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Information ResourcesResearching Your Family HistoryThe following fact sheet was compiled for people interested in researching their family's Dover connections. It offers advice as to the sources of available material to help in this endeavour, from local studies facilities in Dover itself, to national centres holding records relating to Dover and the surrounding area. Addresses and contact details are at the bottom of the page. 1. Census ReturnsThe census has been held every 10 years since 1801 but only from 1841 are names written down. The census can not be released for 100 years so the latest currently available is 1901. The local censuses are freely available to the public in four places:
Anybody can make use of these archives and no charge is made. It is advisable to make appointments for Dover Library as it only has a few microfilm readers, and only one reader/printer. The opening hours of the East Kent Archives are limited and an appointment is needed. None of these archives will undertake any kind of research on the public's behalf. You must either go in person or hire a researcher. The CRO have in-house researchers for hire but it is probably advisable to use one of the specialists in census research. See the numerous adverts in 'Family Tree Magazine' (available from any newsagent or see www.family-tree.co.uk) or get a list of researchers from SOG/AGRA (see addresses at end). Be warned; if you do not know the address or area where your ancestors lived, searching the census can take a very long time. All the census’s are now available on-line. The 1881 has been transcribed by the Mormons (Church of Latter Day Saints) and is available for free at ww w.familys earch.org. The 1901 is available at www.1901censusonline.com for a small fee although an index search is free. Other census, including the 1842, 1851, 1861, 1871 and 1891 are now becoming available on commercial websites where a membership fee or user fee is payable. An example is www.ancestry.co.uk
2. Births, Marriages and DeathsI) Parish Records The Parish records for Dover and the rest of Kent are held by the CRO and the Diocesan Record Office, Canterbury Cathedral. They have been copied onto microfiche and are available at both the CRO and Dover Library. Both places also have transcripts and alphabetical indices for many of the records. Churches only hold recent Parish records, usually post-1960s. There is no charge to researchers. County Archives can undertake research for a fee. Most Parish Registers of Births and Marriages in Britain, and indeed the world, have been indexed by the Genealogical Society of Utah (the Mormons) which is known as the International Genealogical Index (IGI). The IGI lists births and marriages up to about 1880 alphabetically, county by county, on a large set of microfiche. The IGI can be viewed by researchers at the Family Record Centre in Islington, in any County Record Office, most Mormon churches, and in most main libraries in Britain including Dover. It is also online at www.familysearch.org. The IGI is notoriously inaccurate in some cases and some parishes and/or time periods have not been transcribed The Society of Genealogists in London has transcripts of nearly every parish register in Britain but they make a small charge for using their library. See www.sog.org.uk Canterbury Cathedral Diocesan Archives, which holds the Registers for Dover St. Mary's and Dover St. James', are now part of Kent County Archives. See http://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/history/index.aspx You can check parish boundaries, existence of registers and their location in ‘The Phillimore Atlas of Parish Registers’ by Cecil Humphrey-Smith, available in most reference libraries. Non-conformist/Quaker registers that survive are now at the FRC, although some are in the PRO at Kew (microfilm copies at the FRC). Be aware that what is now the town of Dover also includes all or part of the parishes of Guston, Hougham, Charlton, Buckland, River and Whitfield. ii) Certificates of Births, Marriages and Deaths These are held by the GRO, Family Record Centre, 1 Myddleton Street, Islington, London (see www.familyrecords.gov.uk/frc). They are not available to the Public but the Registers can be viewed. These list the names of everyone born, married or died since 1 July 1837, alphabetically, by annual quarters, along with a reference number. Once you have this number anybody can order a copy of the certificate for £7 in person/on-line or £8.50 for postal applications (£11.50 if you know the date of the event but have no reference number). The GRO will not undertake any research on your behalf but the Registers are freely available (although the research rooms are enormous it can get very busy, especially at lunchtime). There are a number of researchers who specialise in the GRO Registers and will only charge a few pounds extra to provide a certificate depending on how much information you have on the person (typically £10-12 if you know the date, £15-20 for a 10 year search). To