Society of Genealogists - England: Somersetshire Resources

Somersetshire

Shelf Mark: SO

For an explanation of this information, please consult the Introduction and the list of Abbreviations. Recent additions to the Society's Library are listed in the Genealogists' Magazine. The staff of the Society are able to make limited searches in these County Sources for a standard fee. Shelf marks used in the library are given in square brackets at the very end of each title.

County-wide sources:

General Registers
Marriage Licences
Monumental Inscriptions
Censuses
Directories & Poll Books
Periodicals
Wills
Parishes: A-B | C | D-J | K-O | P-S | T-Z

General Registers

County wide sources for Christenings, Marriages and Burials include:

County sources at the Society of Genealogists: Dorset [&] Somerset parish registers, nonconformist registers, marriage licences, monumental inscriptions. London: SoG, 2002 [ML enquiry counter] Buy this book from the SoG on-line bookshop.

National index of parish registers, vol. 8, part 3: Somerset. London: SoG, 1998. [TB/PR] Buy this book from the SoG on-line bookshop.

Inventory of parochial documents in the diocese of Bath & Wells & the county of Somerset: Somerset County Records Committee, book 1 [SO/G 23]

List of parish registers deposited at the Somerset County Record Office 1973: Somerset registers, vol. 7 [Typescript.] [SO/R 141]

A report to the Convocation of the Province of Canterbury on the ecclesiastical records of the Diocese of Bath & Wells ... [SO/G 17]

Somerset non parochial registers, reprinted from the Proceedings of the Somersetshire Archaeological & Natural History Society, vol. 79, 1933: Somerset tracts, vol. 1 [SO/G 1]

Somersetshire parishes: a handbook of historical reference to all places in the county [SO/G 35-36]

Transcripts of Bishops transcripts [copied by E Dwelly which are held at the Somerset Record Office] [Photocopy.] [Somerset tracts box]

Boyd’s marriage index 1538-c.1837 [Typescript]. [UK/REG] Most of this marriage index is also available on the The Origins Network website.

International Genealogical Index & addendum [CD-ROM] [Apply to staff] & available on-line at www.familysearch.org

British Vital Records Index [CD-ROM] [Apply to staff]

National Burial Index. 2nd edn. [CD-ROM] [Apply to staff]

RG 7 Fleet marriage register indexes [parishes, brides & grooms] [SP/REG]

Index to "the Alfred" Bridgwater & Somerset Advertiser Aug 1831 - Dec 1832: Somerset newspaper indexes 1773-78 & 1831-32 [Typescript.] [SO/G 76]

Index to the Avon marriage registers, vol. 8: Bristol Diocese parishes 1813-37 [CD-ROM] [CD-ROM cabinet (GL/REG)]

Quaker digest registers of births, marriages & burials - Bristol & Somerset Quarterly Meeting: Z 1644-1837 & 1648-1784, M 1657-1837 & 1658-1816, B 1651-1837 & 1656-1832 [Microfilm.] [Mf 3388]

West country names mentioned in the Sherborne & Yeovil Mercury [Western Flying Post] 1773-78: Somerset newspaper indexes 1773-78 & 1831-32 [Computer printout.] [SO/G 76]

Bristol & Avon FHS marriage index, vol. 10: north Somerset parishes 1754-1837 [CD-ROM] [Apply to staff]

Marriage licences

Marriage licences: abstracts & indexes in the Library of the Society of Genealogists. London: SoG, 1991. 4th edn. [ML enquiry counter] Buy this book from the SoG on-line bookshop.

Faculty Office marriage licences index 1701-1850 [Typescript.] [ML/FO] Buy this book from the SoG on-line bookshop or search it on-line at The Origins Network website

Vicar-General marriage licences surname index 1694-1850 [Typescript.] [ML/VG] Buy this book from the SoG on-line bookshop or search it on-line at The Origins Network website

Abstracts of Bath & Wells diocesan records: marriage licences & allegations 1583-1681 [with a surname index] [Microfiche.] [SO/REG/85760/1-30]

A surname index to parties mentioned in abstracts of Bath & Wells diocesan records: marriage licences & allegations 1583-1681: Somerset registers, vol. 8 [Typescript.] [SO/R 145]

Marriage allegation bonds of the Bishop of Bath & Wells ... to 1755 [Microfiche.] [SO/REG/76555/1-9]

