Portsmouth, Hampshire Genealogy

England Hampshire  Hampshire Parishes  Portsmouth

Guide to Portsmouth, Hampshire family history and genealogy: parish register transcripts, census records, birth records, marriage records, and death records.

Parish History
PORTSMOUTH (St. Thomas à Becket), a seaport, borough, market-town, and parish, having separate jurisdiction, in the union of Portsea Island, locally in the hundred of Portsdown, Fareham and S. divisions of the county of Southampton, 21 miles (S. E. by E.) from Southampton, and 72 (S. W.) from London; containing, exclusively of the parish of Portsea, which is within the borough. Here are places of worship for Independents, Wesleyans, and Unitarians. .

Civil Registration
Birth, marriages and deaths were kept by the government, from July 1837 to the present day. The civil registration article tells more about these records. There are several Internet sites with name lists or indexes. A popular site is FreeBMD.

Church records
Portsmouth parish registers of christenings, marriages and burials are available online for the following years:

Occupation
Heighes, John. Some Hampshire Master Shipwrights. A list of names of shipbuilders, the shipyard they worked in and dates, from 1652-1820 in Potsmouth. Article in the Hampshire Family Historian Magazine, vol. 34, part no. 1, June 2007, pages 20-21. FHL Ref 942.27 B2h

Probate records
Records of wills, administrations, inventories, indexes, etc. were filed by the court with jurisdiction over this parish. Go to Hampshire Probate Records to find the name of the court having primary jurisdiction. Scroll down in the article to the section Court Jurisdictions by Parish.

Emigration
A major emigration to Canada occurred in 1869-1870. Due to the changes in how ships were constructed and other factors, many Admiralty Dock Workers became unemployed without prospects for other jobs. There were many opportunities to work in Canada and free passage was given under strict guidelines. One stipulation was that married men needed to take their wives and children to Canada with them.

Maps and Gazetteers
Maps are a visual look at the locations in England. Gazetteers contain brief summaries about a place.


 * England Jurisdictions 1851
 * Vision of Britain

Name changes of road.

Edwards, E. Changing Names of Portsmouth Roads. Some of the streets of portsmouth and Portsea mentioned in the old registers and Census returns have had their names changed over the years. List of former names, and present names given. Article in the Hampshire Family Historian, vol. XII, no.3, November 1985, page 192-193. Family History Library Ref. 942.27 B2h v.12

Genealogy
Walcot, N. G. "The Walcots of South East Hampshire." Article covers the history and family tree of Clement Walcot from years 1774-1823. Article in The Hampshire Family History Journal vol.1, 1974 page 11-12, Family History Ref. 942.27 B2f

Evans, Charles. "The Vining Family of Newport and Portsmouth. Names, dates and other information on the many Vining Family covering years 1623-1774." Article is to be found in The Family History Journal of the South East Hampshire Genealogical Society, no. 5, February 1975, pages 91-93, Family History Library Ref. 942.27 B2f

Willia, Arthur J. "Register of Persons Examined Concerning Their Settlement". The following list is concerned with those people examined by J.P's in Portsmouth in order to ascertain their last legal place of settlement. The original is in the Portsmouth City Record Office. Article to be found in The Family History Journal of the South East Hampshire Genealogical Society, no. 5, February 1975 pages 97-99. ; Family History Library Ref. 942.27 B2f

Hurst, N.H.G. "The Main Line". This article continues the Genealogy of William Main, and concentrates on the brother Reuben, who was Master of the Tug, "Grinder" at the time of the fatal accident. Reuben marries Suzanne Miller in 13th December, 1863, and proceeds onwards with their children. Descendants seem to live mainly in the Portsmouth, Petersfield area, if you look at the current phone book. Article covers years 1792-1957, and is to be found in The Hampshire Family Historian, Vol. VIII, no.2, August 1981, pages 69-70. Family History Library Ref. 942.27 B2h

Evans, D.M.H. "The Linzees of Portsmouth and the Royal Navy". List of Linzee names, and birth and death and place dates, occupation in some cases covering period 1725-1896 and article is to be found in The Hampshire Family Historian vol.IX, no.2. August 1982. page 49, Family History Library Ref. 942.27 B2h

Shotter, George William. "The Shotter Family of Portsmouth". Article contains a small family history of Thomas Shotter, born and died in Portsmouth, whose ancestor had moved from Easebourne, W. Sussex to Portsmouth in 1811. Article to be found in The Hampshire Family Historian, vol. XI, no. 3, Nov. 1984, pages 137-138, Family History Library Ref. 942.27 B2h and a further article in The Hampshire Family Historian vol. XI, no.4. Feb. 1985, page 207-208

Howell, Peter. "What the Papers Said". Article has a copy of the death notice of Lieutenant Commander of the Royal Navy, Henry Briton Howell of Portsmouth. Gives also a list of the chief mourners, and the relationship to him, and a history of his service in the Navy. Article to be found in The Hampshire Family Historian, vol.XI, no.4.Feb 1985,pages227-228, Family History Library Ref. 942.27 B2h.

Perrin, Peg. "From Portsmouth to Victoria. Charles James Bryant. 1830-1898". ; A description of Charles and his life in Maldon, Victoria, Australia, sadly losing 3 wives. Article is in The Hampshire Family Historian, vol.XV,no2, Aug. 1988, pages 94-95, Family History Library Ref. 942.27 B2h