Useful links

A list of useful links to related websites

Family History

Ancestry This subscription website can be accessed for free in the Record Office Searchroom. It is the largest family history website, covering census records, birth, marriage and death (BMD) indexes, probate records, tax assessment lists, muster rolls, military records, passenger lists, slave records, immigration and emigration lists, directories and other reference books, newspapers and other records.

1901 Census The first site to host this census, it is Pay Per View.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission The Debt of Honour Register is the Commission's database listing the 1.7 million men and women of the Commonwealth forces who died during the two World Wars and the 23,000 cemeteries, memorials and other locations worldwide where they are commemorated. The register can also be searched for details of the 67,000 Commonwealth civilians who died as a result of enemy action in the Second World War.

Convict Transportation Registers Database The British Convict Transportation Registers 1787-1867 database has been compiled from the British Home Office (HO) records for over 123,000 of the estimated 160,000 convicts transported to Australia in the 18th & 19th century.

Cyndi's List Huge website of links to genealogical sites on the internet from all around the world.

Family Search International Genealogical Index hosted by the Church of Latter Day Saints of Jesus Christ.

Federation of Family History Societies Exists to represent, advise and support its membership of family history societies and other genealogical organisations worldwide.

Find My Past This subscription website includes an 1841-1911 census collection; an online index of BMDs (1837-2006); parish records for baptisms, marriages and burials dating from 1538; migration records including 24 million passenger list records; military records covering the First and Second World Wars and other documents. Searching the indexes is free, but viewing transcripts and images is not.

Free BMD Civil Registration index of births, marriages and deaths for England and Wales.

General Register Office For civil registration certificates from 1837, and family history advice online. You can order birth, marriage, death, civil partnership, stillbirth or adoption certificates online.

General Register Office for Scotland (GROS) For civil registration, and a link to Scotland's People for church registers, census and other material.

Roll of Honour Website with transcripts of War Memorials and Rolls of Honour for all over the British Isles, some with detailed information on the men and women mentioned.

Society of Genealogists Founded in 1911, the Society of Genealogists (SoG) is Britain's biggest family history society. The Society maintains a genealogical library and education centre in London, gives advice on family history, and holds regular study days, lectures and evening classes.

Sussex Family History Group (SFHG) Founded in 1972, it has about four thousand members in Sussex, the rest of the UK, and around the world. There are six meeting centres in the County at Hove, Crawley, West Meads, Uckfield, Worthing and Chichester. SFHG has designed and built databases of Sussex Information, Monumental Inscriptions, Marriage Indexes, Census Returns, Parish Records (baptisms, marriages, and burials), strays, members interests, Wills, members' own family research and other genealogical information. It maintains an extensive database of members' own surname research interests and another of local history and related societies. The SFHG organises day conferences and produces many useful pamphlets and booklets for the Sussex researcher.

Local History

Church Plans A database of over 12,000 church plans, held by the Society of Antiquaries.

Explore England's Past (England's Past for Everyone) (England's Past for Everyone) Hosted by the Victoria County History, this provides local history materials produced by academics and volunteers as part of each county project, including transcribed documents, images, text, and audio files that can be searched by location, theme, building type, time period, people and project. The Victoria County History website can be accessed from here.

Evacuees Reunion Association The Evacuees Reunion Association aims to provide links, support and counselling for former evacuees. It also aims to educate the public about the evacuation and commemorate the exodus of the three-and-a-half-million children from areas at risk of enemy bombing during the Second World War.

Sussex Past (Sussex Archaeological Society) Founded in 1846, the Society exists to promote the study and enjoyment of archaeology and history in the counties of East and West Sussex. It publishes an annual journal, Sussex Archaeological Collections, available in the Searchroom at the Record Office.

Sussex Record Society Founded in 1901 with the aim of publishing the original records of the county's history from documents found in the great national libraries (such as the British Library and the Public Record Office) and in the archives of its great country houses and county families, it has published 85 volumes covering all aspects of Sussex's history. The website includes a Poor Law Database and copies of some of the volumes.

Vision of Britain A searchable website, containing topographical information - maps, statistical trends and historical descriptions.

West Sussex Past Search over 2 million records from 29 heritage databases simultaneously, provided by 14 heritage information organisations, including the County Library Service, County Record Office, museums, societies and universities.

Understanding Documents

Land Registry The Land registry registers title to land in England and Wales and records dealings (for example, sales and mortgages) with registered land. You can download a title register or plan for a small fee).

Latin and Palaeography interactive guides on The National Archives website

Medieval Palaeography - How to read Charters

Ordnance Survey

The Workhouse website by Peter Higginbotham has lots of information on the history of the workhouse and a search facility for further sources.

Local Record Offices and Collections

Brighton History Centre

Dorset Record Office

East Sussex Record Office

Hampshire Record Office

Kent Archives Office

London Metropolitan Archives

Screen Archive South East

Surrey History Centre

Wessex Film and Sound Archive

National Record Offices and Collections

The National Archives

Access to Archives Site A2A Allows searching of the holdings of most participating local authority record offices. The database is now hosted by The National Archives.

Archives Hub A national gateway to descriptions of archives in UK universities and colleges.

British Library

Catholic National Library

Imperial War Museum Covers all aspects of twentieth and twenty-first century conflict involving Britain and the Commonwealth. On the website you can access over 33,000 photographic images, 11,000 records of works of art, 27,000 records related to audio recordings, 14,000 records related to document collections and almost 100,000 records of material held in the library. Also included are short essays on major historical themes that lead you to selected highlights from the collections.

Institute of Historical Research Library catalogue.

Lambeth Palace Library

Modern Records Centre Catalogue of nationally important archives for the study of social, economic and political history, mainly from the mid 19th century onwards.

National Maritime Museum

National Monuments Record Viewfinder Historic photographs of England.

National Library of Wales

National Library of Scotland

National Archives of Scotland

The National Archives of Ireland

Public Record Office of Northern Ireland