British Newspaper Archive, Obituaries - FamilySearch Historical Records

United Kingdom

What is in This Collection?
This is a collection of obituaries found in the British Newspaper Archives, covering the period 1800-1900. This collection was provided by the British Library in partnership with Findmypast.

The obituaries in this collection come from a variety of newspapers across Britain. Major newspapers from this time include The Courier, The Scotsman, The Chartist Northern Star, The Daily Telegraph, The Illustrated London News, The Western Mail, and The Daily Mail; but others are included in the collection.

Image Visibility
Whenever possible, FamilySearch makes images available for all users. However, rights to view images on our website are granted by the record custodians.

These images can be viewed online by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, at a Family History Center near you, or the Family History Library. They are also viewable to users who are part of the contributing organization, or who have contributed to the FamilySearch Indexing effort. Learn how to be a part of FamilySearch Indexing here.

For additional information about image restrictions, please see the Restrictions for Viewing Images in FamilySearch Historical Record Collections page.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Obituary Records may contain:
 * Name of deceased individual
 * Date and place of birth
 * Date and place of death/burial
 * Cause of death
 * Spouse’s name
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Names of parents, siblings, children, or other family members
 * Life history, sometimes including occupation and/or military service

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the deceased
 * Approximate date of death

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select Place of Death - State/Country
 * 2) Select Place of Death - County
 * 3) Select Place of Death - Town
 * 4) Select Newspaper
 * 5) Select Publication Date to view the images

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Save or print a copy of the image if possible
 * Use the information to calculate an approximate year of birth, if it is not listed
 * If a spouse is mentioned, search for a marriage record
 * Personal information about occupation, education or land ownership may lead to other records
 * Use the names of people listed to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives
 * Look for families in the census records (1841 to 1911)

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * Check for variations of given names, surnames, and place names
 * Also remember that it was not uncommon for an individual be listed under a nickname or an abbreviation of their name
 * Note that the women may be listed under a maiden or a married name
 * Vary the search terms. For example, search by either the given name or surname to return a broader list of matches
 * Search the records of nearby locations
 * Look at the actual image of the record to verify the information found in the online description, if possible

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and England
 * Scotland Guided Research, Ireland Guided Research, England Guided Research
 * Scotland Record Finder, Ireland Record Finder, Wales Record Finder England Record Finder
 * Scotland Research Tips and Strategies, Ireland Research Tips and Strategies, Wales Research Tips and Strategies, England Research Tips and Strategies

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.


 * Collection Citation:"British Newspaper Archives, Obituaries." Database with images. FamilySearch. https://FamilySearch.org : 16 March 2017. Records extracted by FindMyPast and images digitized by FamilySearch. The British Library, London.

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