Skip to content
  • Start free trial
  1. Region
  2. England
  3. South West
  4. Wiltshire

Trace your roots in Wiltshire family history records

Where and when was your family in Wiltshire? Track them down through exclusive Wiltshire archives online at Findmypast. View baptism records from Wiltshire Family History Society and so much more. Your Wiltshire family story awaits.

A brief history of Wiltshire

In the Domesday Survey of 1086, Wiltshire was mainly an agricultural county. Its only city is Salisbury and the most populated town is Swindon.

Over the centuries, Wiltshire became known for its wool and textile products like clothing and blankets. Amesbury became particularly famous for making tobacco pipes. 

The engineering site for the Great Western Railway in Swindon was Europe's largest industrial complex by the end of the 19th century. 

In the 1870s and ahead of his time, Henry Moule of Melksham invented the earth closet as an alternative to the water closet and its pollutant effects, which is now being deployed in many eco-friendly environments. In 1877, Alfred Cunnington of Devizes, built Britain’s first private telephone system to connect his wine business with his home. He used published diagrams he saw explaining Alexander Graham Bell’s invention.  

Wiltshire is home to one of England’s oldest and most iconic tourist attractions, Stonehenge, and Longleat, the first drive-through safari park outside of Africa. 

Salisbury Cathedral has the highest church spire in the UK.

Only at Findmypast

Find family from all walks of life in Wiltshire records you won't see anywhere else online.

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

The 1921 Census of England and Wales

What were your Wiltshire relatives up to in the 1920s? See their lives through this porthole into local life over 100 years ago.

Search now
Wiltshire baptism records: An old photo of a family baptism

Wiltshire baptisms index

Learn about your ancestor from their early days through two million exclusive baptism registers, some dating back almost 500 years.

Search now
Wiltshire records: A prison cell

Wiltshire social & institutional records

Criminal, bankrupt, gamekeeper, or vagrant? Get closer to your Wiltshire relatives with this fascinating miscellany of records.

Search now

We won't be beaten for British records

"Having tried several of the family history websites, I find that, as it is UK-based, Findmypast is by far the easiest and most relevant of them. It is very easy to navigate and the online forum is brilliant."

Mike Couzins

Trustpilot review

Take a fascinating journey through time with millions of Wiltshire records

Your Wiltshire ancestors and their amazing stories await. Trace them in records of life events, school admissions, military careers and more.

Find Wiltshire family records now

Enter a detail or two to instantly unearth your relatives’ records.

Explore hundreds of years of Wiltshire newspaper archives online

News stories, advertisements, letters, obituaries and more reveal fascinating stories you won’t find anywhere else.

Discover records covering the length and breadth of England

If Wiltshire isn’t where your family story started, cast your net further afield to other counties. Our rich historical resources cover all of England.

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

Proud partners of

The National Archives logo
British Library logo
Family History Federation logo