What we Have
Local & Family History in RBWM
Welcome to our listing of resources held by the borough's libraries for your use! Please use the links just below to take you to the area most appropriate to your enquiry.
- Our 2 main library collections
- Ancestry, ODNB and TDA online resources
- Book stock
- Birth, Deaths and Marriages
- Census Returns
- City and Town Directories
- County and Regional Directories
- Electoral Registers
- International Genealogical Index (IG)
- Local Newspapers
- Local Record Office
- Other Material
- Parish Registers
- Periodicals (excl. newspapers)
- Poll Books
- Research services
- Royal Collection at Windsor Library
- Telephone Directories
- Thames Collection at Maidenhead Library
- Thames Pilot web site
-
Unpublished Indexes
Our 2 main library collections
Maidenhead Library
Local Studies section,Maidenhead Library,
St Ives Road,
Maidenhead
SL6 1QU
Tel: 01628 796 969, Fax: 01628 796 971
Email: maidenhead.library@rbwm.gov.uk
Contact: Chris Atkins - Librarian: Local Information & Studies
For directions, please link to Maps Online and to
opening times
Windsor Library
Local Studies section,
Bachelors Acre,
Windsor
SL4 1ER
Tel: 01753 743941 (Reference Library), Fax: 01753 743942
Email: windsor.library@rbwm.gov.uk
Contact: Chris Atkins - Librarian: Local Information & Studies
For directions please link to Maps Online and to
opening times
Ancestry, ODNB and TDA online resources
Ancestry
Ancestry is an excellent web resource, that we subscribe on your behalf, to help you trace your family history using records from England, Scotland and Wales censuses from 1841 to 1901, birth, marriage and death records and UK parish and probate records. We regret that due to licensing restrictions Ancestry is only available in the library, on the public PCs
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (ODNB)
ODNB is a useful online resource to research key local figures - anyone who was anyone in British history.
You can search by people by town, village or even street level. You can do a full text search and find numerous references to people associated with the area - Maidenhead, Ascot, Cookham, Cox Green, Datchet, Sunninghill , Eton and Windsor. . Information on Local History and the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. These sites can be accessed on our public computers and by library members from home using their library membership numbers.
Times Digital Archive (TDA)
TDA is a full-image online archive of every page published by The Times from 1785 to 1985. Every headline, article, illustration, advertisement & classified advertisement! You can limit your search to certain dates or periods, and / or to certain sections of the paper. TDA can be accessed on our public computers and by library members from home using their library membership numbers.
Book stock
The Borough's libraries stock over 3,000 local history books, the majority in the main collections at Maidenhead and Windsor. These are specific not only to towns and villages within the Borough, but also to Berkshire as a county, as well as including titles on Taplow, Marlow and other local settlements outside the Borough, and also Buckinghamshire (at Maidenhead) and Surrey (at Windsor). Books cover a wide range of local topics from archaeology to inns via regiments and ballads, from churches to floods via place-names and soils. Whilst most of the titles are for reference use only, many of the more general local history titles are available for loan. Also, the smaller branch libraries hold titles relevant to their local areas. To check which libraries hold which titles please link to our catalogue.
Birth, Deaths and Marriages
Registrar General's Indexes from 1837 (microform), or Registrar General for Scotland's Computerised Index from 1855. These are not held by the library service but by the Berkshire Record Office (B.R.O.). The Register Office at the Town Hall, Maidenhead holds indexes for Maidenhead and Windsor districts only. Enquirers are advised to write or make an appointment: 01628 796422
Census Returns
At Maidenhead Library:
1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901 (Please note, these are microfilms of the Maidenhead area only, please telephone if you wish to check a particular parish).
In hard copy we hold:
1841 - Cookham parish
1851 - Maidenhead Town
1851 - White Waltham parish
BFHS name index to 1851 census of Berkshire v.10, (Bray and Cookham subdistricts of Cookham registration district). Place index to 1841 census of Berkshire.
1881 (Microfiche transcript Berkshire and Buckinghamshire)
At Windsor Library:
1841 (Transcription from microfilm New Windsor only)
1841 (Microfilm) Windsor Enumeration District, Binfield, Cookham, Sunninghill, Easthampstead, Winkfield, Old Windsor
1851 (Microfilm) New Windsor, Clewer, Egham, Sunningdale, Ascot, Cranbourne, Holloway Sanitorium, Royal Indian Engineering College
1851 (Bound volume) Windsor Enumeration District
1861 (Microfilm) Egham, Old Windsor, Sunninghill, Virginia Water, Ascot Heath, Englefield Green, Windsor Castle, New Windsor, Clewer, Barracks/Hospital
1871 (Microfilm) New Windsor, Clewer, Dedworth, Old Windsor, Infantry Barracks, Cavalry Barracks, Windsor Castle, Beaumont College, Thorpe, Egham, Sunninghill
1881 (Bound volume) Windsor Enumeration District
1881 (Microfiche transcript) Berkshire
1891 (Microfilm) Windsor Enumeration District
1901 (Microfilm) Windsor Enumeration District
BFHS name index to 1851 census (Windsor)
The 1881 British Census and National Index on CD-Rom is available at both Windsor and Maidenhead libraries.
