Our services
 |
 |
 |
||
|
||||
 |
|
 |
So you want to trace the history of your family?
|
We all have ancestors and they are, every one of them, exciting people who led individual lives and have unique stories to tell! Discovering these stories can take a great deal of time and you will need to be very methodical and patient. You may find it difficult to make the right connections and in some cases it may be impossible to be certain you have found your ancestors. The further back you go the less certain you are likely to be. |
 |
Getting Started
Always start with the information you already have or can readily obtain from family members and work back, step by step, to your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and so on. Remember that family history is as much about understanding the lives of your ancestors as it is about going as far back as you can. There are many useful books about family history available in the Record Office Searchroom and throughout the County Library and Information Service; please ask a member of staff for advice.
The sources in this booklet are available in either the
the main libraries in
the County or
in the Lancashire Record Office
or
the Museum Service
Church Registers |
|
The Lancashire Record Office holds records of baptism, marriage and burial for many Church of England, Roman Catholic and nonconformist churches. In addition, microfiche copies are available in local libraries.
Church Registers can often help you to make links with previous generations. A few of the early registers have been transcribed and indexed, but you may find others difficult to read, either because of the unfamiliar handwriting or because they are written in Latin. The Record Office has a database of Lancashire churches and registers.
Civil Registration Records |
|
Indexes to Births, Marriages and Deaths
All births, marriages and deaths in England and Wales since 1 July 1837 should have been registered with the local registrar. Indexes to these records - the Registrar General’s Indexes (often called the St Catherine’s House Indexes, or RGI) - can be seen at:
The Family Records Centre
1 Myddelton Street
London
EC1R 1UW
Tel (020) 8392 5300and at several libraries and record offices throughout the country. Microform copies of the indexes are available in the Harris Library, Preston from 1837 to 1999, and in Blackburn Library from 1837 to 2001. Please note that these indexes are not available at the Lancashire Record Office. The Harris Library also has a broad range of indexes to overseas registrations, both military and civilian.
Certificates of Births, Marriages and Deaths
You can obtain copies of certificates by visiting the Family Records Centre in London, or by post from the
General Register Office
PO Box 2
Southport
PR8 2JDtelephone 0870 243 7788/email certificate.services@ons.gsi.gov.uk - website www.gro.gov.uk. Copies can also be obtained by contacting the local registrar of the district in which the registration took place - the Record Office or libraries can provide contact details for registrars.
Census Returns |
|
A census of the population of England and Wales has been carried out every ten years since 1801 (except in 1941). Because of the personal information contained in them, the census returns are closed to public inspection for 100 years.
From 1841 details of all the residents in every house on census night are given, and from 1851 the address, name, age, sex, marital status, relationship within the household, occupation and birthplace are also recorded.
| 1841 - 1871 | Each main library in the county holds census returns for its own area; the Lancashire Record Office holds them for the whole pre-1974 county. |
| 1881 | The Record Office and many libraries hold a fully indexed transcript of this for the entire country. |
| 1891 - 1901 | These are available for pre-1974 Lancashire in the Record Office and in many libraries. |
Surname and street indexes are available for many places. When using the census in the Record Office, see Handlist number 58: 'Census Records'.
Wills |
|
Wills and other probate records are a useful source of information for family historians. Wills may give details of family circumstances and indicate transfer of property. Inventories are sometimes found with the wills and can give clues to the layout of a house, its furnishings, and its extent.
Wills before 1858
Before 1858 wills were proved in various church courts around the country. The Lancashire Record Office holds original wills relating to the Archdeaconries of Chester and Richmond that together constituted the Diocese of Chester, founded in 1541.
Specifically the Record Office holds:
Probate documents for those areas of the Archdeaconry of Chester which fell within the pre-1974 county of Lancashire, south of the river Ribble.
Probate documents relating to the Western Deaneries of the Archdeaconry of Richmond, that is, Amounderness, Copeland, Furness, Kendal and Lonsdale, north of the river Ribble.
