Website of the UK government

Family history

If you are just starting to research your family history, the beginner's guide on the Family Records consortium website is a good place to start. It is designed as a portal, guiding you to the sources of documents and information you need (the site does not contain any records about any individuals).

The National Archives website provides tips for getting started, step-by-step guides and an in-depth guide to researching family history. You can also search and download images of original records, including censuses from 1841 to 1901, wills and military records. Searching is free of charge, but there is a small fee to download.

Working with others can also help; why not check out whether there are any courses on family history running locally? Visit the pages for adult learners on Directgov for more information.

• Apply for a copy birth certificate (opens new window)
• Family Records consortium website (opens new window)
• Local History (opens new window)
• Researching births, deaths and marriages (opens new window)
• The National Archives (opens new window)
• Trace your family history

Local history

The best place to begin local history research is often in the area you are interested in. You will find most county councils, unitary authorities and some large town councils maintain either a record office, an archive service or a local studies library.

The ARCHON Directory includes contact details for record repositories in the United Kingdom and also for institutions elsewhere in the world which have substantial collections of manuscripts noted under the indexes to the National Register of Archives. You can use the ARCHON Directory to find out what services are available in your area.

You can discover more about local history research from the beginners' guides on the National Archives site where there is also information on online resources, events and books available to help you.

• Find out about archives (opens new window)
• Search the ARCHON directory for record repositories in your area (opens new window)
• Local history research advice on the National Archives site (opens new window)

Research cemeteries and burial records

Contact your local council for more information on looking up burial records.

• Find out about burial and grave details (opens new window)

Researching births, deaths and marriages

Your local authority is a good place to start looking when researching births, deaths and marriages.

• Find out about historical searches on marriages (opens new window)
• Pay for a search of the marriage register (opens new window)
• Find out about copy certificates (opens new window)
• Order a copy marriage/birth/death certificate (opens new window)

House history

Have you thought about investigating the history of your house?  It can be a fascinating project and you can cover two areas of research:

The same sources can often be useful for both strands. You can find out more from the National Archives website which has pages giving an introduction to these sources, links to organisations and a list of useful books. The best place to start is their step-by-step guide to house history.

• House history guidance on the National Archives website (opens new window)