Liverpool Record Office
Liverpool Record Office holds archive documents, which include photographs, council minutes, ecclesiastical and school records and local and family history resources on microfilm and microfiche.
Location changes due to Central Library refurbishment
Due to the redevelopment of Central Library, Liverpool Record Office will temporarily be based at the World Museum, where you can access the most popular family and local history material.
If you are unable to find what you need at the Museum site, you can make an appointment to visit our temporary satellite service near Sandhills, where you can access original archives and local studies material.
Online research
Liverpool archive catalogue
Whether you are interested in the history of Liverpool or want to research your family history, the Liverpool archive catalogue lists reference material to help you with your search. It includes:
- 20,000 photographs from the City Engineers Department, 1897 to 1960 and 2000 images from the E.Chambre Hardman collection with the National Trust.
- Council corporation archives including minute books from 1550, school records and cemeteries interment registers.
- Ecclesiastical records with full details of Roman Catholic and non-conformist archives and summary details of Church of England parish holdings.
- Business records including the Imperial Tobacco Company, Ogden branch.
- Community archives, including the Merseyside Jewish community.
Liverpool in Print local studies catalogue
You can also search the Liverpool in Print local studies catalogue, which contains reading guides that identify the most important books about Liverpool history, and provides useful guides for researching your family history.
Mersey Gateway
The Mersey Gateway website has 20,000 digital images illustrating the history and growth of the port of Liverpool, and the development of distinct communities within the city and in the towns on the Mersey.
Specific themes include docks and shipping, the slave trade, trade and industry, public health and welfare, transport, immigration and emigration and the Second World War.
A special section with archive images and historical information on schools and housing can be seen on the Mersey Gateway (Past Liverpool) section of the website.
Online subscriptions
All computers in Liverpool libraries have free access to a number of online subscriptions, such as the ancestry library, where you can find birth, marriage, death and census records and more.
Professional help with research
Liverpool Record Office can help you with your research. Please contact us for the latest fees or if you are interested in this service.
We will send you a written report and copies of relevant documents.