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523 resources · 13 types · Curated for UK & Irish research

UK-wide genealogy resources

Resources that cover the whole of the UK or the British Isles rather than one nation: national archives, free record projects, research tools, blogs, podcasts and national societies.

View the directory by nation, or all at once

A resource that covers more than one nation appears under each of them. Each view has its own web address, so you can bookmark or share it.

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All 111 resources

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When the research is done

Turn your research into a framed six-generation circular chart

Every chart is hand-set from your own tree and printed on archival paper at 16 inches, with a choice of 72 heritage designs. Available as a complete or an incomplete six-generation lineage, single or couple: the ancestors you have found are drawn, and any you have not found yet are left as open space.

Prefer a spreadsheet? Subscribers to The Genealogy Times, our monthly newsletter, can download the whole directory as an Excel file. Subscribe and download it.

Resources

Records & family tree sites 4

  • Ancestry

    Largest commercial genealogy site: 70bn+ records from 80+ countries, 100m+ family trees, AncestryDNA, hints and Pro Tools. UK site at ancestry.co.uk.

    Records & trees platform Global / UK Subscription
    ancestry.com
  • Findmypast

    British Isles-focused records: UK/Irish census, parish registers, newspapers (British Newspaper Archive), military, 1921 Census. Weekly 'Findmypast Friday' record releases.

    Records & trees platform UK / Ireland Subscription
    findmypast.co.uk
  • LivingDNA

    UK-based DNA testing with detailed British and Irish regional ancestry breakdown.

    Records & trees platform UK / Global Paid
    livingdna.com/uk
  • TheGenealogist

    UK subscription site: census, parish records, tithe maps, landowner records, Map Explorer and unique Diamond collections.

    Records & trees platform UK Subscription
    thegenealogist.co.uk

Free records & indexes 15

  • A Vision of Britain Through Time

    Historical maps, census statistics, gazetteers and travel writing for British places. Slow to load (often 10 to 20 seconds).

    Free UK records UK Free
    visionofbritain.org.uk
  • British History Online

    Digital library of key printed primary and secondary sources for British history including Victoria County Histories.

    Free UK records UK Freemium
    british-history.ac.uk
  • Commonwealth War Graves Commission

    Records of 1.7m Commonwealth war dead from both World Wars with grave locations.

    Free UK records UK / Commonwealth Free
    cwgc.org
  • Deceased Online

    Burial and cremation registers for UK cemeteries and crematoria; pay-per-view images.

    Free UK records UK Pay-per-view
    deceasedonline.com
  • FamilySearch UK Collections

    Landing page for FamilySearch's free UK & Ireland record collections.

    Free UK records UK / Ireland Free
    familysearch.org/en/search/collection/location/1986340
  • Free UK Genealogy

    Charity umbrella for FreeBMD, FreeREG and FreeCEN; volunteering and news.

    Free UK records UK Free
    freeukgenealogy.org.uk
  • FreeCEN

    Volunteer transcriptions of UK census returns 1841-1911.

    Free UK records UK Free
    freecen.org.uk
  • FreeREG

    Volunteer transcriptions of UK parish and non-conformist registers (baptisms, marriages, burials).

    Free UK records UK Free
    freereg.org.uk
  • GENUKI

    Virtual reference library of UK & Ireland genealogy, organised by country, county and parish.

    Free UK records UK / Ireland Free
    genuki.org.uk
  • Historic Hospital Admission Records Project

    Admission registers for four children's hospitals 1852-1921.

    Free UK records UK Free
    hharp.org
  • Lives of the First World War (IWM)

    Imperial War Museums' permanent digital memorial to 7.6m WW1 servicemen and women.

    Free UK records UK Free
    livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk
  • The Gazette

    Official public record: military honours, bankruptcies, naturalisations, wills and probate notices from 1665.

    Free UK records UK Free
    thegazette.co.uk
  • UKBMD

    Directory of 2,500+ links to UK birth, marriage, death and census resources, including local BMD index projects.

    Free UK records UK Free
    ukbmd.org.uk
  • UKBMD Local BMD Index list

    UKBMD's master list of all local BMD index projects.

    Local BMD / OPC index UK Free
    ukbmd.org.uk/local_bmd
  • Workhouses.org.uk

    Peter Higginbotham's comprehensive history of workhouses and poor law unions, with record locations.

