Researching UK Family History
Genealogy research can be daunting; many records no longer exist and many more aren't accessible online. Then, online records can be found in a number of places, with varying standards of quality and often behind paywalls. This page will help you navigate family history research for the United Kingdom.
Getting Started
We recommend visiting the national archives website for the country you are researching.
- The National Archives - UK Government and records for England and Wales
- National Records of Scotland - Scotland
- Public Record Office of Northern Ireland - Northern Ireland
- Archives Wales - Wales
We also recommend GENUKI, which is a non-commercial service that provides a virtual reference library of genealogical information of particular relevance to the UK and Ireland. It is maintained by a charitable trust and volunteers.
All of the websites above provide guidance on beginning family history research, and information about locating records of interest.
Tracing Living People
The National Archives has comprehensive advice for those wishing to search for records of living persons.
Other Areas of UK Research
Some websites we link to incur a cost. We have tried to let you know of any that do, please contact us if there are any we’ve missed.