Useful Web Sites

   The following is a list of other useful sites for research:

1.  One of the best sites for background information on any parish in the UK together with information from parish records and research advice is the Genuki web site.

2.  The International Genealogical Index (IGI) is an invaluable tool for the researcher.  It is available free of charge at the excellent site manaaged by "The Church of Latter Day Saints". There are some downsides to the site: not all of the data in the IGI is from parish records and inputs from other researchers, in some instances, has not been subject to the necessary academic discipline; there is also the issue of variations in the spelling of surnames and the phonetics applied do not always match every variation (or mis-spelling) but the Mormon web site offers the most comprehensive coverage available and must be visited.

3.  There are few sites that provide data for research before the 1600s but the source of much of the information for the "Armory" page is an exception. Aside from heraldry, the site provides much useful advice and links to original source material for the researcher, including old church and tax records.  A visit to the "Medieval" web site is therefore strongly recommended.

4.  One feature of the IGI on the Mormon site is the assignment of "batch numbers" to identify "births/christenings" and "marriages" from specific parish records in the UK. A search with a surname and batch number will produce all persons with that name in the parish over the period covered by the number. If no surname is inputted (a good technique when there are likely to be variations in the spelling of the name or likely mis-spelling) the "search" provides everyone within the designated category in the parish during the period, subject to a maximum of 5000 records This is fine if the surname you are looking for is in a very small parish or the initial letter of the surname is in the band A to F but if letter is after that you are stymied One web site that circumvents this problem has been designed by "Hugh Wallis". His site contains the "batch numbers" for most of the parishes in the UK and provides a facility to either search by name within a selected parish or to search the whole parish. A visit to this site is strongly recommended.

5.  Probate records give you details of wills and bequests and can provide the vital supporting evidence to confirm the identity of an ancestor and, perhaps, to highlight unknown relatives. Files of wills recorded at the Prerogative Court Canterbury from 1820 to 1829 and at the Public Record Office from 1840 to 1958 can be downloaded at a fee of £3 each from the "PRO" web site. The administrators at this site will provide advice on how to obtain information from wills dated after 1958.

6.  There are some excellent resources at "Origins" which lets you search its online databases.  A range of genealogy data is available here including official online Scottish records (births and marriage records from 1553 to 1901) and information from the censuses, 1881,1891 and 1901. A small fee is charged for the service. A visit to this site is recommended.

7.  The "Internet Library of Early Journals" has a number of 18th and 19th Century magazines that can be searched, including "Gentleman's Magazine where many births, marriages and deaths were announced.  The site could provide the vital piece of evidence that confirms an ancestral link and should be on your checklist to visit.

8.  There is also "The definitive guide to Britain's Titled & Landed Families" which can be found at "Burke's Peerage" web site and is well worth a visit to provide an insight into some aspects of British History if not to find a distinguished ancestor.

9.  A new site which appears to offer considerable potential for research of the Birth, Marriage and Deaths (BMD) records for all parishes in England and Wales from 1837 onwards is now on line.  A charge of £5 for fifty units (it appears that viewing/copying a record is one unit) will be made on users of the site and payment is acceptable on most recognized credit cards. It promises to be very good value for money and could be a valuable aid to research. The site is known as "1837 online". 

10.  Another excellent site well worth a visit - especially if your research interests are in the Pennines, lead mining or in the general area of Cumberland, Northumberland and Durham - is the North Pennine Ancestors site.  If you are running out of ideas this site might well produce the piece of data you are looking for either through contact with other researchers or the local interest items that are available on the site.

11.  A new web site which will prove popular with the genealogist is the Old Bailey on-line which provides details of the trials that took place there over the period 1674 to 1834 and a valuable insight into social history. This site has been very carefully prepared and documented and it is very easy to use. A visit to this excellent site is therefore strongly recommended.

Contacting Me

The author has a high regard for personal security and the guiding principle for publising information on the internet - mentioned earlier on this site - is that no details of living persons will be published unless that information is already in the public domain (e.g famous persons).  If you wish to contact me to link your ancestors to an existing branch or to identify a new branch then the usual details - full name, known members of the family - including parents and siblings - their place and dates of birth/christening, marriage etc - should be provided and I will try and provide what assistance I can.   Alternatively, you may care to contact Stewart Hindmarsh in New Zealand.  If you are researching a particular branch or are simply "stuck" in your research and would like to add your name to the "Other Researchers" seeking assistance - listed below - please advise me accordingly.

a. Send me a e-mail from here.

b. Send Stewart Hindmarsh, New Zealand an e-mail at hindmer@paradise.net.nz

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