Moonfleetonline

The local library is likely to hold a wealth of information of use to the family historian.  Of course, the information will be local in content but if your family, or at least some members, lived in the local area, then it is very probably that valuable information is just on the doorstep.

I went to my local library, in South Hampshire, and found some really interesting information. 

The magazines of the local family history society, the Hampshire Genealogy Society in my case, were all available and these included such information as a military photo from 1903, lots of local stories about local villages and most interesting of all were all the requests for information on particular people that other researchers are looking for details about.

Most of us start with the internet and there is certainly masses of information from sites such as Ancestry.  But once we have got to the end of what the internet can provide then parish records become immensely important.  Before the compulsory registration of births, deaths and marriages in 1837, parish records become increasingly important and here again the local library comes into its own.  My local library holds copies of parish records from many of the surrounding villages and even though none of my ancestors were from my local area, the records made fascinating reading.

Trade directories hold information on who was trading in a local area and where the premises from which they were operating.  Again my local library held shelves of trade directories from over a number of years.

I am close of Southampton and I was very surprised to find a book that documented the survivors and victims of the Titanic sinking in 1912. 

Another source of valuable information are local gazetteers.  A local history and gazetteer of 1878 was incredibly interesting.  It listed all the towns and villages in Hampshire and looking Yarmouth (Isle of Wight) which I know well it explained the reasons for some of the road names.  Ommaney and Heytesbury and side roads in Yarmouth and in 1878 both were principal landowners in the town.

There were also lists of local tradesmen and women (there were some women) in the town at the time and again it showed that once you know where your ancestors lived, visiting the local library may provide information on your ancestors but even if none are named in person, then the background information about the place and times in which they were living will prove invaluable.

It’s rooting around in the local collection at the library which makes family history research so rewarding – even if you come out with (apparently) nothing to show for it.