Sources For Family History

Temporary relocation

From August 2008 to summer 2009, the Local History Library will be moving, temporarily to:
Peckham Library
122 Peckham Hill Street
Peckham
London
SE15 5JR
Follow this link for more information (pdf 20kb)

Information on christenings, marriages and burials

The Local History Library does not hold any registration records for christenings, marriages and burials. These are held at Southwark Registrars Department, Town Hall, Peckham Road, London SE5 8UB.

The library is not a diocesan Record Office, so it does not have original parish registers. These are held at London Metropolitan Archives, 40 Northampton Road, London EC1R 0HB, 020 7332 3820.

Microfilm copies of

St Saviour

• Christenings from 1538 to 1571, 1653 to 1852
• Marriages from 1539 to 1571, 1653 to 1725, 1759 to 1837
• Burials from 1538 to 1571, 1653 to 1835

St Mary Magdalen, Bermondsey

• Christenings 1548 to 1603, 1675 to 1724, 1801 to 1856
• Marriages 1548 to 1573, 1582 to 1603, 1675 to 1700, 1777 to 1795, 1801 to 1841, index to 1609 to 1832
• Banns' books 1810 to 1822, 1857 to 1899 
• Burials 1548 to 1603, 1674 to 1688, 1810 to 1854

St George the Martyr

• Christenings 1602 to 1714, 1758 to 1844
• Marriages 1602 to 1714, 1758 to 1837
• Burials 1602 to 1714, 1758 to 1857

St John Horselydown

• Christenings 1803 to 1853
• Marriages 1803 to 1853
• Burials 1803 to 1854

Christ Church, Surrey

• Christenings 1671 to 1751, 1770 to 1757, 1922 to 1933
• Marriages 1792 to 1803, 1807 to 1941, index to 1781 to 1837
• Burials 1671 to 1844

St Giles, Camberwell

• Christenings 1558 to 1750, 1763 to 1764, 1801 to 1845
• Marriages 1558 to 1750, 1763 to 1764, 1801 to 1837
• Burials 1558 to 1780, 1801 to 1845

St Mary, Rotherhithe

• Christenings 1555 to 1869
• Marriages 1555 to 1785, 1800 to 1867
• Burials 1555 to 1864

St Olave

• Christenings 1639 to 1665, 1685 to 1884
• Marriages 1639 to 1665, 1685 to 1864, 1903 to 1918 
• Burials 1639 to 1665, 1685 to 1853

St Thomas

• Christenings 1653 to 1687, 1691 to 1732, 1802 to 1863
• Marriages 1653 to 1687, 1691 to 1732, 1802 to 1863, index to 1614 to 1753, 1792 to 1837 
• Burials 1653 to 1687, 1691 to 1854

St Mary, Newington

• Christenings 1561 to 1577, 1611 to 1852 
• Marriages 1561 to 1809, 1813 to 1837
• Burials 1561 to 1577, 1609 to 1837, index to 1837 to 1854

St George's Roman Catholic Cathedral

Index to marriages 1823 to 1920

The library also holds most of the civil records of the ten ancient parishes of Southwark, for example rate books and Poor Law material.

International genealogical index

The International Genealogical Index on CD ROM is available for the whole of the British Isles and the counties of London, Surrey, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Kent and Sussex are available on microfiche in the 1988 edition.

Census returns

We hold census returns on microfilm for the whole borough for 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871 and 1881. The 1891 and 1901 censuses are held on microfiche. Each year has a street index, and in addition we have the following name indexes

