The National Archives' collection of over 11 million historical government and public records is one of the largest in the world. From Domesday Book to modern government papers and digital files, our collection includes paper and parchment, electronic records and websites, photographs, posters, maps, drawings and paintings.
The information below should help you decide whether we hold the material you are looking for, or whether it is held elsewhere. Some of our most popular records are now available online.
As a general rule, government records that have been selected for permanent preservation are sent to The National Archives when they are 30 years old, but many are transferred to us earlier under the Freedom of Information Act.
The National Archives does not hold or issue copies of birth, marriage or death certificates. Visit the Directgov website to order these certificates.
Finding what you're looking for
If you need help to carry out your research and use the archives, please see our research guidance. We have guides to help you find the sources you need, as well tutorials to help you read old documents.
Family history
Records popular with family historians include:
- census records for England and Wales from 1841 to 1911
- military service records - most of our military service records predate the 1920s, and some date back as far as the 17th century
- other records of service, including documents on Metropolitan Police officers, merchant seamen and railway workers
- lists of ships' passengers arriving in or departing from the UK between 1878 and 1960, and naturalisation records
- wills from the Prerogative Court of Canterbury (the senior ecclesiastical court in England) from 1384 to 1858
Records held at The National Archives
Visit our Catalogue to search descriptions of the records that we hold, and to find out whether these are available online or on site, and in which format. You can also request and buy copies of records to be delivered to your email address, or by post.
Types of records we hold include:
Government, diplomacy and the armed forces
- Records of British government administration at home and overseas, including documents from all the core government departments
- Records of the British armed forces and their campaigns covering many hundreds of years
- Earlier handwritten records dating back as far as the time of William the Conqueror
Courts
- A vast array of court records - mostly from central, rather than local courts - extending from the medieval period to the late 20th century, covering subjects as diverse as treason, transportation and courts martial through to domestic disputes over wills.
Maps
- An estimated six million historical maps, covering the British Isles and many other countries and regions of the world.
Online resources
Many of our most popular records are now available online, and you can download images or transcripts to study at leisure.
Searching for catalogue information on all of these resources is free of charge, and a number of our digitised records can be downloaded for free. These include Domesday Book, one of our most famous historical manuscripts. In addition, some records - such as newly released documents - are free to download for a limited period (typically one month from the release date).
DocumentsOnline provides online access to a large collection of digitised public records. A number of these documents are free to download. The collection includes:
- the wills of a selection of well-known historical figures (including William Shakespeare, Sir Francis Drake, William Wordsworth, Jane Austen and Lord Horatio Nelson)
- a variety of First World War records, including war diaries (containing operations reports, intelligence summaries and other material), medal index cards (giving information on military personnel and their medal entitlements) and service records
- combat reports from the Second World War
- selected records of the Security Service, including MI5 and MI6
- a range of UFO-related files from the Ministry of Defence covering the years 1981 to 1996
FeaturesOnline allows you to purchase and download Ancestors magazine articles, documents and photos on a wide variety of topics.
Our image library contains a selection of images held at The National Archives available to view and buy.
Online resources provided by partner organisations
- Census records from 1841 to 1911
- UK incoming passenger lists, 1878-1960
- Non-parochial records - details of births, marriages and deaths from non-conformist and other non-parish sources from 1567 to 1840
- Service and pension records of over one million soldiers who fought in the First World War
Records held elsewhere
Many records are not held by The National Archives but are kept by local archives and other organisations. Before visiting us, please check whether the records you are looking for are kept elsewhere, by using the search function our website.
Records held elsewhere include:
- birth, marriage and death certificates - these are available to order through the Directgov website
- military service records from the 1920s onwards, including those covering the Second World War - these are kept by the Ministry of Defence. Visit the Veterans UK website for details.
- parish registers
- wills dated after 1858
- personal papers and diaries
- day-to-day records of hospitals, schools, companies and businesses
