Catalogues
Even when images of original material are not available online, you can still do some research using the online catalogue of the archive or library. The catalogue will tell you what documents are available and you will be able to find out how to order copies of records, or pre-order documents if you are going to visit an archive in person.
The Catalogue
, the online catalogue of The National Archives, contains 10 million descriptions of documents.
The A2A (Access to Archives) database contains catalogues of archives
held across England. If you know which region your ancestors come from
you could search using the name of their village, or even just enter
the surname of the person you are looking for. You will find references
to all kinds of records held by local archives, from the official such
as court sessions to personal diaries etc.
The online catalogue of the Scottish Archive Network let you access the holdings of 52 archives in Scotland.
The National Library of Wales offers a number of catalogues, and is currently moving all its catalogues into a single system.
