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England Lancaster

Guide to Lancaster ancestry, family history and genealogy parish registers, transcripts, census records, birth records, marriage records, and death records.



HISTORY
Lancashire as a county did not come into being until 1182, and so was not mentioned in the Domesday Book (1086 A.D.). Northern Lancashire was considered part of Yorkshire, and the portion of Lancashire south of the River Ribble was considered a poor relation of Cheshire.

The town and then city of Lancaster (anciently Loncastre) was probably not established as such until about 1182. It is located on the River Lune, and was once a large port until the river was silted up. It was named after a Roman camp, and is best known for its castle and Norman Keep.

Lancaster was granted city status in 1937 for its "long association with the crown" and because it was "the county town of the King's Duchy of Lancaster". It should be noted that Queen Elizabeth II also has the title of Duchess of Lancaster.

ROYALTY
The county and town were made famous during the Wars of the Roses, fought primarily between 1455 A.D. and 1487 A.D. The final victory went to a Lancastrian claimant, Henry Tudor at the battle of Bosworth Field.

After assuming the throne as Henry VII, Henry Tudor married Elizabeth of York, the daughter of Edward IV, thereby uniting the two houses. In an era leading to what is sometimes referred to as the "Golden Age" of Elizabeth the First.

--Getting Started--

Useful links for Lancaster genealogical research follow:

Forebears

On Line Books

For graveyards, please see:

Find a Grave

Lancaster Government site