DocumentsOnline allows you online access to The National Archives' collection of digitised public records, including both academic and family history sources. We are committed to providing online access to the records, and DocumentsOnline forms a key part of this strategy.
Documents are separated into topic-based categories, which you can search or browse. They are divided into two main areas - Family History and Other Records. The same documents can feature in a number of categories, wherever it is relevant for you to find it. Here's a quick overview of what is available. Click on the heading to search or browse the category:
Search the complete series of more than one million copy wills proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury from 1384 to 1858. Or look at the wills of the some of the famous names, including Nelson, Napoleon, William Wordsworth, Percy Shelley, Henry Purcell and Captain Bligh (of "Mutiny on the Bounty" fame). Read more about wills
This is a collection of wills made by seamen of the Royal Navy between 1786 and 1882. You can search around 20,000 names. Read more about Royal Naval seamen's wills
See colour images of the original wills of selected famous people, including William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Sir Francis Drake, Samuel Pepys and Christopher Wren. Shakespeare's will contains three of only six surviving signatures. Read more about the wills of these famous people
This collection focuses on the death duty payable on wills and letters of administration proved in the "country courts". You can search over 70,000 names. Read more about Death Duties
Almost all of the men and women who saw active service overseas were awarded a campaign medal, making this the most complete listing of all men and women, officers and soldiers who fought in the British Army or Royal Flying Corps during the First World War. Read more about medals and the medal card index
The war diaries in WO 95 are those of British and colonial units serving in theatres of operations between 1914 and 1922. These files are some of our most frequently ordered documents. Read more about these diaries
Search and download First World War interviews and reports for over 3,000 named individuals Read more about WW1 Prisoner of War interviews
You can now search and download the service records of more than 7,000 women who joined the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (1917-1918), later Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps (1918-1920) Read more about the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps records
You can now search and download the service records of over 30,000 women who joined the Women's Royal Air Force (1914-1919) Read more about the Women's Royal Air Force records
You can now search and download the service records of more than 7,000 women who joined the Women's Royal Naval Service (1917-1919) Read more about the Women's Royal Naval Service records
Search and download the service records of more than 50,000 officers and men who joined the Royal Naval Division (RND) between 1914 and 1919 Read more about the RND service records
Search and download the service registers of more than 600,000 seamen who joined the Royal Navy between 1873 and 1923 Read more about the registers of seamen's services
You can now search and download images from The Victoria Cross Registers Read more about the Victoria Cross Registers
Search and download images of Army Honours and Awards for Gallant and Distinguished Service, containing over 60,000 names Read more about the Army Honours and Awards
This contains a record of World War Two Medals claimed and issued to more than 100,000 Merchant Seamen from 1946 to 2002 Read more about seamen's medals
Search and download images of air combat reports, 1939 - 1945, containing the names of around 20,000 men Read more about air combat reports
Domesday Book is one of our earliest surviving public records. It is a highly detailed survey of land and resources which was carried out in late 11th century England. Read more about Domesday Book
Search and download documents from Southwell Union Workhouse, the best-preserved workhouse in England. We are fortunate to be able to provide free access to the images because this is a joint project by The National Archives in partnership with the National Trust
, with the aid of volunteers in Nottinghamshire. Read more about the Southwell Union workhouse records
Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. You can download key documents free of charge, including an illustrated map from 1608 and the souvenir pamphlet from the 1957 Jamestown Festival. Read more about Jamestown
You can now access the surviving aliens registration cards for the London area, covering the period from 1876 to 1991 Read more about the Aliens Registration Cards
After the Battle of Trafalgar, a Royal Navy squadron captured four French ships and seized documents found onboard. They list details about the sailors, soldiers and passengers of each vessel. Read more about the French muster rolls
We have digitised two volumes of photographs and case details of prisoners in Wandsworth Prison, 1872 - 1873. Each case gives the prisoner's physical description, as well as a photograph, their date and place of birth, the crime they committed, their sentence, the place of conviction and often their place of residence.
Generally these petitions fall into two categories; some persue grievances which could not be resolved at common law while others are requests for a grant of favour. We are fortunate to be able to provide free access to the images because the project, based at the University of York
, has been funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council
through its Resource Enhancement Scheme. Read more about the Ancient Petitions
Until January 2005 the annual releases of public records were known as New Year Openings. You can find selected annual releases for 2008 under "Cabinet minutes and memoranda from 1977". You can also see an introduction to Cabinet papers in DocumentsOnline and find out about records released under Freedom of Information.
You can search and download private office papers of Sir Anthony Eden, Earl of Avon, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. The images available date from 1936-1938 and 1940-1945. Read more about Anthony Eden's Papers
The National Archives is digitising some of its most popular individual documents, which are most frequently ordered by our readers. Some of these documents are single pieces
within a series. Although further pieces from a given series might be digitised in the future, we cannot guarantee that the whole of the series will become available online. Read more about these popular documents
This category contains a range of records relating to immigration, crime and disasters, as well as legal documents such as title deeds and depositions. The images include Victorian photographs of prisoners and a selection of key documents relating to gay and lesbian history.
Records in this category concern political policy both domestic and foreign. Among other records you will find an image of the Magna Carta and various items of political correspondence from figures such as William Pitt and Anthony Wedgwood Benn (Tony Benn).
Here you will find records relating to defence policy, research and espionage as well as propaganda. A particularly rich area is the correspondence
between Churchill and Lord Selborne concerning Special Operations Executive activities during the Second World War. There are also government files about TE Lawrence ("Lawrence of Arabia") and his service in the RAF. And you can read our guide to the selected First World War diaries available from DocumentsOnline.
Browse categories:
Family History
