London Archives and Libraries

England London  Archives and Libraries

Several archives and libraries in London have material for family history. These include the London Metropolitan Archives, City of London Record Office (currently held at the London Metropolitan Archives) and City of Westminster Archives Centre.

City of Westminster Archives Centre
City of Westminster Archives Centre 10 St Ann's Street London SW1P 2DE UK Telephone: 020 76415180 Email: [mailto:archives@westminster.gov.uk archives@westminster.gov.uk] Website: City of Westminster Archives Centre


 * At our Archives, view books, directories, maps, newspapers, images, local government records, electoral and parish registers, census returns and more relating to family, local and business history.

London Metropolitan Archives
London Metropolitan Archives 40 Northampton Road City of London EC1R 0HB UK Telephone: 020 7332 3820 E-mail: [mailto:ask.lma@cityoflondon.gov.uk ask.lma@cityoflondon.gov.uk] Website: London Metropolitan Archives


 * We are home to an amazing range of documents, images, maps, films and books about London. London Metropolitan Archives (LMA) is free to use and open to everyone.  Whether you're tracing your family history or researching the history of your neighbourhood, if you're interested in London or Londoners, LMA is the place to visit!


 * The London Metropolitan Archives has prepared a helpful guide for family historians: Family History at London Metropolitan Archives

The National Archives (TNA)
The National Archives (TNA) Bessant Dr Kew Richmond Surrey TW9 4DU UK Telephone: 020 8876 3444 Email: [mailto:enquiry@nationalarchives.gov.uk enquiry@nationalarchives.gov.uk] Website: The National Archives (TNA) Catalogue: Discovery, The National Archives online catalogue


 * The National Archives (acronym TNA) is the official government archive of the United Kingdom, containing more than nine hundred years of history with records ranging from parchment and paper scrolls through to digital files and archived websites.


 * The National Archives is home to records created by the United Kingdom central government and agencies, and the legal system of England and Wales. These archived documents span records of many kinds from Domesday Book of 1086 to the present-day UK Government Web Archive. Records relating to the United Kingdom as a whole may contain information on Scotland and Ireland - all of Ireland was part of the United Kingdom until 1922. These include military and naval records, coastguards, customs and excise, passenger lists and more.

Did You Know?

 * Archives for London is passionate about archives in or about London. It is the independent voice for archives in the UK's capital city and brings together everyone interested in London's documentary history - users, practitioners and enthusiasts. Through free seminars, exclusive behind-the-scenes archive tours, an annual conference and other events everyone can find out more about the documents, photographs and films that tell the many stories of London and Londoners. Visit Archives for London for more details.

The British Library
The British Library 96 Euston Road London NW1 2DB UK Telephone: 0843 208 1144 Email: [mailto:Customer-Services@bl.uk Customer-Services@bl.uk] Website: The British Library


 * The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and the second largest library in the world by number of items catalogued. It holds well over 150 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the British Library receives copies of all books produced in the United Kingdom and Ireland, including a significant proportion of overseas titles distributed in the UK.


 * The British Library is a major research library, with items in many languages and in many formats, both print and digital: books, manuscripts, journals, newspapers, magazines, sound and music recordings, videos, play-scripts, patents, databases, maps, stamps, prints, drawings. The Library's collections include around 14 million books, along with substantial holdings of manuscripts and historical items dating back as far as 2000 BC. In addition to receiving a copy of every publication produced in the UK and Ireland (approximately 8,000 per day), the Library has a programme for content acquisitions. The Library adds some three million items every year occupying 9.6 kilometres (6.0 mi) of new shelf space.

Guildhall Library
Guildhall Library Aldermanbury London EC2V 7HH UK Telephone: 20 7332 1868/1870 Email: [mailto:guildhall.library@cityoflondon.gov.uk guildhall.library@cityoflondon.gov.uk] Website: Guildhall Library


 * Guildhall Library is a public reference library specialising in the history of London. Our printed books collection comprises over 200,000 titles dating from the 15th to the 21st centuries and includes books, pamphlets, periodicals, trade directories and poll books. This collection covers all aspects of life in London, past and present, its trade, people and buildings.

The Library and Museum of Freemasonry
The Library and Museum of Freemasonry Freemasons’ Hall 60 Great Queen Street London WC2B 5AZ UK Telephone: 020 7395 9257 Email: [mailto:libmus@freemasonry.london.museum libmus@freemasonry.london.museum] Website: The Library and Museum of Freemasonry


 * Freemasons’ Hall has been the centre of English freemasonry for 230 years. It is the headquarters of the United Grand Lodge of England, the oldest Grand Lodge in the world, and also the meeting place for over 1000 Masonic lodges.

Wellcome Library
Wellcome Library Part of Wellcome Collection 183 Euston Road London NW1 2BE UK Telephone: 020 7611 8722 Email: [mailto:library@wellcome.ac.uk library@wellcome.ac.uk] Website: Wellcome Library


 * The Wellcome Library of the history of medicine holds not only high-level material on medical history but also a huge amount of information on named individuals. They have a guide to Biographical and Family History Resources in the library. They also offer a growing collection of material relating to contemporary medicine and biomedical science in society.

Museum of London
Museum of London 150 London Wall London EC2Y 5HN UK Telephone: 020 7001 9844 Email: [mailto:access@museumoflondon.org.uk access@museumoflondon.org.uk] Website: Museum of London

Museum of London Docklands
Museum of London Docklands No.1 Warehouse West India Quay London E14 4AL UK Telephone: 020 7001 9844 Email: [mailto:access@museumoflondon.org.uk access@museumoflondon.org.uk] Website: Museum of London Docklands