Going to London...what can I do there research wise?

[BendyCowgirl]

Hi all

I'm off to London on Tuesday for an appointment with my specialist in a central London hospital. The appt's not until 4.40pm so though I'd make the most of it, go up early and do something family history-ish but not sure here to go. Thought of going to the National Archives but I think it'd be to much for me as I'd be traveling for over three hours an then getting to Victoria and having to get a tube out for an hour and back again to get to the hospital. Can you think of anything else or anywhere else I could go while I'm there to make the most of my long trip? So far I'm in this position:

Researched to 1858 on maternal grandfather's side where I got stuck and couldn't find my gg granddad’s parents...haven’t done anybody else. Although did find gg granddad's military record. He was in the Navy. He was incidentally born in London.

Thank you guys as always xxx

[Night Owl]

One of the most rewarding places I've been to is the probate office at Holborn. Its not huge and daunting and the records are easy to search. The registers have a fair amount of info in them and if you decide to order any wills they cost £5 each (last time I went). If you order them early enough you can pick them up at the counter. If not they'll post them to you.

The registers aren't just for London by the way

[nickyinsunnysussex]

If your getting off the train at Victoria, the Westminster Archives is about a 20 minute walk from there, you don`t say which part of London your ancestors came from, but Westminster covers a huge area so may be worth checking out the archives website for coverage.

Nicky

[Lindsay]

If you've got ancestors from London, the London Metroplitan Archives have masses of info - it's near Farringdon station.

[Little Nell]

Well, forget Kew, you really need to spend the day there and its not in Central London!

As for where else you could go, it depends on how near the hospital the archives are - but also where your ancestors came from.

Apart from Westminster Archives, there's Camden Council: Local history which you can go to with no probs, its in Holborn Library in Theobalds Road.

But you need to make appointments to go to Islington Local History Centre and Hackney Archives and they aren't always open.

[nickyinsunnysussex]

Also Guildhall Library has all the parish records for City of London {central london}, and a lot of the records on the National Archives website that you can`t download from the site itself.......its a lovely building, about 5 minutes walk from St Pauls Tube station.

Nicky

[tinkerbe]

i think this might make a good wilk page "where in london to go for family history'
i think the question has come up before and i know i have gone internet surfing to answer this question and got no where .

[Peppie]

Try the LDS in South Ken, Loads of free access to onliine data bases including free access to 1911. If you bring your data stick you can transfer any online stuff onto your stick for free. ;) Also they have thousands of microfiche of all sorts from all over the UK and the world.
London Family History Centre

[BendyCowgirl]

Hi all, thanks so much for that it's so helpful. I have narrowed it down now to three, I think I'll start off at Westminster archives and see how I go from thre. Also for those of you who asked my gg grandfathr was born in Chelsea. Woudl Westminstr deal with Chelsea records?

[Little Nell]

Hi, according to Westminster City Council - What can you find at the Archives Centre?
Westminster Archives covers
"the heart of London, extending from Marylebone and Paddington in the north to Pimlico in the south, and from Hyde Park and Knightsbridge in the west to Covent Garden in the east. It includes Bayswater and Queen's Park, St John's Wood and Maida Vale, Belgravia and Mayfair, and St James's and Soho."

so I would think not, but there may be some overlap - what are you looking for?

[BendyCowgirl]

research

Hi, according to Westminster City Council - What can you find at the Archives Centre?
Westminster Archives covers
"the heart of London, extending from Marylebone and Paddington in the north to Pimlico in the south, and from Hyde Park and Knightsbridge in the west to Covent Garden in the east. It includes Bayswater and Queen's Park, St John's Wood and Maida Vale, Belgravia and Mayfair, and St James's and Soho."



so I would think not, but there may be some overlap - what are you looking for?

That dounds about rigth then, I think to get a reference for a birth cert would be fab. Haven't been able to do it online. That's my main aim, but also maybe to find out what life in Chelsea was like for him.

[Peppie]

That dounds about rigth then, I think to get a reference for a birth cert would be fab. Haven't been able to do it online. That's my main aim, but also maybe to find out what life in Chelsea was like for him.

Are you sure?
Chelsea ia in RBK&C
Virtual Museum - The history of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

You may want to give them both a ring before you go to double check which one has what you want? if not LMA should have a bit, which is worth checking

If you want life in Chelsea then you need RBK&C, westminster will not have as much as you think and you may be disapointed even tho they have a fab archive!;D

[JudithM]

Can I put in a plug for the Society of Genealogists library, 14 Charterhouse Buildings, Goswell Road, London EC1M 7BA. a five minute walk from Barbican underground station. They have a huge collection of transcribed parish records from all over the country as well as all sorts of other material. Society of Genealogists, Family History, Genealogy, Family Names There's a charge to non members to use the library of £4 for an hour or £10 for 4 hours but if you then decide to join that is refunded.

[BendyCowgirl]

Yes I think Westminster would be ok for that Peppie. It says on his military record he was born in Pimlico.

I tried phoning Westnster and thy're closed, I fund LMA and tehy sai theywouldn't have refernces for a birth cirt but might have baptism records if he was Anglican or christened in the C of E. I don't remember my great uncle saying my gg gradfather was a relgious man at all but his parents might have been. Hopefully they were as I can't find a baptism reference for him anywhere. perhaps I should go to Chelsea registry office also? Incidentally LMA is an hour away from Victoiao I think I'm going to knock that one on the head.

Am starting to panic...