4/5/2006 3:58 PM

London Repositories and their Collections

©John Konvalinka 2006; all rights reserved.    Email: john@konvalinka.com   Website: www.konvalinka.com  

 

(To reach detail pages, click on the hyperlinks below; to return to this page click on “back” arrow or press “ctrl” + “home” keys)

 

I.  Major London Genealogical Repositories:

The Society of Genealogists

The National Archives  (until April 2003: “The Public Record Office”)

The Family Records Centre  (formerly “St Catherine’s House”  /  PRO Chancery Lane”)

The British Library

The British Library (Newspaper Collection at Colindale)

The London Metropolitan Archives  (formerly “The Greater London Record Office”)

The Principal Registry of the Family Division (PRFD) Probate Service  “First Avenue House”  (formerly “Somerset House”)

The Guildhall Library  / Corporation of London Record Office

The (City of) Westminster Archives Centre

The Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts  (National Register of Archives – now part of The National Archives at Kew)

The Wellcome History of Medicine Library

The Library,  Friends House,  London

The Royal College of Arms

The Diocese of London Archives

The Hyde Park LDS Family History Center

The Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies (Canterbury)

II.  Other London Genealogical Repositories:

London Libraries With Local Studies and Archives Centres

Other London Libraries with Information of Genealogical Interest

III.  The “What/Where” Record Locator  (Where in London to Find Particular Kinds of Genealogical Records)

IV.  Facts About Various Kinds of Genealogical Records

V.  Preparing for Your London Trip (Tips on things to know about London)

VI.  Bibliography of London Reference Books and Pamphlets

I.  Detailed Information on Major London Repositories

 

THE  SOCIETY  OF  GENEALOGISTS

Address:  14 Charterhouse Buildings, Goswell Road,  London EC1M 7BA    

Telephone:  020 7251  8799       From U.S.:   011 44 20 7251 8799

Website:  www.sog.org.uk  

Nearest Tube Stop:  Barbican (on the Circle, Metropolitan or Hammersmith & City Lines)

Hours of Operation:  Closed Mon;  Tues-Sat:  10 am to 6 pm (8 pm on Thursday)

Admission Requirements:  Yearly or Daily membership

Major Resources: Catalog is now searchable online; see: www.sog.org.uk/sogcat/access/

·        Transcripts of many Parish Records, some from the 1500s, from England, Wales, Ireland & the Channel Islands; also those from many London Roman Catholic Chapels and Missions; microfiche copies of the indexes to the parish registers maintained in  The London Metropolitan Archives

·        Boyd’s Marriage Index for England 1538-1837 and other Marriage licenses

·        Boyd’s The Inhabitants of London (238 volumes) – mainly 16th and 17th century

·        Boyd’s London Burials (250,000 abstracts of pre 1853 burials)

·        Large collection of published and unpublished genealogical source material and compiled genealogies and Family Histories

·        Great Card Index (over 700 drawers, now on over 600 microfilms) and other card indexes

·        GRO Indexes 1837-1920; Scottish GRO Indexes 1855-1920

·        Many UK Censuses, with largest collection of published census Indexes

·        Information on Apprentices, Schools & Universities, Armed Forces, Professions

·        Wills and Principal Probate Registry Indexes 1858-1930; also n Index for PCC wills 1750 to 1800 wills (available online;)  British Record Society and other indexes 1383-1800

·        Bernau’s Index to miscellaneous chancery, exchequer and other 17th and 18th century sources (the records themselves will be found in The National Archive [at Kew])

·        Information on Peerages and Heraldry

·        Large collection of “Birth Briefs” and queries submitted by members

·        Large collection of Irish and Scotch genealogical records (described in detail in pamphlets available from the Society.)

·        Large collection of “how to”, textbooks and (Stuart Raymond and other) bibliographies of English Counties and Occupations)

·        Headquarters for the Guild of One Name Studies (www.one-name.org)

 

Other Information:   

·        The Society continues the development of “English Origins” Databases – fully searchable indexes to records of 10 million names from the 15th century from some of the Society’s principal collections, including Boyd’s Marriage (and other) Indexes and wills and apprenticeship records from various sources.  Name searching is free; there is a modest charge (partially waived for SoG members) for examining index items; some underlying record abstracts can be ordered through the website.  English Origins is accessible thru www.englishorigins.com  or (preferably) thru the Society’s own website.

·        Society of Genealogists Leaflet No. 6 – “Notes for Americans on Tracing Their British Ancestry” provides much worthwhile information on the Society’s holdings

·        The Society had “the most comprehensive genealogy bookshop in the country” with books and many UK-oriented data cd’s – including many not available in the U.S.  Unfortunately, for business reasons, the bookstore now carries only the Society’s publications, although the “traveling bookstore” (at fairs, etc.) is still operational.

 

 

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

(of England and Wales and the United Kingdom)

Until April 2003 known as “The Public Record Office”

Address:  Ruskin Avenue, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 9DU  

Telephone:  020  8392 5200     From U.S.:  011 44 20 8392 5200

Website:  www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/

Online catalog:  www.catalogue.nationalarchives.gov.uk       

Nearest Tube Stop:  Kew Gardens (Zone 3 on the District Line, Richmond branch; extra fare required from central London.  The PRO is a 5-10 minute walk from the tube stop)

Hours of Operation:

Mon, Wed, Fri  9 am-5 pm; Tue 10 am-7 pm; Thurs 9 am-7 pm; Sat 9:30 am-7pm.