People who owned property over a wide area are likely to have had wills proved within a higher church court; more information is available from the Record Office. Indexes to many of these wills have been published by the Record Society of Lancashire and Cheshire and can be seen in the Record Office and main Libraries.
Wills after 1858
The Record Office holds a copy of the national probate index from 1858 to 1966; this lists all probates in England and Wales.
The Record Office does not hold original wills after 1858; however it does have some registered copies of wills proved at the District Probate Registries of Liverpool and Lancaster.
Copies of original wills after 1858 can be obtained by post from the
Postal Searches and Copy Department
York Probate Sub-Registry
Castle Chambers, Clifford Street
York
YO1 9RG
Telephone 01904 666777or in person from the Principal and District Probate Registries. More information is available from the Court Service’s website - click on ‘Using the courts’ for ‘Wills and Probate’ at www.courtservice.gov.uk.
Street Directories |
|
Directories were first published in the mid 18th century but were limited to large towns, for example John Gore’s 1766 Directory of Liverpool was the first one in Lancashire. They were published at regular intervals from the 1820s up to the 1960s. For more recent years, consult trade directories and phone directories.
Directories are easy to use but be aware that house numbers and street names sometimes changed over the years! The information contained in directories varies, but most have significant amounts of detail which may help the family researcher: members of town councils, an alphabetical list of principal residents, and a classified index of professional and trades people, with addresses; directories of large towns have lists of houses in street order, giving the name of an occupant.
In Lancashire you can find out what directories are held in libraries by looking at the online catalogue either at a library, in the Record Office, or on the library website. Some of the Record Office’s holdings are also on the Library online catalogue - www.lancashire.gov.uk/libraries.
Electoral Registers |
|
Electoral registers give the addresses and names of those who are allowed to vote. They are normally arranged by street within a ward, so it is not too difficult to find an address; where indexes exist the search will be easier. The registers cover the period from 1832 to the present day, although in the early years not many people were allowed to vote. From 2002, both ‘full’ and ‘edited’ versions of the register are published.
Electoral registers in Lancashire’s libraries are normally held in the area to which they relate; please see the Guide to Lancashire Local Studies and Family History Collections (Section 7), which is available in libraries and also on the Library website. For the Record Office’s holdings, consult the catalogue EL in the Searchroom.
Local Newspapers |
|
Newspapers are a valuable source of information for items of local interest and importance: news, official announcements, editorial comment, features, court cases, birth, marriage and death announcements, obituaries, reports of coroners’ inquests, photographs and advertisements. In some cases, newspapers are the only source for local information.
Libraries in Lancashire hold many local newspapers, some from as early as the 18th century; their frequency varies but the newspapers are normally published on a weekly or twice weekly basis – please see the Guide to Lancashire Local Studies and Family History Collections (Section 11), available in libraries and on the library website. Holdings of newspapers are now largely on microfilm; reading machines for these are heavily used and in many libraries a booking system is in operation.
Most libraries have newscuttings files which provide a quick source of current information and, as the file accumulates, a valuable source of historical information. Most libraries also provide indexes to their newspapers – an online index to local newspapers is currently being developed, which will be accessible throughout the county.
The British Library Newspaper Library
Colindale Avenue
London
NW9 5HE
(known as ‘Colindale’ library) has lengthy holdings of most local and national newspapers – their catalogue is searchable by visiting www.bl.uk/catalogues/newspapers.html.
Photographs |
|
Many libraries and museums hold substantial collections of photographs; these are normally indexed and arranged by subject. These may be specific images of members of your family, or other images which include people and their houses or businesses, for example. The Record Office holds many photographs within its archives.
The Internet |
|
Increasingly the Internet is becoming a major aid to research. With so much information available online it is sometimes difficult to decide which websites to use. To help overcome this problem, the Record Office has developed a database of useful websites and is happy to supply selected lists on request.
The Library has a list of websites in the field of local studies and family history on the library website – www.lancashire.gov.uk/libraries ; please look under ‘Local Studies’.
