RESEARCH AT WEST SUSSEX RECORD OFFICE

West Sussex parish registers:  I can search parish registers held at West Sussex Record Office, Chichester.  

 

If the register is retained at the church or deposited elsewhere, the Bishop's Transcripts (BTs) for the parish of interest can be searched instead, providing the BT for the year required is available at West Sussex Record Office.  (A Bishop's Transcript is an annual summary of baptisms, marriages and burials sent each year from each parish to the Bishop.  West Sussex Record Office holds surviving Bishop's Transcripts for the entire County of Sussex.  Original BTs cannot be copied.) 

 

I can obtain a printout of any relevant entry found in a West Sussex parish register which has been microfilmed.  If the register is an original volume, a full transcription will be provided.

 

I can obtain a printout of any relevant entry found in a Bishop's Transcript which has been microfilmed.  If the Bishop's Transcript is an original document, a full transcription will be provided.

 

Parish registers for East Sussex parishes are held at East Sussex Record Office, which I do not visit.  However, I can search Bishop's Transcripts for most East Sussex parishes at West Sussex Record Office.

 

Printouts can be scanned and forwarded by e-mail to avoid postal charges.

 

My fee for research at West Sussex Record Office is £30.00 per hour (minimum 1 hour) with the exception of a single post-1820 parish register entry look-up, where you have the parish and exact date from another source, e.g. Family Search:

 

West Sussex parish register entry (parish & date provided, post-1820):

To locate single entry of interest, on date provided, and transcribe & copy = £16.00

If the entry is found, the copy will be scanned and forwarded by e-mail.

Please note that this service is a look-up and copy service for a single entry on a specific date provided by the client.  If the entry is not found on the date given, no refund will be made.  When providing information, please check carefully that the date and parish are accurately transcribed from your source.

 

I accept payment by Paypal.  I don't charge extra for travel time or expenses or the time spent typing your report.  The only additional charges would be for copies (and postage, if required):

 

For copies which I am able to obtain self-service = £0.80 per page (no charge for spoils)

Copies are scanned and forwarded by e-mail unless otherwise requested.

 

Postage:

If required, copies can be sent by post:

Postage by 1st class Signed For post to UK address (standard charge) = £4.50 per A4 envelope.

Postage by International Airsure/International Signed For post to overseas address = at cost + £2.00 handling fee 

 

Please see client feedback .  

 

Find your Sussex parish on a map:

 

Old Sussex Mapped (University of Portsmouth's Department of Geography project)  

and      Sussex Weald parish maps  

 

 

Many other useful resources are held at West Sussex Record Office. 

 

My fee to research any material held at West Sussex Record Office as listed below is £25.00 per hour:

 

Try a surname search on West Sussex Record Office's catalogue .

 

• West Sussex parish registers - baptisms, marriages, burials; Bishop's Transcripts (list of parishes on this page);
• Bishop's Transcripts for most parishes throughout West and East Sussex;
• West Sussex marriage licence records; banns books; 
• West Sussex Nonconformist registers;  
• West Sussex monumental (gravestone) inscriptions which can record more than one family member in the same plot. A private grave may have been used by the same family for over 100 years and the discovery of a monumental inscription could provide information on several generations. If you have found members of your family being buried in a particular parish, please contact me with the name of the parish and dates of burial so that I can advise whether transcriptions of monumental inscriptions for the parish are available and the cost of a search (frequently as little as 1 hour's search time is required).

• West Sussex censuses:  1841-1911 censuses; census indexes, pre-1841 censuses for some areas; 
• West Sussex maps (large scale, various dates) useful for locating properties and for West Sussex house history;
• West Sussex wills and administrations (admons and West Sussex, inventories of goods owned by the deceased - many detailed inventories survive;
• Parish rate books; workhouse records; settlement examinations; West Sussex Land Tax returns
• Historic Sussex school admission registers and log books (1862-1925); vaccination registers;
• Sussex archive newspapers from mid-19thC - birth, marriage and death notices; obituaries; accidents; suicides; inquests; crimes; trials etc - late 19thC to mid-20thC Sussex newspapers can be very informative;
• West Sussex directories from 1792; Sussex Poll Book 1734;  electoral registers; 20thC telephone and local directories; 
• West Sussex criminal register index; West Sussex trials; West Sussex Quarter Sessions; Sussex Assizes (records at the National Archives); records of convicts transported from West Sussex to Australia 1788-1840;
• West Sussex Constabulary
• West Sussex watch and clockmakers;
• West Sussex tradesmen, dealers, business owners, manufacturers;
• West Sussex farmers, market gardeners, seedsmen and landowners - all may be listed in trade directories and rate books;
• West Sussex railway workers;
• West Sussex clergy;
• West Sussex house history.

 

 

Additional useful resources for Sussex family hisory are held in the Library of the Society of Genealogists, where my fee for research is £40.00 per hour.

 

Resources available include:

• indexes to parish registers of baptisms, marriages and burials (various covering dates);
• monumental inscriptions (gravestone memorials);
• microfilm & microfiche copies of West Sussex and East Sussex parish registers;
• directories;
• Faculty Office & Vicar-General marriage licences (for marriages by Licence, where the licence has not been found in Sussex).