    Free UK records UK / Ireland Free
    workhouses.org.uk

Archives & record offices 6

  • Isle of Man iMuseum

    Manx census, parish registers, newspapers and burial records.

    National archives Isle of Man Free
    imuseum.im
  • Jersey Heritage Archive

    Jersey archives catalogue including occupation registration cards and parish records.

    National archives Channel Islands Freemium
    catalogue.jerseyheritage.org
  • National Library of Scotland Maps

    Georeferenced historic Ordnance Survey and county maps for the whole UK.

    National archives UK Free
    maps.nls.uk
  • Priaulx Library (Guernsey)

    Guernsey family history library and resources.

    National archives Channel Islands Free
    priaulxlibrary.co.uk
  • The National Archives (UK)

    UK government archive: Discovery catalogue, military service records, wills (PCC), naturalisations, research guides and free-to-download digitised records.

    National archives UK Free / pay for downloads
    nationalarchives.gov.uk
  • The National Archives - Find an Archive

    Directory of every UK record office and archive with contact details.

    County archive (England) UK Free
    discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/find-an-archive

Family history societies 8

Research tools 20

Software & apps 3

  • Family Historian

    UK-developed Windows software praised for diagrams and plugin ecosystem.

    Software (desktop) UK Paid
    family-historian.co.uk
  • Genes Reunited

    UK tree-matching site and records (S&N Genealogy).

    Online tree builder UK Subscription
    genesreunited.co.uk
  • TreeView

    UK online/desktop/mobile tree builder from S&N with record links.

    Online tree builder UK Freemium
    treeview.co.uk

Newspapers, military & migration 10

  • Ancestors on Board (Findmypast)

    UK outbound passenger lists 1890-1960 (BT27).

    Migration UK Subscription
    findmypast.co.uk
  • British Newspaper Archive

    British Library newspaper digitisation (Findmypast partnership): 80m+ pages, 1700s-2000s.

    Newspapers UK / Ireland Subscription
    britishnewspaperarchive.com
  • Convict Records (Australia)

    Database of 123,000 British convicts transported to Australia.

    Migration UK / Australia Free
    convictrecords.com.au
  • Fleet Air Arm / Naval History (naval-history.net)

    Royal Navy casualty lists, ship logs and histories 1914-1945.

    Military UK Free
    naval-history.net
  • Forces War Records

    Transcribed military records 1600s-WW2 (now part of Ancestry).

    Military UK Subscription
    uk.forceswarrecords.com
  • Great War Forum

    Long-running discussion forum for WW1 research questions.

    Military UK Free
    greatwarforum.org
  • Legacies of British Slavery (UCL)

    Database of British slave-owners and compensation claims 1830s.

    Migration UK / Caribbean Free
    ucl.ac.uk/lbs
  • Moving Here / TNA Migration guides

    TNA research guides to immigration and emigration records.

    Migration UK Free
    nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/?research-category=immigration-and-emigration
  • National Army Museum

    Museum with research guidance on soldiers' records.

    Military UK Free
    nam.ac.uk
  • The Long, Long Trail

    Chris Baker's guide to the British Army in WW1: units, battles and how to research a soldier.

    Military UK Free
    longlongtrail.co.uk

Blogs 24

Podcasts, video & courses 10

Newsletters & magazines 5

  • Family Tree Magazine (UK)

    UK monthly magazine with free newsletter, podcast and Family Tree Academy courses.

    Newsletter / magazine UK Subscription (free newsletter)
    family-tree.co.uk
  • LostCousins Newsletter

    Free, widely read UK genealogy newsletter by Peter Calver with offers and research tips.

    Newsletter / magazine UK Free
    lostcousins.com/newsletters2
  • The Genealogists' Magazine (SoG)

    Society of Genealogists' quarterly journal since 1925.

    Newsletter / magazine UK Membership
    sog.org.uk/genealogists-magazine
  • Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine

    Leading UK monthly family history magazine; free weekly email newsletter and forum.

    Newsletter / magazine UK Subscription (free newsletter)
    whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com
  • Your Family History (Discover Your Ancestors)

    Monthly online periodical from TheGenealogist.

    Newsletter / magazine UK Subscription
    discoveryourancestors.co.uk

Forums & communities 4

  • British Genealogy Forums (british-genealogy.com)

    Forum for British family history.