Admission Requirements:  Readers Card; easily obtainable with passport on first visit

Major Resources:

·        Apprenticeship records 1710-1811 (and some others)*

·        Bankruptcy records 

·        Birth, Marriage, Death records of Britons abroad 1627-1965 (not all) *

·        Cemetery records: Bethnal Green (1793-1837); Bunhill Fields (1833-1853); Victoria Park (1852-1876)

·        Census records 1841-1891: can only be viewed in The Family Records Centre.  (The 1901 census are available online at the National Archives and thru the Internet.) 

·        Change of Name records 1760-~1992

·        Criminal Records:  Records of Assizes and the Central Criminal Court from the middle ages; Crime, Convicts and transportation registers 18th and 19th century

·        Death Duty (Estate Tax) records 1858-1903 (stored offsite); some indexes from 1796-1903*

·        Divorce records 1858-1940

·        Emigrants records 17th to 20th century

·        Hospital Records database (maintained jointly with The Wellcome History Of Medicine Library

·        Immigrants records (to UK):  Naturalization and denization records 1801-1935; Passenger lists from 1890

·        Legal records:  Surviving records of civil actions of all central law courts from medieval times; tax records – medieval to 20th century;  a few of the pre-1500 records of the Court of Quarter Sessions.

·        Marriages:  “Fleet” and other irregular marriages performed in the Fleet Prison and nearby buildings in London 1667-1777 (or 1754 when Hardwicke’s Marriage Act was enacted.)

·        Medieval records (BMD before Parish Registers [1538]; wills, manorial records) Many of these records are in Latin.  Some expert assistance is available in the second floor Map and Large Document Room.  See also The Royal Commission On Historical Manuscripts

·        Military records 17th century to the First World War (Large collections!)   Service records for Royal Air Force, Royal Marine, Royal Navy, Army, Seamen, Coast Guard, Customs/Excise Officers, Merchant Seamen, Dockyard/Railway workers (from various periods)*

·        Non-parochial registers surrendered to the Registrar General as a result of the Acts of 1840 and 1858, including some Nonconformist chapel registers 17th-19th century

·        Police records:  London Metropolitan (1829-1932) and Royal Irish Constabulary (1836-1922)

·        Tax Lists:  Nationwide Land Tax for 1798; Hearth Tax 1662-1674; Valuation Office Records 1909-1915

·        Wills and Probate records  PCC wills and grants of administration and records of any lawsuits (including depositions of witnesses) 1383-1858, searchable and downloadable online (for Ł3;) calendars of wills after 1858*  (The actual wills are in  Principal Registry of the Family Division (PRFD) Probate Service  (First Avenue House)

*Some of these holdings are available on film in the self-service Microfilm Room

Another service of the PRO is MEMRIS (“Medieval and Early Modern Record Information Service”.)  A number of the PRO staff have specialist knowledge of Medieval and Early Modern records, in particular those previously held at Chancery Lane.   MEMRIS has a website:  www.pro.gov.uk/research/memris/about.htm

Other Information:  

·         Half hour tours for new visitors are run regularly.  Highly recommended

·         The PRO has about 200 leaflets which describe its most popular holdings.  They are available at the PRO and online at:  http://www.pro.gov.uk/leaflets/Riindex.asp  These and the online catalog:  http://catalogue.pro.gov.uk  will be very helpful for familiarizing yourself with the holdings and workings of the PRO in preplanning for a productive trip.

·         Other helpful preparatory items: the book  New To Kew?  by Jane Cox.  Available from the PRO or www.amazon.com ($12.95.)  Also, Tracing Your Ancestors in the PRO  Amanda Bevan ; 2002 edition Ł15.99 from the PRO and Genealogical Research in England’s Public Record Office:  A Guide for North Americans, 2nd Edition by Judith Prowse Reid and Simon Fowler.  Available ($22.50) from Genealogical Publishing Company (800-296-6687)

·         See also: PCC Wills and other Probate Records, PRO Guide #15:  Miriam Scott 1997, 81 pages Ł5.99.  The PRO also publishes about 10 Pocket Guides on a variety of PRO related search topics.

·         Link to A2A (Access to Archives):  www.a2a.pro.gov.uk   Search the catalogs of 115 English archives.

·         Within the PRO there is a good reference library, recently opened to the public. Its catalog is searchable online from within the PRO (but not on the Internet as of 3-02)

·         The PRO has many publications of The List and Index Society;  some of the work of this group is of significance to genealogists

·         The PRO has a well stocked bookshop.

·         If a PRO staff person you ask doesn’t seem to know the answer to your question, ask if there is a “specialist” in that particular area. (PRO staff members have listings of the names of specialists in various areas available on their intranet; the staffer you ask might not volunteer that information – see information on MEMRIS above.)  

 

 

 

 

THE FAMILY RECORDS CENTRE

(formerly “St. Catherine’s House” and “PRO Chancery Lane”)

(Run jointly by the General Register Office (GRO)/Office for National Statistics (ONS)  and the National Archive (formerly the PRO)

Address:  1 Myddleton Street, Islington, London EC1R 1UW  

TNA Telephone:  020 8392 5300     From U.S.:  011 44 20 8392 5300

ONS Telephone:  0870 243 7788     From U.S.:  011 44 870 243 7788        

TNA Website:  http://www.familyrecords.gov.uk/partners/frc-partner.htm

ONS Website:   www.statistics.gov.uk

Nearest Tube Stops: 

Farringdon (on the Circle Line, Metropolitan Line, Hammersmith & City Lines)

Angel (on the Northern Line)

Hours of Operation:  Mon, Wed, Fri: 9am-5pm;  Tues 10-7;  Thurs 9-7;  Sat 9:30-5

Admission Requirements:  None

Major Resources:

General Register Office, Office for National Statistics – Indexes of:

·        Births, marriages and deaths registered in England and Wales from 1 July 1837*

·        Adoptions registered in England and Wales since 1927

·        Births and deaths at sea registered from July 1837 until 1965

·        Military, Consular, Civil aviation and High Commission returns of births, deaths and marriages for various years

The actual records are not open to the public; indexes may be consulted;  birth and death indexes from 1984-1992, marriage indexes from 1984-1993 are on line.  There is a fee for producing a certificate.  (Microfilms copies of the indexes are also available in Family History Centres and some local libraries.)

