Do you have a family connection to the Islands of Guernsey?
Findmypast, a genealogical website, has launched a new project in collaboration with local organisations, digitising thousands of archival documents from the Islands that are now available with a single click.
Discover your heritage and chart your family tree with documentation from the Occupation and Liberation, historical records, photos and newspapers.
Findmypast and the Digitisation of Bailiwick History
Findmypast, a UK-based family tree company, has brought to life the historical roots of the Bailiwick in a collaborative project with local organisations, offering digitised viewing of vital records, including over 210,000 pages of archival documents such as Greffe records, parish church registers, Occupation identity cards and conveyance documents.
The project was led by the Bailiwick of Guernsey Digitisation Partnership, a steering group consisting of representatives from the Priaulx Library, Island Archives, the Deanery of Guernsey, La Société Guernesiaise and the Greffe. Together with Findmypast, the team conducted the digitisation process in Guernsey to ensure the safe preservation of all original documents.
The new online collection brings together records from Guernsey, Alderney and Sark, allowing users to explore details of the people, places and events that have shaped the Bailiwick for almost half a millennium, with the earliest church registers on the website starting in the late 1500s. Providing a holistic and central resource for islanders and researchers alike, the project marks a significant step in record preservation and accessibility in the Bailiwick.
To comply with data protection, the project leads consulted with the Law Officers and the States’ Data Protection advisers, as well as considering the National Archives guidelines in the UK. Subsequently, appropriate cut-off dates have been implemented to reduce the risk of personal data of living people being published. Therefore, the most recent records include documentation from 1940-45 during the Occupation, including Occupation ID forms, order documents, and evacuee return forms.
Mary McKee, UK Archives Manager at Findmypast, said: “The records published today offer unprecedented online access to anyone looking to delve deeper into the rich history of these islands. For the first time, researchers will be able to search within millions of records and uncover the family stories of islanders over the past 400 years. In particular, the Occupation records from the Second World War provide poignant insights into life during one of the most challenging periods in its modern history. We're very proud to offer these to the public exclusively online on Findmypast."
Want to Learn More When You Visit?
Are you visiting the Islands of Guernsey soon? Stop by the Priaulx Library, Island Archives or the Greffe, where you can access Findmypast for free and explore your ancestral ties to the Islands.
If you are keen to learn more about the history of the Bailiwick and explore the locations and events that shaped the lives of your ancestors when you visit, make sure to explore the wide range of guided tours and heritage routes available.
The Visitor Information Centre in St Peter Port also provides plenty of in-person information and guidance that can get you started.
If you are not able to visit the Islands soon but are interested in researching your links to the Bailiwick from home, subscriptions to Findmypast are also available, with full details regarding prices and options available on their website.
Find out more about your connection to the Bailiwick at Findmypast.
