25 evidence layers
Genealogy record types
Understand what each record type can establish, where it is held and what it cannot prove by itself.
Structured for place, source and repository research. Factual links checked 29 July 2026.
How to use this section
Choose the source that could answer the question, not simply the largest online collection. Each guide explains the source’s purpose, likely custody, access route and limits. Use adjacent record types to test an interpretation independently.
Throughout the section, indexes are treated as finding aids. The fullest available image, certificate or original source should be checked before a claim is accepted.
Directory
25 entries
Every entry has a stable URL, a visible source block and a verification date.
- Parish registersBaptism, marriage and burial registers created by Church of England parishes.
- Bishops’ transcriptsContemporary or later parish-register copies sent to the diocesan authorities; survival and agreement vary.
- Civil registrationOfficial birth, marriage and death registration in England and Wales from July 1837.
- 1841 censusThe first modern decennial census commonly used for named household research.
- 1851 censusA decennial census with household, birthplace and relationship evidence interpreted in its historical context.
- 1861 censusA household census that can connect residents, occupations and places between parish events.
- 1871 censusA household census useful for testing residence and family hypotheses against civil registration.
- 1881 censusA household census that should be compared with adjacent census years and original images.
- 1891 censusA household census with addresses and relationships that require image and place checks.
- 1901 censusA household census for early twentieth-century residence, kinship and occupation research.
- 1911 censusA household census with schedules that can add marriage and child-count evidence.
- 1921 censusA household census with access conditions and contextual fields described by The National Archives.
- Wills and administrations before 1858Probate jurisdiction before the Principal Probate Registry requires place, court and archive checks.
- Probate after 1858National probate calendars and ordered copies can support death, kinship and property research.
- Manorial recordsCourt rolls, surveys and related records are located through the Manorial Documents Register.
- Poor law and workhouse recordsUnion and parish poor-law material can include admission, relief and administrative evidence.
- Nonconformist registersRegisters and related records from denominations outside the established church.
- School recordsAdmission registers, log books and administrative records may document children, staff or local conditions.
- Monumental inscriptionsTranscriptions and surveys can preserve memorial evidence, but should be checked against the site and other records.
- Electoral registers and poll booksVoter lists can trace eligible residents while reflecting changing franchises and coverage.
- Land tax and valuation recordsAssessment and valuation sources can connect occupiers, owners and property descriptions.
- Tithe recordsApportionments and maps identify land parcels, owners and occupiers at the date of the survey.
- Quarter sessionsCounty court and administrative records may contain offences, licences, settlement work and public business.
- Cemetery and burial recordsMunicipal and churchyard records can extend or clarify parish burial evidence.
- Parish chest recordsVestry, rate, charity, constable and other parish administration records can reveal local context.
Coverage note: this directory describes sources and access routes. It does not assert that every series survives, is digitised, or contains a particular person.
Sources for this page
Links and stated coverage checked 2026-07-29. A coverage date is not evidence of complete survival.