England - Outline Research

This outline contains information on the areas listed on this web site to further assist you in your own research. When possible, I've included the Family History Library Film # and urge you to visit your local Family History Center where you can view their countless records on microfilm or fiche. Researchers of all faiths are welcome and their volunteers can get you started or offer suggestions with your research. If you don't know if there is a Family History Library near you, go to their web site at: http://familysearch.org

ENGLAND

This is a very brief outline and includes the most general records to help begin with research in England. Historically, most U.S. citizens find their early roots in and around the time of England's Civil War from the time after Charles I was executed and Oliver Cromwell became Lord Protector of England.

Since this was a time of such unrest, parish registers were poorly kept, but by 1653 records such as birth, marriage, and death were kept by a preacher or registrar appointed by the government. However, many entries in the late 1600's and early 1700's were not recorded as these parish entries were taxed, and wanting to avoid the tax, they simply did not record the events.

After the United Kingdom was formed (when England and Wales united with Scotland), more changes took place in the record keeping. By 1733 they were kept in English rather than Latin, and in 1752 they adopted the Gregorian calendar which has caused some difficulties in transcribing the records of that period by genealogical researchers unaware of the caldendar change.

CENSUS RECORDS

Although the English goverment began taking cenuses every ten years since 1801, the records prior to 1841 are of little use to the genealogist as they basically contained only statistical information.
The 1841 census lists each person in the household, their sex, address, occupation and age rounded to the nearest 5 for those older than 15, but did not include those who were traveling, at school or work, and in the same instance, listed those who were working at the time the census was taken as residing at their employer's household or business address instead of with their own families.

The 1851 census and those thereafter listed the names, ages, occupations, parish, county, or country of birth and the relationship to the head of household; but as with all census records caution should be taken as much of the information may have been incorrectly given whether intentional or not.

Indexes do exist for some of the census records. A partial index and transcription of the 1851 census is available, and a complete transcription and index for the 1881 census returns of England, Wales, Scotland, Isle of Man, Channel Islands, and the Royal Navy is available and can be searched by the county if it is known.

1881 online British Isles census at familysearch.org

MILITARY RECORDS

Military records for England are a great source to the genealogist as military service was normally a lifetime career. The officers usually came from the upper class of society while the soldiers came from the poor.

Some of the records available for research are the Muster rolls, Description Books, Returns of Service, Pension Records, Pay Records, Ship Logs, Soldiers' Documents, Regimental Registers, and the World War I Service Files.

The Wars of the Roses 1455-1487

The English Civl War & Cromwellian Period

Kings Of England & Their Family Trees

British Regular Regiments in the Seven Years War (French & Indian) 1755-1762

The Loyalists during the American Revolution 1775-1783

The Napoleonic Wars 1805-1815

The Crimean War 1854-1856

Indian Mutiny after the Crimean War 1857-1858

Boers Wars 1877-1901

World War I (From the BBC)

World War II (From the BBC)

EMIGRATION & IMMIGRATION

Emigrants are those persons leaving leaving the country. Records for free emigrants were not required to the United States until 1776 and to Canada before 1865. Those who were considered free emigrants were those who left to set up military outposts, promote trade, or in hopes of fleeing poverty and oppression - the earliest of which began in 1606.

Emigrants were also classified as Military Personnel (those who were offered lands and opportunity to colonize in the new land), Transported Prisoners, (many who were sent to Virginia and Maryland before 1775);and Assisted Emigrants who were offered passage money or land grants as an alternative to receiving poor relief.

Most of the immigrants, or those entering the country, were from continental Europe, and had moved from within the United Kingdom, thus requiring no documents.

Passenger lists will normally give the name, age, occupation, address and sometimes the destination. They are compiled in different formats - by port of departure, port of arrival, or by ship's name. Those who received assistance to emigrate were recorded in the Assisted Emigrants Registers and included the name of the sponsor, address of relative and the size of the family as well as name, age, occupation residence and destination.

English - America | The Voyages, Vessels, People & Places

Petworth Emigration Project (Parish aided emigration from England to Upper Canada 1831-1837)

General Web Links

GENUKI
http://www.genuki.org.uk

COUNTIES OF ENGLAND
http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng

THE ENGLAND GENWEB PROJECT
http://www.rootsweb.com/~engwgw

Research Index

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