NB: the censuses are all now available on Ancestry, which is available to view on all the libraries' public PCs (link to here for more information on this)
City and Town Directories
At Maidenhead Library:
Cassey's Maidenhead 1868
Billings Maidenhead 1854
Harrods Maidenhead 1876
Kelly's Maidenhead 1847, 1864, 1869, 1899, 1920 (Photocopied extracts) 1929-30, 1936, 1940, 1942-43, 1948, 1952, 1955, 1957, 1960, 1963, 1965, 1967-74
Pigot's Maidenhead 1823 (Photocopied extract)
Smith's Postal Directory of Maidenhead, Marlow and district with a new street plan and map 1897.
Smith's Postal Directory of the mid-Thames Valley 1912-1913, Maidenhead,
Henley and Marlow and the surrounding districts.
Universal Maidenhead 1798
At Windsor Library:
Billing's Directory of Berks and Oxon 1854 (Photocopy of Windsor Section only)
Keates and Adams Directory of Oxon, Berks and Bucks 1861 (Photocopy of Windsor Section only)
Kelly's Berkshire 1877 (Photocopy of Windsor Section only)
Kelly's Berkshire 1887 (Photocopy of Clewer Section only)
Kelly's Berkshire 1891 (Photocopy of Clewer Section only)
Kelly's Berkshire 1899 (Photocopy of Windsor Section only)
Kelly's Windsor 1926, 1928, 1930, 1932, 1934, 1940, 1947, 1950, 1953, 1956, 1960, 1963, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974
Key Directory of Slough and Windsor (Classified trades only: no private residents)
Marshalls Directory of Windsor 1890, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1904, 1905, 1906,1907, 1909, 1910, 1916, 1920
Oxleys Directory of Windsor 1922, 1925
Pigot's Directory of Berks 1842 (Photocopy of Windsor Section only)
Post Office Directory 1883 (Photocopy of Windsor Section only)
Slater's Directory of Berks 1852-3 (Photocopy of Windsor Section only)
County and Regional Directories
At Maidenhead Library:
Billing's Berks and Oxon 1854
Dutton Allen Oxon, Berks, Bucks (2nd ed.) and maps. 1863
Hunt's Royal Windsor Directory 1846 (includes Eton, Slough, Maidenhead, Burnham, Taplow, Winkfield, Egham, Staines)
Kelly's Berkshire 1883, 1915, 1928, 1931
Kelly's Berks, Bucks and Oxon 1891, 1895, 1903, 1911, 1935, 1939
Loosley Almanack and Directory 1880
Oxley's Directory of Maidenhead and District 1923
Pigot's Berkshire 1830-31, 1842, 1844
Snare Berkshire Guide 1843
Walton's Berkshire 1968-1969
At Windsor Library:
Aubrey & Co's Berks and Bucks Directory 1915 (Classified trades only: no private residents)
Bucks and Berks Area Trades Directory 196? (Classified trades only: no private residents)
Cassey's Directory of Berks and Oxon 1868
Kelly's Berkshire 1924, 1931, 1935, 1939
Kelly's Berks, Bucks and Oxon 1895
Pigot's Directory of Berkshire 1830 (Microfiche)
Pigot's Directory of Berkshire 1842
Reading Berks and Oxford Directory (Classified trades only: no private residents) 1971
Electoral Registers
At Maidenhead Library:
Bound volumes:
Maidenhead Borough: 1947, 1948, 1951-2, 1956-7, 1957-8, 1958-9, 1961-2, 1962-3, 1964-5, 1966-7, 1969-70, 1971-1975 incl.
Windsor Constituency: 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1967, 1968
Maidenhead and Cookham: 1959-62 incl., 1963-4, 1965-6, 1975-1994.
Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (created 1974): 1994-1998 incl. Plus current year.
At Windsor Library:
Bound Volumes Windsor Borough: 1976-77
Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead: 1978-2000
Also held by Berkshire Record Office
Regulations governing the use of the historical registers::
• For historical registers which are up to 10 years old
Photocopies cannot be made from the Electoral Register, but limited handwritten notes may be taken. You will be asked to view these registers at the enquiry desk.
• For historical registers which are more than 10 years old: -
Photocopies can be made. However, any copies taken can only be used for what are deemed "research purposes", i.e. statistical or historical purposes, and are not to be used to in any way discredit or disparage an individual or individuals. There is no requirement to sit at the enquiry desk while viewing the register.