find a GRO researcher see their adverts in Family Tree Magazine or contact SOG/AGRA. Personal callers at the Dover Register Office can also ask the Registrar to find a reference number and provide a certificate for £7, for Dover inhabitants since 1837. A number of main libraries (usually cities) also have the GRO indices on microfiche. Certificates can also be purchased from the local Registrar, by person or by post, for £7. The Registrar for Births, Marriages and Deaths in Dover recently amalgamated with Thanet and moved to 69 Ellington Road, Ramsgate, 01843 591417. The Dover office is now part-time. There is currently an on-going project to transcribe the GRO registers from 1837 to 1901 and put them online for free. See http://free bmd.rootsweb.com to search those done so far. Numerous commercial websites are also now offering on-line access to the index; www.findmypast.com is an example. The records for Kent are in the process of being made searchable on-line by the Registration Service (certificates cost £25 though), but you have to know a year for the event as blanket searches are not possible – see http://extranet3.kent.gov.uk/sp/rois/home.html iii) Wills All post-1858 wills had to go to probate registry and are now held at the Principal Probate Registry, First Avenue House, 42 – 49 High Holborn, London WC1V 6NP (Telephone 020 7947 6000). Pre-1858 wills are held at the PRO Kew and the CRO’s, SOG and the FRC all have indices to them. Many wills are transcribed or copied in the CRO as are inventories for probate. Wills proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC) from 1384 to 1858 are now available on-line from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk (the PCC covers most of southern England and Wales) iv) Burials & Cemeteries Church graveyards are the responsibility of the individual churches but, since the 1880’s, most people have been buried in Municipal cemeteries such as Deal’s Hamilton Road or the Copt Hill Municipal cemeteries of St. Mary’s, St. James and Charlton in Dover. The Registers of Burials, and other relevant records, are held for safe keeping with the Planning and Technical Services Department of Dover District Council. No records are kept at the cemeteries, and therefore queries should be directed to the staff at the Council Offices and not to the cemetery staff, as it is unlikely that they will be able to be of any assistance. (E-mail: burials@dover.gov.uk or telephone (01304) 872407). Dover Library has transcripts of the burial registers of the Dover churches. All churches ‘recycle’ their graveyards and few have extant graves over 200 years old, some much less. As an example, when St. James’s graveyard was excavated in the 1970’s just 357 grave markers or stones were logged but over 3000 burials were excavated.
3. Military HistoryDover Museum has a large amount of material on local military history, especially the World Wars but little specifically on individuals. There are no local archives available as all Dover material is included in the general military archives. These are mostly held at the PRO, Kew, (see www.nationalarchives.gov.uk) particularly information on individuals pre-1914. The most useful for Dover are the War Office (WO) and Admiralty (ADM) records. The PRO facilities are available freely but they will not undertake any research for you although in-house researchers can be hired. The PRO, Kew, provides very useful information sheets on all aspects of their enormous collections, but currently are not available by post. See www.nationalarchives.gov.uk for more information Various other military resources are becoming available on-line via the various pay-to-view sites, especially www.findmypast.com, which includes Soldiers who Died in the Great War, the National Roll of the Great War, Army Lists 1656-1888, Armed Forces Births Deaths and Marriages and odds and sods such as lists for the East India Co. regiments. First World War soldiers records are currently being inputted to www.ancestry.co.uk, surnames A to B being available from February 2007 i) Service Records – Army & Royal Navy All surviving records for the Army and RFC up to 1920 are held by the PRO, Kew, and also for the Royal Navy up to 1924 (1926 for Royal Marines). Many of the 1914-18 records were destroyed in the Blitz of 1940 and some of those that survived were damaged by the fire brigade's hose-water. The records for the Royal Navy between 1873 and 1923 are now available on-line at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/royal-navy-service.asp. National Archives in partnership with www.ancestry.co.uk have begun (in 2007) to put the service and pension records of First World War soldiers on-line. It is due for completion by the end of 2008 Records of service after the 1920’s are available to ex-servicemen and women (free) or relatives of deceased servicemen (for a fee) from; Army (for deceased soldiers only) Army Personnel Centre, DNCM Victory View If your ancestor’s records are not found, the fee is not returned. See www.veteransagency.mod.uk for more details and order forms