*Before 1837 and the introduction of civil registration (1855 for Scotland and 1845/1864 for Ireland), parish registers of the Church of England (or other denominations) are the most comprehensive source of information (baptisms and marriages) about individuals.  A very few parish registers may date from as early as 1538.

 

The National Archive (copies of most widely consulted documents; full collection of the National Archives (PRO) is at Kew) – microfilms/microfiches of:

·        Census returns 1841-1901 (1901 is online) with many indexes.

·        Death Duty [Estate Duty] Registers 1796-1858; indexes 1796-1903 (original records 1858-1904 can be seen in The National Archives [at Kew])

·        Wills and Administrations 1383-1858 and associated indexes (Prerogative Court of Canterbury only).  These are searchable online

·        Indexes to Wills and Administrations for the whole of England and Wales 1858-1943 on microfiche (the wills themselves are at: Principal Registry of the Family Division (PRFD) Probate Service)

·        Nonconformist Registers (some) 1567-1837, including Fleet Marriage registers and Quaker Registers (some also in Kew)

·        Non-parochial registers surrendered to the Registrar General as a result of the Acts of 1840 and 1858 and accepted as authentic

·        Divorce Files (Indexes) 1858-1958

·        Miscellaneous foreign returns of BMD 1627-1960

·        Inland Revenue Accounts 1796-1857

For full details of the holdings of the FRC:
First Floor (National Archives):  www.familyrecords.gov.uk/partners/frc-partner.htm
Ground Floor (GRO):  http://www.statistics.gov.uk/nsbase/registration/family_records.asp

Other Information:  Helpful books (available at small bookshop on site, which has other introductory material as well):

·         Never Been Here Before?  A genealogists guide to the Family Records Centre  by Jane Cox and Stella Colwell, 2000  (PRO Readers Guide #17) 

·         Basic Facts about…Using the Family Records Centre  by Audrey Collins 1998, published by the Federation of Family History Societies

Also, one page leaflets – “First Visit?” and “How to Use”, including:

·         PCC Wills and Administrations; Probate Records from 1858

·         Nonconformist Registers

·         Fleet Marriage Registers

·         Registers from the Wesleyan Methodist Metropolitan Registry

·         Registers from Dr Williams Library  (a registry established in 1742 used by nonconformists and others to register the births of children)

·         The 1841-1891 (1901) Census Returns

·         Death Duty Registers

 

 

 

 

THE  BRITISH  LIBRARY 

Address:  96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB   

Telephone:  020 7412 7513      From U.S.:  011 44 20 7412 7513     

Website:  www.bl.uk     online catalog:  http://catalogue.bl.uk

Nearest Tube Stop:  King’s Cross-St. Pancras (on the Piccadilly, Victoria, Northern, Circle, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City Lines)

Hours of Operation: 

Monday 10 AM – 8 PM, Tuesday-Thursday 9:30 AM – 8 PM; Friday and Saturday: 9:30 AM – 5 PM

Admission Requirements:  Reader’s Card.  “The British Library at St Pancras is a research library, not a public reference library. Admission to the Library cannot be guaranteed.  Access to the reading rooms is provided to those who have reached a point in their research where no other library can adequately supply all the information required, or who can demonstrate a legitimate need to use items in the collection to further their research.”  [More information and an application form can be found at: http://www.bl.uk/services/reading/admissions.html.  Examples of specific works required (from the online catalog) could be helpful in securing admission.]

Major Genealogical Resources:  The British Library is the national library of the UK.  By law, it should receive a copy of every work published in the UK.  Its vast holdings include:

·         A large collection of family histories and biographical materials published in books or periodicals

·         A large collection of manuscripts, many dealing with various aspects of family history

·         Many bibliographies, monographs and guides to finding family histories and related records

·         Many county and local histories and published records of parish registers, visitations and obituaries (e.g. Harleian Society publications including “Musgrave’s Obituaries prior to 1800”)

·         A large collection of materials on cd-roms, including indexes to periodicals and other items of biographic and genealogical significance, including material relating to London and to trade unions.

Other Information:  Helpful British Library Pamphlets (in addition to “Welcome to..): 

·         Arts & Humanities Services:  Scholarship and Collections

·         English Places (Humanities Readers Guide No. 3)

·         Family and Personal Names (Humanities Readers Guide No. 4)

·         British Family History (Humanities Readers Guide No. 5)

·         Using Periodicals in the Humanities Reading Room (Humanities Readers Guide No. 8)

·         Research Sources in the Humanities Reading Room (Humanities Readers Guide No. 9)

·         Biographical  Sources in the Humanities Reading Room (Humanities Readers Guide No. 10)

Information on obtaining a Readers Card:  Pamphlet “Apply to Become a Reader” (with application form, which can be submitted by mail.  Contact Reader Admissions Office.)

The British Library has large bookshop, but not too many items of genealogical interest.

