HOW TO USE THE DATABASE

The database is built around people’s names as they were listed in 1851.

Many names are not spelled consistently in all sources. In addition, quite a lot of these people (not least women who married) changed their names in the course of their lifetimes. The search engine uses Soundex to help reduce problems with spelling, but it is important to read the Notes on Definitions to see how other differences have been treated.

To start your search, enter a surname. You will be offered a list of possible matches, in alphabetical order of given names, along with year and place of birth to help narrow down the search. If you see one that seems to fit the person you are looking for, click on it to bring up the main table on the person.  You will then be able to click on further links on that table to produce sub-tables on the person's spouse(s) and child(ren), if any, and their occupation(s) and places of residence decade by decade.

Make a note of the person's ID number at the top left hand corner of the main page, because if you need to consult the web page again, it makes finding the entry easier: on the database entry page, you are offered the option of searching by ID number rather than by surname.