Wiltshire Family History

This is a list of Wiltshire family history, genealogy and local history resources and links. They will help you research your Wiltshire ancestors and break down those brick walls.

Archives

• Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre
  Wiltshire and Swindon has a rich and diverse heritage. The new History Centre brings together the archaeology, archive, buildings record, conservation, and museum advisory services together with the county local studies library to create a centre whose sum is much more than that of its parts.

Births, Marriages & Deaths

• Wiltshire BMD
  Wiltshire BMD gives you free access to over 800,000 births, deaths, and marriages from 1837 onwards.
• Wiltshire Parish Records
  Links to external websites containing Wiltshire parish records and registers available online, including Births/Baptisms, Marriages, Deaths/Burials.

Burials & Cemeteries

• Wiltshire Burials
  A site with over 69,000 names from, mostly, Wiltshire burial grounds.
• Wiltshire Memorial Inscriptions
  Over 290,000 memorial transcripts going back to the 13th century.

Census Records

• UK Census 1841-1921
  Search the entire Wiltshire census and the 1939 Register which lists over 284,000 Wiltshire residents.
• FreeCen

Criminals & Convicts

• Wiltshire Quarter Session Calendars 1728-1890
  67,000 records of convicts, witnesses, victims and the crimes committed.

Electoral Registers

The registers include people who are eligible to vote and the reason for their eligibility, which could be property ownership or residence. Because the 1931 census was lost, these records are a valuable substitute.

• Electoral Registers 1832-1932
• Freeholders of Wiltshire 1772

Forums

• RootsChat Wiltshire
  A great place to find Wiltshire resources and request help with your research.

Heraldry

Heraldic visitations were tours of inspection undertaken by Kings of Arms (or more often by junior officers of arms, acting as the Kings’ deputies) in England, Wales and Ireland. Their purpose was to regulate and register the coats of arms of nobility and gentry and boroughs, and to record pedigrees. They took place from 1530 to 1688, and their records provide important source material for genealogists.

• The visitation of Wiltshire 1565
• The visitation of Wiltshire 1623

Historical Directories

• Wiltshire Historical Directories

Local History

• Domesday Book Wiltshire
• Jeffries’ Land
  A history of Swindon and its environs.
• Memorials of Old Wiltshire
  A history of Wiltshire written in 1906 with illustrations.
• Place Names of Wiltshire
  The origins of the names of towns and villages of Wiltshire.

Maps

• Maps of Wiltshire
  Ordnance Survey maps of Wiltshire from the nineteenth century.

Military Records

• British Military Records
• Wiltshire Regiment History
• Wiltshire Roll of Honour

Newspaper Archives

• British Newspaper Collection 1710-1953
  Search millions of news articles related to Wiltshire.

Obituaries

• Legacy UK Obituaries

Occupations

• British Apprentices 1710-1808
  There are over 12,000 records for Wiltshire in this collection.
• Lost Pubs of Wiltshire

Societies & Groups

• Wiltshire Family History Society
  The Wiltshire Family History Society is a great place to start or continue research into your Wiltshire ancestors. There are regular events where you can learn more about researching your family history.

Surname Research

• Top Surnames from the 1881 Census in Wiltshire

Wills

• Salisbury Wills Index 1464-1858
• Wiltshire Wills and Probate Index 1530-1881
• Wiltshire Inquisitions 1600s
  An Inquisition post mortem is an English medieval record of the death, estate and heir of one of the king’s tenants-in-chief, made for royal fiscal purposes. The process of making such inquisition was effected by the royal escheators in each county where the deceased held land.