Both databases are regularly updated to include new websites as they become available. The People’s Network computers in all libraries and the Record Office give access to the Internet. The following is a short list of some of the main websites for family history:
www.1837online.com/Trace2web/ Copy of the indexes of births, marriages and deaths for England and Wales from 1837 to 2001. This is a charged service.
www.ancestry.com Genealogical databases for Britain and the United States. It includes British Census records for 1871, 1881, 1891 and 1901 and birth, death & marriage records for England & Wales. This is a charged service.
www.1901census.nationalarchives.gov.uk The official genealogy site of the Welsh click on ‘Using the courts’ for ‘Wills and Probate’.& English census information for 1901.
www.familysearch.org Mormon database for family history, includes International Genealogical Index (I.G.I.) and 1881 Census for UK, as well as American sources. The I.G.I. is also available on CD-ROM and microfiche in libraries and the Record Office.
http://freebmd.rootsweb.com Registrar General’s Indexes to births, marriages and deaths. The indexes are being added gradually.
www.cwgc.org Commonwealth War Graves Commission database giving details of 1.7m Commonwealth sailors, soldiers and airmen who died during two world wars, and where they are buried.
www.genuki.org.uk Database of sources of information for genealogy in the UK, including libraries, record offices, local societies etc.
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk UK National Archives – full details, including Family Records Centre, Census etc.
www.a2a.org.uk Contains millions of catalogue entries describing archives held in record offices and libraries throughout England, including more than 2000 lists from the Lancashire Record Office (from April 2005 www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a ).
Military Family History |
|
Resources available for military family history in local libraries and the Record Office include Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-19 and the Army Roll of Honour 1939-45 (both on CD).
Local regimental museums (you will be able to obtain contact details from libraries and the Record Office) should be able to assist with details of regimental activities. The vast majority of surviving pre-1921 military personnel records are held by the
National Archives
Ruskin Avenue
Kew
Richmond
TW9 4DU
telephone 020 8876 3444
email enquiry@nationalarchives.gov.uk
website www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Accrington Library holds special collections on the First World War.
Boyd's Marriage Index |
|
The Record Office and some libraries hold Boyd’s Marriage Index for Lancashire that covers many, but not all, churches within the pre-1974 county between 1538 and 1837.
Lancashire Museum Service |
|
The Lancashire Museums Service looks after more than 150,000 objects from around the county, housed within a dozen historic and diverse buildings. Each museum has a changing programme of temporary exhibitions and events; these and such projects as Bringing History Alive on their website, can give a greater appreciation of life in past times, with graphic information about costume, housing, employment, social conditions and much more.
You can visit their website at www.lancashire.gov.uk/education/museums/index.asp. For further information, please phone 01772 534075
Local and family history collections are held in the Lancashire Record Office and the libraries below:
|
Lancashire Record Office
