England Websites: Difference between revisions

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Latest revision as of 12:20, 20 March 2024

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England

Websites

Introduction[edit | edit source]

Below is a list of useful databases and websites for England research. The websites are arranged by record type.

English Resources[edit | edit source]

Information about England and its genealogical records.

FamilySearch Wiki - This site is being built and continually added to by the genealogical community. Always new information being added to help with any form of genealogical and family research.
Genuki - Provides various links to research websites for the British Isles.
Cyndi's List - Provides links to various English collections, databases, or resources based on record type.
England Genealogy Websites - Contains a vast collection of England genealogy websites.
England Online Links - Lists links to various genealogical websites, databases, or resources based on record type.
The National Archives - This site contains a wealth of information, including digitized records, help resources, and links to additional sites, archives, and directories.
Price & Associates - Provides many links to different research websites or resources for England.

Major Websites[edit | edit source]

Ancestry.com is the world's largest genealogy website. Among their numerous collections of English records are the 1841-1911 censuses, General Register Office (GRO) indexes to births, marriages, and deaths after 1837, and church records. They also have electoral rolls, probate records, poor law records, directories, and immigration records.
Findmypast.com has the largest collection of English records. Along with the 1841-1911 censuses they have the 1939 Register. Their collections also include newspapers, the GRO index, church records, military records, electoral rolls, directories, school records, and more.
Familysearch.org has a large collection of English records, including the 1841-1911 censuses, GRO indexes, and church records. Do not overlook the FamilySearch Catalog, which contains many records not on the regular FamilySearch database.
Free UK Genealogy, charitable organisation which offers free access to three search databases of high-quality transcriptions of family history data. FreeBMD (Birth, Marriage and Death index); FreeREG (Parish and Non-conformist Registers) and FreeCEN (19th Century UK Census returns).
MyHeritage.com has a large collection of English records, including censuses, newspapers, church records, and immigration records.
Thegenealogist.com has a large collection of English church records.

Ancestry, Findmypast, and MyHeritage are all subscription sites. These websites are available at the FamilySearch Library and various FamilySearch Centers. TheGenealogist is also a subscription site.

Church Records[edit | edit source]

Baptism, marriage, & burial records

Church of England (Anglican)

www.familysearch.org - Indexes of births and baptisms, 1538-1975; marriages, 1538-1973, deaths and burials 1538-1991 for all of England. Images available for Cornwall, Kent, Norfolk, and some for Cheshire, Durham, Lancashire and Yorkshire
www.ancestry.com - Images available for London and surrounding area, Dorset, Lancashire, Warwickshire, & West Yorkshire. Transcripts available for many other counties.
www.findmypast.com - Transcripts of baptisms, marriages, and burials 1538-2005. Free access at a FamilySearch Center. Images available for Cheshire, West Devon, parts of London, Westminster, Middlesex and others.
www.freereg.org.uk- (FREE) High-quality online transcripts of baptisms, marriages, & burials (ongoing project- not complete)
www.ukbmd.org.uk - provides links to online church records (parish registers and bishop's transcripts) databases
www.thegenealogist.co.uk - Transcripts of parish registers
www.seax.essexcc.gov.uk/EssexAncestors.asp - Online images for Essex parish registers
www.google.com - Just try Googling the name of the ‘county’ or ‘parish’ + ‘parish registers.’ I.e. ‘Worcestershire parish registers’ or ‘Churchill parish registers.’

Non-Conformists

Those not belonging to the Church of England

www.familysearch.org - Indexes to births/baptisms, 1620-1881; marriages 1619-1898
www.freereg.org.uk (FREE) - Also houses Non-Conformist records
www.thegenealogist.co.uk - ($) Subscription site but free indexes and images at the FS Library
www.bmdregisters.co.uk - ($) Indexes free
www.ancestry.com - ($) Non-Conformist and Non-Parochial Registers, 1567-1970
www.findmypast.com - ($) Multiple collections of non-conformist records

Census Records[edit | edit source]

(Records locating families & individuals at a specific place and time)

www.familysearch.org - (free) 1841-1911 (Indexes only; images available via partner websites)
www.ancestry.com - ($) 1841-1911 (index & images)
www.findmypast.com - ($) 1841-1911 (index & images)
www.thegenealogist.co.uk - ($) 1841-1901 (index & images); 1911 (beta)
www.censusfinder.com - (free) transcripts of some England census records
www.freecen.org.uk - (FREE) transcripts of numerous census records throughout England

