Phone: 0191 2774100
Email: information@newcastle.gov.uk
Address: City Library, Charles Avison Building, 33 New Bridge St. West, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8AX
Monday 8:30am – 8pm
Tuesday 8:30am – 8pm
Wednesday 8:30am – 8pm
Thursday 8:30am – 8pm
Friday 8:30am – 5:30pm
Saturday 8:30am – 5:30pm
Sunday 11am – 5pm
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We now have an annual subscription to the Gale/Cengage database of 19th Century Newspapers. There is access to it via every People’s Network computer in the service. There is also a facility for remote access at home if you have a Newcastle library ticket. Please enter your ticket number where prompted to gain access. The database includes three northern titles; The Newcastle Courant (Daily and Weekly), The Northern Liberator and the Northern Echo. It also includes a wide range of regional and some national titles, for example, The Illustrated Police News. If you are interested in family history or general historical research we think you will find this database useful and easy to use.
Ancestry.com (only accessible through Peoples Network PCs in the library)
Ancestry Library Edition is a research tool offering the most comprehensive genealogical information available online. It has more than 4 billion names in over 4000 collections. Access to historical records such as Census Returns, Birth Marriage and Death Indexes, Passenger Lists, Military Records and much more. There are no passwords to remember and shortcuts can be found on the desktop of People's Network PCs.
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We now have access to the Library Edition of Ancestry through our People's Network computers at every library.
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The Newcastle Local Studies and Family History Centre holds a large amount of unique and valuable material relating to the North East of England. If you do not live locally, and are unable to visit us, we will search through some of this material on your behalf. Some of our more straight forward searches are free of charge (see below), although there may be a small payment for photocopying and postage. You can also get help with more complex enquiries through our research service.
If you would like to use this service you will need to fill in the application form and send us details of the research you require. Our staff will then undertake a search on your behalf. You will receive the answer to your enquiry in writing. We can’t undertake very general research such as ‘the history of Newcastle upon Tyne’. We are also unable to undertake extensive family history projects, although we may be able to provide you with details of the resources that are available. You can consult an independent researcher to undertake family history research on your behalf (contact us for a list).
The research service costs £20.00 per hour for individuals and £30.00 an hour for commercial companies.
You can set a limit on the amount of research you would like us to complete on your behalf. The minimum time is one hour and the maximum is two. Payment is required in advance; please see our application form for details.
Although we will make every effort to find some information for you, if we are unable to do this the charge will still be implemented. This is because our staff will have spent time looking for the information. If we know that we don’t hold the information you require or feel that your request is too general for us to undertake, we will notify you and refund the payment. If we feel that your enquiry doesn’t qualify has research but can be undertaken as a general enquiry, we will notify you and refund the payment.
Please print off and complete the relevant form below depending on whether the research is to be completed on behalf of an individual or a company. Alternatively forms are available by ringing 0191 2774100:
Order form for an individual (PDF, opens in new window)
Order form for commercial research (PDF, opens in new window)
Census returns
We will check up to three names and addresses on three census records. The census is available to search online, although there may be a charge to view. See the
National Archives website for more details. You can also view images of the census for free using Ancestry Library in any of our libraries.
Parish registers
We will check three names in up to three parish registers. The year, church and district should be given by you.
Street/trade directories
We will check up to three names in three given directories. The street or address should be supplied by you.
Newspapers
We will check one week on either side of a given date in one local newspaper.
Electoral roll
The current roll cannot be checked in response to either written or telephone enquiries due to rules set by The Electoral Commission. You are welcome to visit us to check it yourself. Historical Rolls can be checked for a five-year period but you must provide the street name.
Photocopying from Local Studies material
Requests for photocopies from collection material will be considered on an individual basis. Decisions will be based on suitability of material and amount of photocopying required. The legislation relating to Crown Copyright will always be applied.
GRO
Index available nationally and at the
Free BMD website. We do not check in response to written or telephone enquiries.