Bow Lane Preston PR1 2RE Tel: 01772 533039 Fax: 01772 533050 record.office@ed.lancscc.gov.uk Fax: 01772 534149 www.archives.lancashire.gov.uk Accrington Central Library St. James Street Accrington BB5 1NQ Tel: 01254 306911 Fax: 01254 301066 Accrington.local-studies@lcl.lancscc.gov.uk Bacup Library St. James’ Square Bacup OL13 9AH Tel: 01706 873324 Fax: 01706 873324 Bacup.library@lcl.lancscc.gov.uk Barnoldswick Library Fernlea Avenue Barnoldswick Colne BB8 5DW Tel: 01282 812147 Fax: 01282 850791 Barnoldswick.reference@lcl.lancscc.gov.uk Burnley Central Library Grimshaw Street Burnley BB11 2BD Tel: 01282 463758 Fax: 01282 831682 Burnley.reference@lcl.lancscc.gov.uk Chorley Central Library Union Street Chorley PR7 1EB Tel: 01257 277222 Fax: 01257 231730 Chorley.reference@lcl.lancscc.gov.uk Clitheroe Library Church Street Clitheroe BB7 2DG Tel: 01200 428788 Fax: 01200 443203 Clitheroe.reference@lcl.lancscc.gov.uk Colne Library Market Street Colne BB8 0AP Tel: 01282 871155 Fax: 01282 865227 Colne.reference@lcl.lancscc.gov.uk Fleetwood Library North Albert Street Fleetwood FY7 6AJ Tel: 01253 775803 Fax: 01253 775804 Fleetwood.reference@lcl.lancscc.gov.uk Garstang Library Windsor Road Garstang Preston PR3 1ED Tel. 01995 604052 Fax: 01995 605247 Garstang.library@lcl.lancscc.gov.uk Haslingden Library Higher Deardengate Haslingden Rossendale BB4 5QL Tel: 01706 215690 Fax: 01706 215690 Haslingden.library@lcl.lancscc.gov.uk Kirkham Library Station Road Kirkham Preston PR4 2HD Tel: 01772 684479 Fax: 01772 684258 Kirkham.library@lcl.lancscc.gov.uk Lancaster Central Library Market Square Lancaster LA1 1HY Tel: 01524 580708 Fax: 01524 580709 |
Local Studies Library
Lancashire Record Office Bow Lane Preston PR1 2RE Tel: 01772 534021 Local.studies@lcl.lancscc.gov.uk www.lancashire.gov.uk/libraries Leyland Library Lancastergate Leyland PR25 2EX Tel: 01772 432804 Fax: 01772 456549 Leyland.library@lcl.lancscc.gov.uk Lytham Library Clifton Street Lytham FY8 5EP Tel: 01253 736745 Fax: 01253 796784 Lytham.library@lcl.lancscc.gov.uk Morecambe Library Central Drive Morecambe LA4 5DL Tel: 01524 402110 Fax: 01524 415008 Morecambe.reference@lcl.lancscc.gov.uk Nelson Library Market Square Nelson BB9 7PU Tel: 01282 692511 Fax: 01282 449584 Nelson.reference@lcl.lancscc.gov.uk Ormskirk Library Burscough Street Ormskirk L39 2EN Tel: 01695 573448 Fax: 01695 580033 Ormskirk.library@lcl.lancscc.gov.uk Poulton-le-Fylde Library Blackpool Old Road Poulton-le-Fylde FY6 7DH Tel. 01253 888900 Fax: 01253 888909 Poulton.library@lcl.lancscc.gov.uk Preston-Harris Library Reference and Information Service Market Square Preston PR1 2PP Tel: 01772 532669 Fax: 01772 555527 Harris.reference@lcl.lancscc.gov.uk Rawtenstall Library Haslingden Road Rawtenstall Rossendale BB4 6QU Tel: 01706 227911/2 Fax: 01706 217014 Rawtenstall.reference@lcl.lancscc.gov.uk St Annes Library 254 Clifton Drive South St Anne’s on Sea FY8 1NR Tel: 01523 643900 Fax: 01253 643909 St-Annes.library@lcl.lancscc.gov.uk Skelmersdale Library Southway Skelmersdale WN8 6NL Tel: 01695 720312 Fax: 01695 558627 Skelmersdale.reference@lcl.lancscc.gov.uk Thornton Library Victoria Road East Thornton-Cleveleys FY5 3SZ Tel. 01253 869138 Fax: 01253 827842 Thornton.library@lcl.lancscc.gov.uk Whitworth Library Lloyd Street Whitworth OL12 8AA Tel: 01706 853261 |
The following libraries are no longer operated by Lancashire County Council but continue to hold collections of local and family history material:
|
Blackburn Central Library Town Hall Street Blackburn BB2 1AG Tel: 01254 661221 Fax: 01254 690539 |
Blackpool Central Library Queen Street Blackpool FY1 1PX Tel: 01253 478080 Fax: 01253 478082 |
Darwen Library Knott Street Darwen BB3 3BU Tel: 01254 706021 Fax: 01254 707177 |