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Many of our most popular records are available online. This is over 5% of what we have and this figure keeps growing.

We have digitised some of our records ourselves. You can download these records directly from Discovery, our catalogue. For example:

• wills (1384-1858)
• Cabinet papers (1915-1982)
• British Army medal index cards (1914-1920)
• Irish maps (c.1558-c.1610)

Find out more about our online records.

Other records that we hold have been digitised by commercial partners like Ancestry and Findmypast. You will need to visit their websites to view them – and there will usually be a charge. For example:

• census records (1841-1911)
• First World War soldiers’ records (1914-1920)
• UK outgoing passenger lists (1890-1960)

Our catalogue will tell you whether records are online and how you can access them.

Find out what’s online at a glance on our Catalogues and online records page.

Ready to start?

• Search our records using Discovery, our catalogue
• Use our person, place, or subject research guides

Want to ask us a question?

• You can contact us, via our online forms, by email, phone or live chat

The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 4DU. Tel: +44 (0) 20 8876 3444. Contact us