Research service and copy charges
Southampton Archives offer a range of professional services and expertise.
Research Service
If you are unable to visit the archives in person, or would like some help finding a particular record, we offer a range of services to help with your research.
There is a charge of £35 per hour, with a minimum charge of £17 for a half hour search and a maximum of two hours.
To use this service you will need to clearly explain the information that you need, including any relevant details or documents that might help us.
Please see Southampton Archives.
Merchant Seamen enquiries
We charge £15 to search the Central Index Register of Merchant Seamen, a collection of over a million merchant navy service record cards.
Baptism Certificates
We can search for and produce a certified copy of a baptism entry for you, at a cost of £3.10. Alternatively, the certificate is free if you visit and look for the entry yourself.
Certified copies of motor vehicle registration documents
We can search for motor vehicle registration documents if you provide the registration number. The distinguishing letters used by Southampton County Borough Council were OW, TR and CR.
The cost of a certified copy is £1.50, including postage. Uncertified copies are charged at our standard copying rate of 25p per A4 sheet.
Copy charges
Copies can be made of many documents, depending on their physical condition and copyright regulations.
We will not photocopy or scan documents that are fragile and may be damaged by copying. This includes large items and books. These may only be copied by digital photography.
You can take a limited number of your own photographs in the reading room with the permission of the archivist on duty.
You will be asked not to use flash and to incorporate a copyright notice into the image. In most cases you will be required to sign a copyright form.
| Item | Size | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Black and white photocopies | A4 | 25p |
| Black and white photocopies | A3 | 45p |
| Colour photocopies | A4 | £1.50 |
| Colour photocopies | A3 | £1.90 |
| Printouts from microfiche (self service) | A4 | 60p |
| Digital image (per shot or scan) | n/a | £2.70 |
| CD | n/a | £3 |
If you are paying for a service
Make sure you have your reference number to hand. If you do not have one yet, please contact the Archives Team. You will also have an option to make a donation if you wish.
If you are looking to make a donation only
You will not need a reference number, just indicate that this is a donation and enter the amount you wish to donate.
Before you make a payment
You won't be able to save this form to complete later, so please allow yourself a couple of minutes to fill in the form.
You will need to have to hand:
Payment card (registered with 3D secure)
Your reference number – if you are paying for a service
If you would like any further information on our services, please contact the Archives team.
