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The Family History Library

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The world's largest genealogy library is the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, a branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ("LDS"). You don't have to travel all the way to Salt Lake City. The Family History Library has a system of over 3,400 branch libraries, known as Family History Centres ("FHCs"), located throughout the world to help people search for records of their ancestors. The Family History Centres operate in 64 countries, and more than 100,000 rolls of microfilm are circulated to the centres each month. These records include vital, census, land, probate, immigration, and church records, and many other records of genealogical value.

Family History Centres

Everyone is welcome to use a Family History Centre. You do not need to be a member of the LDS faith. These are the physical locations of the principal Family History Centres in England. Please check with the Family Search site for locations outside of England. Most of these are located in or next to meetinghouses of the LDS.

Most of these centres are open only about 20 hours per week. Other centres may exist. To find out if there is one closer to you, call the British Isles Family History Service Centre (BIFHSC). Do not send mail to the individual Family History Centres (FHC) - they have limited staff and do not have time to reply. Mail should be sent to the BIFHSC.

Call first to determine the days and hours a FHC is open. Bring with you the information (names, dates, places) you have on your ancestors. The staff are there to help you do the research, not to do it for you. All the staff are volunteers, so treat them with the courtesy and respect they deserve.

Some FHC may have more resources than others. If you don't find something you need, ask if it is at one of the other centres. The FHC used by the webmaster is a small one with limited resources. Here's what Margaret Taylor has to say about the Toronto, Canada, Centre: "I live in the city of Toronto and the local Mormon Family History Center here has the GRO Indexes - Birth and Marriage 1837- 1983, and Deaths 1837-1988. We also have the films of Scottish Indexes and some Irish, all 1891 census fiche, plus much much more. I am a volunteer there (1 session per week) and we are open various hours, 5 days a week. Although we are pretty well booked-up on the film readers at all times anyone living near enough to visit would be welcome."

BRITISH ISLES FAMILY HISTORY SERVICE CENTREMailing address:
399 Garretts Green Lane, Birmingham, B33 0UH
Tel: 021-7841460

Fax 021-7112249
BILLINGHAMThe Linkway, Billingham, Cleveland
Tel: 0642 563 162
BRISTOL721 Wells Road, Whitchurch, Bristol
Tel: 0272-838326
CANTERBURYForty Acre Road, Canterbury, Kent
Tel: 01227 765 431
CHELTENHAMThirlestaine Road, Cheltenham, Gloucester
Tel: 01242 523 433
CHESTER50 Clifton Drive, Blacone, Chester, Cheshire
Tel: 01244 390 796
CHORLEYPreston Temple Complex, Hartwood Green, Chorley, Lancs.
Tel: 01257 226 145
COVENTRYRiverside Close, Coventry, Warwick
Tel: 02476 303 316
CRAWLEYOld Horsham Road, Crawley, Sussex
Tel: 01293 520 639
GRIMSBYLinwood Avenue off Waltham Road, Grimsby, Linc.
Tel: 01472 828876
HORNCHURCH64 Butts Green Road, Hornchurch, Essex
Tel: 01708 620 727
HUDDERSFIELD12 Halifax Road, Birchencliffe, Huddlesfield, West York
Tel: 01484 454 573
HULL725 Holderness Road, Hull, York
Tel: 01482 701 439
IPSWICH42 Sidegate Lane West, Ipswich, Suffolk
Tel: 01473 723 182
LEEDSVesper Road, Leeds, West York
Tel: 01132 582 297
LEICESTERWakerly Road, Leicester
Tel: 01162 737 334
LICHFIELDPurcell Avenue, Lichfield, Staff.
Tel: 01543 414 843
LINCOLNSkellingthorpe Road, Lincoln, Lincoln, LN6 0PB
Tel: 01522 680117
LIVERPOOL4 Mill Bank, Liverpool, Merseyside
Tel: 0151 252 0614
LONDON64/68 Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London
Tel: 0171 589 8561
LONDON149 Nightengale Lane, Balham, London
Tel: 0181 673 6741
LUTONLondon Road at Cutenhoe Road, Luton, Bedford
Tel: 01582 482 234
MAIDSTONE76B London Road, Maidstone, Kent
Tel: 01622 757 811
MANCHESTERAltrincam Road, Wythenshawe, Manchester
Tel: 0161 902 9279
NORWICH16 Greenways, Eaton, Norwich, Norfolk
Tel: 01603 452 440
NOTTINGHAMStanhome Square, West Bridgeford, Nottingham
Tel: 0115 914 4255
PLYMOUTHMannamead Road, Plymouth, Devon
Tel: 01752 668 666
POOLE8 Mount Road, Parkstone Poole, Dorset
Tel: 01202 730 646
PORTSMOUTHKingston Crescent, Portsmouth, Hampshire
Tel: 01705 696 243
READING280 The Mead Way, Tilehurst, Reading, Berkshire
Tel: 01189 410 211
REDDITCH321 Eversham Road, Crabbs Cross, Redditch, Worcester
Tel: 01527 550 657
ROCHDALETweedale Street, Rochdale, Lancashire
Tel: 01706 526 292
SHEFFIELDWheel Lane, Grenoside, Sheffield, South York
Tel: 0114 245 3124
STAINES41 Kinston Road, Staines, Middlesex
Tel: 01784 462 627
SUNDERLANDLinden Road off Queen Alexander Road, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear
Tel: 01915 285 787
WATFORDHempstead Road, Watford, Hertford
Tel: 01923 251 471
YORKWest Bank, Acomb, York
Tel: 01904 785 128