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Discover your family story in fact-filled Hampshire records online

Did your ancestors call Hampshire home? Uncover their fascinating stories at Findmypast. Among millions of local records, you can explore online archives from Portsmouth History Centre and Hampshire Genealogical Society to fill in gaps on your family tree.

Hampshire history and heritage in a nutshell

Hampshire’s recorded history dates to Roman times when Winchester was its main town. The county appeared in the Domesday Book in 1086 and nowadays the port cities of Southampton and Portsmouth are its largest settlements.

Historically, the coastline of the Solent, a strait of water between the Isle of Wight and mainland Britain, has been peppered with castles and forts built to defend the harbours of Southampton and Portsmouth. 

The county was once called Southamptonshire. Some records log this as the place of embarkation for immigrants into Ellis Island in New York Harbour.  

Cricket, football and sailing are longstanding fixtures in Hampshire’s sporting history. The county was also the birthplace of authors including Jane Austen, Wilbert Awdry and Charles Dickens.

Hampshire has two national parks, the New Forest and the South Downs and produces most of the UK’s watercress. Southampton and other locations on the Solent have a long culture of invention, claiming the world’s first dry dock, the hovercraft, the Spitfire and the sport of windsurfing. 

Perched on Portsea Island, Portsmouth is the only English city not on the mainland.

Only at Findmypast

Rediscover lost family stories in Hampshire records you won’t find anywhere else online.

Hampshire 1921 census: Vintage photo of two men on a bicycle

The 1921 Census

Feeling hazy about your Hampshire ancestors? Unlock new chapters of your family story with this pivotal snapshot of England and Wales over 100 years ago.

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Parish records: A vintage photo of a mother and baby

Portsmouth parish records

Explore millions of baptism, marriage and burial records to reveal the details behind some of the most significant moments in your ancestors’ lives.

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Portsmouth records: A house with an old record embossed over it

Portsea Island rate books

Pinpoint Portsmouth people of the past in this extensive collection of records documenting property payments. They date as far back as the 1700s.

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Must-search Hampshire family history records

Trace your Hampshire ancestors from their cradles to their graves, piecing together every amazing life event in between with these essential records for your family tree.

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Millions of digitised Hampshire newspaper pages

Read about the news and the scandals of yesteryear in old Hampshire newspapers. Reimagine the events your ancestors experienced through the stories that made the local papers.

Discover even more local English records

If Hampshire wasn't home to your ancestors, find out where they ventured. Our collection of historical records covers every county, city, town and village in England.

Choose a region from the map or drop-down list to access more regional record collections and immerse yourself in English history, county by county.

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