The list on the previous page is not definitive in any way. There are many other subjects - too numerous to mention here - but not all will provide genealogical data although a family history in general might benefit from a wide spectrum of facts. Please note that the dates may change subject to revisions in the records but are given to generally indicate from when the most useful information might be obtained.

There is no typical researcher and no typical subject. Family historians of all sorts will have ancestors from every walk of life but the most popular TNA material for genealogists and family researchers is that of members of the armed forces such as army, navy etc. The British Empire of the 18th and 19th centuries was vast. Its servants and their families were extensively distributed around the globe regardless of class or occupation. Apart from valuable biographical and historical details, the surviving records of soldiers, sailors, marines, seamen, convicts and emigrants, in particular, can often break exciting new ground in family research as the records invariably give what every researcher yearns for: an age and a birthplace. More recent records might even show next of kin. In many instances, it is also possible to pick up other members of the same family.

Researchers and historians residing particularly in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa will invariably have had British ancestors at some point. Those ancestors who migrated prior to 1900 might well have military or naval connections or have been involved in voluntary (or involuntary!) emigration of some sort. To gain an appreciation for the valuable information that can be gleaned TNA records, click here to view some case studies.

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