Issue 2: May 2021
Please send any comments or suggestions for additional sites to the Chairman.
Gloucestershire Primary Sources
Gloucestershire Secondary Information
National Primary Sources
National Secondary Information
Research Methods
Gloucestershire Primary Sources
Library General Catalogue
A catalogue of the books, maps, sound recordings and videos held by Gloucestershire libraries for lending and reference. For further information about library services, click here.
Gloucestershire Archives Catalogue
Brief details of all collections (including local studies material) held by the Gloucestershire Archives and a full catalogue of Anglican parish records. For further information about the Archives services, click here.
Gloucestershire Archives Genealogical Database
An index to early wills, non-conformist baptisms and gaol records held by Gloucestershire Archives. For further information about Gloucestershire Archives services, click here.
Transactions BGAS Index
An index to articles in the Transactions of the Bristol & Gloucestershire Archaeological Society with links to digital images of some articles. For further information about the Society, click here.
Steam Engines
A list of the Boulton and Watt steam engines supplied to Gloucestershire, based on the archives held by the Birmingham Central Library.
Additional Local History Information
Organisations, Guidelines and Indexes to publications.
Gloucestershire Secondary Information
Users are advised to check information given in the following sites against original sources:
Victoria County History of Gloucestershire (VCH)
Ten volumes of this important reference work are available online.
Public Houses
Historical information on Gloucestershire pubs and breweries.
Lloyd George Survey of Land Values: Gloucestershire
A survey of land values carried out as a result of the ‘People’s Budget’ of 1909.
Cheltenham Gazetteer
The origins of roads, streets, localities, water-courses and some buildings within the built up area of the present borough of Cheltenham.
Forest of Dean Coal Mines
Information about the various gales making up the Forest of Dean coalfield.
Gloucester Docks & the Sharpness Canal
Information about the history of what can be seen today, with many comparisons of old and current views.
Parish Population Tables 1801 – 1901
Population figures for towns, villages and sometimes hamlets recorded every ten years from 1801 to 1901 with details given for the individual parishes of the cities of Gloucester and Bristol.. The information has been taken from Volume II of the Victoria History of Gloucestershire published in 1907.
National Primary Sources
National Archives Catalogue
A catalogue of the archives of central government, courts of law and other national bodies held at Kew. For further information about the National Archives, click here.
British Library Catalogue
A catalogue of the collection held by the British Library, including those books that can be requested through local libraries. For further information about services provided by the British Library, click here.
National Portrait Gallery Index
An index to a selection of the portraits held by the National Portrait Gallery with images of about half of those selected. For further information about the Gallery, click here.
The National Heritage List for England (NHLE)
Maintained by Historic England this is the only official, up to date, register of all nationally protected historic buildings and sites in England – listed buildings, scheduled monuments, protected wrecks, registered parks and gardens, and battlefields.
Historic England Image Collections
One of the largest photographic archives in the country, Historic England holds over 9 million photographs of the historic environment. The photos also show many other aspects of life, from education and employment to leisure and transport and many are available to view online.
Local and Private Acts
Chronological lists of Local Acts of Parliament passed between 1797 and the end of 2002 and Private (later described as Personal) Acts passed between 1539 and the end of 2002.
Church Plans
Plans relating to applications for grants from the Incorporated Church Building Society between 1818 and 1982, including 170 churches in modern Gloucestershire. A software download is needed to see the plans at large scale.
Historical Directories
A digital library of local and trade directories for England and Wales, from 1750 to 1919. Gloucestershire directories include Pigot 1844, Hunt 1849, Slater 1852, Kelly 1856, Slater 1868, Kelly 1897 and Kelly 1914. For details of the powerful search facilities, click on Find by Keywords/Technical FAQs/Advanced Retrieval Methods.
Google Internet Search
A powerful search engine for finding information and images on the internet.
The Times Digital Archive 1785-1985
Search and view the original text of this famous newspaper. (Requires input of a recent Gloucestershire Library card number in the sequence 77xxxxxx.)
The 19th Century British Library Newspapers
Search and view the original text of full runs of 48 influential national and regional newspapers representing different political and cultural segments of 19th century British society. (Requires input of a recent Gloucestershire Library card number in the sequence 77xxxxxx.)
British Newspaper Archive
Search millions of pages of historical newspapers from the British Library’s vast collection, including the Gloucester Citizen, Cheltenham Chronicle, Cheltenham Looker-On and Gloucestershire Echo. A search is free and a digital image of the original item can be downloaded for a fee.
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
Search and view the life stories of over 50,000 people who have shaped the history of the British Isles and beyond. (Requires input of a recent Gloucestershire Library card number in the sequence 77xxxxxx.)
London Gazette
Search and view most issues of this official newspaper from 1752 to the present.
National Secondary Information
Users are advised to check information given in the following sites against original sources:
Family Search
Information on baptisms and marriages,
transcribed from selected parish records.
Medieval Markets and Fairs
A gazetteer of markets and fairs in England and Wales to 1516 with indexes of Persons and Institutions.
British History On-line
A pilot digital library of British historical sources built by the Institute of Historical Research and the History of Parliament Trust.
Old Bailey Trials
Fully searchable texts of the Proceedings of the Old Bailey, London, during the 18th century. Additional texts are due to be added during 2004 to complete coverage of the period from 1674 to 1834.
The Workhouse
This site is dedicated to the workhouse – its buildings, inmates, staff and administrators, even its poets
Research Methods
Local Population Studies
A number of papers are available to download which consider a range of sources and methods commonly used in local population history. These vary in sophistication and complexity and are accompanied by worked examples.