search services
If you are unable to visit our Research Centre to conduct your own research, our volunteer staff will search our records for you.
Unless otherwise quoted, a search fee of £10 (£14 for non-members) will be charged for up to one hour's research. Should more work be required we will contact you for authorisation of further work, and payment, before completing the research.
- No search will be conducted until payment has been received
- The fee quoted is per search and cannot be refunded if the search fails to find anything
- Please print off a copy of the Research Request form, complete and return it with your remittance to Treetops Research Centre
- Payment by Sterling cheque please, payable to Dorset Family History Society
- Please provide an e-mail address if possible, so that we can deal with any queries and to return search results
- Results will only be posted if a suitably sized s.a.e. is supplied or Rate A p&p is paid
- Members please quote your membership number in all correspondence
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As a reminder, the following records are available to be searched for you.
Dorset Parish Registers
See our Parish Registers pages for details of the latest transcribed records.
Many of our Parish Register transcriptions are also on Find My Past, and may be searched at a very modest price (only pence).
Dorset Monumental Inscription Surnames Index
This gives a list of the requested Surnames with the name of the Cemetery where the name is located.
Dorset Monumental Inscription Transcription
This gives a full M. I. transcription for the requested Surname at the named Cemetery.
Dorset FHS Member's Interest Surname Index
Only available to Members. Please quote Membership number.
FREE
Send information on new Member's Interests to Mr David Barlow
c/o Treetops Research Centre
Dorset Strays Index
[A Dorset stray is someone who was born in the county, but has subsequently appeared in documentation at a new location outside of the county.]
Strays revealed by the 1881 census are excluded due to the easy availability of that information elsewhere. Includes Dorset men in Hampshire Police.
Search gives full information per surname.
Send information on new Strays to Mr Richard Allen
c/o Treetops Research Centre
UK 1841- 1911 Census Index
Please give fullest possible family details to assist in the search.
Dorset Early Census
Corfe Castle 1790-91
Poole 1574
Index to Dorset Wills & Admons (1568-1799 approx)
The index is of Wills and Admons proved in the courts of the Diocese of Bristol, the Archdeaconry of Dorset and several Peculiars. It provides a surname search facility and yields a reference to locate the deed plus, in some cases, additional information.
Newspaper Index (Mainly Births, Marriages and Deaths)
Christchurch & Bournemouth Chronicle 1872 - 1875
Dorset Free Press 1874 - 1875
Parkstone Reminder 1880 -1881
Poole & SW Herald 1865
Poole & Dorset Herald 1881 - 1887 and 1891
School Log Books
We have transcripts of the following School Log Books:
Christchurch National School for Boys (1896 -1921)
Christchurch National School for Girls (1863 -1897)
Hamworthy School (1874 -1921)
Lytchett Matravers(1879 -1919)
Parkstone, Courthill Road, County Primary School 1910-1970
Parkstone, Courthill Road, County Primary School (Infants Dept) 1913-1970
The log books give accounts of daily life and provide a fascinating insight into the social / local history of the schools. There is a surname index which includes pupils, teachers and visitors. We hope to add more schools to this valuable research collection in the future.
IGI 1992 Edition
The Society holds microfiche copies for ENGLAND, IRELAND, SCOTLAND, WALES and the CHANNEL ISLANDS.
Mates Directory of Bournemouth, Poole & Christchurch 1939
Results given for each surname searched (for common names please quote initials).
Index of Surnames in Dorset FHS Journals Vols 1-21
Fee is per surname searched.
Search fee: Members £2 – Non Members £4