Dorset Family History

If you’re looking for ancestors, local history, genealogy or family history in Dorset, England, these online resources will help you in your research.

Archives

• Dorset History Centre
  The archives service and local studies library for Bournemouth, Christchurch, Dorset and Poole.

Births, Marriages & Deaths

• Dorset Parish Records
  Baptisms, marriages and burials in Dorset from 1538 onwards.
• Dorset BMDs
  Search more than 1 million birth, marriage and death records from 1837-2006.
• FreeBMD
• Dorset Death Certificate Index
  The Dorset DCI lets you search and view death certificates for free. The certificates have been donated by family historians, and you can also donate a certificate if you wish.

Burials & Cemeteries

• Dorset Memorial Inscriptions
  Over 120,000 records from 250+ Dorset parishes.
• Dorset Gravestone Photos
  Images and records from many graveyards and cemeteries.

Census Records

• Dorset Census 1841-1921
  Search the census records from 1841-1921, plus the 1939 Register all at once.
• FreeCen
  Has a good, but not complete, selection of free records to search and view.

Criminals and Convicts

• Criminal Ancestor Records
• Dorchester Gaol Registers 1782-1853

Electoral Registers

• Electoral Registers 1832-1932

Forums

• RootsChat Dorset
  Get help, or help others researching Dorset genealogy.

Heraldry

• Visitation of Dorset 1565
• Visitation of Dorset 1623

Historical Directories

• Dorset Poll Book 1807
• Dorset Historical Directories
• Kelly’s Directory of Dorsetshire 1889
• Portland Yearbook 1905

Local History

• Domesday Book Dorset
• Dorchester and Fordington Family History
  This is probably the best family history website for tracing your Dorchester and Fordington ancestors. The records are plentiful, including:
  • Census
  • Parish Records
  • Wills
  • Church Officials
  • Historical Directories
  • Books
  • Poor Law Records
  • Biographies
  • Postcards
  • Maps
• Dorset Ancestors
• Genuki Dorset
  GENUKI Dorset is a free family history & genealogy resource which lists links and resources for the English county of Dorset.
• Memorials of Old Dorset
• Streets of Bournemouth
• Weymouth Local & Family History

Maps

• Old Dorset Maps
• Speed’s Map of Dorsetshire 1610

Medical and Hospital Records

• Dorset County Hospital Records
  The history of Dorset County Hospital website has a wealth of information and records about the hospital, its staff, and patients. You can see burial registers, admissions, census returns, staff records, directories, newspaper reports, and more. The site contains information from when the hospital first opened in 1841 until it became part of the NHS in 1948.

Military Records

• British Military Records
• Dorsetshire Regiment – 39th Foot
• Dorsetshire Regiment During WW2
• Dorset War Graves
• Dorset Roll of Honour
• Portland Military Burials

Newspaper Archives

• British Newspaper Collection 1710-1953

Occupations

• Blandford Constables 1842
• Dorset Hemp & Flax Growers 1782-1793
• High Sheriffs of Dorset
• Lost Pubs of Dorset
• Mills of Dorset

Poor Law Records

• Weymouth and Dorset Workhouse Records

Societies and Groups

• Dorset Family History Society
• Somerset & Dorset FHS

Wills and Probate

• Calendar of Dorset Wills 1383-1700
• Calendars of Dorset Wills and Administrations
  An index of names from many Dorset towns and villages covering the 1600s to 1700s.