 

 

 

THE BRITISH LIBRARY (Newspaper Collection)

“The British Library Newspaper houses the national archive collection in the UK of British and overseas newspapers.  It is the only large, integrated national newspaper service in the world, combining facilities for the collection, preservation and use of newspapers all on one site.”

Address:  Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5HE   

Telephone:  020 7412 7353       From U.S.:  011 44 20 7412 7353      

Website:  http://www.bl.uk/collections/newspapers.html

Nearest Tube Stop:  Colindale (Zone 4 on the Northern Line; extra fare required from central London)

Hours of Operation:  Mon - Sat 10 am to 4:45 pm (except for special closure periods)

Admission Requirements:  “Open to anybody over the age of 18 for research purposes, to consult material not readily available in other libraries. Readers are admitted with a Newspaper Library reader's pass or a British Library photographic reader's pass. Newspaper Library reader's passes are issued to applicants in person in the Newspaper Library Reading Rooms. Applicants need to show a proof of identity document bearing their signature, for example: their passport.”

Major Resources:

Large collection of British and overseas newspapers, periodicals  and magazines – mainly after 1800 (earlier ones may be in the British Library www.bl.uk) – in 650,000 bound volumes and 320,000 reels of microfilm:

·        British national and provincial papers:  fairly comprehensive from 1840s;

·        Full sets of the main London edition of all national daily and Sunday papers from 1801

·        Most daily and weekly provincial newspapers from England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland; some from the early 18th century

·        New (1999) computer catalog with wide search capabilities (accessible online thru British Library website:  www.bl.uk

·        A collection of those name indexes (very few) which do exist (although there may be other indexes to local papers  in various Record Offices and Local Studies Libraries

Other Information:  Helpful Pamphlets: 

·        British Library Pamphlets:  Welcome to the Newspaper Library;  Using the Reading Rooms

·        Basic Facts About Using Colindale and other Newspaper Repositories, by Audrey Collins (Published by Federation of Family History Societies)

·         Family History from Newspapers, by Eve McLaughlin (Published by Varneys Press)

 

(Photocopying facilities at Colindale are quite limited.)

 

 

 

 

 

THE LONDON METROPOLITAN ARCHIVES

(formerly “The Greater London Record Office”)

Address:  40 Northampton Road  London  EC1R 0HB

Telephone:  020  7332 3820        From U.S.:  011 44 20 7332 3820

Website:  http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/archives/lma/index.htm

Nearest Tube Stops: 

·         Farringdon (Circle, Metropolitan, Hammersmith & City Lines)

·         Angel (Northern Line)

Hours of Operation: 

Mon -Fri: 9:30 AM – 4:45 PM   (Tues and Thurs till 7:30 PM).  Also open selected Saturdays

Admission Requirements:  None

Major Resources:  The largest local record office in the U.K.  Materials about all aspects of history and development of Greater London.  Of particular interest to genealogists:

·         London Generations from 1538:  A section of LMA devoted to bringing various family history sources together for the use of genealogists (searchable on line at above website,) including:

Parish Registers from over 800 Anglican parishes within the former counties of London and Middlesex, excluding parishes in the Cities of London and Westminster (These are held by The Guildhall Library  (London) and The (City of) Westminster Archives Centre)  Also registers from many non-conformist churches (principally Methodist, Congregationalist, Baptist and United Reform) as well as some Catholic, Dutch Reformed, German, Huguenot and Jewish (see below)  Many registers are indexed and are now available on fiche; also in The Society of Genealogists

Poor Law Records (including those of workhouses and schools) included with above parish registers, and some others

School registers and Electoral registers.

Church Marriages from 1837

Families and Individuals’ personal papers from 1160

Directories:  trade, street, court and local directories

·        Court Records from 1549, including Middlesex (Quarter Sessions and Petty Sessions) and Westminster Sessions of the Peace, Magistrates’ Courts and the surviving coroners’ inquests for London and Middlesex

·        Diocesan Records from 1467, including probate, matrimonial, legal separation and other records for the Diocese of London Consistory Court, the Archdeaconry of Middlesex and other records of surrounding areas

·        Archives of the Anglo-Jewish Community, some dating to 1656; a few earlier

·        Burial records from City of London and Tower Hamlets Cemetery (1841-1966), New Bunhill Fields (1831-1853), and Bishops Transcripts for Highgate (1839-1871), Kensal Green (1833-1872), Nunhead (1842-1871) and West Norwood (1838-1918)

·        Bishops Transcripts (baptisms, marriages and burial records) for Counties of Surrey, Middlesex (except city of London) and parishes in Kent which became part of County of London 

·        Middlesex Deeds Registry 1709-1938

·        Electoral Registers for the London and Middlesex areas

·        Hospital Records – of over 80 hospitals (many now closed) and Records of Patients in London Hospitals (some from mid 18th century) subject to 100 year closure period

·        Licensed Victuallers (pub keepers) Records of various sorts, some from the mid 16th century

·        Convicts transported from Middlesex to America or Australia in the 17th-19th centuries

·        National Records from 1653 including records of English Heritage (London region), HM Prison Wandsworth, the Commissioners of Land Tax relating to London and Middlesex

·        Wills, mainly relating to the ancient (pre-1889) counties of Middlesex, Surrey and Kent and the City of London.

