Free Records from The National Archives UK

Although TheNational Archives UK is now reopening after lockdown on a limited basis, it is continuing to offer free access to thousands of its digitised family history records.

To access these , you have to register for an account on its website Discovery. This is free, and enables TNA to check that you are complying with its ‘fair use’ policy. The main restrictions are that you can’t put more than 10 items in your basket per visit, and you can’t download more than 100 items over the course of a 30-day period.

What you can access free includes :

• Army and military records - Many records have been digitised and are now hosted on the major subscription websites, but there are a good number of useful records that are now freely available on TNA’s website. Some, like the First World War Medal Index Cards (MICs), are also available on commercial websites.  Other collections include the service records of First World War nurses, the Household Cavalry records which cover both the First World War and earlier service and Recommendations for military honours and awards 1935–1990.
• RAF records -  These include the Royal Air Force Operations Record Books (ORBs), the Women’s Royal Air Force service records, and combat reports from the Second World War. The last is an incomplete collection and can only be searched by pilot, air gunner or date, but is fascinating nonetheless.
• Royal and Merchant navy records -  The collections include service records for both officers and ratings, as well as medal records for merchant seamen covering both world wars and the unpaid pensions claims from 1830–1860 which often include supporting documents such as wills, death certificates and marriage records.
• Wills from the Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC) - Dating all the way back to 1384, these wills can be a gold mine of information if you find an ancestor in them. PCC wills are available on various commercial sites as well, but there are other records here that can’t be found elsewhere. 
• Migration records - These include the aliens’ registration cards 1918–1957, which usually include photos; and the naturalisation case papers from 1801–1870. If you see “naturalised” in the “Where born” column of a census record, then the case papers would be worth investigating.
•  First World War service appeal tribunal records from Middlesex - Tribunals were set up across the country to listen to those who appealed against conscription. Although conscientious objection was allowed as a reason not to serve, the records show that most people appealed for other reasons. This is one of the few sample collections that survive – the rest of the tribunal records were destroyed after the war.

So take the opportunity to explore this wonderful free access to records you would normally have to pay to obtain, yet another example of how  many companies are changing their practices to keep people going through the pandemic.