Civil Registration[edit | edit source]

Births, marriages, and death certificates

www.gro.gov.uk - Website for ordering birth, marriage, and death certificates from England and Wales. Do not order certificates from other sites - they typically charge extra and take longer. This website also contains online searchable indexes for birth and death certificates from 1837-1917 for births and 1837-1957 for deaths. To search, a free account must be made.
www.freebmd.org.uk - Indexes to birth, marriage and death certificates from England and Wales from July 1837-1983. Original certificates are located at the General Registrar’s Office in London. Using the information found in the index you then must order the certificate online on the GRO website.
www.ukbmd.org.uk - Indexes to birth, marriage and death certificates from England and Wales from July 1837-1983 at the the local registrar’s office. Select a county and then click 'County.' Not complete for all counties and some counties may not have an index to the local registrar's office. Includes other valuable links to records as well.
www.ancestry.com ($) - Indexes to birth, marriage, and death certificates from England and Wales from July 1837-1915. Must order certificates from the GRO website.
www.findmypast.com ($) - Indexes to birth, marriage, and death certificates from England and Wales from 1837-1983. Must order certificates from the GRO website.
www.thegenealogist.co.uk ($) - Indexes to birth, marriage, and death certificates.

Court Records[edit | edit source]

www.ancestry.com - ($) England & Wales Criminal Registers, 1791-1892 (Quarter Sessions & Assize Courts). Also search British Chancery Records, 1386-1558.
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk- Contains a vast amount of court records which can be ordered online.
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk- Includes an online index to the Manorial Documents Registers for Manor records.
www.oldbaileyonline.org.uk - Almost 200,000 criminal trials at London’s central criminal court.

Directories[edit | edit source]

Locate ancestors at a specific location and time

www.genuki.org.uk - Links to English directories
www.historicaldirectories.org - Various directories throughout England. Images of the directories are available online for free.
www.thegenealogist.co.uk - Contains various directories throughout England.
www.ancestry.com - Contains a few English directories

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint Sources[edit | edit source]

Records of 19th Century Latter-day Saint converts

Pioneer Database, 1847-1868 - List of pioneer families and individuals who migrated to Utah across the plains.
www.dupinternational.org - Contains submitted histories, biographies, articles, pictures, etc. of pioneer ancestors
Immigrants.byu.edu - Tracks Latter-day Saint converts in ships migrating across the ocean to America.
Winterquarters.byu.edu - Winter Quarters Project. Includes pioneer biographies, settlements, deaths, map of Winter Quarters, etc.
Lib.byu.edu/digital/mmd - Latter-day Saint missionary journals kept during their missionary service

Military[edit | edit source]

Finding information/records if an ancestor served in the British military

www.nationalarchives.gov.uk - The premier repository for military records in the United Kingdom. While many records are now accessible online, most are not and are housed at the National Archives. However, they can be ordered online. This site contains information and guides on how to find military records, online military records, and digitized microfilm records.
www.findmypast.com - ($) Includes many British Military records, such as the British Army Service Records from 1760-1915.
www.ancestry.com - ($) Indexes and images to many military records, including British Army WWI Service and pension records.

Newspapers[edit | edit source]

www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk - ($) Large British newspaper collection
www.connectedhistories.org - British Newspapers, 1600-1900
www.findmypast.com - ($) Large British newspaper collection
www.newspapers.com - Large British newspaper collection

Miscellaneous[edit | edit source]

www.familysearch.org - United Kingdom and Ireland. Includes miscellaneous records such as poor law, tax assessments, probate, court, monumental inscriptions, etc. for select counties.
www.connectedhistories.org - A variety of digital British records & papers including: Convict Transportation Registers, House of Commons papers, London Lives, 1690-1800, Charles Booth Archive, Old Bailey records, British Newspapers, 1600-1900, and more.
www.google.com - Use this search engine to find your ancestors (in a Google search type “Surname” (of your ancestor) + name of the parish or county from where they came from.
Other Search Engines: (www.bing.com, www.yahoo.com, www.ask.com, www.dogpile.com)
www.mocavo.com - ($) A genealogy search engine. Type the name of an ancestor and watch as the search results only appear if they may have genealogical value pertaining to your ancestor.
www.genesreunited.com - Use this website to find distant relatives via a common ancestry.
www.ffhs.org.uk - A federation of over 200 family history societies and other genealogical organizations worldwide with over 180,000 in total membership. The site includes research helps, on-going projects (including the National Burial Index), and the latest information about conferences and fairs.
www.rootschat.com - This is the UK's largest free family history forum with over 5.7 million helpful posts that are all fully searchable.