ii) Service Records – RFC, RNAS & RAF The service records of officers in the Royal Flying Corps have recently been transferred to the Public Record Office at Kew (see the Army section above). All post 1922 Royal Air Force service records remain in the custody of the Ministry of Defence and close relatives should apply to: PMA IM 1B RAF Tel: 01452 712612 (ext: 7622) Wartime casualty records are held by the Air Historical Branch at: Ministry of Defence, See www.veteransagency.mod.uk for more details iii) Service Records – Home Guard There are no known surviving Local Defence Volunteer or Home Guard records surviving but brief records of those who were eligible for the Defence Medal are held by the army. Please contact: Officer in Charge They are only available to, or by written permission of, the nearest surviving relative. iv) Casualty Records Casualty records for servicemen who died in the two World Wars can be obtained at the following address: Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Telephone: 01628 634221 There is an online search facility on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website: Two different local projects are underway to list on-line all the names on all the various war memorials in Dover, including those in schools and churches, and to provide as much background to each soldier or civilian killed as possible. See www.doverwarmemorial.co.uk and http://doverwarmemorialproject.org.uk iv) Medals Indices of both campaign and meritorious service awards are available in the medal rolls at the Public Record Office. The formal records are still held by the Ministry of Defence and they can advise on replacement of lost medals but replacements for medals issued before 1920 are no longer available. See www.veteransagency.mod.uk. The address for correspondence (all services) is: Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency Email: JPAC@afpaa.mod.uk The First World War Medal Rolls, held by the National Archives, are now available on-line at: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/medals.asp
4. Merchant Seamen and ShippingThe County Archive holds local ships' logs from the 17th century onwards and the Registers of Shipping at Dover from the 18th century onwards. The PRO, Kew holds the muster rolls/crew lists and crew agreements for all Dover ships from 1747 to 1860. After 1860 a 10% sample for each year is held at Kew and much of the remaining 90% is at the National Maritime Museum or the University of Newfoundland, Canada. Kew also holds the Registers of Seamen 1835-1918. The Lloyds Archive, which includes all registers, lists, shipping indices, wrecks and losses, is held by the Guildhall Library in London. Copies of Lloyds Register (which list all UK vessels), Lloyds List (which lists all sailings), the Captains Registers (which list all captains and mates from 1869), and other similar Lloyds records are held on microfiche in many other record centres and libraries in Britain and elsewhere. The Second World War Merchant Seamen Medals Roll is available on-line at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/seamens-medals.asp and includes all 1939-45 campaign medals issued from 1946 to 2002 Passenger lists were not usually compiled for cross-Channel trips. Local newspapers often had lists of ‘visitors’ who were staying in the town awaiting passage. Any surviving lists or manifests will be in the county archives. Passenger lists to the USA, lists of immigrants entering the USA, UK passport applications, etc. are now all available on-line at pay-to-view sites – see www.findmypast.com as an example
5. Other ResourcesA good source for information is the Kent Family History Society. As well as having its own library and archives it also sells transcripts containing a variety of muster rolls, militia lists, indices and other resources, as well as guides to available records. Members receive a regular journal and access to advice. See www.kfhs.org.uk Many local records, including those of the Centre for Kentish Studies (County Record Office), East Kent Archive and Canterbury Cathedral Archives, are listed and described on-line on “A2A”, a searchable database of archives of the UK, run by the National Archives. You can search for the occurrence of specific names in specific places. See www.a2a.org.uk i) Burials Dover Library has indexes for all the local cemeteries and churches in Dover up to about 1980. ii) Newspapers County Archives and Dover Library have most local newspapers on microfiche/microfilm from 1825 onwards. Prior to 1825 Dover was covered by various regional papers, mostly out of Canterbury. The British Museum Newspaper Library in London also holds copies of local papers. Go to www.bl.uk/catalogues/newspapers.html to search for all Dover-related titles with dates of publication; as well as the British Library, all the titles should be available at either Dover Library or the County Record Office. iii) Cinque Ports The Cinque Ports Archives are held by County Archives and date back to the medieval period. Much of it has been microfilmed and is available