Discover how the people and events of York have shaped your community from earliest times to the present.

If you are researching your own family or local history you can make your visit to us more worthwhile by contacting us first.  Written requests for information (letters, faxes or emails) will be acknowledged within 10 working days.  We will undertake research on your behalf for up to half an hour free of charge.  You will be consulted before any research which would attract a fee is undertaken.

The Family and Local History Collection

Based on the first floor of York central library, the Family and Local History collection contains over 13,000 books and pamphlets about York, its surrounding area and Yorkshire as a whole.

Periodicals

These include the Yorkshire Archaeological Journal, Thoresby Society Publications, periodicals of Yorkshire interest, e.g. Dalesman, Yorkshire Life, the Yorkshire Journal, publications by local societies and parish magazines.

Newspapers

The earliest York newspaper in the collection is the York Courant of 1728. From this year up to the present, there is a continuous run of newspapers. Titles include the Yorkshire Gazette, the York Herald, and the Yorkshire Evening Press. There is an index to the newspapers of York people and business and also an index by subject.

Maps

A wide selection of historical maps and Ordnance Survey maps in a variety of scale. The earliest map in the collection is John Speed's Plan of York in 1610.

Marriage Indexes

Boyd's Marriage Index for Yorkshire 1539-1837 and York Marriage Index for 1701-1837 are kept in the library.

Unique Local Works

The library has a number of items that are only available in York Reference Library. These include Skaife's Civic Officials of York with detailed family trees, a collection of William Etty's letters and the York Calendar of Felons and Gaol Delivery - to name but a few!

General Register Office Index

All births, marriages and deaths had to be registered by law from July 1837 and the indexes to all the records are available on microfilm up until 1980. From 1980 to 2001 they are on microfiche.

The International Genealogical Index

This is also known as the Morman Index as it is compiled by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It contains birth and marriage details from selected parish registers of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.

Parish Registers

The collection contains the registers of most York parishes. Yorkshire parishes whose registers have been published by the Yorkshire Archaeological Society are also available. A useful finding aid is Phillimore's Atlas and Index of Parish Registers.

Census Enumerators Returns

The returns from the parishes of York and the surrounding area are on microfilm every 10 years 1841 - 1891. The 1881 census Index for England and Wales is also kept on microfiche and on CD-ROM. The 1901 census returns from York and the surrounding area are available on microfiche.

Poll Books and Electoral Registers

These record the names of those eligible to vote. There are poll books for 18th and 19th century York and Yorkshire and electoral registers for the City of York from 1832 until 1920 (after which date they can be found in the City Archive).

Directories

York directories date from 1781 and are available until 1975 when the last one was produced. There are also directories for the North, East and West Ridings from 1822.