·        London theaters and music halls:  Archival and printed source material

·        A Personal Name Index which might lead to a will or some other document of genealogical significance

Other Information:  In addition to introductory pamphlets, LMA has published about 30 Information Leaflets dealing with their holdings and with various genealogical topics, including:

1.  Family History in London

2.  The International Genealogical Index (IGI)

3.  Licensed Victuallers Records

4.  Convicts Transported from Middlesex

5.  The City of London and Tower Hamlets Cemetery

6.  Wills in London Metropolitan Archives and Elsewhere

7.  The Middlesex Deed Registry 1709-1938

13. Hospital Records

15.  Records of Patients in London Hospitals

16.  Archives of the Anglo-Jewish Community at London Metropolitan Archives

17.  The German Community in London

18.  Non-Anglican Register Transcripts

21.  Electoral Registers at London Metropolitan Archives

23. The Directories of London and the Home Counties

26.  Poor Law Records in London and Middlesex

27.  Records of Nonconformists in London

28.  Sources for the history of London Theatres and music halls in London Metropolitan Archives

These are available at the Archives or by post with a SASE.  (Also available in The Family Records Centre)

 

 

 

 

PRINCIPAL REGISTRY OF THE FAMILY DIVISION (PRFD) 

(formerly “Somerset House”)

Address:  Probate Search Room,  First Avenue House, 42-49 High Holborn, London WC1V 6NP 

Telephone:  020 7947 6000    From U.S.:  011 44 20 7947 6000

Divorce Section:   020 7947 6000     From U.S.:  011 44 20 7947 6000

Website:  www.courtservice.gov.uk/using_courts/wills_probate/probate_famhist.htm

Nearest Tube Stops: 

Holborn (on the Piccadilly and Central Lines);  Chancery Lane (on the Central Line)

Hours of Operation:  Monday-Friday: 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM

Admission Requirements:  None

Major Resources: 

·         Wills and Administrations (from January, 1858) 

·         Divorce records (from 1941)

Other Information:  Helpful Pamphlet:  Basic Facts About Using Wills After 1858 and First Avenue House, by Audrey Collins (Published by Federation of Family History Societies)

 

 

 

 

 

THE GUILDHALL LIBRARY

Address:  Off Gresham Street -- Aldermanbury, London EC2P 2EJ     

Telephone:  020 7332 3030    From U.S.:  011 44 20 7332 3030

Website:  http://ihr.sas.ac.uk/gh

Nearest Tube Stops: 

·        Bank (on the Central Line); 

·         Moorgate (on the Circle, Metropolitan, Hammersmith & City and Northern Lines)  There’s a high walkway from this station to the area of the library

Hours of Operation:  Monday-Friday: 9:30 AM – 4:45 PM

Admission Requirements:  None

Major Resources:  All aspects of London history are included in three principal sections:  Printed materials (with an online catalog (which also serves The Corporation of London Record Office (see below): http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/leisure_heritage/libraries_archives_museums_galleries/city_london_libraries/catalogue.htm ); maps and prints (searchable online at http://collage.cityoflondon.gov.uk) and manuscripts.  Some principal holdings:

·         Parish registers for parishes within the City of London

·         Register transcripts (published and/or unpublished) of many churches: Anglican, Huguenot  and some English non-conformist and Roman Catholic

·         Bishop’s Transcripts of parish registers (some from mid 17th century and from 1800 to about 1850.

·         Non-parochial registers for a number of establishments.  (Those surrendered to the Register General because of the Acts of 1840 and 1858 can be seen in The National Archive and  The Family Records Centre)

·         Ecclesiastical Court records for probate and marriage licenses:  Commissary Court of London, Archdeaconry Court of London and the Peculiar (Court) of the Dean and Chapter of St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Royal Peculiar of St. Katherine by the Tower

·         Court records from the Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey)

·         City of London Burial Index 1813-1853 (compiled by Cliff Webb)

·         Lloyd’s “Captains Registers” – a very large collection of information about ships, captains and mates, etc.

·         Published family and local histories

·         Beaven’s Alderman of the City of London (1276-1912) and other published sources relating to City dignitaries and officers

·         Boyd’s The Inhabitants of London (238 volumes) – mainly 16th and 17th century (microfilm; originals in The Society of Genealogists)

·         Trade (and other) Directories – a very large collection covering  London from 1730s (other English towns and counties as well)

·         Older records of many Livery Companies (Guilds)

·         Poll books (mainly late 17th –19th centuries) and Rate books of many English towns and counties

·         Electoral Registers of the City of London, 1832 to date

·         Census returns for the City of London from 1841

·         Early newspapers for the City of London and surrounding areas

·         Livery Companies:  the original records of 85 (out of about 100) City of London livery companies.  The remainder (mainly the wealthier companies) might be in the archives of the individual companies.

·         Apprentice Indexes from Inland Revenue Records (1710-1774)  (Apprenticeships were subject to tax from 1694.)

·         Numerous sources for the membership of various trades and professions, including apothecaries, physicians, surgeons and midwives

·         National Probate Calendar Indexes (1853-1943; the wills themselves are located in :  Principal Registry of the Family Division (PRFD) Probate Service ); and earlier original records of several London courts. 

·         Prints, Maps, Manuscripts etc relating to London

Other Information:  Helpful Pamphlet:  A Guide to Genealogical Sources in Guildhall Library (GL Research Guide 1, 1998) compiled by Richard Harvey.  Available in the well-stocked Guildhall Bookshop.

