No story left behind

Discover the moments that shaped your family. Enjoy 30% off our most popular subscriptions. Hurry, offer ends November 21

Or search records that are always free:

Search free civil birth and marriage records

Our collections cover England, Wales and Ireland

Pinpoint the important events in your relatives’ lives with our free civil birth and marriage records, covering England, Wales and Ireland. Discover essential details in these free family history records.

stroller
138,789,651

Births recorded

person_celebrate
98,718,338

Marriages recorded

edit_calendar
1837-2006

Years covered

searchFind someone

Search our free newspaper archive

In partnership with the British Library

Find your family’s colourful history in black and white. Enrich your family history with our free British and Irish newspaper collections, including many stories from diverse and previously underrepresented communities.

edit_calendar
2,031,977

Free newspaper pages

edit_calendar
432

Free publications

edit_calendar
1699-1900

Years covered*

search Search newspapers

Find an article:

Add name

|

Add keywords

|

Search free Irish parish records

Uncover hundreds of years of Irish history

These free Irish Roman Catholic Parish Baptism records cover all of Ireland and date as far back as the 1700s, revealing vital information about your ancestors, including names, birth and baptism dates, parents' names and residences.

note_stack
1,160,743

Cork county records

note_stack
1,165,869

Dublin county records

note_stack
272,953

Galway county records

searchFind someone

Find family in free census records

Reveal a detailed snapshot of your ancestors’ lives

Discover your ancestors' addresses, occupations and more in the 1881 Census of England, Wales and Scotland. Search and view transcripts of the census for free to uncover the details of your ancestors’ lives in 1881.

person
29,840,158

People recorded

note_stack
432

Free publications

edit_calendar
1699-1900

Years covered*

searchFind someone

Search free travel and migration records

Trace your ancestors on their travels

Search for your relatives in millions of free passenger lists and travel records and uncover the stories behind their migration. Find out where they embarked, their travel companions and final destinations.

note_stack
British & Irish Roots Collection

63,023,468 records

Search a uniquely wide variety of records from the United States and Canada. Each record identifies a British or Irish emigrant who came to North America.

1 of 5
note_stack
Britain, Royal African Company 1694-1743

5,954 records

These passenger list records contain the names of thousands who travelled on board the Royal African Company’s ships to and from Africa.

2 of 5
note_stack
Scotland, Highlands and Islands Assisted Emigration 1852-1857

4916 records

Search the names of those who left western Scotland for Australia with assistance from the Highlands and Islands Emigration Society.

3 of 5
note_stack
Pennsylvania Immigrants, 1727-1776

30,000 records

Search names of Dutch, French, German, Swiss and other immigrants in Pennsylvania from 1727 to 1776.

4 of 5
note_stack
Queensland Naturalisations 1851-1904

12,190 records

If your ancestors immigrated to Queensland, find out whether they became British subjects through naturalisation.

5 of 5
searchFind someone

Search free military records

Did you have family in the forces?

Search for your family heroes in our free British military records – from rolls of honour to army, navy and air force lists. Discover your ancestors’ ranks, regiments and medals in records covering World War I, World War II and the years in between.

note_stack
World War I records

British Army, De Ruvigny's Roll Of Honour 1914-1918


Scotland, Rolls Of Honour 1914-1920

note_stack
World War II records

British Army, Army Lists 1839-1946


Britain, Royal Navy, Navy Lists 1827-1945


Royal Air Force Lists 1919-1945

searchFind someone

Sign up for free

Become a member to access millions of free records.

Start a 7-day free trial

Unlock access to millions more family history records, free for 7 days.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free way to find your ancestry?

You can use free family history records on sites like Findmypast to trace your ancestors back through the generations - it's free to start a family tree, and you can even access the vast record collection at no charge with a free trial.

Is Findmypast UK free?

Findmypast offers a portion of its historical records and newspapers for free, but you'll need a paid subscription to access everything that's on offer. With a free trial, you can search and save billions of records and newspaper pages.

How can I find my family tree without paying UK?

It's free to create and save your family tree with Findmypast. You can access free civil birth, marriage and burial records, as well as censuses, travel, and military records at no cost whatsoever.

How do I find my ancestry?

The most important first step is to start your family tree. Input your details first, then build out the branches with details about your parents and grandparents. You can fill in the gaps using historical records and newspapers.

Is there a totally free ancestry website?

While FamilySearch is the only completely free ancestry website, you can also discover your family's past for free with Findmypast. Browse our free records and use them to start your family tree.