Starting your

Family History

with help from

• Archives• Libraries • Museums

in Lancashire

Before you start your research

Gather information Find out what’s available Find out where to go Plan your research

Gather information

Facts, Recollections, Reminiscences and Anecdotes

Names, Dates, Locations and Occupations

Note all the dates and events you are certain of concerning your immediate family.

Ask as many people in your family as possible for their recollections and make a separate note of what each person says, so that you can make comparisons.

Beg and search for as many family records and memorabilia as possible.

Show anything you find to your elderly relatives – particularly old family photographs. You may jog a whole stream of fresh memories

Don’t despair if you can’t find out much. The minimum information you actually need to get started is your own place and date of birth.

Gather information

Find out what’s available and where

Books Online Guides Ask a LibrarianJoin a Group

Many records are now available online...BUT They may not be complete You may have to pay to view them You may need to double-check with Offline records It is unlikely that you will be able to complete your

research just using online records

Many records are still not available online... You may need to travel to view all the records you

need You may need get used to using archives and

libraries and their equipment It is unlikely that you will be able to complete your

research just from records in your home town

Where to Go ~ Online or Offline?

Plan your research

Stick to the planDon’t get

sidetrackedBe systematicMake a note of

absolutely everything

Offline sources

Lancashire Archives

• Church Registers

• Wills and Probate

• Marriage Bonds

• Tithes

• Workhouses

• Advice

• 900 years of documents relating to people and places in Lancashire

• Search the Archives

Lancashire Libraries

• Electoral Registers

• Newspapers

• Photographs

• Directories

• Old Maps

• Advice

• There are Community History libraries located in each of Lancashire’s twelve districts

• Lancashire Libraries

Lancashire Museums

• Working life

• Military history

• Photographs

• Artefacts

• Old Maps

• Advice

• We have eleven museums, from a castle to a cottage to a country house that illuminate the history of Lancashire’s people

• Lancashire Museums

Online sources

Our Digital Library

Subscription websites Access for free In Archives and Libraries On People’s Network PCs And WiFi some can also be used at

home

We’ve paid so you don’t have to

Free Access

Free Access*in libraries

Free Accessanywhere

Free Accessanywhere

Free Accessanywhere

Free Accessanywhere

Free Accessanywhere

Lancashire online

http://lanternimages.lancashire.gov.uk

http://mario.lancashire.gov.uk

http://mario.lancashire.gov.uk

http://bit.ly/lancsfamhist

http://bit.ly/lancsdigital

All the Online sources featured

here are available via our Digital Library

Don’t own a computer?

In our Libraries you

can• Reserve a People’s

Network PC• Any Library• Up to 2hrs a day• Internet Access• Free of charge

Not comfortable with technology? In our

Libraries you’ll find

Ask at your

local library

• Bite-size courses• From absolute

beginners• Helpful staff• Tutored events• Free of charge

GetInvolved

There are opportunities for volunteering in

Archives

Libraries

Museums

Help us to catalogue, index, digitize and preserve

Old Photographs Newspapers Documents

http://bit.ly/lancsvolunteer

You can also catch up our news and interact with us online

@lanchistory on Twitter