Type in the details you wish to search and click on the submit button. If you put nothing in the boxes you will get the entire database of more than 24,000 results! Too much information may lead to a NIL return. The best technique is a compromise between the two.

Names have been recorded as spelled in the original document, so you will need to have an open mind on how they might have been written. The way you spell your surname now may be different from the way it was recorded 150 years ago. For example the name Jelbard may be spelled JELBART or JELBERD, GILBARD, or even GILBERT. Best results are obtained by putting in the first few letters only, or alternatively consult our Name Variants page for different options of Surnames and First Names.

FIRST NAMES may well have been changed to a preferred form (Eleanor, Ellen, Nel, Nelly etc), or alternatively spelled incorrectly by Enumerator or Transcriber. It is often better to omit these from the search form.

We have not used full stops for Parish Saints' names, eg St Day, St Just etc. If you put in a full stop then it will not be found on the database. Remember, if you specify a Parish of Residence or Birth, this will rule out any entry where the Parish is not recorded.