at Dover Library. Trinity House (which took over the Cinque Port Pilots in 1852) have deposited their archives in the Guildhall Library, London. Dover Museum holds a large amount of post-1830 material on the Dover Cinque Port Pilots, including the Pension Accounts. Pilot’s licence records are held by the EKA up to 1852. After that date the Trinity House licences (from 1808 to 1986) are held by the Guildhall Library. iv) Council Minutes and Corporation Archives Dating from the 13 th century, these have all been deposited at County Archives and are at the EKA, Whitfield, although Dover Museum holds copies of the Council Minutes for Dover from 1900. Dover Library has most of the minutes on microfilm and also many of the Corporation Archives such as workhouse and Gaol registers. All Council business was reported in full in local papers up to about the Second World War (see ‘Newspapers’) The areas outside Dover were covered by Dover Rural District Council and Eastry Rural District Council. The archives of both are held by the EKA v) Freemen/Apprenticeships The Freemen's Rolls (1601 – 1826) and apprenticeship rolls (1674 – 1892) for Dover are all held by County Archives at the EKA and are also available on microfilm at Dover Library. Dover Museum holds the Register of Freemen from 1664 (index), the Rolls for 1826 to date, and the Honorary Freemen Rolls (1886 – 1974). vi) Maps Dover Library has complete sets of all editions of the OS for Dover and district. Dover Museum has some OS maps and a number of original one-off maps from the 16th century onwards. Unusual and one-off maps for Dover exist in most archives, particularly the British Library and county record office. Many architects’ drawings, maps and plans are included within other deposited archives such the Dover Harbour Board and Dover Borough Council records held by the EKA vii) Photographs, Paintings and Other Images Dover Museum has an enormous collection of photographs, watercolours, oils etc. relating to Dover and Dover people and also to Deal, Sandwich and the local villages. Dover Library also has a good collection on Dover and the villages, as does the CRO. All will provide copies for the appropriate fee. viii) Customs & Excise/Smuggling The PRO, Kew, (National Archives) has the enormous Customs & Excise Archives (CUST) which provides very detailed information not only on officers and men but also on the smugglers they caught. Dover Museum also holds a fair amount of material relating to smuggling in Dover and Deal. ix) Companies, Industries and Individuals The CRO/EKA holds many records for local factories and companies and also the personal and family papers of many important locals. They also hold many pedigrees, family trees and family histories deposited by researchers and genealogists. However, it is unusual for company records to survive at all, especially those for sole traders, shops and other small businesses. x) Dover Harbour The records of Dover Harbour Board, including leases for all property on the Seafront and Snargate St., are deposited at the East Kent Archive Centre although Dover Museum has a large archive relating to the development of the harbour. xi) Criminal/Justice Dover Police records (Watch Committee), Assizes records, coroner’s records and magistrates records are all held at the East Kent Archive Centre. All Court proceedings including Brewster courts for pub licensing, etc, were reported in full in local newspapers until after the Second World War (see ‘Newspapers’ above). xii)Schools/Education All surviving Dover school records are held by the East Kent Archive Centre. Annual meetings, orphanage trustee meetings, prize-giving, etc are all usually reported in full in the local papers until after the Second World War and usually list many staff and pupils.
IMPORTANT NOTEExcept where indicated, all of the archives mentioned above are open to anybody, free of charge, although the PRO and County Archives will ask for a form of identification and maybe a passport photo prior to issuing a Readers Ticket (which you then produce at each subsequent visit). Few of these archives have the staff or resources to answer written inquiries and those that do may ask a fee for any research undertaken. Dover Museum's current policy is to provide 30 minutes research free on written inquiries. We would be pleased to undertake further research or more -in-depth work but will charge a fee. We would also be pleased to arrange a local researcher to undertake work on your behalf.
Addresses Dover Museum Dover Library Centre For Kentish Studies (CRO) East Kent Archives Centre Public Record Office Principal Probate Registry Family Tree Magazine SOG AGRA Family Record Centre (FRC) (+GRO Register Office and PRO Census Reading Room) GRO (Postal Applications - reference needed) Local Registrars Office - Thanet with Dover Registrar of Births, Marriages & Deaths Army Personnel Centre National Maritime Museum Guildhall Library Canterbury Cathedral Archives (Diocesan Records Office) Kent Family History Society
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