 

 

 

 

THE CORPORATION OF LONDON RECORD OFFICE

Address:  Room N 221 North Office Block, Guildhall, Basinghall Street, London

                   (Postal address: PO Box 270, Guildhall, London EC2P 2EJ)

Telephone:  020 7332 1251    From U.S.:  011 44 20 7332 1251

Website:  www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/archives/clro 

Nearest Tube Stops: 

·        Bank (on the Central Line); 

·         Moorgate (on the Circle, Metropolitan, Hammersmith & City and Northern Lines)  There’s a high walkway from this station to the area of the Record Office

Hours of Operation:  Monday-Friday: 9:30 AM – 4:45 PM

Admission Requirements:  Sign in to “Search room” required at Security Desk

Major Resources:  The CLRO holds the official archives of the Corporation of London

·        Charters 1067-1957 and Custumals (books of grants, customs, precedents, etc.) for medieval and Tudor period

·        Administrative records of the government of the City, 1275 to date

·        Judicial records, including City sessions and magistrates’ courts records from the 17th c; records of Civic Courts, including the Court of Husting 1252-1717*, the Mayor’s Court, the Sheriffs’ Court, the Coroner’s Court and the Orphans’ Court

·        Financial Records, including Bridge House accounts 1381-1942 and City’s Cash accounts 1632-1942

·        Tax Assessments for the City of London (mainly between 1673-1698)

·        Freedom Records, recording 300,000 admissions to the Freedom of the City of London 1681-1940** -- including “King’s freemen” (discharged soldiers and sailors) and records of apprentices of City freemen.

·        Coroners Inquests for the City of London from medieval times until 1992

·        Cemetery records from City of London Cemetery from 1856

·        Architectural plans and drawings of many public buildings and places

*The Husting Court was the oldest of the civil courts; its records contain a large number of enrolled deeds and wills (in addition to ones which might have been proved at the PCC (Prerogative Court of Canterbury.)

**From the 18th century, about 300,000 people have been made “free of the City of London.”  The City Freedom Admission Papers contain quite a bit of personal information.  Other surviving citizenship records (from 1940) are held by the Chamberlain’s Court, PO Box 270, Guildhall, London EC2P 2 EJ.  Further reading on Freemen:  My Ancestors were Freemen of the City of London by Vivienne E Aldous (Society of Genealogists, 1999.)

Other Information:  Helpful articles:  a good overview of the collection for genealogists:  Betty R Masters, “Some Genealogical Sources in the Corporation of London Records Office”  (Genealogists Magazine June and September 1982.)  Also:  An Introductory Guide to the Corporation of London Record Office, Hugo Deadman and Elizabeth Scudder, eds., published by the Corporation of London and CLRO Information Sheet #11 (Coroner’s Inquests in CLRO), #12  (Lists of City of London Inhabitants) and #13 (City of London Cemetery.)

 

 

 

 

 

THE (CITY OF) WESTMINSTER ARCHIVES CENTRE

Address:  10 St Ann’s Street, London SW1P 2DE

Telephone:  020  7641 5180       From U.S.:  011 44 20 7641 5180

Website:  www.westminster.gov.uk/archives

Nearest Tube Stop:  St James’s Park (District and Circle lines)

Hours of Operation:  Mon – Sat 9:30am - 5pm (Tues, Wed, Thurs until 7pm)

Admission Requirements:  None

Major Resources: 

·         Census returns for all of Westminster, 1841-1901

·         Parish registers from 1551 for the old City of Westminster (but not St Marylebone and Paddington which are held in The London Metropolitan Archives)

·         Nonconformist and Roman Catholic registers (in limited numbers; some registers are originals of those in the Society of Genealogists.) 

·         Cemetery registers for Hanwell and St Marylebone (19-20c. - not all years)

·         London trade directories 1736-1991 and a trades card collection

·         Rate books (from the 16thc. for some areas of Westminster. Not complete)

·         Electoral registers (can be used instead of rate books for the 20th century)

·         Deeds, indexed by name and street.  A calendar of the deeds is available.

·         Grosvenor Estate Records (access permission required)

·         Wills 1504-1829 from the Commissary Court and the Royal Peculiar (Court) of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster

·         Newspapers and Obituaries:  Westminster and Pimlico News from 1887.  There are several newspapers covering the St Marylebone and Paddington areas

·         A large selection of books, prints, photographs, maps and plans) including material relating to the St. John’s Wood artists and other artists.

Other Information:  Helpful Pamphlet:  Guide to Sources for Family History held by Westminster City Archives, by Elizabeth Cory, 1997 (Available at small bookshop on site)

Other helpful information can be found in the City of Westminster Central Reference Library, in Orange Street near Leicester Square.  Westminster City Archives Information Sheets 1-3 describe the details of Anglican, RC and nonconformist registers held at the Archives.

 

 

 

 

 

THE ROYAL COMMISSION ON HISTORICAL MANUSCRIPTS

(National Register of Archives)

Address (until it moved to Kew in late 2003 and consolidated with The National Archive):  Quality House, Quality Court, Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1HP

Telephone:  020 7242 1198       From U.S.:  011 44 20 7242 1198

Website:  www.hmc.gov.uk  (online index searchable by name of individual, etc.)

Nearest Tube Stops:

Holborn (on the Piccadilly and Central Lines);  Chancery Lane (on the Central Line)

Hours of Operation:  Monday-Friday 9:30 am – 5 pm

Admission Requirements:  None

Major Resources:  Maintains records of the locations of private records in the UK:

·        The National Register of Archives Catalog – more than 43,000 unpublished catalogs and lists of manuscript collections, covering all archives in the UK (apart from the Public Records.)  The catalogs frequently contain much more information about the contents and location or manuscript material than what can be found in the online indexes

·        A “sales database” of manuscript collections that have been offered for sale

·        The Manorial Documents Register – register of the records of manorial courts and manorial administration in England and Wales from the 13th to the 20th century.

