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NATIONAL CENTRES OF INFORMATION

Introduction

Central London Map

National Archives

Probate Registry

National Libraries

Principal Societies

Special Interest Societies

The British Library contains an unrivalled range of collections. Those of key interest to family historians include its extensive collection of Electoral Registers and its collection of Army and Navy Lists. The library is split between three locations. The main centre is at St. Pancras in London. The newspaper collection is held at Colindale in north-west London and there is a reading room at Boston Spa in Yorkshire

• Complete set of electoral registers from 1947 and over 20,000 of earlier ones
• British Army and Royal Navy lists from 1642 onwards
• India Office records

The British Library's Newspaper Library at Colindale in the north-western outskirts of London is justifiably famous for its very extensive collection of newspapers and magazines. Publishers and distributors in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland have a legal obligation to send one copy of each of their publications to the British Library within one month of publication.

Newspapers can be a very useful source of information on ancestors, particularly in respect of "adding flesh to the bones"

• the most extensive worldwide collection of national and local newspapers and magazines for the British Isles
• the most extensive worldwide collection of Irish newspapers
• extensive collection of commonwealth newspapers
• early American newspapers

The National Library of Wales is generally acknowledged as the foremost centre for researching Welsh genealogy.

In addition to holding collections of original documents that are of key interest to family historians (pre 1858 Welsh wills, many Welsh parish registers, etc.), it also provides access to microfilm/fiche copies of key genealogical collections held elsewhere (e.g. nonconformist registers, General Register Office master indexes, etc.)

Housed in an attractive complex with excellent facilities, the National Library of Wales goes out of its way to welcome family historians tracing their Welsh ancestors.