Barnsley Archives and Local Studies is proud to announce the receipt of a significant new collection. The personal diaries of Betty Haigh, a Silkstone-born Inspector of Taxes, details daily local, national, and international events from 1988 to 2023. Her documentation during the COVID-19 pandemic stands as the only written record within the Archives of this unprecedented period.
Betty Haigh, the youngest daughter of miner Hanson Haigh and his wife Hilda, attended Penistone Grammar School before embarking on a distinguished career with the Civil Service. She worked for the Inland Revenue in various locations and was promoted to Inspector of Taxes in 1966 – a rare achievement for women of her era. An ardent local historian, Betty was a member of several local societies and devoted herself to a lifelong passion for chronicling history.
Betty's bequest of her diaries to Barnsley Archives makes sure that her experiences and observations will be preserved for future generations. The diaries provide an invaluable first-hand account of significant historical milestones, such as the demolition of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the turn of the millennium celebrations.
Most notably, her records offer a unique and personal perspective on the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact. On March 23 2020, she reports, “STAY HOME: PROTECT THE NHS: SAVE LIVES. PM spoke to the nation at 8.30pm. National emergency and partial lockdown.”
To commemorate the COVID-19 pandemic, Barnsley will host a memorial event this Sunday 9 March 2025. The memorial will take place in front of the COVID statue in The Glass Works Square at 11am, honouring those who lost their lives since the pandemic began five years ago.
Cllr Robin Franklin, cabinet spokesperson for regeneration and culture, said: “We’re honoured that Betty bequeathed Barnsley Archives with her diaries in her will, as it’s given us a unique perspective on local and international events over the last 35 years. COVID-19 lockdowns affected our communities in so many ways, and it’s vital that we remember lives lost.”
This remarkable donation is one of the highlights among the 121 new collections received by the Archives service in 2024. With over 4,000 collections spanning 850 years, housed in more than 25,000 boxes, the Archives continue to seek important records that tell the story of Barnsley. Please get in touch if you would like to contribute paper documents, photographs, books, sound recordings, or films.
