 million individual catalogue entries have been included on the database. Another 300,000 pages will be added by the time the project ends in March 2004.
The database can be accessed on
www.a2a.pro.gov.uk
For example a search of ‘Theydon Mount’ produced 5 hits – the example below was located under Worcestershire Records Office:-
Copy of indenture between Thomas Luther of Stapleford Tawny [Stapleford Tawney], Essex, Esq., Anthony Luther of Kelvedon, Essex, Esq., Robert Burn of Rubbingworth, Essex, Esq., Richard Glyd the elder, citizen and tallow chandler of London, Richard Mills, citizen and draper of London, and Anne Jackson, daughter of Luke Jackson, late citizen and girdler of London, deceased, being a settlement, previous to the marriage of the said Thomas Luther and Anne Jackson, of the Manor of Suttons, Essex, a capital messuage called Suttons, a messuage, a messuage called Bardens, a messuage called Cutlers and a messuage called Woodhatch all with land and appurtenances in Stapleford Tawny; a messuage called Michells in Stapleford Tawny with land and appurtenances in Stapleford Tawny, Stanford Rivers and Navestock Essex; a farm called Garnish Mill, land and appurtenances in Thaydon Garnon [Theydon Garnon], Essex; a tenement called New Barne, land and appurtenances in Thaydon at Mount [Theydon Mount], Essex; a messuage called Hunts Farme, land and appurtenances in Lamborne [Lambourne], Essex; a messuage called Hillhouse, land and appurtenances in Thaydon Garnon and Thaydon Boys [Theydon Bois], Essex; a messuage called Lane’s house, land and appurtenances in Standford Rivers; a messuage called Hattons, land and appurtenances in Stapleford Abbott [Stapleford Abbots], Essex; and marsh land in Barkeing [Barking], Essex. Witnesses: David Edwards, James Winstanly, Robert Haworth, Ch. Pitfield, John Pickman, William Grudgefield.