Family and local history research
We offer many resources to help you start family or local history research. You can use these in our libraries, in the archives and online. We can help even if your family did not live in Lancashire.
Start with what you already know about your family or local area. You may be surprised by how much information you have.
The National Archives has a set of videos on its Family History playlist on YouTube.
Family history
Talk to your family and write down what they remember about your relatives. Begin a family tree with yourself as the starting point.
You may want to find out:
birthplaces
who they married
names of children
where they lived
photographs
letters
where they worked
diaries
House or building history
Start with the information you can find easily. This might include:
deeds you can look at
information from previous owners or neighbours
when the property was built
changes such as extensions or alterations
other buildings in the area that look similar
Online resources
You can find online sources for your research, including:
photographs
parish registers
census returns
newspapers
maps
These are available through our digital library:
from home using your 14‑digit library card (some resources are for Lancashire residents only and may be limited)
You can view the full list on the Lancashire Digital Library family and local history page.
Local Studies Collections are available at Lancashire Archives and in some libraries.
Sources of information
Census records
Census records are one of the best sources for researching people and places. A census has been taken every ten years since 1801, except in 1941.
From 1841 census records include basic details of everyone in each house on census night. Ages for people aged 15 and over were rounded down to the nearest five years.
From 1851 census records include:
name
address
age
gender
marital status
relationship to the head of the household
occupation
birthplace
Later censuses include details such as the number of rooms and houses under construction. These can help you date buildings.
Census records are closed for 100 years. The most recent you can view is 1921.
Census records from 1841 to 1921 are on Ancestry and Find My Past. You can use these for free on a public computer or on wifi in any Lancashire library.
The 1931 census was destroyed by fire. No census took place in 1941. The 1939 Register is available on Ancestry and Find My Past.
Microfilm census records ..............
Civil registration (birth, marriage and death records)
Civil registration began on 1 July 1837. Since then all births, marriages and deaths should have been registered with the local registrar.
Certificates can help you find:
a person’s address at the time
details of parents, a husband or a wife
These records are useful for many types of research.
You can buy certificates from the Lancashire Registration Service.
Indexes for births, marriages and deaths are available on Ancestry and Find My Past and can be accessed for free in Lancashire libraries.
FreeBMD provides a free database of the indexes. Lancashire BMD also provides Lancashire records.
Electoral registers
Electoral registers list people who are entitled to vote in parliamentary and local elections.
Registers began in 1832. At that time only a few people could vote. Over time the law changed. By 1918 all men aged 21 or over could vote. By 1928 all women aged 21 or over could vote.
Registers are usually arranged by street. You need to know where to start your search because there are no surname indexes.
Maps
Maps are a key source when researching people and places. Our libraries and Lancashire Archives hold large map collections.
We hold Ordnance Survey maps from the 1840s to the present day. Larger‑scale maps such as:
6 inches to 1 mile (1:10,560)
25 inches to 1 mile (1:2,500)
are good for locating individual properties. Some towns have maps at even larger scales.
Most main libraries hold maps of their local areas. Lancashire Archives holds maps from 1842 to the 1960s.
MARIO (Maps and Related Information Online) provides both current and historical maps, including Heritage Mapping of Lancashire Ordnance Survey maps. It also includes current and historical aerial photographs.
Estate maps were created for estate owners and often contain extra details, such as:
field names and acreage
neighbouring landowners
tenants of farms and cottages
Lancashire Archives holds many estate maps. Some libraries have local copies.
Tithe maps were created between 1836 and the 1850s. They can be the earliest detailed maps of an area. They include a schedule listing owners, tenants, land use and acreage. Not all areas have tithe maps. Lancashire Archives holds a list of the tithe maps in its collection.
Enclosure awards were created between the 17th and 19th centuries. They often include a map or plan. You can view those that survive at Lancashire Archives. Not all areas were enclosed.
Newspapers
Newspapers provide information about:
news
official notices
court cases
birth, marriage and death notices
obituaries
inquests
photographs
advertisements
In some cases newspapers are the only detailed source of local information.
Microfilmed newspapers are available in Local Studies Collections and at Lancashire Archives. You may need to book a microfilm reader.
You can use historical and current newspapers online in a library or at Lancashire Archives on a public computer or through public wifi.
The British Newspaper Archive (BNA) gives access to British Library newspapers from the early 17th to the late 20th century. Many titles are small regional papers.
To use BNA, you must:
register using a computer or device on LancsPublic wifi in a library or at Lancashire Archives
create a username and password on your first visit
log in each time you use BNA
Lancashire library members can also access national, regional and local newspapers from the British Library Newspapers 1730–1950 collection.
NewsBank provides UK and world newspaper articles from the last 5 to 25 years. You need a Lancashire library card to log in.
Some local newspaper indexes can be searched on Red Rose Collections.
Parish registers
Before civil registration began in 1837, parish registers are the main source for tracing births, deaths and marriages. Parish churches have kept registers since the mid‑16th century. Earlier registers include less detail.
A collection of Lancashire church records is available on Ancestry through the Lancashire Digital Library.
Photographs
Photographs can help with family and local history research. They may show:
people and families
houses and shops
mills and industries
towns and villages
We hold a large collection of photographs from the 1800s onwards in our libraries and at Lancashire Archives.
Some aerial photographs are available on MARIO. Some photographs are also available on the Red Rose Collections website.
Street and trade directories
Directories list tradespeople and some private residents. They often include short histories of the area and important buildings.
Directories were first published in the late 18th century and listed important men and tradesmen. By the 19th century they included:
a description of the town
members of the town council
an alphabetical list of residents
a list of tradespeople and professionals
Directories are useful for finding:
street addresses
how properties were used
the work an ancestor did
Not all residents were included. Street names and house numbers may have changed.
Some scanned directories are available on Ancestry and Find My Past and can be accessed for free in Lancashire libraries. Historical Directories of England and Wales is a free website with a digital collection.
You can find some directories held in libraries and at Lancashire Archives through the library catalogue.