International Genealogical Index (IG)
At Maidenhead Library:
1988 microfiche. England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Channel Islands
At Windsor Library:
1992 microfiche. England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Channel Islands
Local Newspapers
At Maidenhead Library:
Local newspapers: Maidenhead Advertiser 1870 - (microfilm), Maidenhead Argus 12/00 - 1903
At Windsor Library:
Local newspaper: Windsor and Eton Express 1900- Windsor and Maidenhead Observer 1991- (was the Windsor and Eton Observer to 1997,
then Windsor, Ascot and Maidenhead Observer for 1998)
Local Record Office
Berkshire Record Office
9, Coley Avenue
Reading Berkshire
RG1 6AF
Tel: 0118 901 5132 Fax: 0118 901 5131
Parish Registers
Parish Registers are records of baptisms, marriages, and burials made by the Church. They are a valuable resource for researching your family tree because the census and official records of birth, marriage and death do not go back further than 1837.At Maidenhead Library:
Transcripts of registers for all Maidenhead parishes except Waltham St. Lawrence, and transcripts of registers for a number of other parishes in former Berkshire, but not including Windsor. Known as the "Brooks collection", covering the period from 1500's to 1837. More recent registers are held at the Berkshire Record Office.
At Windsor Library:
New Windsor (St. John the Baptist) only: Baptisms 1559-1753 & 1754-1837 Marriages: 1559-1837 Burials: 1560-1726 & 1726-1837 Index: 1559-1837
Periodicals (excl. newspapers)
At Maidenhead Library:
Thames Valley Countryside, 1961-1973
Berks and Bucks Countryside, 1971, 1974-1985
Home Counties Magazine, 1901-1908
Berkshire Archaeological Society Reports, 1879-82, 1888-93 then renamed to: Berks, Bucks & Oxon Archaeological Journal, 1895-1933 then renamed to: Berkshire Archaeological Journal, 1934-1993
At Windsor Library:
Berks, Bucks & Oxon Archaeological Journal, 1895-1933 then renamed to: Berkshire Archaeological Journal, 1934-1993
Poll Books
Not held in general. However at Maidenhead we have a single volume for the Maidenhead District c1832
Research services
The first 30 minutes of our research is free, then £27 (£24 to the Borough's Advantage card holders) per 60 minutes thereafter.
Royal Collection at Windsor Library
The Royal Collection has at least one book on each monarch who has lived at the Castle, and several on those with particular Windsor connections such as Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II.
Telephone Directories
Southern Section 1906-7 Reading Area: 1952, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960-1975 incl., 1977, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1989, 1993, 1994
Slough Area: 1985, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1997, 1999
Commercial/Yellow Pages: 1961 (Commercial), 1976-78, 1980-87 incl., 1989, 1992/3, 1995/6 (Yellow Pages) 1984-85, 1985-86, 1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-91, 1991-92, 1993-94 (Thomsons), 1982, 1983-84, 1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-91, 1996-97 (Telepages) Postcodes: 1970, 1979, 1988, 1992, 1995/6, 1996
At Windsor Library:
Reading Area: 1977, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1984 Slough Area: 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999 Yellow Pages (Reading Area): 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991/2, 1992/3, 1993/4, 1994/5, 1995/6, 1996/7, 1997/8 Telepages: 1984/5, 1993 Thomson's: 1987/8, 1988/9, 1989/90, 1990-91, 1993-94, 1994/5, 1996/7
Thames Collection at Maidenhead Library
Maidenhead Library stocks a whole bay of books which are exclusively about the Thames: including its history, boats, locks, taverns, tributaries and even boathouses.
Thames Pilot website
The Thames Pilot website is a unique collection of images and documents that chart the rich history of the River Thames, from source to sea. Museums and archives along the length of the river formed the ThamesPilot partnership to bring together this fascinating story in words, sounds and pictures.Thames Pilot includes a number of special collections contributed by the partners, including one on Thames Riverside pubs.
Unpublished Indexes
At Maidenhead Library:
The 'Local Studies' Access database at Maidenhead Library lists sources of information on local history topics from books, pamphlets and the Maidenhead Advertiser.
At Windsor Library:
There is a 'Local Studies' Access database at Windsor Library that lists sources of information on local history topics.
Other Material
At Maidenhead Library:
• Transcript of 1840 Survey of the Parish of Cookham* by John Terry (Shows ownership/use of buildings and land), survey, guide and accompanying maps
• Original notebooks of Stephen Darby (local historian, died 1911) covering the history and historical documents of the parish of Cookham*, including a plan of Cookham Parish churchyard showing occupants of graves. 19 volumes and name/place index.
• Typed notes on the history of Cookham and Cookham Dean, including information from historical documents, by B.M. Dodds (20th Century) 3 volumes.
• Rev. Thomas Whateley's Notebook, Vicar of Cookham 1797-1837
• Mr J Wesley Walker's notebook 1909
• Historical Ordnance Survey maps of the local area. Please telephone for details.
(* Includes the town of Maidenhead from the Bath Road northwards until 1894).
At Windsor Library
• Historical Ordnance Survey maps of the local area. Please telephone for details.
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