Family History

Nailsea and District Local History Society is not a family history society. Our main interest is in the local history of the area, and although this will inevitably include individuals, unlike a family history society, we do not have any members actively involved with research on family history.

However, in the age of the internet it is easier than ever to access information from the comfort of your own home. More and more organisations now have websites with resources you can download. Please be aware that there may be charges for accessing some information.

USEFUL WEBSITES INCLUDE:

Getting started in genealogy and family history from the Genealogy UK and Ireland website: www.genuki.org.uk/gs

The National Archives of England, Wales and the United Kingdom has one of the largest archival collections in the world, spanning 1000 years of British history, from Domesday Book of 1086 to government papers recently released to the public www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Local country records offices are also valuable sources of information. The Somerset Records and Archive Service (The Somerset Records Office) has their own website www.somerset.gov.uk/archives

There are three Family History Societies covering this area; Bristol and Avon Family History Society, Weston-super-Mare Family History Society and Somerset and Dorset Family History Society. Links to the websites of these three Societies are listed below. They also provide useful links to other organisations.

Local libraries carry much useful information for the study of family history. For example the 1881 census is, we believe, available in most libraries in the UK and many libraries hold censuses of their area for other dates.