Cumbria Libraries aim to collect for reference at least one copy of each book and pamphlet whose subject relates to the county of Cumbria. The collections hold tens of thousands of items, some dating back to the 17th century.
The following types of materials may be found in the main collections: - County histories (compiled from the 18th century onwards)
- Trade directories (late 18th century to the 1960s)
- Government and local authority publications
Subjects covered are not confined to history but include natural history, planning, social and economic conditions, literature, biography, sport and genealogy.
The majority of the local studies books are listed on our online library catalogue. You can search the catalogue using the box at the top of this page.
Family History
The Library Service holds on microfiche the enumerators returns for the whole of the area now called Cumbria for the 1841, 51, 61, 71, 81, 91 and 1901 census; the International Genealogical Index and the Saint Catherine's House Index to the Civil Registration of Births, Marriages and Deaths in England and Wales 1837 onwards.
All Cumbria Libraries offer computer access to Ancestry.co.uk (charges for computer time;usual concessions). This is the largest UK family history site giving you access to the enumerator's census returns for England, Wales and Scotland as well as hundreds of other databases.
Other features of Ancestry include:
- Immigration and emigration records
- Military records
- Birth, Marriage and Death Indices
- Downloadable charts and forms for Family History
For full details of each library's local and family history holdings click on the following links:
