City Museum and Records Office Museums

The Records Office is housed in the same building as Portsmouth City Museum. It holds the official records of Portsmouth City Council which survive from the 14th century; local Anglican and Non-Conformist church registers and records from 16th century; large collections of material deposited by local businesses, families and other organisations as well as thousands of local maps and plans, photographs and picture postcards, all of which can be consulted in the first-floor public Search Room.

The Records Office holds a wide range of material dating from 1313 AD to the present day including:

Portsmouth City Council records, including council minutes, electoral registers, school log books and rate books.

Local church records (Anglican, Roman Catholic, Non Conformist) with registers of baptisms, marriages and burials dating from as early as 1538.

Records of local businesses, families and organisations.

Maps (including Ordnance Survey maps) of Portsmouth and surrounding areas.

Census returns 1851 (Portsmouth/SE Hants), 1881 (transcripts for Southern England/CD-ROM for Great Britain), 1891 and 1901 (Portsmouth/SE Hants)

Cemetery records from 1749 (originals or microfilm copies).

Photographs and postcards.

Indexes

International Genealogical Index (IGI) for England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

Name, place, and subject indexes to our holdings.

Extensive card indexes of parish register entries and census returns.

Open daily Monday - Friday, 10am-5pm.

Closed public holidays and 24 - 26th December. .