This is a list of Norfolk family history, genealogy and local history records available online. Hopefully, they will help you research your Norfolk ancestors and break down those brick walls.
Archives
- Norfolk Record Office
Find out how to access the records they hold, get help with your research and the location of the archives.
Births, Marriages & Deaths
- Free BMD
Free BMD gives you free access to births, deaths, and marriages from 1837 onwards. - Norfolk Parish Records
Baptisms, marriages and burials from the 1500s to the 1900s. - Norfolk Transcription Archive
The Norfolk Transcription Archive is a great place for genealogists and local historians to find parish register indexes (baptisms, marriages, death), records of subsidy (tax) and muster. There’s also an A-Z index of surnames related to Norfolk family history.
The archive currently contains 170,000 baptisms, 36,000 marriages, over 100,000 burials and much more.
Cemeteries
- Find a Grave
Many records from most locations around Norfolk. Some also have images of gravestones. - Norfolk Cemetery Records
- Norfolk Gravestone Photographic Resource
- Norfolk Headstone Transcriptions
Louise Cocker collected over 200,000 images of gravestones. The images and transcriptions are available online now. These records detail the exact inscription on your ancestor’s grave, which may even indicate other family members’ names.
Census Records
- Census 1841-1921
Search the census records from 1841-1921, plus the 1939 Register which is a great census substitute, with over 440,000 Norfolk residents included. - FreeCen
Has a good, but not complete, selection of free records to search and view. - Norwich Census of the Poor 1570
The details of poor families listed by ward (area).
Criminals & Convicts
- Criminal Ancestors Records
Records of convicts and criminals from around the UK.
Electoral Registers
- Norfolk Electoral Registers 1832-1915
Search over 4 million records to see what property your ancestors owned and where they lived.
Forums
- RootsChat Norfolk
A great place to find Norfolk resources and request help with your research.
Heraldry
Historical Directories
- History, Gazetteer and Directory of Norfolk 1864
Over 1000 pages of information about people, towns and villages of Norfolk. - Kelly’s Norfolk Post Office Directory 1865
A directory of places with their residents and businesses. - Norfolk Historical Directories
- Martham Directories
From 1836 to 1937; PDF files. - Slater’s Commercial Directory Norfolk 1850
- White’s 1883 Norwich Street Directory
Containing the names of the principal inhabitants arranged in the order of the numbers on the doors.
Local History & Genealogy
- Domesday Book Norfolk
- Wymondham Town Archive
Many records from the town and its people.
Maps
- Faden’s Map of Norfolk
The map was the first large-scale map of the whole county and shows the landscape just prior to Parliamentary Enclosure of the early 19th century. Surveyed between 1790 and 1794 the map was published in 1797 in London by William Faden. - Historical Norfolk Maps
The Historical Norfolk Maps website has a map explorer and a map image viewer. It’s possible to view Ordnance Survey maps, aerial maps, tithe maps and enclosures. - Norfolk Parish Maps
Norfolk parish maps from various resources and websites including the Norfolk record office.
Military Records
Newspaper Archives
- British Newspaper Collection 1710-1953
Search Norfolk newspapers such as the Norwich Mercury, Norfolk Chronicle, Norfolk News and many more.
Occupations
- Norfolk Apprentices 1710-1808
Search 30,000+ records to find out your ancestor’s trade. - Lost Pubs of Norfolk
- Norfolk Mills & Millers
- Norfolk Photographers
Photos & Postcards
- Photographs of Old Norwich
Photographs taken between 1931 and 2006 by George Blunkett, during which Norwich changed through slum clearance, the blitz and redevelopment. All his city photos are arranged by street name in the Norwich Galleries. - Picture Norfolk
Picture Norfolk holds thousands of photos of Norfolk life and history. Find images of Norfolk places, people and events from the past 200 years.
Enjoy over 17,000 local photographs, prints and paintings online. You can also purchase high quality copies from the site.
Societies & Groups
- Mid Norfolk Family History Society
- Norfolk Family History Society
The Society welcomes people researching their Norfolk ancestors and family history. It currently has around 4,000 members researching their ancestors in Norfolk.
The Society’s collection of genealogical resources encompass parish register transcripts, monumental inscriptions, census returns, wills, family trees, pedigrees, photographs and a wide range of published work.
The Norfolk Online Record Search (NORS) database provides Members with online access to the Society’s collection of Parish Register Transcripts.
Workhouse Records
- Norfolk Workhouse Admission & Discharge Registers
Over 750,000 records from 5 different poor law unions.