Discover your family story in detail-rich Cheshire records online

Do you have family links to the land of cheese, salt and silk? Find out with essential and exclusive Cheshire archives online at Findmypast. Peruse parish registers from Cheshire Archives and Local Studies and unlock Cheshire family stories you won’t get elsewhere. Your discoveries begin with your family tree.

Start family tree

The colourful history of Cheshire in short

It’s thought that the county of Cheshire was created by Edward the Elder, King of the Anglo Saxons, in 920. It was described in the Domesday Book as Cestrescir (Chestershire). Its county seat is the city of Chester, founded in 79 AD as a Roman fort.

Cheshire is known for its many rural villages with half-timber and locally sourced red sandstone buildings. The chemical industry in Cheshire goes back to Roman times when salt was mined in Middlewich and Northwich. Silk was woven in Cheshire from the late 17th century. The county played a significant role in the Industrial Revolution due to its location in the North West of England, where radical change started. The county also has one of the largest dairy industries in the UK. Cheshire cheese is recorded as far back as the 16th century.

Designated a Grade I listed building, Chester’s city walls are the most complete Roman and Medieval defensive town walls in Britain.

With a wealth of historic sites, Cheshire is also home to the deep-space radio observatory and UNESCO World Heritage site, Jodrell Bank.

Did your ancestor mine for salt in the Cheshire Basin, weave silk on a handloom in Bollington, or own a dairy farm on the Cheshire Plain?

In 2022, a mathematical ratio that measures eye-pleasing sights named Chester as the most beautiful city in the world.

Access millions of Cheshire family history records online

From their cradle to their grave, you’ll find every milestone moment in your ancestor’s story chronicled through our extensive collection of Cheshire records.

Cheshire 1921 census: Collage of life in the 1920s

What was Cheshire like in the 1920s?

Only available online at Findmypast, the 1921 Census of England and Wales illuminates local life in Cheshire at a pivotal time in history. Discover where your relatives were, who they were with and what they were doing on 19 June 1921 in this century-old snapshot of their lives.

Search 1921 Census

Everything you need for Cheshire family history research

“I love that Findmypast has Cheshire parish records. They have helped me with my family research tremendously. I've discovered information from home that I'd need to go to the Records Office in Chester for previously.”

Janet Darlington

Trustpilot review

Explore the largest collection of old Cheshire newspapers online

What was happening in Cheshire decades ago? Our digitised newspaper archive features family announcements and headline news from yesteryear.

Search more Cheshire newspapers

Discover local records from every corner of England

If your lineage lies beyond Cheshire, delve into our extensive collection of historical resources covering every county, city, town and village in England. Where will your past take you next?

Select a region

Select a region from the map or drop-down list to dig deeper into local record collections and learn about the history of your ancestral home.