Hi Stuart, You might find a good place to begin understand all about the UK, our local government systems, civil registration, church records, archives and record offices, maps and where places are within the county or country. In short all kinds of very useful information about the UK that will help you get to grips with genealogy by going to the Genuki website at www.genuki.org.uk from here you can link to each county and then to the place names within that county which interest you. There are also many links to items of interest. Yorkshire is quite a complicated county to get to grips with so make sure that you read all the information on the initial page for Yorks. on the Genuki site when you get there, this is very important to understanding the place as a whole. I also find that a good current road map atlas of either the whole of the UK or of England very useful for pinpointing places as they are today and seeing the lie of the land. You will find links on the Genuki site where you can purchase reproduction and/or old maps from the 19th century of portions of the country too. Good Luck Jenny DeAngelis. Spain. > Some nice people suggested that I try north yorks.gov.uk/libraries and follow links. My problem is that i do not understand your hierarchy of local govt.and not knowing your local geography am unable to find Ruswarp or near district. Can someone please straighten me out. > Stuart from Sth. Aust.