Many websites have useful information and data that does not fit into specific categories. This list of links aims to help you find general background information relevant to family history.
| Classification: | Information |
| Title: | A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames |
| Link: | A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames |
| Description: | A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames |
| Classification: | Information |
| Title: | A List of Old Occupations and Jobs of the Past |
| Link: | http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~fplum/genealogy/Plu... |
| Description: | A List of Old Occupations and Jobs of the Past |
| Classification: | Information |
| Title: | A Reference Book of English History |
| Link: | A Reference Book of English History |
| Description: | A Reference Book of English History from the Romans to 1866 |
| Extra Info: | Includes tables of chronology, a dictionary of battles and more. |
| Classification: | Information |
| Title: | A-Z Old Occupations |
| Link: | http://sites.rootsweb.com/~usgwkidz/oldjobs.htm |
| Description: | A-Z Old Occupations |
| Classification: | Information |
| Title: | Aircraft Crash Record Office |
| Link: | http://www.baaa-acro.com/ |
| Description: | Aircraft Crash Record Office |
| Extra Info: | Includes British air crashes as far back as 1919. Appears mainly to be civilian crashes, although some RAF crashes are included. |
| Classification: | Commercial / Trade Directories, Street Directories / Gazetteers / Maps, Ships Passenger / Crew / Owners Lists, Prisoner / Trial / Conviction / Court Records, Information, Occupations / Trades / Apprentices, Photographs / Pictures |
| Title: | Amlwch, Anglesey |
| Link: | http://amlwchhistory.co.uk/ |
| Description: | Amlwch and Surrounding Areas |
| Extra Info: | Includes old medical terms, the day in the life of a copper miner, Amlwch ship wrecks and more. |
| Classification: | Information, Other Records |
| Title: | Archives Hub - Find Sources For Your Research |
| Link: | https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/ |
| Description: | Archives Hub - Find Sources For Your Research |
| Extra Info: | Use the Archives Hub to find unique sources for your research. Search across descriptions of archives, including links to digital content, held at over 300 institutions across the UK. |
| Classification: | Information |
| Title: | Archives of New Zealand |
| Link: | http://www.archway.archives.govt.nz/ |
| Description: | New Zealand Archives |
| Extra Info: | Includes references to probate records for UK citizens, British companies and more. |
| Classification: | Institutions / Workhouses / Hospitals etc., Information |
| Title: | Bethlem Royal Hospital Archives |
| Link: | https://museumofthemind.org.uk |
| Description: | Bethlem Royal Hospital Archives |
| Extra Info: | Includes patient records - some with photographs, staff records and more. |
| Classification: | Information, Companies / Employee and Union Lists |
| Title: | British and Irish Furniture Makers Online |
| Link: | https://bifmo.history.ac.uk/ |
| Description: | Faces Behind the Furniture, 1500-1914 |
| Classification: | Prisoner / Trial / Conviction / Court Records, Information, Military Lists, Muster Rolls etc. |
| Title: | British Military & Criminal History in the period 1900 to 1999 |
| Link: | https://web.archive.org/web/20170117133952/http://... |
| Description: | British Military & Criminal History in the period 1900 to 1999 |
| Extra Info: | An archived copy of a website - most information seems to be available. Includes details of those people who have been executed in the UK, but have then received posthumous pardons. |
| Classification: | Information, Photographs / Pictures |
| Title: | British Pathe Film Archive |
| Link: | https://www.britishpathe.com |
| Description: | British Pathe Film Archive 1896-1970 |
| Extra Info: | All sorts of social history on film as well as royal visits, wing walkers, early pictures of heathrow, swimming galas and much more. |
| Classification: | Information, Other Records |
| Title: | Cavan County Statistical Survey |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/statisticalsurv00unkngo... |
| Description: | Statistical Survey of the County of Cavan |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Includes a list of fairs, principal landed proprietors, and gives a sense of what Cavan was like in the late 1700's early 1800's. Published 1802. |
| Classification: | Information |
| Title: | Convict Central |
| Link: | http://www.convictcentral.com/ |
| Description: | A Guide to Researching Your Convict Ancestors |
| Classification: | Institutions / Workhouses / Hospitals etc., Information, Photographs / Pictures |
| Title: | County Asylum |
| Link: | http://web.archive.org/web/20110708195950/http://w... |
