The Friends were originally formed in 1988 as The Friends of the Public Record Office by an enthusiastic group of volunteers who had begun the process of indexing and cataloguing the vast collections of national documents. 

In 1990 the Friends became a registered charity, and in 2020 it then moved on to become a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). 

Throughout the years the Friends have thrived and grown because of the amazing commitment and generous support of both its volunteers and membership.

In 2018, to mark thirty years of support and endeavour on behalf of the National Archives, the Friends published a brochure Thirty Years of Support and Endeavour 1988-2018 which you can read HERE