Genealogy Links

Suffolk Information

Suffolk Archives (Record Office) - Suffolk Archives are based in The Hold in Ipswich. Follow the link to discover more how to get to The Hold, opening times, and what’s on.

Suffolk Churches - This is an excellent guide to most of the Suffolk Churches with lots of pictures and descriptions of the architecture and history. It includes many chapels. If you have trouble visiting Suffolk to see where your ancestor's baptised, married and buried or even those who want to just add to their knowledge this is the site for you.

Suffolk Tourism - Information on present day Suffolk for visitors

The Suffolk Regiment - This is the website of The Suffolk Regiment Museum. The Museum was established in 1935, to mark the 250th anniversary of the Regiment’s foundation. The large collection includes Silverware, Medals, Drums, Uniforms, Badges and other equipment. Another site with information on the Regiment is "The Long Long Trail". This site has information about the British Army during 1914-1918.

Woodbridge Non-Conformance records - for Quay United Reformed Church and Beaumont Baptist Chapel

Martlesham Heath Aviation Society - Covering the former RAF, USAAF and Experimental Research base's 1917 - 1963 life. The Society aim to preserve the heritage and aviation history of Martlesham Heath. They are based in the Museum within the Martlesham Heath Control Tower. A Facebook page is also available.

Gravestone Photographic Resource - An international photographic grave monument directory including entries for Suffolk

Essex 1841 - Despite its name this site has some 4300 names for the Suffolk parishes of Burstall, Chelmondiston, Freston, Great Wenham, Higham, Hitcham, Harkstead, Kettlebaston, Raydon, Shelley and Washbrook. Hitcham and Kettlebaston also have some birth and marriage information.

Woolpit Parish Registers - P.Benyon's site has mainly parish records for Somerset. However, there are also indexed parish registers for Woolpit. Now provided by Denis.

There is also http://forebears.co.uk/england/suffolk/woolpit - this site has many links which have not been checked. Some of them are to "pay to view" sites and cover other areas as well.

The Rising in East Anglia in 1381 - "This valuable source of information about 14th-century Suffolk was printed in 1896. After an account of the peasants' revolt in Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, Edgar Powell provides transcripts of the surviving lists of the inhabitants of Suffolk made by the collectors of the Poll Tax in 1381."

Pronunciation of Suffolk place names - The pronunciation of a lot of Suffolk village names is not always obvious from the spelling of the name. This web site gives a guide to the less obvious pronunciations.

Local History Societies - This is a useful list of Suffolk societies and their contact details.

Suffolk Record Society - They publish transcriptions of important historic documents including but not restricted to extracts from wills, inventories and local diaries. Several of the books are downloadable for free.

Suffolk History Hub - A website for anyone with an interest in Suffolk’s history - links to many of Suffolk’s organisations with an interest in history - of people, buildings, churches, parishes and so on

Visit The UK's Only Food Museum For A Great Day Out - “The UK’s Food Museum, located in East Anglia, ‘Britain’s Breadbasket’. From cheese-making to brewing, historic breads to seasonal eating, we engage audiences with the heritage of food and the communities who grow and make it. We began life as a volunteer-run rural life museum in 1967 and became the Food Museum in 2022.

 

Government Information

The National Archives - More than 850,000 Probate Wills from 1610-1858 ... Their catalogue called 'Discovery' holds more than 32 million descriptions...

The British Library - This vast collection contains millions of bibliographic records...

Commonwealth War Graves Commission - The database lists the 1.7 million men and women...

General Register Office - provides official copies of birth marriage & death certificates for England & Wales

Ministry of Defence - provides information for obtaining details about service records post 1920

Royal Air Force Museum - for information on the archive and library research material available.

 

General Information

UK Archival Repositories - Links to and brief details of UK Archival Repositories.

Genuki (UK and Ireland Genealogy) - Large collection of genealogical information pages for England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man.

Cyndi's List - Links to over 300,000 worldwide genealogical sites! Updated regularly.

FreeBMD - provides Civil Registration index information...

FreeCEN - provides a "free-to-view" online searchable database...

