FamilySearch helps family and local historians across the world free of charge. It has created 5,930 million images of historical records, most of which anyone can see and download at home.
For contractual and other reasons, access to some 400 million images of the digitised records is restricted to affiliate libraries and FamilySearch Centres. These records include most of the wills and related documents for Northamptonshire people dating from before 1858 as well as many parish registers. The good news is that they are now much easier for anyone to reach.
Every library (including the community libraries) in North and West Northamptonshire as well as Northamptonshire Archives is now an affiliate library of FamilySearch. To see the 'restricted’ records there, you just need to visit one of the affiliate libraries, create your own free FamilySearch account if necessary and use the library’s internet for access. The catalogue on the FamilySearch website helps in finding records of interest. You can also download particular images to study in depth at home.
This development is a major benefit to local as well as family historians. It’s not just for enthusiasts who write books and articles but for everyone curious about people and places of the past. What will you find?