Biographical, Historical and Family History
Ancestry Institution Edition
Masses of information for family history researchers, including census records, births, marriages and deaths and much more.
This resource is only available by visiting one of our libraries.
The British Newspaper Archive
Access the British Library's vast collection of digitised historic newspapers from all over Britain and Ireland.
Please note: you will need to create or sign in to a personal British Newspaper Archive account in order to view the publications.
Find my past
Family history records, news and tutorials from the Find My Past Worldwide Edition.
Includes unlimited free access to the 1921 Census.
IWM Lives of the First World War
Creating and sharing the life stories of more than 8 million men and women who served in uniform and worked on the home front during the First World War.
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
Biographies of over 60,000 people who have shaped the history and culture of the British Isles, from Roman times to the 21st century.
The Guardian and Observer Archive
Full contents of The Guardian (1821 – 2003) and The Observer (1791-2003).
Who's Who and Who was Who
From 1849 right up to this year - the noteworthy and influential people who have impacted British life.
Your Family Tree
Free access to special subject guides.
Yoko Sato: Quick Family Tree
This is an app that allows you to make family trees without having to create an account. There are no paid services within the app either. You can easily add parents, children, and spouses just by tapping.
Download the app on an apple device
Download the app on an android device
BFI Replay
60 years of screen history from the British Film Institute. This can be accessed from the computers in the library. Find out more
Essex Record Office
The storehouse of Essex history for discovering documents, images, and recordings that together tell the story of 1000 years of our county's past. Further information and opening times can be found on the Essex Record Office website.