The National Archives is the official archival institution of the United Kingdom Government and serves as the principal repository for England’s and Wales’s historical public records.
About This Site
he National Archives is the official archival institution of the United Kingdom Government and serves as the principal repository for England’s and Wales’s historical public records. Based in Kew, Richmond upon Thames, London, it holds over 1,000 years of documents spanning from medieval charters and maps to modern government correspondence and naval logs. Open to researchers and the public, the archive’s facilities include extensive search rooms, reading areas, public exhibitions, and digital catalogues that allow visitors to explore historic materials firsthand. It’s a vital resource for understanding British and colonial history, including maritime records, Admiralty files, and colonial expedition documents that pertain to North America and Atlantic exploration. Today, The National Archives stands as both a research destination for historians and treasure hunters, and a cultural heritage site where original source materials—such as ship logs, Admiralty correspondence and legal records can be examined in their original form or through online catalogue services.
Connection to Oak Island
In Season 10, Episode 2 (“Across the Pond”) of The Curse of Oak Island, members of the Oak Island exploration team, Marty and Alex Lagina along with historian Charles Barkhouse, travel to The National Archives in Kew, London, England as part of their investigation into historical evidence linked to the Oak Island mystery. At the archives, they meet with historian Paul Stewart, who presents them with original British naval and colonial records, including an eighteenth-century document relating to the capture of the British ship Lively by a French vessel. This paperwork, signed in early 1746 by Jean-Baptiste Louis Frédéric de La Rochefoucauld de Roye, Duc d’Anville, suggests the French admiral may have been in the Nova Scotia region near Oak Island months before previously believed, potentially linking him more directly to treasure-burial theories. This archive visit highlights how primary source research in historical document repositories like The National Archives can play a role in piecing together the centuries-old Oak Island story.