Other Information:  In addition to many other services, the commission maintains ARCHON http://www.hmc.gov.uk/archon/archon.htm , an electronic directory of archival repositories in the United Kingdom and abroad.

The commission also produces many publications including a Reports and Calendars series and supplement series such as “Guides to Sources for British History.”

Useful pamphlet:  Patrick Palgrave-Moore, How to Locate and Use Manorial Records, Elvery Downers Publications 2nd edition, 1995

 

 

 

 

 

THE WELLCOME HISTORY OF MEDICINE LIBRARY

Address:  Wellcome Building (2nd floor)  183 Euston Road   London NW1 2BE

Telephone:  020  7611 8582        From U.S.:  011 44 20 7611 8582

Website:    http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/en/1/lib.html   Online catalog:  http://library.wellcome.ac.uk

Nearest Tube Stops: 

·        Euston (on the Northern Line); 

·         Euston Square (on the Circle, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City Lines)

Hours of Operation: 

Mon, Wed, Fri  9.45am - 5.15pm; Tue, Thu 9.45am - 7.15pm; Sat 9.45am - 1.00pm; closed 1 week in summer for stocktaking

Admission Requirements:  Readers card obtainable on first visit (with passport)

Major Genealogical Resources:  Large library of medical books, histories, journals, biographies and papers of well known medical figures.  Also sections on:

·         Famous patients (individual and general) and Famous Practitioners

·         Hospital Records database (maintained jointly with The National Archives)

·        Medical records of injured WW I and WW II soldiers and of Prisoners of War

·        Cause of Death information (e.g. “Bright’s Disease”)

·        “Medical Archives and Manuscripts Survey” (MAMS) – information about medical holdings of other repositories.  Searchable online at http://library.wellcome.ac.uk/collections/am_res_mam.shtml

Other Information:  Helpful Introductory pamphlets; large, well appointed reading rooms; much material in open stacks.  A digest of the Library’s holdings appeared in the Genealogists Magazine (published by the Society of Genealogists) of December 1998.  An article on “Recent Developments at the Wellcome Library” appeared in the September 2001 issue of GM.  Also, see Sherry Irvine’s article in Ancestry Daily News, 28 October 2003www.ancestry.com

 

 

 

THE LIBRARY,  FRIENDS HOUSE,  LONDON

Address:  Friends House, 173 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ 

Telephone:  020 7663 1135      From U.S.:  011 44 20 7663 1135

Website:  http://www.quaker.org.uk/library

Nearest Tube Stops: 

·        Euston (on the Northern Line); 

·         Euston Square (on the Circle, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City Lines)

Hours of Operation:  Mon & Tues 1 - 5pm, Wed 10am - 5pm, Thurs - Fri, 1 - 5pm

Admission Requirements:  Letter of introduction from “someone in good standing” (except for members of the Religious Society of Friends in Britain.)

Major Genealogical Resources:  “One of the largest collections in the world of materials relating to Quakers and their activities.”

·         Digests of BMD registers from mid 17th century (The registers are in the National Archives; The Society of Genealogists also has a set of the digest registers on microfilm)

·         Dictionary of Quaker Biography – 300 volumes of typed biographical information on 15,000 Quakers (maintained in conjunction with Haverford University in Pennsylvania)

·         Other Indexes and lists of surnames

·        Books, pamphlets and periodicals from the 17th century on Quakers and their issues (with card and computer catalogs)

·        Private and family papers, including published biographies, manuscripts and photographs of prominent Quakers (with large card catalog and 40 volume picture catalog)

Other Information:  The reading room is small (12 places); only one microfilm reader; not very many of the holdings are cataloged or indexed on the website; they need to be consulted at the library.  Many of the holdings are in open stacks.

 

 

 

 

 

THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF ARMS

Address:  Queen Victoria Street London EC4V 4BT 

Telephone:  020  7248 2762       From U.S.:  011 44 20 7248 2762      

Website:  http://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/about.htm

Nearest Tube Stops: 

·        Blackfriars (on the District and Circle Lines); 

·         St. Paul’s (on the Central Line)

Hours of Operation:  Weekdays between 10 am and 4 pm

Admission Requirements:  Not open to the public.  “Each officer of arms conducts his own practice in heraldry and genealogy, and charges fees to undertake research.”

Major Resources: 

The College of Arms, founded 1483, is the body to which the British Crown delegated its authority to grant armorial bearings to English subjects and their descendants as well as corporate entities, including municipalities, corporations, schools, and churches. In addition, it organizes state ceremonies, such as the State Opening of Parliament. The College is composed of thirteen Officers of Arms: the three Kings of Arms, six Heralds, and four Pursuivants.

 The official records of the College, which include the registers of grants of arms, funeral certificates, the records of the systematic heraldic visitations of the English and Welsh counties undertaken by the heralds roughly every generation between 1530 and 1688, changes of name and arms by Royal Licence, and the pedigree registers, total approximately 750 manuscript volumes.

“In addition to the official records there are the unofficial collections. These include an extensive library of printed genealogical and heraldic works. The College's unique manuscript collections are just as extensive. These date from the fourteenth century, and contain the working papers and other manuscripts of numerous past heralds.

