Resources For Local History Research In The UK

local history resources research england scotland wales uk

Our county pages show the local societies, groups and resources for the area. But in addition, there are a large number of national resources which may be relevant in respect of any location across the UK. So this page has been set up to show them.

National Local History Resources

This is a list of resources to help your research into Local History:

  • Ancestry.com 
  • Ancestry Library Edition
  • Anglo-German Family History Society
  • Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives
  • A Vision of Britain Through Time
  • British Association for Local History
  • BBC Family History
  • BBC Legacies
  • British History Online
  • British Library
  • British Newspaper Archive
  • Census Records
  • Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints
  • Churchwarden Accounts
  • Commonwealth War Graves Commission
  • Convicts to Australia
  • The Council for British Archaeology
  • County Asylums
  • Cyndi’s List
  • Dept. of the Environment: Buildings of Special Architectural & Historic Interest
  • Electoral Registers
  • English Heritage
  • Family History Federation
  • Family Tree Magazine
  • Family History Federation
  • Federation of Family History Societies
  • Francis Frith Collection (Photographs)
  • FreeBMD
  • FreeCEN
  • FreeREG
  • Free UK Genealogy
  • General Register Office
  • GENEVA
  • GENUKI
  • Guild of One-Name Studies (GOONS)
  • Gazeteer of markets and fairs in England and Wales to 1516t
  • Genealogy Specialists
  • Google Images
  • Guild Of One-Name Studies
  • Heritage Gateway
  • Historical Directories of England & Wales – local and trade directories for England and Wales
  • Historic Environment Record (HER)
  • The Historical Street & Pub History Directory
  • Historypin
  • History.UK.com
  • International Genealogical Index (IGI) Batch Numbers
  • Institute of Heraldic & Genealogical Studies
  • The Institute of Historical Research
  • John Rylands University Of Manchester – Methodist Archives And Research Centre
  • Local History Online
  • The Long, Long Trail
  • Maritime Records
  • Marks and Spencer Archive
  • The National Archives (Kew)
  • The National Archives: Discovery Catalogue
  • National Federation of Cemetery Friends
  • National Monuments Record
  • North East Medals 
  • Office Of National Statistics
  • Old Bailey Online (1674 – 1913) 
  • Old Maps
  • Old Ordnance Survey Maps
  • Overseers of the Poor
  • Parish Chest
  • Poll Books
  • Postal Museum
  • Registers of Apprentices and Burgesses
  • Reports of the Charity Commissioners, 1815-1835
  • Romani
  • Romany & Traveller FHS
  • Rootsweb
  • Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts
  • Sainbury’s Archive
  • Society of Genealogists
  • Street Directories
  • Street Maps
  • Surname Profiler
  • UKBMD
  • The UK Church Directory
  • U3A
  • Western Front Association
  • Wills & Probate Records
  • Workhouse Records
  • Victoria & Albert Museum
  • Victoria History of the Counties of England/ Victoria County History (Institute of Historical Research, University of London) 
  • Ward Lists

And don’t forget, there are additional, specific resources listed on each county’s page.

Thanks to Cristina Gottardi on Unsplash for the photo at the top of this page.

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