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County Library and Information Service
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.
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
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.
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 (External) 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.
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 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 (External) www.courtservice.gov.uk .
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 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.
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 (External) www.bl.uk/catalogues/newspapers.html .
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.
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:
(External) 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.
(External) 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.
(External) 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.
(External) 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.
(External) http://freebmd.rootsweb.com Registrar General’s Indexes to births, marriages and deaths. The indexes are being added gradually.
(External) 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.
(External) www.genuki.org.uk Database of sources of information for genealogy in the UK, including libraries, record offices, local societies etc.
(External) 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 (External) www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a ).
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 (External)
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Accrington Library holds special collections on the First World War.
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.
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:
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
Lancaster.reference@lcl.lancscc.gov.uk
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
Whitworth.library@lcl.lancscc.gov.uk
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
central.library@blackpool.gov.uk
Darwen Library
Knott Street
Darwen BB3 3BU
Tel: 01254 706021
Fax: 01254 707177
darwen.library@blackburn.gov.uk
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