Other Information:  Mr. Timothy H.S. Duke, Chester Herald is the contact person for The Harleian Society

 

 

 

 

 

THE DIOCESE OF LONDON ARCHIVES

Website:  http://www.london.anglican.org/AtoZ/Archive.htm  

Archive material for the Diocese of London is kept in the Diocesan Record Offices at the following addresses:

·         London Metropolitan Archives,

·         Guildhall Library,

·         Westminster Archives

 

 

 

 

 

THE HYDE PARK LDS FAMILY HISTORY CENTER

Address:  64-68 Exhibition Road (Princess Gate Road)  SW7 2PA

Telephone:  020  7589 8561        From U.S.:  011 44 20 7589 8561       

Website:  www.familysearch.org

Nearest Tube Stop:  South Kensington (on the Circle, District and Piccadilly Lines) 

Hours of Operation:  Mon - Sat 10 am – 5 pm (7 pm on Wed, Fri; 9 pm on Tue, Thurs)

Admission Requirements:  None

Major Resources:  In addition to materials found in most Family History Centers:

·        A large “permanent collection” of films from the Family History Library UK collections and other films relevant to UK research

·        A large collection of printed materials about the location and holdings of many London genealogical and local history repositories

 

 

 

 

THE INSTITUTE OF HERALDIC AND GENEALOGICAL STUDIES

Address:  79-82 Northgate, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 1BA 

Telephone:  (01227) 768664           From U.S.:  011 44 1227 768664          

Website:    http://www.ihgs.ac.uk

Travel Arrangements:  Canterbury is about 1 ˝ hours south of London.  Regular train service is available from Victoria, Charing Cross and Waterloo (East) Stations;  there is also bus service (National Express coaches) from Victoria Coach Station.

Hours of Operation:  Mon, Wed and Fri 10am to 4:30pm

Admission Requirements: 

·         Prior appointment required, via telephone or  www.ihgs.ac.uk/contact/contact.php

·         $20 daily charge for non-members

Major Resources: 

·         Pallot’s Index, a large index of London marriages between 1780-1837

·         Index to Catholic Marriages 1837-1870 (covering about 60 London parishes)

·        A 30,000 volume Library containing:

·        Genealogical source material for each county

·        Published census, probate indexes and marriage indexes

·        Trade directories from 1677 to the mid 20th century

·        Printed family histories and pedigrees

·        Harleian Society and other Visitation Series

·        British Record Society pre 1858 probate indexes

·        Principal Probate Registry indexes 1858-1943

·        Peerage and Gentry directories

·        Antiquarian genealogical periodicals

·        Heraldic dictionaries and armorials

·        Original deeds

·        Online research facilities

Other Information:  The Institute “is constituted to train those who wish to acquire professional skills in family history research and day, evening and residential courses are held regularly at several levels.”

In addition to other facilities, The Institute maintains a large bookshop. 

A free newsletter from the Institute is available by email.  Subscribe through website.

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE Template

Address:  Frien 

Telephone:  020          From U.S.:  011 44 20

Website:  www

Nearest Tube Stops: 

·        Euston (on the Northern Line); 

·         Euston Square (on the Circle, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City Lines)

Hours of Operation:  Mon -Tues 1 - 5pm, Wed 10am - 5pm, Thurs - Fri, 1 - 5pm

Admission Requirements:  None

Major Resources:  “One.”

·        Books,

·        The

·        Private

Other Information:  ??bookshop

 

 
II. Other London Genealogical Repositories:

London Libraries with Local Studies and Archives Centres

 

Name and Address

Principal Holdings

The London Metropolitan Archives  (was The Greater London Record Office)

The Guildhall Library  / Corporation of London Record Office

The (City of) Westminster Archives Centre

These are listed above as Major London Repositories.  Click on name to go to their page.

The Institute of Historical Research

www.history.ac.uk

Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU

“The best open-access collection of printed historical sources in the United Kingdom.”

Open from 9 am – 8:45 pm weekdays (till 4:45 pm on Saturdays)

Bishopsgate Institute/Library

230 Bishopsgate   EC2M 4QH 

e-mail: info@bishopsgatelib.freeserve.co.uk

 

Books, directories, maps etc. covering the history of the Inner London area from the 19th century.  Provides support for local and family history research.

Camden Local Studies and Archives Centre

Holborn Library

32-38 Theobalds Rd   WC1X 8PA  http://www.camden.gov.uk/learn/libraries/libs_hist.htm

Helpful 40 page booklet:  Camden Past and Present – a Guide to the Camden Local Studies and Archives Centre  (available at/through the Library)

Books, periodicals, newspapers, maps, illustrations, archives and other items about the Borough past and present. Parish vestry and Council records 17th to 20th centuries, including valuation lists until 1989. Archives of local organizations and individuals, including Highgate Cemetery registers.

Catholic Central Library, The

Lancing Street, near Eversholt Street and Euston Station

Transcripts of the registers of many London Roman Catholic Chapels and Missions (copies also in the Society of Genealogists. 

Greenwich Local History Library
'Woodlands'
90
Mycenae Road  SE3 7SE

http://www.greenwich.gov.uk/council/publicservices/lhistory.htm

 

Administrative and church records dating to the seventeenth century, maps from the seventeenth century to the present day, and files of local newspapers from 1834 to date. Family History:  The library now offers a range of resources for people undertaking research within the Borough, and for those doing wider searches. Our guide Family History Sources in Greenwich lists the records most frequently asked for.

Hackney Archives Department

the Local History Library,
43 De Beauvoir Road London N1 5SQ

http://www.hackney.gov.uk/history/data/ha_fr.htm 

A large and growing collection of books on the history of the borough, areas within the borough and London as a whole. Also, documents on topics such as transport and hospitals which affected local history, and biographies of local people. As many local publications as possible are collected - parish magazines, tenants association newsletters and so on. Of special interest is our collection of local directories for the 19th and early 20th centuries; these list householders and local trades people, alphabetically or by street or both.

Hammersmith and Fulham Archives and Local History Centre