Wessex Family History Ltd
Our aim is to give people access to records that are difficult to get to and in many cases difficult to read. (Always check the source).
We have had to totally revamp the site as the old site had problems not to say the least only being available in the UK.
Due to technology changes we hope the new site will be a lot easier to use with the introduction of card payments via Paypal.
Also a new way to navigate the site with the introduction of a directory tree on the left hand side of the page.
By clicking on the file and folder icons in the directory tree you can navigate your way round the site.
You will need to pay close attention to the directory tree because the pages will change depending on your access level, you will have to register to subscribe to access our fully searchable database.
Searchable Parish & Census Records
Database formats
When viewing parish records you will find all data that can be transcribed included. The files have then been sorted into surname order, chronological order, and by the child's forename. This last category has been introduced to permit searched for illegitimate children where the approximate dates or forenames are known, but the evidence of a marriage suspect! Often the mothers maiden name is unknown, but the probable home parish of the mother is a likely location for an eldest child to be christened.
The Data
All records have been transcribed by Wessex Family History Ltd and have been extracted from original sources or images of originals, NOT from other indexes. The only exceptions to this are where material from obsolete publications is included, and this has been clearly labelled. The Parish Records are held within an easy to use database, sorted alphabetically, as enumerated and chronologically in a variety of formats.
The Records
The records that are on the Wessex Site are transcriptions. Copyright laws prevent imaging of the originals. All data wherever possible has been included, including incumbents comments. There are chronological and alphabetical listings in most instances. Great care has been taken to ensure that the transcriptions are accurate. Once you have entered our site you will be able to easily locate the parish you require and see instantly what records are already available to view.
1841 Hampshire Census
The census transcriptions in the Wessex database are fully transcribed and not just a name index. They are then sorted as enumerated, alphabetically by forename and by surname. There is also a Street listing and Street Index.
1841 Portsmouth Census
There are over 32,000 records already included on the Wessex database!
Bonus!
It was noticed when transcribing that in the Portsmouth Registration Districts that many enumerators used exact ages and not the rounded up ages that we are accustomed to finding on this census.
Transcriptions - please note
Some of the writing on the 1841 census was appalling and some pages were torn or faded, as is common with old documents - but every effort has been made to transcribe as accurately as possible. If you have documentary proof of an error we would be pleased to be notified so that we may check the film and amend the database if appropriate.
Additional Material
As well as the parish and census records also included on this site are parish images.