• 1811 St Saviour
• 1821 Christ Church, Southwark
• 1831 Christ Church, Southwark, St Saviour, St Mary Newington
• 1841 Christ Church
• 1851 Christ Church, St Saviour, St Olave, St Mary Magdalen Bermondsey, St George the Martyr, St Giles Camberwell, St John Horselydown, St Thomas, St Mary Newington, St Mary Rotherhithe
• 1861 Christ Church, St Thomas, St Saviour
• 1871 Christ Church, Bermondsey, St James sub district, Rotherhithe, ED 642, Peckham, ED 733
• 881 Christ Church, St Saviour, St Olave, St Mary Magdalen Bermondsey, St George the Martyr, St Giles Camberwell, St John Horselydown, St Thomas, St Mary Newington, St Mary Rotherhithe
• 1891 Christ Church, St Saviour, St George the Martyr
• 1901 Index available for England and Wales via our internet terminal, 5 gift vouchers on sale

The staff are not able to check surname indexes on behalf of enquirers, but a search service for the census returns is available. Readers with a precise address, including street number, may order copies from the census at 6 per address per year.

Directories

We have a small collection of London Directories. Directories for the years 1841 to 1881 are available on microfilm only. There are a few residential directories for Southwark, mainly covering the south of the borough, but most directories contain commercial information only. We have a small collection of these. A more complete collection can be found at Guildhall Library, Aldermanbury, London EC2P 2EJ.

Electoral registers

We hold electoral registers covering the north of the borough from around 1890, and for Camberwell from 1913. Southwark was a very poor area, with a highly mobile population, with the result that many inhabitants either did not qualify for the vote or did not stay at one address long enough to register.

Wills

We do not hold any wills or records of coroners' inquests, but the Corporation of London Records Office, Guildhall, London EC2P 2EJ holds some up to 1932 for the northern part of the borough over which the Corporation of London had jurisdiction.

Cemetery records

The records of Nunhead and Camberwell, Old and New Cemeteries, are in the care of the Cemeteries Superintendent, Camberwell New Cemetery, Brenchley Gardens, London SE23. Personal searches are not permitted, but written enquiries will be answered when the name of the deceased and date of death are given.

Local newspapers

We hold microfilm records of all local newspapers from 1855. Readers searching for reports of inquests should remember that usually only those inquests concerning an unusual death were reported in the local newspapers. The only full obituaries included in the local press are those for prominent citizens.

Rate books

Rate books can be difficult to use. They are unindexed, either by name or street. Individual house numbers do not appear until the mid 19th century. The following rate books are available

• St Mary Magdalen, Bermondsey 1599 to 1625, 1676 to 1691, 1699 to 1899
• St Mary, Rotherhithe 1754 to 1900
• St John, Horselydown 1734 to 1900
• St Olave 1707 to 1899
• St Mary, Newington 1673 to 1900
• St George the Martyr 1635 to 1900
• St Saviour 1748 to 1900
• Christ Church 1820, 1828, 1843, 1849, 1853 to 1900
• St Thomas 1791 and 1792 only
• St Giles, Camberwell 1768, 1774, 1780 to 1785, 1802 to 1859

Photographs may be taken of the rate books but we are not able to provide photocopies from manuscript volumes.

Poor Law records

The fullest surviving Poor Law records relate to the parishes of St Mary, Newington, and St George the Martyr. The collection is incomplete even for these parishes, and little of the material has been indexed. Much of the material is housed in an outstore, and a week's notice is required before it can be seen. Records of the local Boards of Guardians formed in 1834 are mostly deposited in the Greater London Record Office, as are the earlier Poor Law records of some parishes.

Settlement paper indexes are available for St George the Martyr Southwark and St Mary Newington.

Before you visit us

Readers wishing to consult microfilm or microfiche are advised to telephone in advance of a visit to book a microfilm or microfiche viewer. If copies are required please say so when making the booking.

More information about the collections

• A Guide to the Archives in Southwark Local Studies Library, by Stephen Humphrey, 2.50 plus postage
• Family history in Southwark; a guide to tracing your Southwark ancestors, by Len Reilly, 1.95 plus postage

Contact us

Local History Library
Tel: 020 7525 2000
Fax: 020 7403 8633
local.history.library@southwark.gov.uk
211 Borough High Street
London
SE1 1JA