Worcestershire County Council
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Family History
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Notices
- Are you new to Family History? Then go to our Introduction to Family History page to find out some top tips to get you started.
- Ancestry.co.uk available for free at the History Centre!
- Online parish register index.
- Free guide to Worcestershire sources, by the Worcester branch of BMSGH.
Where to Visit?
| Worcestershire History Centre is the perfect place to start for anyone interested in family or local history and is free to use. We also cater for the experienced genealogist and are happy to advise about using a wider range of resources and how to overcome any ‘brick walls’. Although our resources tend to focus on Worcestershire, we have a variety of sources that cover England and Wales and even wider in some cases. We can also advise you how to access material for other areas. |
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What sources do we hold?
The Record Office has a wide range of sources for anyone wanting to find out about their family history. These are just a few examples of what the History Centre holds. Please contact us for more information.
Type of resource |
Further information |
Links to guides |
| Parish registers from the mid 16th C onwards | These tend to be from Worcestershire but we can have some out of county records Please see also the online parish register index |
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| Bishops' transcripts |
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| General Register Office Index | (also known as Civil Registration or St Catherine’s House) Index of Births, Marriages and Deaths from 1837 onwards Please note that we have a free subscription to the Family History website Ancestry.co.uk |
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| Census | Coverage is for the whole of England and Wales from 1841-onwards plus indexes for Scotland Please note that we have a free subscription to the Family History website Ancestry.co.uk |
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| Local cemetery records |
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| Trade directories from the 1790s onwards. | Please check the online library catalogue for details | |
| Electoral registers from the 1840s onwards |
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| Books and pamphlets on genealogy and important local families | Please check the online library catalogue for details | |
| Maps of Worcestershire | Please see the Highways and Bridges handlist | |
| Newspapers from 1712 onwards | Please see also the Newsplan website |
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| Worcestershire wills from the 15th C onwards |
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| The International Genealogical Index | Please see the website of the Church of Latter Day Saints |
We are also proud to be the first local authority Record Office to act as a circulating centre for the Church of Latter-Day Saints (LDS). This means that if the LDS have copied the records for an area you would like to research, by using their catalogue and our ordering system, you can gain access to this material for a small fee. Please ask for further details about this service.
How do I access the information?
- The material at the History Centre is mainly for reference only but access to all the sources is free. You only pay for the copies you make or for any material ordered in.
- Much of the material is on microfilm or microfiche, so you will need to book one of our 39 microfilm machines. You can do this in advance or on the day.
- Some of the material is available in electronic form. Computers can be booked on the day or in advance to access this information. We have 14 People’s Network machines and 5 Family and Local History only machines.
- The History Centre is only one branch of the Worcestershire Record Office. The other public branch at County Hall is also valuable for family history research.
- Local libraries often have information about how to trace your family history. Please check the online library catalogue for books.
- We also have a research service if you cannot come and visit us yourself. Please ask for further details if you are interested.
- You may also wish to try using other Family History websites.
Last modification: 15:32:43, 08th October, 2008 by Louisa Mann
Review date: 06th January, 2009