Passenger Lists[edit | edit source]

Tracing English emigrants/immigrants

www.ancestry.com - ($) Many passenger lists including those arriving at US and Canadian ports. Also a database for those returning or visiting the British Isles from 1878-1960.
www.findmypast.com - ($) Passenger lists of those leaving the British Isles (1890-1960); also a Register of passport applications, 1851-1903.
The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc. - New York passenger lists from 1892-1956
www.immigrantships.net - Passenger lists from all over the world- must search each volume as there is no searchable index.
immigrants.byu.edu - Tracks Latter-day Saint converts in ships migrating to America.

Wills / Probate[edit | edit source]

May name spouse, children, or other family members

wiki.familysearch.org - For wills pre-1858. Wiki.familysearch.org > type the name of the county and then add Probate i.e. “Worcestershire Probate.” Gives step-by-step instruction on how to find a will. Click the letter of the alphabet to the parish where your ancestor died. May include links to online indexes and includes links to the online FamilySearch Catalog listing film numbers for the wills on microfilm at the library and available through FamilySearch centers world-wide. For wills post-1858, search the library's online catalog, title search, for Principal Probate Registry.
www.ancestry.com - ($) For wills post-1858. Go to Ancestry.com & click on Search & select the Card Catalog & type in National Probate Calendar. No images provided. For a microfilm image of the will go to wiki.familysearch.org & type Principal Probate Registry. This links to microfilm numbers at the FamilySearch Library. www.familysearch.org Kent wills online 1440-1881.
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk - Index to wills proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury .
www.thegenealogist.co.uk - ($) Index & images to wills in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury.
www.findmypast.com - ($) Includes transcripts of various probate courts.

Maps, Gazetteers, and Place Names[edit | edit source]

Helps understand where ancestor came from

maps.familysearch.org - An excellent resource for finding neighboring parishes, distance between parishes, jurisdictions of the parish, when records begin, viewing old ordinance survey maps of the parish, view your ancestor’s parish in relations to Google maps and Google Earth.
labs.nationalarchives.gov.uk/maps/valuation.html - Valuation Office map finder.
www.visionofbritain.org/uk - Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales
www.british-history.ac.uk - Topographical Dictionary of England
www.genuki.org.uk - Links to maps, gazetteers, etc.
www.getamap.co.uk - Ordnance Survey Maps
www.old-maps.co.uk - ($) Access to historical maps in England
www.ancestry.com - ($) Contains a few English gazetteers

Cemeteries & Burials[edit | edit source]

Find where an ancestor is buried

www.familysearch.org > Catalog > Place Search > Type County or parish & Cemeteries
www.genuki.org.uk - Links to English cemeteries
www.findmypast.com - has the largest online burials databases for England (National Burial Index)
www.deceasedonline.com - Fast becoming the premier database for cemetery records in the United Kingdom post-1852.
www.findagrave.com - Includes England burial grounds
www.cwgc.org - Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The Debt of Honor Register database contains 1.7 million men and women of the Commonwealth forces who died during the two world wars and 23,000 cemeteries, memorials, and other locations worldwide where they are commemorated. The database can also be searched for details of 67,000 Commonwealth civilians who died as a result of WWII. This site also contains related information and links.

Repositories in England[edit | edit source]

Repositories are where original records are kept and housed. These include archives and libraries and County Record offices.

www.nationalarchives.gov.uk - The National Archives website. Great for military and other government created records many of which are online.
www.ancestor-search.info/CRO-INDEX.htm - County-by-county listing of Record Offices throught England and Wales.
www.familysearch.org/locations - FamilySearch centers nationwide provide circulation of most records on microform
www.progenealogists.com/greatbritain/englandrepositories.htm - Links to County Record Offices throughout England. These record offices hold a vast amount of county records.
www.sog.org.uk - Society of Genealogies - Britain’s premier family history society. Includes many register transcriptions to thousands of parishes.
www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/LND/ - Information on major repositories in London.