FreeREG - provides baptism, marriage, and burial records...

FamilySearch - As well as the renowned IGI & 1881 census...

RootsWeb - primary purpose and function is to connect people...

The Parish Chest - Online genealogical shopping site...

Genfair - They sell the publications etc. of various family history societies...

Guild of One-Name Studies - The essential contact point for One-Name Studies...

MyHeritage - is a digital library of local and trade directories...

ExploreGenealogy - has no data but has some very useful information...

Olive Tree - Your free link to the past if hunting for your American or Canadian ancestors

Find my Past - free to search / pay to view site, but available free at Suffolk libraries

Ancestry.com - worldwide records also available free at Suffolk & some other UK libraries

British Association for Local History - useful for exploring overlaps between family and local history

Adoption Search Reunion - intended to be the first port of call for anyone thinking about searching...

Index of Old Occupations - If you came across an old occupation...

GENUKI - UK and Ireland Occupations - An extensive list of references to occupations.

Researching Your Family's History from Ships Passenger Lists - mostly links for passengers to N America.

 

Help and hints for young researchers

Family history is often taken up by older generations, but we have been asked what is there for younger researchers, so we have been searching & asking and have come up with the following.

• FamilySearch has a section on their website called Discovery which is about family history activities for the family. See www.familysearch.org/discovery/
• There is a US-specific website “Genealogy for Kids – Building a Family Tree” which has much useful information if your research takes you over to the USA. Even if it doesn’t, there are sections on reading old handwriting, and interviewing family members which are useful wherever you are. https://www.aaastateofplay.com/genealogy-for-kids-building-a-family-tree/
• In the UK, Devon FHS have a section on their website called the Acorn Club, which is excellent. Whilst it is run by Devon FHS, there is something for everyone on the site from “what is a census” through to puzzles and competitions. www.devonfhs.org.uk/acornclub/getting-started/
• “The Hidden Branch” is a site for family history researchers born 1995-2010 (Gen Z apparently). There are blogs, podcasts, how to use Twitter for genealogy and lots more. https://thehiddenbranch.com/
• To more traditional media there is a book “Family History For Kids” by Emma Jolly, published 2007, ISBN 0955757800, which is still available second hand via Amazon and second-hand bookshops. 64 pages, aimed at 9–13-year-olds.
• Another angle is that Pharos Tutors have a 4-week course (£40) “Climbing Trees - Inspiring children with family history”. See their website: www.pharostutors.com/climbing-trees-inspiring-children-with-family-history

If you find anything that you think would add to this list, whether website, books, articles etc, please tell us (email: chair@suffolkfhs.org.uk) and we will take a look.

 

Family History & Genealogical Societies

Federation of Family History Societies - Has details of all the Societies in Great Britain and other societies around the world

The Society of Genealogists - Offers a combination of research material, guidance and support for those interested in family history and the lives of earlier generations. For Suffolk information in their library look here

Alde Valley Family History Group - Formed in 2008, the group research the Saxmundham, Leiston and the Aldeborough/Southwold area of East Suffolk.

Cambridgeshire & Huntingdon Family History Society - One of the three counties adjoining Suffolk. Isle of Ely is included in their area.

Essex Family History Society - Another of the three counties adjoining Suffolk.

Felixstowe FHS - Felixstowe Family History Society. A small society formed inside Suffolk in 1986.

Norfolk Family History Society - The third of the counties adjoining Suffolk.

Romany & Traveller Family History Society - British family history society for people with Romany Gypsy, Traveller and Fairground roots.

Australian Family History Connections - Holds an extensive collection of reference material including unique records from all Australian States, British India, England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain - To share information amongst members. The Society is open to all interested in Jewish genealogy and is constituted on a secular basis.

Families in British India Society - A website for researching India or South Asia between 1600 and 1947

 

Researchers/Genealogists

The Society does not perform research on behalf of members or others nor does it endorse researchers, but there are two organisations covering researchers/genealogists in the UK:

• Register of Qualified Genealogists
• AGRA

Both sites have the ability to search for the researcher by geography or speciality area