UK Resources

Here is a variety of online resources that you can access either for free or at least get started for free which could help you with your UK, Isle of Man, and Channel Island research. You could also contact your local library, as they may have free access to genealogy subscription sites through their computers, as well as a range of local history records.

Follow the larger genealogy companies such as Ancestry, FindMyPast, and MyHeritage on social media because they occasionally have ‘free access’ weeks or weekends around important holidays where they allow access to search and view images of certain record collections for free for a limited time.

Nationwide Resources

  • FreeReg – Search for transcriptions of baptism, marriage, and burial registrations within various parishes throughout the UK (very limited for Ireland and Channel Islands).
  • FreeCen – (Nationwide except Northern Ireland) You can search for transcriptions of census records, although not all have been transcribed yet.
  • British Newspaper Archive – Once you’ve made an account, you can view and download three articles for free. It’s a great resource for filling in the gaps and understanding more about your ancestors’ lives. Articles on a person’s retirement, funeral, or their obituaries as these can contain great summaries of their lives.
  • The National Archives – The National Archives have a variety of online resources available if you’re unable to attend in person. If you create an account, you can download digital records for free.
  • FindMyPast British Newspapers Collection – In August 2021 FindMyPast released millions of free Newspapers that are free to view with an account.
  • Family History Society Federation – Although family history societies often have a membership fee, they are great places to find information on your ancestors and the county they lived in. Many family history societies will have a Facebook group which you don’t usually have to be a paying member to join, and they’re often a useful place to collaborate and get advice.
  • Cyndi’s List – Cyndi’s List is another directory of resources, this page relates to those compiled for the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man.
  • One Place Studies (OPS) Directory – Make sure to check whether the location your ancestors are from has an OPS, this can be a great way to find a bunch of research collated in one place. You might be lucky enough to find pictures of where they lived, or of your ancestors themselves!
  • Railway Work, Life & Death – If your ancestors were railway workers, this could be the blog for you. They are documenting railway worker accidents from the late 19th and early 20th century. You can download some of their 20th century data from the bottom of this page.
  • Red Cross WWI Volunteers – May be useful if you have ancestors who volunteered for the British Red Cross during the First World War.
  • FindAGrave – Although this is a worldwide resource, you can search for cemeteries by location (city, county, state, or country) to find a location your ancestor might have been buried. Photos of headstones are sometimes available, and you can make photo requests too.
  • The Commonwealth War Graves Commission – The CWGC is a great place to search for ancestors who died whilst serving for Commonwealth countries during WW1. You can search overseas cemeteries and memorials to find information such as their regiment or service number, when your ancestor may have died, and where your ancestor was buried or commemorated. You can download a certificate for your records, as well as other information about the graves.
  • Dictionary of Occupational Terms – Online edition of the Dictionary of Occupational Terms from 1927, with definitions based on the classification of occupations from the 1921 Census.

England Resources

  • England FamilySearch Wiki
  • FreeBMD – Search the index of civil birth, marriage, and death registrations from 1837 onward. Maiden names only appear for birth registrations after 1911, but you can see the maiden names if you search for the records in the GRO database below.
  • General Register Office (GRO) database – you do have to make an account for this. To search this database from this link, click on “Order Certificates Online” which will take you to this page to sign in or create an account. You can then log in and click on “Search the GRO Indexes” where you can then search birth and death registrations. Using this resource, birth registrations will give you the mother’s maiden name if they were married, and death registrations typically give you the age at death, or year of birth.
  • Probate Search – Search through the index of wills for your ancestor. Depending on the date of your search, you may find where your ancestor was living when they died, the date they died, the names of the executors of their will, and the value of their assets. You can buy the actual copies of the wills using their online service for £1.50 (as of July 2021, this is subject to change).
  • The National Archives (TNA) Pre-1858 Wills – Pre-1858 wills are available to view online through TNA. They are mostly for wealthy individuals living primarily in the south of England and all of Wales. You can view them for free online if you make an account with them (which is free to do so).

Wales Resources

  • Wales FamilySearch Wiki
  • National Library of Wales – Through the National Library of Wales, you can search and view Welsh journals, newspapers and tithe maps online for free.
  • FreeBMD – As well as English birth, marriage, and death civil registrations this index includes Welsh BMD civil registrations as well.
  • General Register Office (GRO) database – as mentioned in England resources section, you can login or sign up via this page and then click on “Search the GRO Indexes”. Using this resource, birth registrations will give you the mother’s maiden name if they were married, and death registrations typically give you the age at death, or year of birth.
  • Probate Search – As mentioned for the England resources, this allows you to search for your ancestor’s wills from 1858 onwards. You can buy the actual copies of the wills using their online service for £1.50 (as of July 2021, this is subject to change).
  • The National Archives (TNA) Pre-1858 Wills – Pre-1858 wills are available to view online through TNA. They are mostly for wealthy individuals living primarily in the south of England and all of Wales. You can view them for free online if you make an account with them (which is free to do so).

Scotland Resources

  • Scotland FamilySearch Wiki
  • Scotlands People – Although you do have to pay to see documents on this website, you can still gather little bits of information for free.
  • National Library of Scotland – The National Library of Scotland has various digitised resources such as military lists and history on Scottish families which may help you to further your research.
  • Old Scottish – Their website holds a wide variety of indexed records which you can look through, although there’s a small fee if you wish to order a digital image of the record.

Northern Ireland Resources

Isle of Man Resources

Channel Islands Resources