Marriage Allegation Bonds of the Bishop of Bath & Wells from their commencement to the year 1755, reprinted from The genealogist [Summer Palace (SO/REG)]

Marriage bonds for the Diocese of Bristol excluding the Archdeaconry of Dorset, vol. 1: 1637-1700: Publications of the Bristol & Gloucestershire Archaeological Society Records Section, vol. 1 [GL/PER]

Monumental Inscriptions

County wide sources for tombstone inscriptions (MIs) include:

Anglo-Indian monumental inscriptions - Bath: being a series of 1575 monumental inscriptions in & near Bath commemorating for the most part persons directly connected with India: Anglo-Indian collections, vol. 2 [Typescript.] [IND/R 9]

Avon monumental inscriptions finding index, part 1: North West Avon, part 2: Central Bristol, part 3: South Central Avon, part 4: South East Avon, part 5: South West Avon, part 6: North East Avon [Typescript.] [GL/M 41] & [Microfiche.] [Shelf 9 (GL/MI)]

History of the hundred of Carhampton, in the county of Somerset from the best authorities (includes MIs from various parishes) [SO/L 56]

The indents of lost monumental brasses in Cornwall, Devonshire & Somerset [Typescript.] [CO/M 2]

Index to papers in the proceedings of the Somersetshire Archaeological & Natural History Society on monumental effigies of Somerset: Somerset tracts, vol. 3 [SO/G 3]

Lewin's Somerset monumental inscriptions, vols. 5-10 [Manuscript.] [SO/M 21]

Monumental inscriptions in England relating to West Indians: Caribbeana, being miscellaneous papers relating to the history, genealogy, topography, & antiquities of the British West Indies, vol. 1-5 [Store A - use fiche version]

Somerset - List of parishes recorded to the end of 1972 [Manuscript.] [Box 57/folder 6]

Censuses

In addition to free access from within the library to census returns and indexes on various subscription web sites, the Society holds many locally produced indexes. The latter are essential where an Internet index has mis-transcribed a name which you are looking for and for surviving pre-1841 censuses and census substitutes. eg. Selworthy 1811 census, Littleton, High & Hallatrow censuses 1811 & Huntspill 1801 heads of household

Search the on-line catalogue for the following Subject phrase:

SOMERSET - CENSUSES

Click on the green Go button and then on the subject term for the required census.

Directories & Poll Books

The Society’s collection is of national importance and includes county and local directories of residents and businesses and poll books and other lists of voters in parliamentary and local elections. Details, correct as of 1995, are published in:

Directories & poll books, including almanacs & electoral rolls, in the Library of the Society of Genealogists. SoG, 1995. 6th edn. [ML enquiry counters] Buy this book from the SoG on-line bookshop.

Or search the on-line catalogue for the following Subject phrase:

SOMERSET - DIRECTORIES

SOMERSET - POLL BOOKS

Click on the green Go button and then on the subject term required.

Periodicals

The Society holds the journals of most English-speaking family history societies world-wide, the publications of county record societies and many national and local history societies past and present.

Search the on-line catalogue for the Title required

Wills

The Library contains film copies of indexes to wills proved 1858-1930 and indexes, calendars and many abstracts of wills proved by individual church courts before 1858. Details, correct as of 1996, are published in:

Will indexes & other probate material in the library of the Society of Genealogists. London: SoG, 1996 [WILLS/GEN] Buy this book from the SoG on-line bookshop.

Other major sources include:

An index to the wills proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury 1750-1800 [WILLS/PCC] Buy this book from the SoG on-line bookshop or search it on-line at The Origins Network website. An index to all PCC wills 1384-1858 is available on-line at The National Archives

Estate Duty will indexes 1796-1857 (IR 27/1-323) [Microfilm] [Wills film cabinets] The Death Duty registers 1796-1903 are also on-line at 1837-online (formerly 1837online)

An index to the Bank of England will extracts 1807-45 [WILLS/GEN] Buy this book from the SoG on-line bookshop or search it on-line at The Origins Network website

For the most up-to-date list of will material in the library, do a Subject search on the on-line catalogue for the name of the church court eg. Biggleswade Peculiar Court

Or if you do not know the name of the church court:

Search the on-line catalogue for the following Subject phrase:

SOMERSET - GENERAL:WILLS

Click on the green Go button and then on the subject term required.

Parishes

A-B

SOGCAT On-line Catalogue