Tracing Your Yorkshire Family Tree: A Guide to Genealogy Research Across the County

Yorkshire has one of the richest documentary histories in England, making it an excellent place to research your family history. Whether you're hoping to discover where an ancestor lived, locate a family grave, or build a complete family tree, the county is home to extensive archives, parish records and specialist organisations that can help.

Start with the basics

Before visiting an archive, gather as much information as possible from your own family. Even approximate dates, occupations, addresses or the names of parents and siblings can make a significant difference.

Useful starting points include:

• Birth, marriage and death certificates

• Census returns (1841–1921)

• The 1939 Register

• Military records

• Probate and wills

• Family photographs, letters and diaries

Many of these records can be searched online through services including Ancestry, Findmypast, and FreeREG. Recent partnerships have also made millions of Yorkshire church and probate records available online.

Parish registers – the cornerstone of Yorkshire genealogy

Church records are often the most valuable source for tracing families before civil registration began in 1837.

Typical parish records include:

• Baptisms

• Marriages

• Burials

• Bishop's Transcripts (annual copies of parish registers)

• Marriage licences and bonds

• Churchwardens' accounts

• Vestry minutes

Many Yorkshire parish registers begin in the 1500s, with some dating back to 1538. Diocese of Leeds family records are here. The Diocese of York's extensive collections include original parish registers, Bishop's Transcripts and probate records covering much of historic Yorkshire.

Yorkshire's principal archive services

Borthwick Institute for Archives

University of York
Campus West
York
YO10 5DD

The Borthwick is one of the UK's leading genealogy archives. It holds:

• Diocese of York parish registers

• Bishop's Transcripts

• Probate records (1389–1858)

• Marriage bonds and allegations

• Methodist and other nonconformist records

• Quaker archives

Appointments are recommended if you wish to consult original documents.

North Yorkshire Archives

The North Yorkshire archive service preserves records from across the county, including:

• Parish registers from almost 300 churches

• Electoral registers

• Estate papers

• Quarter Sessions records

• Historic maps

• School admission registers

• Poor Law records

The service also offers a tailored research service: https://archiveshop.northyorks.gov.uk/research/RPFH1.html.

West Yorkshire Archive Service

With archive offices in Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield, the service holds:

• Parish registers

• Roman Catholic records

• Wills

• School registers

• Electoral registers

• Business archives

• Hospital records

• Mining and industrial collections

The archive also offers a paid research service for those unable to visit in person.

East Riding Archives

Beverley Treasure House
Champney Road
Beverley
HU17 8HE

The East Riding Archives preserve local authority records, parish collections, estate papers, maps, photographs and family history material covering Beverley, Bridlington, Driffield, Goole and surrounding communities.

South Yorkshire Archives

South Yorkshire Archive Service operates collections covering Sheffield, Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham, including parish records, local government archives, business records and family history resources.

Cemetery and burial research

Many Yorkshire councils now provide searchable cemetery databases online.

Other useful resources include:

• Church graveyards

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission records

• BillionGraves

• Find a Grave

• Local family history societies

Not every burial has a surviving headstone, so parish burial registers are often a more reliable source than cemetery surveys.

Wills and probate

Probate records can reveal remarkable detail about an ancestor's life, including:

• Property ownership

• Family relationships

• Occupations

• Household possessions

• Executors and witnesses

For Yorkshire families before 1858, many wills were proved through the church courts of York and are held by the Borthwick Institute.

Local family history societies

Yorkshire benefits from an active network of local history and genealogy groups that regularly publish indexes, monument surveys and transcriptions.

These societies often hold information unavailable elsewhere, including:

• Memorial inscriptions

• School histories

• Trade directories

• Electoral roll indexes

• Local surname studies

Professional genealogy researchers

If you are short on time—or live overseas—professional researchers can investigate Yorkshire records on your behalf.

Several experienced firms specialise in Yorkshire family history, including:

• Heir Line

• Yorkshire Family History

• Yorkshire Ancestors

• Family Lines Research

• Family Discovery Genealogy

Many researchers can also visit archives, photograph original documents and prepare professionally sourced family trees.

Making the most of your visit

If you're travelling to Yorkshire to research your ancestry:

• Contact archives in advance to reserve documents.

• Book appointments where required.

• Check opening days, as many archives have limited public access.

• Bring copies of any family information you already have.

• Allow time to explore local churches and cemeteries connected with your ancestors.

Tracing a Yorkshire family often involves combining records from several different sources, but the county's exceptional archive collections mean that many family stories can be reconstructed over hundreds of years. With a little preparation and the right records, your visit could uncover generations of Yorkshire history waiting to be rediscovered.