 

For Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, Merchant Navy and Army records, I undertake research at the National Archives, Kew.  Was a family member in the RAF based at a Sussex airfield during WW2?  

Records relating to Sussex Customs & Excise Officers and the National Farm Survey of 1941 are also deposited at the National Archives. 

All research-related enquiries welcome.  My fee for research at the National Archives is £38.00 per hour.

Please note I am unable to respond to requests for general information regarding these records. 

 

Albourne, Alciston, Aldingbourne, Aldrington, Alfriston, Ambersham, Appledram, Ardingly, Arlington, Arundel, Ashburnham, Ashington, Ashurst, Balcombe, Barcombe, Barlavington, Barnham, Battle, Beckley, Beddingham, Beeding (Lower and Upper), Bepton, Bersted (North and South), Berwick, Bexhill, Bignor, Billingshurst, Binderton, Binsted, Birdham, Bishopstone, Blatchington (East and West), Bodiam, Bodle Street, Bognor, Bolney, Bosha, Botolphs, Boxgrove, Bramber, Brede, Brightling, Brighton, Broadwater, Burgess Hill, Burpham, Burton, Burwash, Bury, Buxted, Capel, Catsfield, Chailey, Chalvington, Chichester, Chiddingly, Chidham, Chiltington (East and West), Chithurst, Clapham (n.b. there is another Clapham in London/Surrey), Clayton, Climping, Coates, Cocking, Coldwaltham, Colgate, Compton, Coombes, Copthorne, Cowfold, Crawley, Crowborough, Crowhust, Cuckfield, Dallington, Danehill, Dean (East and West, West Sussex), Dean (East, East Sussex), Denton, Dicker, Didling, Ditchling, Donnington, Duncton, Durrington, Earlnley, Eartham, Easebourne, Eastbourne, Eastergate, Ebernoe, Edburton, Egdean, Elsted, Edridge Green, Etchingham, Ewhurst, Fairlight, Falmer, Felpham, Fernhurst, ferring, Findon, Firle, Fishbourne, Fittleworthm, Fletching, Flimwell, Folkington, Ford, Forest Row, Forestide, Framfield, Frant, Friston, Funtington, Glynde, Goring, Graffham, Greatham, Grinstead (East and West), Groombridge, Guestling, Guildeford (not to be confused with Guildford, Surrey), Hadlow Down, Hailsham, Hammerwood, Hamsey, Hangleton, Hardham, Hartfield, Harting, Hastings, Haywards Heath, Heene, Heighton, Hellingly, Henfield, Heyshott, Highbrook, High Hurst Wood, Hoathly (East and West), Hollington, Hooe, Horsham, Horsted Keynes, Horsted (Little), Houghton, Hove, Hunston, Hurstmoneux, Icklesham, Iden, Ifield, Iford, Iping, Isfield, Itchenor, Itchingfield, Jevington, Keymer, Kingston Gorse, Kingston by Lewes, Kingston by Sea, Kirdford, Lancing, Laughton, Lavant (East and Mid), Lavington, Lewes, Linch, Linchmere, Lindfield, Littlington, Littlehampton, Lodsworth, Lullington, Lurgashall, Lyminster, Madehurst, Malling (South - not to be confused with Malling in Kent), Marden (East, North and Up), Maresfield, Mark Cross, Mayfield, Merston, Middleton, Midhurst, Milland, Mountfield, Mundham (North), Netherfield, Newhaven, Newick, Newtimber, Ninfield, Northchapel,Northam, Nuthurst, Nutley, Ore, Oving, Ovingdean, Pagham - Overlord monument, Parham, Partridge Green, Patcham, Patching, Peasmarsh, Penhurst, Pett, Petworth, Pevesey, Piddinghoe, Plaistow, Playden, Plumpton, Polegate, Poling, Portfield, Portslade, Poynings, Preston (East), Preston (Hove), Pulborough, Pyecombe, Racton, Ringmer, Ripe, Rodmell, Roffey, Rogate, Rotherfield, Rottingdean, Rudgwick, Rumboldswhyke, Rusper, Rustington, Rye, St Leonards, Salehurst, Sayers Common, Seaford, Sedlescombe, Selham, Selmeston, Selsey, Shermanbury, Shipley, Shoreham (New and Old), Sidlesham, Singleton, Slaugham, Slindon, Slinfold, Sompting, Southbourne, Southease, Southwater, Southwick, Stanmer, Stansted, Staplefield, Stedham, Steyning,Stoke (North, South and West), Stonegate, Stopham, Storrington, Stoughton, Streat, Sullington, Sutton, Tangmere, Tarring (Neville and West), Telscombe, Terwick, Thakeham, Thorney (West), Ticehurst, Tidebrook, Tillington, Treyford cum Didling, Trotton, Tuxlith, Twineham, Uckfield, Udimore, Upwaltham, Wadehurst, Walberton, Waldron, Warbleton, Warminghurst, Warnham, Warningcamp, Wartling, Washington, Westbourne, Westfield, Westham, Westhampnett, Westmeston, Whatlington, Wiggonholt cum Greatham, Willingdon, Wilmington, Winchelsea, Wisborough Green, Wiston, Withyham,  Wittering (East and West), Wivelsfield, Woodmancote, Woolavington, Woolbeding, Worth, Worthing, Yapton.