How to research your family history at Southampton Archives

Southampton Archives holds a range of family history resources which you can use to trace the history of your family in Southampton, including records of baptisms, marriages and burials, street directories, electoral registers, Merchant Navy index cards, and photographs.

Before contacting us, the best place to start is by talking to your immediate family to find out what information they have and then working backwards. Ask your living relatives about their parents, grandparents, and other relatives.

You may also be able to find documents and certificates that are already in the family, such as birth, marriage, and death certificates. Family photographs and memorabilia are also good sources of information.

Remember to take notes and keep clear records, as this will help you keep track of the research you have done so far. Once you have got as far as you can by talking to family, we recommend contacting us at Southampton Archives, where you will be able to get more information on your family in Southampton.

Baptism, marriage and burial indexes SHOW


Parish records SHOW


Cemetery records SHOW


Photographs SHOW


Street directories SHOW


Electoral registers SHOW


Census records SHOW


Merchant Navy records SHOW