Resources For ResearchersAs well as all the resources which link from the individual parish pages, the following are available: |
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| FAQs | Cornish emigrants to New Zealand | |
| To search 'as is' transcriptions on this website | Malcolm McCarthy's Index of Transcribed Documents | |
| Surname files - linking related people in several parishes | Other County OPC schemes | |
| Useful Website Links | ||
| Cornish parishes, non-commercial | ||
| Cornwall general, non-commercial | ||
| Commercial/fee-based websites | ||
Resources for OPCs |
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| Examples of publicity material for download | For a sample of transcriptions and models to use | |
| OPC Blog, with hints & tips | Offers of photographs | |
| Help with the transcribing of early records | ||
Online Parish Clerks - an article by Julia Mosman (pdf)
Cornish Parishes - a short history, and explanation
Cornish Hundreds - a descriptive explanation
Change of Calendar in 1752 - and how it affects your family records
Common Naming Patterns, 1750 -1875 - that might help move your research forward
The sites below have data either listed or searchable by parish.
Cornish Cemeteries - a personal website, created and maintained by Christine Uphill; has many transcriptions of various cemetery records.
Cornish On-Line Census Project - an almost-completed set of transcriptions of the 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881 and 1891 Censuses; transcribed, checked and verified by volunteers worldwide.
Cornwall BMD Database - A compilation of birth, marriage, and death records from dedicated transcribers, for a wide assortment of parishes.
GenUKI - Cornwall - information county-wide and by parish, maintained by Ian Argall; VERY helpful, an almost-essential starting point for Cornish genealogy.
The National Archives - if a surname, parish, or even county is entered, all results associated with those search parameters are returned. The summaries of the documents are free, copies of the originals are fee-based, some being available immediately, others can be ordered from the CRO.
Old Cornwall Society - established 1927, a group of individuals trying to save historic cultural records, stories, and memorabilia. Website has puzzles, maps, and many interesting sections.
West Briton/Cornwall Advertiser - searchable 1800s newspaper transcriptions; updated weekly; includes BMDs, News, Coroners' Inquests, & Court Sessions
West Penwith Resources - covering the western parishes of Cornwall in depth, with maps, history, and much more - good for all Cornish researchers for background details.
The sites below have been selected as a broad representation of what is available to researchers; however, the list is far from comprehensive. Many worthwhile sites have not been included; please use this merely as a guide, and explore on your own. All sites in this section provide some information at no cost, although some might have commercial sections too.
Bible Christian Magazine - being compiled by Rita Bone Kopp and Graham Warmington. A good reference resource if your ancestors were Bible Christians, or for background information.
BBC Photographs - photographs of Cornwall - a variety of unusual photographs, including modern mines (underground)
Cornish Mailing List - plus searchable archives of the discussion list for all things Cornish, including genealogy
Cornish-Gen Mailing List - more specialised, includes searchable archives of the discussion list for Cornish genealogy
Other Cornish Mailing Lists include those for individual parishes or related clusters, some are more active than others.
Online Cornwall Maps - a variety of maps, from ancient times to modern, which are sizeable.
Cornwall Cam - photographs of Cornwall, updated daily. A personal site maintained by Charles Winpenny; unique compositions, great atmosphere, interesting subjects that are not standard. After 3 days, most photographs are removed. CDs of former photos are available for purchase, but site is totally free of charge.
Historical Directories - maintained by the University of Leicester, a selection of 23 different Cornish directories covering 1830-1910. Directories have descriptions of towns and parishes, as well as lists of commercial ventures, institutions, and inhabitants - all of which may aid in locating ancestors. The directories are downloadable, or can be viewed online. Included is the Post Office directory of 1856.
Stone and Quarry Men of The West Country - an extensive, personal website of references to men who worked with stone or as miners, this is an extremely worthwhile site.
West Country Photographs - views of Cornwall, and parts of Devon, by Simon Lewis; professional photographs of many Cornish sites and views.
Some of these sites provide basic information at no cost, but charges apply for details or copies. Many more such sites can be found by using a search engine such as Google or Yahoo.
Ambra Books - old, rare, and hard-to-find books, run by Ivor Cornish. Large stock, and will search for specific titles.
Archive CDs - books placed on CD; issued at low cost (the UK branch closed in 2007, but others still exist).
Belerion Books/CDs - books placed on CD; issued at low cost; has a variety of books for sale.
Cornish Forefathers Society - transcriptions of various registers available on CDs, a mailing list and website. Run by Pamela Drake.
Cornwall Family History Society - Most information is available for a small fee, such as results from the searchable database here.
Cornwall Legacy - transcriptions of various items available on CDs.
Francis Frith Collection - viewable old photos, for free, available for purchase.
Old Maps - from the late 1800s, searchable by county and town. Use the link 'Start your Search' which is almost in the centre of the home page.
Since we started this scheme in January 2001, other counties have adopted the idea, either from scratch or in conjunction with an earlier, similar scheme.
Devon Online Parish Clerks and One-Place Studies
Dorset Online Parish Clerks
Essex Online Parish Clerks
Hampshire Online Parish Clerks
Kent Online Parish Clerks - now asking for donations, which goes against the original OPC concept.
Lancashire Online Parish Clerks
Leicestershire Genealogical Resources OPCs
Lincolnshire Online Parish Clerks - in its infancy and appreciative of offers of help
Somerset Online Parish Clerks
Sussex Online Parish Clerks
Warwickshire Online Parish Clerks - est. Jan, 2006
Wiltshire Online Parish Clerks - a re-formed group, appreciative of offers of help
Cheshire Parish Register Project
Forest of Dean Transcription Project - many Parish Register transcriptions for parts of Gloucestershire and Herefordshire are free to view online.
Monmouthshire Family History - a comprehensive set of online transcriptions. It claims to be an OPC scheme on one landing page, but it isn't.
There are signs of similar schemes being started in Cambridgeshire, Surrey and North and West Ridings of Yorkshire but currently there is no mention of any county coordinators or web sites.
