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Discover your family story in online archives from the North West of England

Does your lineage lie in Liverpool? Maybe your roots originate in Rochdale? Whatever your connection to North West England, Findmypast has the records you need to reveal the bigger picture of your past.

A whistlestop history of North West England

England’s North West includes the historic counties of Cheshire, Cumberland, Lancashire and Westmorland.

In the north of the region, towns like Carlisle developed along the Scottish borders. While to the south, the cities of Liverpool and Manchester boomed during the Industrial Revolution.

If your ancestors hail from this region of England, there’s a good chance they may have dabbled in shipping, mining or cotton weaving.

The North West is home to the world’s oldest surviving railway station at Manchester Liverpool Road, the first modern canal (Bridgewater) and Calder Hall, the world’s first nuclear power station. 

An area rich in culture, Britain’s Suffragette movement, Jelly Babies and Beatlemania all began in North West England. 

Having previously been a distinct region of its own, Merseyside was officially merged into England’s North West in 1998. 

Salford Catholic Cathedral overlooking Manchester's metropolitan skyline

Rose, emblem of Lancashire: family history records online

Lancashire

Known as the Red Rose County, until 1974, Lancashire included Liverpool and Manchester. The weaving and cotton-spinning industries flourished here during the 18th and 19th centuries. Does your family's heritage begin in Blackpool, Bolton, or Wigan?

Wheatsheaves, emblem of Cheshire: family history records online

Cheshire

Many of Cheshire’s grand country estates were formed when farmers abandoned their lands to seek work in the cities during the Industrial Revolution. At the same time cheese, salt and silk manufacturing thrived in places like Macclesfield and Nantwich.

Emblem of Cumbria: family history records online

Cumbria

Known as Cumbria since 1974, this neck of the woods previously consisted of Cumberland and parts of other historic counties. Synonymous with Cumbria, the scenic Lake District has attracted tourists to the area for generations.

Apple tree, emblem of Westmorland: family history records online

Westmorland

Part of Cumbria since 1974, Westmorland was its own county for over 700 years. It’s a relatively sparsely populated part of England that relies on agriculture and tourism. Did your ancestors live in Appleby, Kendal or Windermere?

Surprising discoveries at every turn

"When I began researching my husband's family tree with Findmypast, I quickly found his ancestors migrating from Ireland to Liverpool to escape the Potato Famine. It's been a real eye-opener, and he is absolutely over the moon that he now knows his family’s origins."

Jan Pridham

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Local family history records from North West England

As the home of British and Irish family history, Findmypast has everything you need to trace your family story in Liverpool, Manchester and beyond.

1921 census: Collage of life in the 1920s

What were Liverpool and Manchester like in the 1920s?

The 1921 Census documents the lives and loves of everyone living in England and Wales on 19 June that year. Only available online at Findmypast, unlock endless family secrets and stories in this century-old snapshot of local life up north.

North West England’s online newspaper archives

Extra! Extra! Your relatives made the papers. Delve into millions of local and regional newspaper pages to pinpoint amazing family stories in the small print.

Discover records from every corner of England

If your heritage stretches beyond the North West, you'll find extensive historical resources covering every county, city, town and village in England. Where will your past take you?

Choose an area of England on the map or drop-down menu to dig deeper into local record collections and learn about the history of your ancestral home.

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