Genealogy Chat

Hello, I am looking for pre-1837 information on relatives in Lancashire. I would assume that the information I require will be in the County Record Office for Lancashire, but does anyone know if it will also be in London somewhere? Or is the CRO the only available source? Thanks

It all depends on what you are looking for in the CRO. Parish Records, Settlement Certs, Poor law records, Militia Lists, Wills, Marriage Licences and many many other records too numerous to name here will tend to be at the CRO but you will also find Militia Records at TNA and Marriage Licences elsewhere and Settlement Certs can turn up all over the country for the same person because it all depends where the person has come from and where he has moved to. I have an ancestor who moved from Northants to M'Sex to Bucks, Herts, Beds and back to Northants and Settlement Certs are in all those counties. I have found 18 century wills and apprenticeship records in the CRO which are not in TNA. Just go to a CRO where your ancestors are from and see where it takes you and have fun. When you are back to the manorial records these can be either at the CRO or anywhere else to include London and elsewhere, so you have to look on the internet for the relevant ones for you. Once you are into the Record Offices, it is then a question of how much time have you to obtain the info you want!! Never enough time for me! Janet

The Society of Genealogists library in London has family history resources for the whole country, you have to either be a member or pay a day rate to use it, but they have a web site which lists the parish records they hold so you can check before you go that it isnt a wasted journey, and its probably cheaper than going to Preston by Virgin rail. The other cheap way to do it is to trade lookups with someone who lives in Lancashire. Pam

Greg What part of Lancashire are you looking at? Lou