    Forum / community UK Free
    british-genealogy.com
  • Curious Fox

    UK village-by-village contact site for connecting researchers.

    Forum / community UK Freemium
    curiousfox.com
  • RootsChat

    Largest free UK & Ireland genealogy forum; lookups, handwriting help, photo restoration.

    Forum / community UK / Ireland Free
    rootschat.com
  • Who Do You Think You Are? Forum

    Magazine's help forum.

    Forum / community UK Free
    whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com

Directories & link libraries 2

  • Family History Federation (FHF)

    Umbrella body for UK family history societies; society finder, Really Useful Family History shows and podcast.

    Directory / link library UK Free
    familyhistoryfederation.com
  • Genuki Family History Societies list

    List of UK & Ireland family history societies.

    Directory / link library UK / Ireland Free
    genuki.org.uk/big/Societies

Nothing matches those filters. Clear them or try another nation above.

Common questions: UK-wide

What does UK-wide mean on this page?

Resources that are not tied to one nation: The National Archives, the big free record projects, the national societies, research tools, and blogs and podcasts about British research in general. Channel Islands and Isle of Man resources are here too.

Which UK-wide resources are free?

FreeBMD, FreeREG, FreeCEN, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the National Archives catalogue and many of the tools and blogs. Subscription sites are labelled.

Where do I find military records?

Service records, medal cards and casualty lists are in the Newspapers, military and migration section, from The National Archives, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and specialist sites for each service.

About this directory

The list was compiled in September 2026 for people researching British and Irish ancestry, which is most of the people who order a chart from us. The regional layer is the point: every county record office, the local birth, marriage and death indexes, the online parish clerk projects and the county societies, which the big general lists leave out.

Cost labels are a rough guide only. Many archives are free to search but charge for copies, and society membership usually unlocks members-only indexes. Check the site itself before relying on a label.

Council archive addresses change often. Links are checked automatically, but if you find one that has moved or a resource we have missed, tell us and we will fix it.

Prefer a spreadsheet? Subscribers to The Genealogy Times, our monthly newsletter, can download the whole directory as an Excel file. Subscribe and download it.

Before you order a chart

A six-generation circular chart has room for 63 ancestors, but it does not need all of them: an incomplete lineage is drawn honestly, with the gaps left open. You choose a design and order first; we ask for your GEDCOM file or our simple spreadsheet afterwards, and nothing is printed until you have approved a proof.

How ordering works

Turn the research into a piece of fine art

Each chart is hand-set from your data, printed on archival paper at 16 inches, with your choice of heritage motifs. Complete or incomplete, single or couple.

Design your chart

Returns & Refunds Policy

Returns Policy Overview

Every product (digital files, unframed prints, or framed prints) available on this site is custom-made to order. To ensure the highest quality and fastest delivery, physical orders are fulfilled by regional print partners (LUMAPRINTS in the US, Artovo in the UK/EU). Because each piece is produced specifically for you upon ordering and data submission, our returns policy is tailored to bespoke manufacturing.

1. Damaged or Defective Items

If your physical order is damaged in transit or contains a manufacturing defect (such as a misprint or structural issue), you are entitled to a free replacement or a full refund.

  • Reporting Timeframe: Please report within 30 days of receiving your item.
  • How to Report: Email contact@markdmillican.co.uk with your order number and photographs of the damaged product and packaging.
  • Resolution: Free replacement expedited at no cost or a full refund to your original payment method.

2. Change of Mind / Buyer's Remorse

Because each design is custom-manufactured exclusively using your unique family data, we do not hold inventory. Therefore, we cannot accept returns or offer refunds for "change of mind" once an order is finalised and approved.

3. Order Cancellations & The Proofing Process

  • Data Pending (Full Refund): Cancel before submitting your GEDCOM or CSV data for a 100% full refund.
  • Proofing Stage (Partial Refund): If you cancel during the proofing stage before final print approval, a £45 processing fee is retained to cover design work, and the rest is refunded.
  • Final Approval (No Refund): Once final proof approval is submitted, printing begins immediately and orders cannot be cancelled or refunded.

4. Lost or Missing Packages

If tracking shows no updates or indicates your package has been delivered but is missing, allow 48 hours and check with neighbours or your local delivery office before contacting us for a replacement claim.