How do I search records by category on Findmypast?

All Findmypast record sets are broadly categorised into nine distinct, searchable categories so you can find what you’re looking for quickly and easily.

1. Birth, marriage, death & parish records
2. Census, land & surveys
3. Military, armed forces & conflict
4. Newspapers & periodicals
5. Institutions & organisations
6. Travel & migration
7. Directories & social history
8. Education & work
9. Churches & religion

To search by category:

1. Select ‘Search’ from the menu when logged into the site
2. Select the category you want to search from the drop-down menu. You’ll be taken to a search page designed specifically for your chosen category
3. Enter your search criteria and select the blue search button

Top tip: You can switch between categories, subcategories and countries using the filters or drop-down menus on each category search page.

Each record category is further broken down into a range of searchable subcategories, useful for when you need to focus your search even further. For example, the ‘Census, land & survey’ category contains the following subcategories:

Note: Newspaper and periodical searches are performed separately to the rest of the site’s record searches. See How to search historical newspapers for details.

To search by subcategory:

1. Follow steps 1 and 2 outlined above for searching by category
2. Use the drop-down menu or filters to select a subcategory within your chosen record category
3. Alternatively, follow the link to the subcategory you want to search from the above table
4. Enter your search criteria and select the blue search button