Research Resources
England Jurisdictions (FamilySearch)
England Jurisdictions (FamilySearch) helps researchers identify the historical counties, parishes, civil registration districts, dioceses, and other jurisdictions where English records were created. The interactive map and accompanying FamilySearch Wiki information make it easier to determine the correct location to search for parish, probate, civil registration, and other genealogical records.
English Civil Registration (BYU)
Discovering English Ancestors: Civil Registration is a guide from Brigham Young University that explains England's civil registration system for births, marriages, and deaths beginning in 1837. The guide describes the information found in civil registration records, explains how to search the General Register Office (GRO) indexes, obtain certificates, and use these records effectively in genealogical research.
English Civil Registration (FamilySearch)
England Civil Registration is a FamilySearch Wiki article that explains England's civil registration system for births, marriages, and deaths, which began in 1837. The guide describes the information found in civil registration records, explains how to use the General Register Office (GRO) indexes, and provides links to related resources for England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland.
Finding Family After Slavery
Last Seen: Finding Family After Slavery is a free, searchable database of newspaper advertisements placed by formerly enslaved people seeking to locate family members after emancipation. Researchers can search thousands of "Information Wanted" advertisements by name, location, family relationship, and other details. The project includes digitized images, transcriptions, and historical context, making it a valuable resource for African American family history research.
FreeBMD (England & Wales BMD Indexes)
FreeBMD is a free searchable index of civil registrations for births, marriages, and deaths in England and Wales from 1837 onward. Created by volunteers, the database transcribes the General Register Office (GRO) indexes and helps researchers locate registration references needed to obtain birth, marriage, and death certificates. FreeBMD is part of the Free UK Genealogy family of websites, which also includes FreeCEN and FreeREG.
FreeCEN (UK Census Records)
FreeCEN is a free, searchable database of transcribed census records for England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and the Crown Dependencies. The volunteer project provides access to census transcriptions from 1841 through 1911, with coverage varying by county and census year. Researchers can search by name, place, census year, and other criteria to locate ancestors in the United Kingdom.
FreeREG (UK Parish Registers)
FreeREG is a free, volunteer project providing searchable transcripts of parish registers and other church records for the United Kingdom. Researchers can search baptisms, marriages, burials, and other ecclesiastical records from the 1500s onward, depending on local record availability. Coverage varies by county and parish as new transcriptions are added. FreeREG is part of the Free UK Genealogy family of websites, which also includes FreeBMD and FreeCEN.
GENUKI - Genealogy of the UK and Ireland
GENUKI (Genealogy of the United Kingdom and Ireland) is a free online reference library for researching ancestors in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man. Organized by geographic location and subject, the site provides genealogical information with an emphasis on primary sources and how to access them, rather than on compiled family trees or existing genealogical research. It also includes links to archives, libraries, record offices, family history societies, maps, gazetteers, and other research resources.
Ireland XO
Ireland XO (Ireland Reaching Out) is a nonprofit genealogy and heritage organization that helps people trace their Irish ancestors and reconnect with their ancestral communities. The website offers county-specific genealogy volunteers, research guides, Irish history resources, local parish information, and message boards where researchers can post ancestor queries and connect with others researching the same families and places.
Irish Ancestors
Irish Ancestors, created by John Grenham, is a comprehensive Irish genealogy website featuring surname distribution maps, place-name tools, interactive parish and county maps, and research guides. Researchers can search for Irish surnames to identify where families were concentrated in the 19th century, search by place to identify the records available for an ancestor's locality, and access extensive information on Irish records, archives, and research methods. Some advanced features require a subscription after a limited number of free page views.