Useful Web Sites
A plethora of web sites are available for genealogical research. Listed below are those sites, generally UK-centric, that I have found useful in researching my family history.
General Resources
- GENUKI
- Information about British and Irish genealogy and family history research.
- Scotland's Family
- Information about Scottish genealogy and family history research.
Historical Records Collections
International Collections
- Ancestry.co.uk
-
Subscription based access to a variety of historical record collections from around the world. Records include:
- Census returns
- Birth, marriage and death records
- Military records
- Immigration records
- Directories
- IGI (International Genealogical Index)
- Free access to an index of birth, baptismal and marriage entries taken from a variety of sources including parish registers. Entries relate mainly to individuals who lived between c1500-c1900 in the United States, Canada and Europe.
British and Irish Collections
- Find my Past
-
Subscription based or Pay-per-view access to UK genealogical records:
- Census returns
- Birth, marriage and death records
- Migration records
- Military records
- Directories
- Origins Network
-
Subscription based access to British and Irish record collections that date back to the 13th century:
- Census returns
- Marriage records
- Apprenticeship records
- Court records
- Burial records
- Military records
- Scotlands People
-
Pay-per-view access to the following Scottish record collections:
- Statutory Registers for birth, marriage and death registers
- Old Parish Registers
- Wills collection
- Family History Online
-
Pay-per-view access to records compiled by Family History Societies including:
- Parish registers
- Memorial inscriptions
- National burial index
- Censuses
- Poor law documents
Specialist Collections
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC)
- Free access to the Debt of Honour Register that contains information on the men and women of the Commonwealth forces who died during the two world wars.
- FreeBMD
- Free access to transcriptions of the Civil Registration index of births, marriages and deaths for England and Wales.
- Dorset Online Parish Clerks
-
Free access to transcriptions of parish-related records including:
- Parish transcripts Bishop's transcripts and churchwardens accounts
- Overseers accounts
- Land tax records
- Postal directory extracts
- Church and village histories
- Historical Directories
- Free access to local and trade directories for England and Wales dating from 1750 until 1919.
Archives
- FamilyRecords.gov.uk
- Information about archives in Britain and Ireland. a new portal guiding users to the primary UK family history sites and resources on the web.
- The National Archives
- The official archive for England, Wales and the central UK government.
- The National Archives of Scotland
- The official archive for Scotland. The National Archives of Scotland (NAS) holds historical records created by businesses, landed estates, families, churches and other corporate bodies.
- Family Records Centre
- Archive centre located in London, England.
Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates
- GRO Certificate Ordering Service
- Birth, marriage and death certificates for England and Wales.
- NSW Certificate Ordering Service
- Birth, marriage and death certificates for New South Wales, Australia.
- Victoria Certificate Ordering Service
- Birth, marriage and death certificates for Victoria, Australia.
Online Communities
- Genes Reunited
- Community for contacting fellow family historians with shared ancestors.
- Curious Fox
- Community for contacting fellow family historians researching ancestors in a particular region of Great Britain and Ireland.
- RootsChat
- An active genealogy forum with a focus on Great Britain and Ireland. Message boards are structured around nation (Scotland, Ireland, England, Wales and Independent Islands) and then counties for each nation.
Societies and Organisations
- Society of Genealogists
- Provides research material, guidance and support for those interested in researching family history.
- Federation of Family History Societies (FFHS)
- Promotes and supports regional family history societies in Britain.
Social History
General History
- British History
- A summary of the history of Britain from the time of the Norman invasion to the modern day.
- Scottish History
- Informative site about Scottish history dating from c3100 BC right up to the present day. The site complements the BBC Scotland series "In Search of Scotland.
Institutions
- The Workhouse
- The history of the workhouse in Britain.
- Rossbret Institutions Website
- Information about various institutions including almshouses, hospitals, asylums and workhouses.
Occupations
- Scottish Mining Villages
- Informaton about the mining towns and villages in Scotland, with a strong focus on Lanarkshire and Fife.
- Scottish Mining
- Genealogical-related information about the Scottish mining industry.
Miscellaneous
- Archaic Medical Terms
- A glossary of archaic medical terms, providing help in understanding the cause of death on many death certificates.
Maps
Historical
- Map and Plan Collection Online (MAPCO)
-
Free access to antique maps and views:
- 18th and 19th century maps and plans of London and the British Isles
- 19th century maps and engravings relating to Australia
- Old Maps
- Historical maps of England, Scotland and Wales from the Ordnance Survey's County Series dating from 1840 to 1948.
- National Library of Scotland Map Collection
- Maps of Scotland ranging from 16th to 20th century.
- Old London Maps
- Maps, plans, articles, information and views of medieval, 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th century London.
- Greenwood's Map of London 1827
- London and it's surroundings in 1827
- Map of John Snow's London in 1859
- London and it's surroundings in 1859.
- Charles Booth Online
- Archival resource of Charles Booth's survey into life and labour in London (1886-1903), including his poverty maps of London.
