Genealogy

Resources

GENUKI
This page will help you to find your way around the GENUKI hierarchy. It focuses on the key areas you will need to know about for your research, and provides an explanation of their relation to each other, and to the whole. There is a Site Map diagram, which represents the levels of the GENUKI structure: the UK & Ireland, Regions within the UK (England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man, or the Channel Islands), followed by the (pre-1834) Counties (shires), which lead to a number of Parish pages. To supplement the diagTrimram, there's a description of some of the additional key areas. For example the Search Engine, the GENUKI Gazetteer, and finally, a selection of Quick Links, providing fast access to the most relevant topics. NB: the Site Map diagram requires style-sheet technology, but if you have styles disabled in your browser, or are using a screen-reader, the whole has been designed to be compatible with text-only browsing.
Free UK Genealogy:
FreeBMD
As its name implies, this is a free on line record of births, marriages and deaths. Civil registration started in 1837 and contiues to the present day. The database covers England and Wales and enables a search to be carried out between the Quarter ending September 1837 to December 1983.
  • Year
  • Quarter
  • Registration District
  • Surname
  • First name(s)
  • Mother
  • Vol and Page
At the begining of 1913, the Birth records show the mother's maiden surname, which can be very helpful in identifying family groups. Before that date family groups are best identified by refering to Census returns The records are transcribed by volunteers who provide an extremely valuable resource. The site provides links to the GENUKI (UK & Ireland Genealogy) Website
FreeReg
This page will help you to search Old Parish Records
FreeCen
UK Census online
Dusty Docs
Links to Free websites in the British Isles containing Parish Records
Dalwood Parish Register
Baptisms 1719 - 1912 Burials 1813 - 2009 Marriages 1716 - 1912
GRO
General Register Office. To order copies of Birth, Marriage and Death certificates. Other sites may be more expensive.
Recently the GRO have made a searchable databse available. This enables you to find (and order) records of births and deaths (but not marriages) that were registered after September 1837. Records that are less than 100 years old do not appear to be accessible. This service is useful because because it can provide the mother's maiden surname and age at death on either the birth or death certificate. Data that is not always available on FreeBMD. One needs to register to use the service, which is free. To order copies of Birth, Death and Marriage Certificates directly from this site is relatively simple and quick.
County Archives:
  • Devon County Archive — Microfiche of old parish records invaluable for research prior to the 1841 census and civil registration in 1837. Also much local history, newspapers, almanacs, local directories, electoral registers (1918 men over 21, women over 30; 1928 women over 21; 1968 men and women over 18), wills, legal documents and old maps.
  • Honiton Museum — Holds local parish records, duplicating some of the material held at the Devon County Archives.
  • Somerset County Archives —  Has Pulmans Newspaper Archive (covers Axminster, Lyme Regis, Chard) 1857 - 1969 and 1970 - 1988, some in store (24hrs notice) and some missing.
  • Dorset History Centre —  Some parishes that are now in Devon were once in Dorset
  • Cornwall History Centre
Parish Records:
Devon and Exeter Institution
Devon Family History Society
Scotlands People
Access to Scottish Birth, Marriage and Death records, Census Returns, Old Parish Records. Pay to view and download at reasonable price if you don't want to subscibe to Ancestry or Find My Past.
Glascow Family History
Ancestry
Well resourced family history site. Offers free trial. I believe it may be available for public computers at Devon Heritage Centre, Great Moor House, Bittern Road, Sowton, EXETER, Devon, EX2 7NL +44 (0)1392 384253 (Tues-Frid 10am-4pm)
Find My Past
Some digitised Devonshire parish records available.Well resourced family history site. Offers free 14 day trial. Available free on public computers at Devon Heritage Centre, Great Moor House, Bittern Road, Sowton, EXETER, Devon, EX2 7NL +44 (0)1392 384253 (Tues-Frid 10am-4pm)
Billion Graves
Link from Find My Past- free logon requests volunteers
Genes Reunited
Been around for quite a long time, so you may be able to find other linked family trees that you may be able to access. Search facilities were less comprehensive than Find My Past or Ancestry. I find it quite useful to update my own family tree on this site. I can download the tree as a "GEDCOM" file which can be read into Family Tree software.
National Archives
Located at Kew.
Work - Occupations
Workhouses
Wikipedia
National Library of Scotland
Digitised Ordnance Survey and other maps of England, Wales and Ireland
Gazetteer for Scotland
Gazetteer: Geographical Features, Family Names, Towns and parishes
School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh and The Royal Scottish Geographical Society
Google Maps
 —  —  — work in progress!!!       aph 5 Jun 2017