Companies with managed archives
20% of FTSE 100 companies, and many other companies, have managed archives. They include those managed, or cared for, by company staff with guidance from qualified records professionals. This page is a quick reference list of examples of corporate archives, mainly managed in-house, unless otherwise stated.
The National Archives’ Find an Archive resource allows you to explore archive services where business archives may be deposited. The National Archives has also published guidance on searching for company and business records held by archive services across the country.
The list below is not exhaustive, contact us to suggest an addition: asd@nationalarchives.gov.uk
Banking
Bank of England
Archive established 1930
https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/archive
HSBC
Archive established 1974
https://www.hsbc.com/who-we-are/our-history/archives
Barclays plc
Archive established 1989
https://www.archive.barclays.com/
C Hoare & Co
Archive established 1939
https://www.hoaresbank.co.uk/our-history
ING Bank NV, London Branch
Archive established 1960
(includes The Baring Archive)
https://baringarchive.org.uk
Jardine Matheson
Archive established 1935
(international financial investment)
https://www.jardines.com/en/about-us/our-history
Managed by firm with deposit at Cambridge University Library
Lloyds Banking Group
Archive established 1974
https://www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/who-we-are/our-heritage.html
Nationwide
Archive established 2016
https://www.nationwide.co.uk/about-us/our-history/
Rothschild
Archive established 1978
https://www.rothschildarchive.org
The Royal Bank of Scotland
Archive established 1970s
(Part of Natwest Group Heritage Hub: https://www.natwestgroup.com/heritage.html)
https://www.natwestgroup.com/heritage/companies/the-royal-bank-of-scotland-plc.html
Santander Group
https://www.archivohistoricosantander.es/
Includes acquired firms Alliance & Leicester plc and Abbey National
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/a/A13532318
Schroders
https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/locations/0695d2d6-b518-383b-93d0-73d9f31285d6
Beverages
Diageo plc
Archive established 1988
https://www.diageo.com/en/our-business/our-history/the-archive
The Glenmorangie Company Ltd
Archive established 2008
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/a/A13530612
Consumer Goods
Unilever
Archive established 1984
https://www.unilever.com/our-company/our-history-and-archives/
Insurance
Aviva plc
Archive established 2000
http://www.aviva.com/about-us/heritage/
Lloyd’s
https://www.lloyds.com/about-lloyds/history
With corporate archives at LMA:
https://search.lma.gov.uk/scripts/mwimain.dll/144/LMA_OPAC/web_detail/REFD+CLC~2FB~2F148?SESSIONSEARCH
Prudential plc
Archive established 1972
https://www.prudentialplc.com/en/about-us/our-history
Abrdn (Standard Life)
https://www.abrdn.com/corporate/media-centre/media-centre-news-article/exploring-our-company-archive-online-catalogue-now-available
Land & Property
Grosvenor Group
https://www.grosvenor.com/about-us/our-history
Media
Guardian News & Media Archive
Archive established 2002
https://www.theguardian.com/gnm-archive
With some archives deposited at John Rylands Research Institute and Library:
https://www.library.manchester.ac.uk/rylands/special-collections/exploring/a-to-z/detail/?mms_id=992983876704201631
News UK
Archive established 1970
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/a/A13533062
Thomason Reuters
(The Reuters Archive)
https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en/about-us/company-history.html
Mining
Rio Tinto plc
Archive established c.1970
Archives mainly deposited at LMA:
https://search.lma.gov.uk/scripts/mwimain.dll/144/LMA_OPAC/web_detail/REFD+LMA~2F4543?SESSIONSEARCH
Music
EMI Archive Trust
Archive established 1996
https://www.emiarchivetrust.org
Oil
BP
Archive established 1967
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/N13538392
Pharmaceutical
Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd
Archive established 1990
(Roche Group Holdings)
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/a/A13531679
GSK (GlaxoSmithKline)
https://www.gsk.com/en-gb/about-us/our-history/gsk-heritage-archives/
In-house with some records at Wellcome Trust and other repositories
Postal Services
Royal Mail Group Ltd
Archive established 2004
(British Postal Heritage Trust)
https://www.postalmuseum.org/collections/the-archive/
Publishing
Faber & Faber
Archive established 2007
https://www.faber.co.uk/history/
HarperCollins
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/a/A14222097
Macmillan & Co. Ltd.
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/8103cd18-d888-442c-9733-4c86a7fe7e5d
New Beacon Books
Archive established 1991
https://www.georgepadmoreinstitute.org/archive
Penguin Random House
In-house with some deposited at University of Reading
https://collections.reading.ac.uk/special-collections/collections/random-house/
Retail
Boots plc
Archive established 1995
https://www.boots-uk.com/about-boots-uk/company-information/boots-heritage/
John Lewis Partnership
Archive established 1964 https://johnlewismemorystore.org.uk/content/category/community/john_lewis_community/heritage_centre
C & J Clark Ltd (Alfred Gillett Trust)
Archive established 2010
https://alfredgilletttrust.org/
Marks & Spencer plc
Archive established 1982
https://marksintime.marksandspencer.com/home
Sainsbury’s
Archive established 1975
https://www.sainsburyarchive.org.uk/
Fortnum and Mason
https://www.fortnumandmason.com/our-history
In-house, also part deposited at V&A and City of Westminster:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/c/F168616
Cartier
https://www.cartier.com/en-us/maison/living-heritage/archives-and-expertise/archives.html
Harrods
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/a/A15969993
Henry Poole & Co
https://henrypoole.com/heritage-savile-row/archive/
Warner Textile Archive
Archive established 1976
https://warnertextilearchive.co.uk
Bettys & Taylors Group
https://www.bettysandtaylors.co.uk/about-us/k
Transport
Network Rail
Archive established 2008
https://www.networkrail.co.uk/who-we-are/our-history/the-network-rail-archive/
Transport for London
https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/culture-and-heritage/corporate-archives
Travel/Leisure
The Savoy
https://www.thesavoylondon.com/about-us/history-heritage/
Utilities
BT plc (BT Archives)
https://www.bt.com/about/bt/our-history/bt-archives
National Grid plc
(National Gas Archive)
https://extranet.nationalgrid.com/GasArchive/