If you have come across a website that may be useful to other Devon researchers, or have a website of your own that you would like added to the site, please contact me.
National Archives & Government Sites
The National Archives
The National Archives is the UK governments archive office, whose aim is to preserve historical records for future generations to see. Records date back to the Domesday Book, right through to the present day and include both academic and family history sources. Records that have been scanned can be purchased in PDF format.
Search the National Archives collections for free using Discovery. Some records can be downloaded in PDF format for a nominal fee.
Some of the records you will find at Discovery are included below, but there are many more.
- Wills between 1384 and 1858
- WW1 Army Service Records
- WW1 Campaign Medals / WW2 Seamen's Medals
- Royal Navy and Royal Marine Service records
- Passenger Lists
In partnership with the National Archives, search the following at Find my Past and view documents on a pay-per-view or subscription basis:
- 1939 Register - Search 41 million names recorded just as WWII broke out.
- UK Migration & Passenger Lists - Search UK migration records and passenger lists.
Other Government Websites
- GOV.UK - This provides information on obtaining birth, marriage and death certificates from the General Register Office GRO who provide an Online Ordering Service for Certificates.
- HM Land Registry - The HM Land Registry hold details about the title deeds of properties, which may be useful to you if you are trying to trace the history of a property. For a small fee you can download title deeds from this website.
- Office for National Statistics - The ONS is a government department and is the main provider of official statistics about the UK.
- Wills & Probate Records - Find a will or probate (grant of representation) for someone who died in or after 1858 up to the present day. You can also search for the will of military personnel who died while serving in the British armed forces between 1850 and 1986. Documents can be ordered online. Start searching at: Find a Will.