Over the past few years (as we’ve been hibernating and dealing with COVID-19), a lot has changed in English genealogy research.
Obtaining original records from England is cheaper and quicker than ever before. Large indexes name everyone (or almost everyone) mentioned in records. And more people have entered genealogy via DNA testing or the vast new records available online.
This article will outline how to conduct English genealogy research in our new world—whether you’ve just arrived to family history research, or have been finding your English ancestors for years.
RESEARCH SINCE 1837
If you’re researching ancestors from the Victorian era (1837–1901) to the present, you can tap into two major kinds of documents (civil registrations and censuses) as well as other records, many of which have been indexed.
Civil Records
Civil registration began in England on 1 July 1837, documenting all births, marriages and deaths. Vital events were also registered in an index in each quarter of the year.
Unlike US civil records (which were created by individual states, which each had different requirements and started record-keeping in different years), vital records in England (and Wales) were created by the central government. One index covers all of them.
Though civil records aren’t infallible (especially in early years), you can safely assume the
