Online sources
All visitors to Hampshire County Council’s Libraries and Record Office can use online datasets on Ancestry, FindMyPast and the British Newspaper Archive for free, including:
- on Ancestry, the 1939 register and 1921 census
- on FindMyPast, the 1921 census
The following Hampshire sources are available to explore online:
Place | Wills and other probate to 1858 | Parish registers to 1921 | Bishops' transcripts from C1780 to 1921 | Methodist/Wesleyan registers to 1921 | Censuses, including 1921 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Portsmouth | Ancestry | FMP | Ancestry | Not available | FMP and Ancestry |
Southampton | Ancestry | Not available | Ancestry | Not available | FMP and Ancestry |
Hampshire | Ancestry | Ancestry | Ancestry | Ancestry | FMP and Ancestry |
Isle of Wight | Ancestry | Not available | Ancestry | Not available | FMP and Ancestry |
More records are planned to go live on Ancestry. The next group will be Cemetery registers, available in mid 2025.
How do I get free access?
- Visit your local Hampshire library or the Record Office and book a public computer
- In the Record Office, link straight to websites
- In a Hampshire library, log in with your library card first
- British Newspaper Archive requires a logon to access; sign up for unlimited credit whilst on the premises
Can I download/copy pages from public computers? You can:
- take a photo
- download images to usb (not available at Record Office)
- print to a public copier (there is a small charge)
- Send a copy to your email address (Ancestry does not require you to open your email account first)
Can I use my own device in libraries and the Record Office and get free access?
- No for Ancestry, all sites
- Yes for FindMyPast

Jane Austen was baptised in Steventon in 1775 and buried in Winchester in 1817.