Derbyshire Record Office and libraries are a good place to begin. Even if your family is not from this area there will be some information to help you make a start.
Family history in Derbyshire Libraries
Ancestry Library.com is available free in all Derbyshire libraries, including the census 1841-1911 and Derbyshire Parish Records.
Find My Past.co.uk is available free in all Derbyshire libraries, including Derbyshire school log books and the census 1841-1921. The 1921 census is not yet available for free in libraries but can be accessed using pay-per-view access using personal Find My Past subscriptions.
But it is not yet possible to do all your family history on the internet. You may still need to travel to local and national libraries and record offices to research some of the materials you will need.
A taster of our incredibly rich resources includes:
- family history journals such as Derbyshire Family History Society, Allsop Ancestors, and many more
- Census 1841 to 1911, trade directories, maps
- Derbyshire parish registers, memorial inscriptions, newspapers, overseas death fiches 1837 to 2001
- Boyd's Marriage Index for Derbyshire fiche
- information on apprentices, soldiers, emigrants, criminals, voters
- books on employment, industries, social conditions, for background
The main family history collection for the county is kept at the local studies library in the Derbyshire Record Office. There is also a large collection at Chesterfield Library. Many local libraries also hold family history research materials for their local area.