Can you Solve the Puzzle of Hertfordshire’s Hidden Gems?

Hertfordshire’s Archives and Local Studies have challenged budding historians to guess items from the county’s archives using just a series of clues.

With documents nearly a thousand years old, Hertfordshire’s archives contain over three million items of historical importance from copies of every local newspaper, letters from Dickens and Oscar Wilde, workhouse records, and 17th-century maps.

From February until May, an item will be selected from the archive by the Chairman of the council Councillor Annie Brewster and every Friday, clues will be provided through the council’s social media channels until the item or question posed has been answered correctly.

For example, it may select a register taken from a Hertfordshire Parish from the 1800’s that contains an entry of a well-known Hertfordshire resident. We will then provide clues over four weeks until an entrant provides the correct answer.

The archive item and winners will be revealed on the last Friday of each month, with an archivist providing a brief history of each item.

Councillor Annie Brewster, Chairman of Hertfordshire County Council, said: ‘We all know that Hertfordshire is a beautiful place with a unique and rich history, but how many people are aware that our very own archives contain so many wonderful items that tell the story of our past?

‘By launching this fun, free to enter competition I hope to shed light on our archives and the incredible work they undertake day in and day out to preserve the millions of documents and artefacts for the benefit of our citizens.’

Councillor Terry Douris, Cabinet member for Education, Libraries and Lifelong said: ‘The philosopher George Santayana said it best, that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. That is why we are committed to preserving and making available to the public the millions of items studiously collected by our archivists.

‘If you have ever wanted to learn more about the history of the county and the people who lived here down the centuries, our archive service is just the place for you.’

The first clue will be revealed on Friday 10 February. Residents are encouraged to sign up for the Council’s social media feeds to ensure that they don’t miss the latest clues and latest news from Hertfordshire County Council.