Genealogy Chat

Just wondered if any of the information held at Kew is different to the various record offices around the country.

Was thinking of visiting the National Archives but I have been to the offices I am interested in, Yorkshire, Kendal, Lincolnshire and Manchester but was hoping maybe I would find any extra information by visiting London, which is not on the Archives website, does anyone know??

Thanks :-S

Marilyn

Hello Marilyn, I think it would depend on the type of records that you're interested in looking at?

Local area records are usually kept in the local main records office

KEW keep other types of records like naturalisation records army records etc

I got my grandfather ,and his brother , Army records from Kew when they served in the Boar War. plus the ships manifest of the vessel from when grandfather was lost overboard in 1911.

Also got the Army record of grt x3 grandfather Thomas Emons when he joined in 1820s -1849


Take a look at the National Archives site to see what they hold

Some of the National Archives are available on line, eg Royal Navy records up to 1923. They aren't free to view but can be downloaded for £3.50.

I agree with Shirley, even if you lived next door you would be wasting your day if you went to the National Archives without checking what they have. You really do need to know what you are looking for.

Have you tried www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a. a2a = access to archives - it connects you to holdings in local archives.

If you can't find what you want on either site then check out the local archive web sites.

Good luck

Also in some instances I have found the online searching for the National Archives and absolute nightmare.

It is to my mind one of the least user friendly sites I have ever used.

Several times in the past I have found a record I wished to purchase (and it was available to do so) but when I came to doing so, the webpage would not accept the record numbers you are told to quote when ordering. In the end in all instances I just gave up. Luckily 1 was a big divorce in the 1920's and it later turned up on Ancestry....

Thanks everyone for taking the time to reply, I will take a look on the site to see what exactly is on there. Just seems everytime i put a name in it comes up with nothing and just wondered if there was anything actually at the archives not listed on line.

Marilyn

Oh yes theres loads that they hold that aren't listed ,

Some documents they hold are too fragile to handle to put onto film

I had to have white gloves on and a raised holder to hold one document I was looking at .

grandads ships manifest too stiil doesnt show online .

By far the majority of their records aren't name indexed.

I'd suggest you read their Research Guides on the subjects you're interested in to see what might be available.

Thanks everyone, I might give them a ring and depending on what they say, go when I get a day off sometime.

Marilyn