Genealogy Links
Here is a selection of genealogical links to guide you to some of the more useful information on the internet. All links checked on 25th October 2015. Please notify the webmaster of any errors or suggestions for further links.
Suffolk Information
Suffolk Archives (Record Office) - The Suffolk Archive has branches in Ipswich, Bury St. Edmunds and Lowestoft. Includes: Research Service; Buy a Print: Suffolk Towns & Villages, Suffolk Maps & family history guides.
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
East Suffolk Council Cemetery Index - On-line indexes for the cemeteries of Beccles, Bungay, Halesworth, Kirkley, Lowestoft, Southwold, Wrentham, and the Royal Naval Patrol.
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 -
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."
Tunstall Baptist Church Records - Terry Levett has put together various birth, death and marriage records for Tunstall. These records are mainly for the early 1800's.
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 docuemts including but not restricted to extracts from wills, inventories and local diaries. Several of the books are downloadable for free.
Government Information
The National Archives - More than 850,000 Probate Wills from 1610-1858 (PCC wills dating back to 1670 have been completed). Free access to indexes but copy of a will costs £10.00. For wills after 1858 see here.. Access also available to the Domesday Book, World War One Diaries and various other information. Their catalogue called 'Discovery' holds more than 32 million descriptions of records held by The National Archives and more than 2,500 archives across the country including County Record Offices. Over 9 million records are available for download. Note that if you want to search the Suffolk Record Office catalogue it is better to use their site as it is more likely to be up to date.
The British Library - This vast collection contains millions of bibliographic records, British newspapers, many now digitised and searchable on-line and much more.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission - The database lists 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 world-wide 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.
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 for England and Wales. The transcribing of the records, by volunteers, is ongoing and contains well over 279 million records at August 2020. Records are complete from 1837 to 1983. Later records are not complete.
FreeCEN - provides a "free-to-view" online searchable database of the UK census returns from 1841 to 1891. The transcribing of the records, by volunteers, is ongoing and contains well over 39 million records at August 2020. Suffolk records appear to be only for the 1891 census and a few for the 1871 census
FreeREG - provides baptism, marriage, and burial records, which have been transcribed, by volunteers, from parish and non-conformist church registers in the UK. There are over 49 million entries with just under 300,000 records for Suffolk at August 2020.
FamilySearch - As well as the renowned IGI & 1881 census, the new LDS site includes: census extracts for England & Wales 1841 to 1911; parish register transcripts across the UK including Cheshire, Cornwall, Dorset, Kent, Lancashire, Norfolk, Warwickshire, and more!
RootsWeb - primary purpose and function is to connect people so that they can help each other and share genealogical research.
The Parish Chest - Online genealogical shopping site which now stocks the publications of various Family History Societies.
Genfair - They sell the publications etc. of various family history societies and other suppliers.
Guild of One-Name Studies - The essential contact point for One-Name Studies. If you are fortunate someone has carried out a lot of research on your surnames.
MyHeritage - is a digital library of local and trade directories for England and Wales, from 1750 to 1919. It contains high quality reproductions of comparatively rare books, essential tools for research into local and genealogical history.
ExploreGenealogy - has no data but has some very useful information, particularly for people new to family history or for those 'stuck' and needing to 'refresh' their knowledge about certain times & records.
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 for or making contact with birth and adopted relatives or researching an adoption that took place in the UK.
Index of Old Occupations - If you came across and old occupation you want to find out more then this is a very useful site.
GENUKI - UK and Ireland Occupations - An extensive list of references to occupations.
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.
Mid-Norfolk Family History Society - A smaller Norfolk society whose research area is approximately 10 miles around Dereham.
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:
Both sites have the ability to search for the researcher by geography or speciality area
