Cambridgeshire Genealogy Links

Research in Cambridgeshire

For full details of sources, record offices, libraries and individual parish holdings consult Genealogical Sources in Cambridgeshire (2nd ed.), available from the Bookstall.

The modern county comprises the old counties of Cambridgeshire, Isle of Ely, Huntingdonshire and Soke of Peterborough. To avoid confusion, please note the relevant record offices and family history societies:

County: Old Cambridgeshire & Isle of Ely


Record Office:
County: Huntingdonshire

Record Office:

    Huntingdon RO*,
    Grammar School Walk,
    Huntingdon PE18 6LF
    Tel: 01480 385482 Overseas: +44 1480 425842
    FHS: Hunts FHS

County: Peterborough (Soke of)

Record Office:

    Northamptonshire RO,
    Wootton Hall Park,
    Northampton NN4 9BQ
    Tel: 01604 762129 Overseas: +44 1604 762129
    FHS: Peterborough & District FHS

* part of Heritage Services, Cambridgeshire County Council

Other useful research facilities in Cambs are:

  • Cambridgeshire Collection
    Central Library
    Lion Yard
    CAMBRIDGE
    CB2 3QD
    Telephone:- U.K. 0845 045 5225, Overseas +44 845 045 5225
    Fax:- U.K. 01223 712018, Overseas +44 1223 712018

    Email: Cambridgeshire Collection

    vast collection of material on the county, including local newspapers, some indexed by place.

  • Cambridge Family History Centre, LDS Church,
    Cherry Hinton Road,
    Cambridge
    IGI, many records on microfilm and access to the whole resources of the organisation.
  • Wisbech and Fenland Museum
    Museum Square
    WISBECH
    Cambs
    PE13 1ES
    Telephone:- U.K. 01945 583817 Overseas: +44 1945 583817

    various records for the northern area of the Isle of Ely and parts of Norfolk

Booktsall at Suffolk

Although our research capabilities are limited our bookstall offers a wide variety of research material including the 1841 & 1851 census, monumental inscriptions and parish register transcripts. Why not take a look?

CFHS Search Services
  • A large stamped self-addressed envelope or two International Reply Coupons must accompany each request.
  • All cheques should be made payable to Cambs FHS.
STRAYS INDEX

The Strays Database is on-line here (last update September 2002) and is searchable. Should you not find the information you require then later additions can be requested by filling in the on-line request or by emailing Pam Dowell - pam.dowell@ntlworld.com

Please email any strays to the address above.

BOYDS MARRIAGE INDEX - CAMBRIDGESHIRE

The Boyd's Marriage Index for Cambridgeshire 1538-1600 is on-line and searchable from Origins.net.

POOR LAW PAPERS

An index to the poor law papers available from the bookstall is on-line.

CAMBRIDGE ST ANDREW THE LESS 1891 CENSUS

A searchable index to the 1891 census for Cambridge St Andrew the Less is on-line

A searchable index of the 1851 Census for all Cambridgeshire is on-line

A searchable index of the 1841 Census for All Cambridgeshire is on-line

WISBECH VESSELS 1860-1913

An index to Wisbech vessels sailing from the port is on-line.

BAPTISM INDEX 1801-37

The Baptism Index 1801-37 is on-line and searchable.

BURIAL INDEX 1801-37

The Burial Index 1801-37 is on-line and searchable.

PROFESSIONAL RESEARCHERS

The are several professional researchers who cover Cambridgeshire. For a listing of researchers see the GenWeb Cambridgeshire Researchers page.

Old Cambs & Isle of Ely: outline guide to basic sources

Parish registers

Most will be found at Cambridge RO, with the exception of a few border parishes where the records are at other county ROs, and parishes around Wisbech in the Isle of Ely where the originals are kept at the Wisbech & Fenland Museum (but microfilm copies are available at Cambridge).

Bishops' Transcripts are kept at Cambridge University Library, West Road, Cambridge.

Indexed transcripts exist of many sets of parish registers and more are in progress. Copies are available at CRO and usually also the SOG Library in London.

General indexes exist for marriages 1538-1837, baptisms 1801- 1837 and burials 1801-1837.

Many nonconformist registers and membership books have been transcribed and indexed by CFHS. A Search Service is available. Some entries appear on the IGI. There is a good collection of Quaker records at CRO. The Huguenot Colony at Thorney also left some records (1655-1727).

Probate records

1858 on - all records are kept at the Principle Registry of the Family Division, First Avenue House, 42-49 High Holborn, London, WC1 6NP opposite Chancery Lane, telephone 0207 936 6000. Printed calendars to these 1858-1966 are available at Cambridge RO. Copies of Cambs wills proved locally 1858-1941 are at Northants RO.

Pre 1858 - most wills and admons proved in either the Consistory Court of Ely or the Archdeaconry Court of Ely, kept at CRO. Indexes available, some published. Probate records for some parishes around Newmarket to 1837, when transferred to Ely, are kept at Suffolk RO, Bury St Edmunds. Other peculiars and jurisdictions are listed in Genealogical Sources.

