Our library holds many resources to assist with your local and family history research. All of our books have now been catalogued and can be searched online through the Salford City Library Catalogue and can be accessed here.

Many of our archive of 70,000 images have been scanned and can be accessed online at our Digital Salford website. Please note images are still scanned and uploaded by volunteers and our online collection increases over time.

For other items, or to assist with your searches we have a number of guides and hand lists below:

  • History of Salford useful resources
  • History of Eccles useful resources
  • History of Swinton & Pendlebury useful resources
  • History of Irlam & Cadishead useful resources
  • Guide to newspapers held in the Library
  • Guide to Trade directories in the Library
  • Guide to World War One resources held in the Library
  • Guide to Old Parish Township records held on microfilm in the Library (please see below for complete archive catalogues)

Previous Mayors of Salford

A list of the current and previous Ceremonial Mayors of Salford can be seen here. Below are lists of Mayors for the Boroughs and Chairmen of the Urban District Councils that now form the modern City of Salford.

  • Eccles Mayors
  • Swinton & Pendlebury Chairmen and Mayors
  • Irlam Chairmen
  • Little Hulton Chairmen
  • Worsley Chairmen

Salford City Archives

The Local History Library provides access to resources held in the Salford City Archives. This is a separate collection of archive records of Salford Council and the townships, boroughs and UDCs that now make up the modern Metropolitan District of Salford.

Some of our catalogue can be searched online at the Greater Manchester Lives website. Please note this is not a complete catalogue. Please book in at the library to visit the complete typed catalogues.

Please note: not all records are available on site and prior booking of these records is essential. Objects are made available on the first following Wednesday after a request is made, and prior booking of when items can be viewed must be made from the day onwards. There may also be a charge of items held off site.

  • Salford Borough Council records
  • Salford Borough Council maps and plans
  • Eccles Borough Council records
  • Eccles Borough Council maps and plans
  • Swinton & Pendlebury Borough Council records
  • Swinton & Pendlebury Borough Council maps and plans
  • Irlam & Cadishead UDC records
  • Worsley UDC records
  • Little Hulton UDC records
  • Salford Union Guardians records
  • Schools management records (list of schools)

Unclassified Records

As a part of Salford City Archives there are a number of records related to many organisations and businesses, not related to Local Authority. A list of these items can be seen here. Catalogues of what is held for these collections can be sent on requests. Please contact the library and request for information on individual numbers. For more complete collections please see below for catalogue and access details.

  • Bridgewater Estates (detailed catalogue listed on The National Archives Discovery database)
  • Nasmyth, Wilson and Co. (catalogues available to download from the National Archives)
  • Pilkington’s tiles and pottery (contact the library for catalogue details)

Contact us

If you have any enquiries, please call us on 0161 778 0814 or email local.history@scll.co.uk.