Public Record Office

For the archive in the Australian state of Victoria, see Public Record Office Victoria. For the Public Records Office of Hong Kong, see Government Records Service.

Public Record Office
Entrance of the Public Record Office on Chancery Lane, now the Maughan Library, King's College London
Map
General information
TypeNational archive
Architectural styleNeo-Gothic
Town or cityCity of London, London
CountryUnited Kingdom
Coordinates51°30′55″N 0°06′38″W / 51.5153°N 0.1106°W / 51.5153; -0.1106
Design and construction
Architect(s)Sir James Pennethorne

The Public Record Office[1] (abbreviated as PRO, pronounced as three letters and referred to as the PRO), Chancery Lane in the City of London, was the guardian of the national archives of the United Kingdom from 1838 until 2003, when it was merged with the Historical Manuscripts Commission to form The National Archives, based in Kew. It was under the control of the Master of the Rolls, a senior judge. The Public Record Office still exists as a legal entity, as the enabling legislation has not been modified.[2][3]

  1. ^ Not "Public Records Office"
  2. ^ "Freedom of Information Act 2000". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
  3. ^ "Public Records Act 1958". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 June 2017.