Censuses

Microfilm copies of all census returns 1841-1891 are kept at CRO. CFHS has transcribed and indexed the 1851 census for the entire county and paper copies are available at CRO and SOG Library, London. An surname index booklet to the Isle of Ely is available from the Bookstall. The index to Old Cambs is in progress. Microfilming of these transcripts is now complete and these are available from the Bookstall. (Note the returns for certain Cambs parishes around Newmarket were lost at the PRO last century.)

CFHS has also indexed the 1871 Borough of Cambridge Census.

Indexes to the 1881 census are available through the LDS church project -see Search Services.

Monumental Inscriptions

In addition to the series of modern transcripts produced by Cambs FHS and others, Cole's transcriptions of Cambs & Isle MIs made 1742-1782 and Layer's of 1632 are available in printed form.

Various Monumental Inscriptions can be purchased through the bookstall on microfiche. A complete list of parishes available is accessible.

Civil Registration

The Unions of parishes, established by the Poor Law Commissioners under the 1835 Act of Parliament, became registration districts with the introduction of civil registration of births, marriages and deaths in 1837, so superseding the medieval division of the county and even breaking with the ancient county boundaries. Only the Chesterton, Cambridge, Ely, North Witchford and Whittlesey Registration Districts lay wholly within the county; the district of Caxton contained parts of Huntingdonshire, the district of Linton contained parts of Essex, the district of Newmarket parts of Suufolk and the district of Wisbech parts of Norfolk.

Finally, several parishes on the western edge were assigned to the Huntingdonshire Registration District of St Ives, and others on the southern edge to the Hertfordshire Registration District of Royston.

These points need to be borne in mind, in particular by users of civil registration and Poor Law records.

GENUKI via Brett Langston has provided details of Registration Districts 1837-1930.

Certificates of birth, death and marriage can be obtained from the Superintendent Registrars at the following District Register Offices:

If ordering from a District Office, please note the following:

(a) the cost of a certificate can be found on the Cambridgeshire County Council website under Certificate Applications

(b) the St Catherine's Index references are of no value;

(c) for marriage certificates, the precise place of marriage must be given;

(d) Civil Registration in England and Wales began on July 1st 1837.

Details of Births, Marriages and Death information is available on a Cambridgeshire County Council webpage.

Web sites to aid you

GENUKI
Cambridgeshire

GENUKI Logo

If you are a new researcher to Cambridgeshire, please take a few minutes and visit the Genuki-Cambridge pages. These pages contain a wealth of information pertinent to all facets of English research in this county to be found on the Internet. Here you will find details of resources available to the whole county and to the individual parishes.

The location of parish registers, tax records, monumental inscriptions, graveyards and much, much more.

ENGLAND GENWEB
Cambridgeshire

Genweb England Logo

The Cambridgeshire EnglandGenWeb Project. This website is part of the BritishIslesGenWeb Project and is provided as a resource for individuals researching their English ancestors who originated in the Ancient County of Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely.

These pages include various sections: About the Parishes, Agriculture & the Labourer, Ancestors from Cambridgeshire, Burwell & the Fen-Edge Village Life Museum, Cambridgeshire - Kelly's 1929, Cambs. Baptism, Marriage and Death Stats 1821-30, Cambridgeshire Regiments, Militia and Regulars, 'Captain Swing' and the Reverend Moberley, Census - Local Listings, Census 1901 - Summary, Cholera in the 19th Century, The Coprolite Industry, Ely & the Cathedral, Ely & Civil War, Emigrants: Free or in Chains?, Emigrants Links, Famous Cambridgeshire Men and Women, Folklore, Fortifications and Historic Buildings, Genealogical & History Societies, Historical Timeline - Cambridgeshire, Huguenots and Walloons, Cambridgeshire Hundreds, Internet Links, Littleport Riots - 22nd May 1816, Locations & Buildings, Mayors of Cambridgeshire 1902, Methodism, Peasants Revolt - Ely - 1381, Places in Cambridgeshire, Poor Law Unions, Prickwillow, Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire, Professional Researchers, Railways in Cambridgeshire, Ranks, Professions, Occupations and Trades, Registration Districts, Society of Friends (Quakers), Vermuyden, Cornelius - Fen Reclamation, Walloon Names - 1939 Newspaper Article, War Memorials/Rolls of Honour, Welney the Home of British Ice Skating and What is.....

Cambridgeshire History
Cambridgeshire History Logo
Cambridgeshire History endeavours to link various societies and information related to historic events, people and places witin the ancient county of Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely.
Cambridgeshire Ancestors
Local Ancestors Logo
Local Ancestors is a guide to researching in Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely. This site details research and various people from Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely with the facility to have your own family details posted in a limited web page format with your contact details.

 

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Last Updated on: 22 January, 2008
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