Hi Nick, ----- Original Message ----- From: "nicholas wilson" <wilsonnicholas90@gmail.com> > I shall be visiting London in October, yet again, in my endless search for > half hidden ancestors, and since I shall have little time to do all I think > I need to do I do not want to waste a minute of my time. I have in the past > visited local family history centres, but wonder if the LMA can provide most > of what these specialist centres provide. e.g records of local nespapers, > local business directories, etc., or is still best to go to the borough > where the person lived/died in the late 19th century?. > > The areas I am particularly interested in are Islington, Mile End Road, > Clapton, Stepney and the borough of my birth, Kensington, spelt with an ess. > > Thanks,> > Nick.> > Richmond, B.C. ----- Much will depend on *what* you want to see. For example, ancestry has most, but not all, of those parish registers for Greater London kept at the LMA. Notable exceptions are the City of Westminster (inc.much of Marylebone and Paddington) at Westminster City Archives, and St.Mary Abbots, Kensington (still with the church). Findmypast has some non-conformist records online. The LMA has a wonderful collection (you an search/browse the catalogue through their own site or the National Archives site). The Guildhall Library has the most complete runs of London directories (these may have been now transferred to the LMA). The SoG Library has a vast collection of material, including for London/Middlesex. Local borough archives are a much under-used resource, and some have been heavily affected by recent cuts. (e.g. Hammersmith & Fulham now only open twice a month by appointment only). Clapton will be in Hackney Archives, Stepney and Mile End in Tower Hamlets. They are probably the best source for local newspapers, outside the British Library at Colindale. There are also more obscure archives, such as those associated with professions, e.g. architects, surgeons. The secret is in the next few weeks to really organise your research so that before you land you now exactly where you need to go and the opening hours and general proximity of one repository to another. Almost every one has a web-site and most a searchable catalogue. Lastly, do not bring original documents with you - you'd hate to lose them - make photocopies. Good hunting! John Henley