In the spirit of the Upper Dales Family History Group, where information is shared freely for the benefit of all, a small collection of websites was assembled in 2007 that were considered worthy of a visit by both newcomers and experienced researchers. Since then the database has grown steadily, and has been re-organized with additional categories with far greater coverage than was originally envisaged.
Many members of the Upper Dales Family History Group are specifically interested in investigating their ancestors from the northern counties of Durham, Cumberland, Northumberland and the Yorkshire Dales in particular. As a consequence Rennison’s List concentrates on those areas with links not only to specific archives and record offices where the original parish records are held but also to many familiar or vernacular dales websites.
With the introduction of the new website for the Upper Dales Family History Group, Rennison’s List has been re-examined, every link has been checked and we have hopefully eliminated those that were inactive, or were problematic.
The original groups or sections have been increased to a total of 30 categories, most are self explanatory, but a guide to descriptions of what members may find in each category is shown elsewhere.
There is still a large section on Primary Genealogical Sources including Ancestry.com, Genuki and Find My Past, ie the main providers of websites where access can be gained to census, births, deaths, marriages and other material of a universal nature. Many are free, others are pay per view.
Due to migration from one area of the United Kingdom to another it still seems essential to cover the whole of England outside the "Dales" area, and to include websites specifically relating to Scotland, Wales and Ireland. There are also links to overseas sites to help those whose ancestors have emigrated to Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States of America, Europe and the rest of the world.
Most families have links to someone who fought for their country so the Military Records section includes Regimental Museums, the War Graves Commission, Prisoner of War records and Medal entitlement. A Historical Information section examines aspects of events and social groups. Photography, Computing and Research Methodology are also included. Good luck in your research, and successful browsing. Rennison Vayro
A large list of web-links is notoriously difficult to maintain. Links sometimes close down for a short time, some close permanently and sometimes the information on websites simply becomes outdated as new technology emerges. If you experience any difficulty or find new links which should be added, click here to contact us.
United Kingdom, England, Ireland, Scotland & Wales, Record Offices & Archives
It seemed essential to cover the rest of England outside the dales area, and to include contact information specifically for regional and county archives, and also to cover Scotland, Ireland and Wales.
Six discrete sections cover website links to overseas collections recommended by members to help those whose ancestors have emigrated, or returned to the UK. Europe includes France, Germany, Holland, Italy, and Belgium.
Military Records
Most families include someone who fought for their country and there are two distinct categories that include links to Military History and Archives, and Regimental Museums, as well as the War Graves Commission, POW records and Medal Cards.