| Description: | Rediscovering the Asylums and Mental Hospitals of England and Wales |
| Extra Info: | This site is no longer active, however an archived copy of the site is still available to view (may take a few moments to load). There may be some pages that do not work. Lists architects' names and more. |
| Classification: | Ships Passenger / Crew / Owners Lists, Information |
| Title: | Cunard Ships History |
| Link: | https://www.chriscunard.com/ |
| Extra Info: | May be slow to load. History of the Cunard ships, including photographs and postcards, details about some of their routes and more. |
| Classification: | Ships Passenger / Crew / Owners Lists, Information, Occupations / Trades / Apprentices |
| Title: | East India Company Ships |
| Link: | https://eicships.threedecks.org/ |
| Description: | Information on the Ships, Voyages and Seafarers of the East India Company's Mercantile Services |
| Classification: | Information |
| Title: | Encyclopedia of Epidemics |
| Link: | http://eogen.editme.com/Epidemics |
| Description: | Encyclopedia of Epidemics |
| Extra Info: | This list of worldwide and local epidemics may help to explain why several of your ancestors may have died at similar times. |
| Classification: | Information |
| Title: | Family History Books via Family Search |
| Link: |  |
| Description: | Family History Books via Family Search |
| Extra Info: | More than 40,000 digitized genealogy and family history publications from the archives of some of the most important family history libraries in the world. Read online for free. |
| Classification: | Information |
| Title: | Great Ships - Postcard and Ephemera Collection |
| Link: | https://greatships.net/ |
| Description: | Great Ships - Postcard and Ephemera Collection |
| Classification: | Information, Occupations / Trades / Apprentices, Diseases / Causes of Death, Photographs / Pictures |
| Title: | Hall Genealogy Website |
| Link: | http://rmhh.co.uk/ |
| Description: | Includes Lists of Old Occupations and Diseases |
| Extra Info: | Many passenger ship photographs. |
| Classification: | Information, Photographs / Pictures |
| Title: | HARTAS One Name Study |
| Link: | http://hartas.name |
| Description: | A One Name Study for HARTAS and its variants, HARTASS, HARTIS, HARTUS etc. |
| Classification: | Information, Migrant / Emmigration Lists and Records |
| Title: | Heritage Ships |
| Link: | http://www.heritage-ships.com/ |
| Description: | Heritage Ships - Pictures of Immigrant Ships |
| Extra Info: | Heritage-Ships has images showing the historic vessels that carried immigrants to America and other parts of the world. |
| Classification: | Street Directories / Gazetteers / Maps, Information, Photographs / Pictures |
| Title: | Historic Churches of Great Britain |
| Link: | http://www.historicchurches.co.uk/ |
| Description: | Maps of locations of many Historic Churches of Great Britain |
| Extra Info: | Helps you find the location of the churches where you ancestors were baptised, married or buried. Their long-term aim is to add photographs to accompany each map. |
| Classification: | Institutions / Workhouses / Hospitals etc., Information |
| Title: | Index of Lunatic Asylums and Mental Hospitals |
| Link: | http://studymore.org.uk/4_13_TA.HTM |
| Description: | Index of Lunatic Asylums and Mental Hospitals |
| Extra Info: | Based around a 1844 study but expanded with details of the institutions. |
| Classification: | Commercial / Trade Directories, Street Directories / Gazetteers / Maps, Tithe Records, Information |
| Title: | Internet Archive |
| Link: | http://archive.org/ |
| Description: | Internet Archive |
| Extra Info: | Has many scanned books. Click on texts and then search the archive. Note gazetteer and gazetteers give different results. |
| Classification: | Information |
| Title: | IreAtlas Townland Search |
| Link: | https://thecore.com/seanruad/ |
| Description: | IreAtlas Townland Search |
| Extra Info: | A searchable database of all the townland, parish and barony details for each Irish county. |
| Classification: | Information, Diseases / Causes of Death |
| Title: | List of Old Diseases |
| Link: | https://web.archive.org/web/20180822104047/http://... |
| Description: | List of Medical Terms found On Old Death Certificates, Doctors Reports and in Old Letters |
| Extra Info: | This is an archived copy of the original website which may not function fully. |
| Classification: | Information, Photographs / Pictures |
| Title: | Maritime Photographic |
| Link: | https://www.maritimephotographic.co.uk |
| Description: | Maritime Photographic |
| Extra Info: | Mainly recent photographs. |
| Classification: | Information |
| Title: | Maritime Quest |
| Link: | http://www.maritimequest.com/ |
| Description: | Maritime Quest |
| Extra Info: | A quest for the photographic history of the world's ships. List details of owners and ship builders. |
| Classification: | Information |
| Title: | Measuring Worth |
| Link: | https://measuringworth.com/ |
| Description: | Measuring Worth |
| Extra Info: | What was the relative value money in history compared to today? Find all this and more at this facinating website. |
| Classification: | Information, Military Lists, Muster Rolls etc., Photographs / Pictures |
| Title: | Military Badges and Military Images |
| Link: | http://web.archive.org/web/20110721011946/http://w... |
| Description: | Military Badges and Military Images |
| Extra Info: | An archived copy of the site which is no longer available. May take a little while to load. May not work correctly in all browsers. |
| Classification: | Information, Other Records |
| Title: | North Walls and Brims, Orkney |
| Link: | https://janealogy.co.uk/north-walls-and-brims/ |
| Description: | North Walls and Brims, Orkney One Place Study |
| Classification: | Information, Diseases / Causes of Death |
| Title: | Old Disease names and their modern definitions |
| Link: | http://www.disease.pricklytree.co.uk/ |
| Description: | Quick reference to the medical terms used on your ancestors record of death. |
| Classification: | Information, Occupations / Trades / Apprentices |
| Title: | Old Occupations of England |
| Link: | http://www.worldthroughthelens.com/family-history/... |
| Description: | Old Occupations |
| Extra Info: | Lists many old occupations and meanings, taken from census records. |
| Classification: | Commercial / Trade Directories, Hearth / Window Tax, Religious Lists / Records, Information, Other Records |
| Title: | Open Library |
| Link: | http://openlibrary.org/ |
| Description: | Open Library - Scanned Books Online |
| Extra Info: | Use the search facility and select e-books only. Some English trade directories, journals, historic accounts of counties and more. |
| Classification: | Information |
| Title: | Palmer List of Merchant Vessels |
| Link: | http://web.archive.org/web/20130116100723/http://w... |
| Description: | Palmer List of Merchant Vessels |
| Extra Info: | An archived copy of a site that is no longer available, most information still seems to be available. For some ships includes pictures, masters, owners and voyages. |
| Classification: | Information, Other Records, Photographs / Pictures |
| Title: | Parliamentary Archives |
| Link: | https://archives.parliament.uk/online-resources/re... |
| Description: | Historic documents (including photographs and illustrations) from the UK Parliament |
| Extra Info: | Includes Protestations Returns, the closest thing we have to a census for 1642. The Returns list the adult men residing in a parish. |
| Classification: | Ships Passenger / Crew / Owners Lists, Information, Migrant / Emmigration Lists and Records |
| Title: | Passenger Lists and Emigrant Ships |
| Link: | http://www.norwayheritage.com/ |
| Description: | Passenger Lists and Emigrant Ships |
| Extra Info: | Includes some searchable passenger lists. also information about the ships and lists documenting their individual voyages, as well as pictures of the ships. |
| Classification: | Information |
| Title: | Photographs from Life Magazine |
| Link: | https://time.com/photography/life/ |
| Description: | Photographs from Life Magazine |
| Extra Info: | All sorts of images from 1860's to 1970's. Use the search box or browse round the site. |
| Classification: | Information, Photographs / Pictures |
| Title: | Pictures of Yesteryear |
| Link: | http://www.pplmedia.com/online/ |
| Description: | Pictures of Yesteryear |
| Extra Info: | A historic resource of fine art illustrations, paintings and photographs dating back to the 1850s. |
| Classification: | Information |
| Title: | Plagues, Diseases and Disasters Throughout History |
| Link: | http://www.hunimex.com/warwick/diseases.html |
| Description: | Plagues, Diseases and Disasters Throughout History |
| Extra Info: | This list of worldwide and local epidemics may help to explain why several of your ancestors may have died at similar times. |
| Classification: | Information, Photographs / Pictures |
| Title: | Postcards of Ocean Liners |
| Link: | http://www.raeth.ch/ |
| Description: | Postcards of Ocean Liners |
| Extra Info: | Also includes paddle steamers, lighthouses, ports, early aeroplanes, railways and more. |
| Classification: | Information, Occupations / Trades / Apprentices |
| Title: | Pottery Industry Jobs and Descriptions |
| Link: | http://www.thepotteries.org/jobs/ |
| Description: | Pottery Industry Jobs and Descriptions |
| Classification: | Prisoner / Trial / Conviction / Court Records, Information |
| Title: | Prison History |
| Link: | https://www.prisonhistory.org/ |
| Description: | Records and other Prison information for the British Isles between 1500 and 1999. |
| Classification: | Information, Occupations / Trades / Apprentices, Other Records |
| Title: | Railway Work, Life and Death |
| Link: | http://www.railwayaccidents.port.ac.uk/ |
| Description: | Life, Work and Death on the Railways |
| Extra Info: | May be slow to load. Find out about railway worker accidents in Britain and Ireland in the later 19th and early 20th century |
| Classification: | Information, Photographs / Pictures, Travellers / Romany / Canal Folk |
| Title: | Remembering our Family |
| Link: | http://www.newforestromanygypsytraveller.co.uk |
| Description: | Remembering our Family |
| Extra Info: | A project that intends to collect as much information as possible from the local Gypsy/Traveller community that have settled at locations within the New Forest including Thorney Hill and Bransgore. |
| Classification: | School / Educational Records / Alumni, Associations and Civil Officials Lists, Information |
| Title: | Royal Voluntary Service History | Royal Voluntary Service |
| Link: | https://www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk/about-us/... |
| Description: | Royal Voluntary Service History |
| Extra Info: | Find out more of the history of WVS, WRVS and Royal Voluntary Service, by exploring their fact sheets and schools' resources. |
| Classification: | Information |
| Title: | Rulers Website |
| Link: | http://rulers.org/ |
| Description: | Rulers Website - Heads of State, Prime Ministers etc. |
| Classification: | Information, Photographs / Pictures |
| Title: | Science and Society Picture Library |
| Link: | https://www.scienceandsociety.co.uk |
| Description: | Science and Society Picture Library |
| Extra Info: | Over 50,000 images from buildings, such as textile mills, to pictures of historical fire engines. |
| Classification: | Ships Passenger / Crew / Owners Lists, Information, Occupations / Trades / Apprentices |
| Title: | Ship Wreck Database |
| Link: | https://www.wrecksite.eu/ |
| Description: | Ship Wreck Database |
| Extra Info: | Includes an image archive of ships, some stories about the ships, causes of their demise and often mentions owners and captains. |
| Classification: | Information |
| Title: | Shipwrecks of Scotland and England |
| Link: | https://rod-macdonald.com/ |
| Description: | Shipwrecks of Scotland and England |
| Extra Info: | Click on Wrecks for details of ships. |
| Classification: | Information |
| Title: | State Library of Tasmania - Images |
| Link: | https://www.linc.tas.gov.au/archive-heritage/Pages... |
| Description: | State Library of Tasmania - Images From the Tasmanian Heritage Collections |
| Extra Info: | Look under archives or Tasmania's Heritage. Includes photographs of ships, images of convict related images and more. |
| Classification: | Information, Companies / Employee and Union Lists, Occupations / Trades / Apprentices, Photographs / Pictures, Journals / Diaries |
| Title: | The Bevin Boys Association - The Official site founded 1989 |
| Link: | http://bevinboysassociation.co.uk |
| Description: | The Bevin Boys Association - Archives and Information |
| Classification: | Information, Other Records, Photographs / Pictures, Journals / Diaries |
| Title: | The Out of Town (OOT) Museum |
| Link: | http://ootmuseum.co.uk |
| Description: | The Out of Town (OOT) Museum, Coquetdale in Northumberland |
| Extra Info: | The OOT Museum is celebrating the rural heritage of Coquetdale - includes many stories of past times |
| Classification: | Information, Photographs / Pictures |
| Title: | The Passenger Ship Website |
| Link: | http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/ |
| Description: | The Passenger Ship Website - Dedicated to Providing Images of All Type of Passenger Ships |
| Extra Info: | Includes many histories as well as images. Also includes some railway and tramway images. |
| Classification: | Information, Photographs / Pictures, Travellers / Romany / Canal Folk |
| Title: | The Scottish Gypsies |
| Link: | https://web.archive.org/web/20170124121108/http://... |
| Description: | The Scottish Gypsies |
| Extra Info: | An archived copy of a site that is no longer active. Most information still seems to be available. |
| Classification: | Ships Passenger / Crew / Owners Lists, Information, Occupations / Trades / Apprentices |
| Title: | Three Decks - Warships in the Age of Sail |
| Link: | https://threedecks.org/ |
| Description: | This site aims to be the premier web resource for researching naval history during the Age of Sail. |
| Classification: | Information |
| Title: | Weights and Measures Guide |
| Link: | https://www.scan.org.uk/measures/index.asp |
| Description: | Weights and Measures Guide, Drops, Pecks, Furlongs and more |
| Classification: | Information |
| Title: | Wellcome Collection - Images of 2000 years |
| Link: | https://wellcomecollection.org/works |
| Description: | Wellcome Collection - Images of 2000 years |
| Extra Info: | Includes images of war and those with a medical theme, such as St Pancras smallpox hospital, as well as much more. |