Warwickshire Genealogy

As I am based in Warwickshire, and carry out local searches for local parish records and other records in this county, I am offering a short guide to Warwickshire genealogy for those of you who have ancestors here.  Of course, if you are unable to visit any of the archives mentioned, then I can do that for you!  Just visit my services page to see my hourly rate and research packages.

The Gazateer of The British Isles 1887 describes Warwickshire as: “…a pleasant undulating surface of hill and dale, watered by the Avon, Leam, and Tame” – and of its industry:  “The manufactures are carried on chiefly at Birmingham (hardware and silk goods) and Coventry (watches and ribbons). There are mineral springs at Leamington, Stratford on Avon, Ilmington, Southam, Willoughby, King’s Newnham, &c.; The county is traversed in all directions by canals and railways.”  Hence, if you have Warwickshire genealogy you should keep a look out for silk & ribbon weavers, watchmakers, iron workers, canal & railway workers.

Main Archives in Warwickshire

The main depository for parish records and other historical and family history records is Warwickshire Record Office at Warwick.  If you plan to visit, they are closed in the first FULL week of the month and on all Mondays, but it’s best to check their opening times in any case.

Birmingham, although previously park of Warwickshire, is now part of the County of West Midlands, which came into existence in 1974.  If you have ancestors in Birmingham, then you will need to visit The Birmingham City Archives, which is on the top floor of Birmingham Central Library.  They have different opening hours for the family history and main records sections, so check the website for details.

If you have families that were based in or around Stratford it may be worth checking the collection at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Library & Archives.  This does not just hold documents to do with Shakespeare and Stratford – it has a huge collection of documents relating to families of the surrounding area. They are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

If you are searching for in-depth information on Warwickshire trades and occupations, then you might try Warwick University’s Modern Records Centre, which holds a collection relating to the local history of trade unions and assocations, and political and pressure groups, back to around the mid-19th century.

The Warwickshire Library Local Studies Department holds newspaper and map collections.

Diocesan Record Offices

If you are searching for wills, marriage licence records or other records that were administered by the diocesant court, you will need to search in the appropriate diocesan record office.  The county is mainly split in two, the north eastern part being mainly part of the diocese of Lichfield, and the south western part being main part of the diocese of Worcestershire.  However, a few parishes in the south west, which were once part of Gloucestershire, are part of the diocese of Gloucestershire.    Here you can see a parish map which shows the boundaries of the dioceses.

Warwickshire Record Office holds indexes of wills held by Lichfield and Worcestershire, and then for other records and to order wills you can visit:

Lichfield Record Office

Worcestershire Record Office

Gloucestershire Record Office

These are the main facts you need to know about searching for genealogy in Warwickshire.  For other historical sources for Warwickshire, visit GENUKI for lots more links and information.

If you are unable to get to any of the archives mentioned, please contact me at info@tracingancestors-uk.com.  I have ready access to the Warwickshire Record Office and the Shakespeare Birthplace Centre.  I can also visit the Birmingham Archives, and the Worcestershire and Gloucestershire archives – though I need to have at least 3 hours of work to make the travel to these worth while, and I do charge some travelling fees for these centres.  I also have a list of genealogists who can visit those archives that are out of my area.

Apart from visiting archives, my service also includes visiting local parishes and taking photographs of churches, graves, houses or any other place or building relating to your family history.  Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any other questions about Warwickshire genealogy.