Ancestry digitises 16 million historical Yorkshire records

The documents, spanning nearly 700 years, have been digitised through a partnership between the University of York and Ancestry, and include Bishops’ Transcripts along with Wills from the Prerogative and Exchequer Courts of York, held at the university’s Borthwick Institute for Archives.

Gary Brannan, keeper of archives and research collections at the Borthwick Institute, said: “People have a huge desire to trace their roots, and the discoveries they make can be intensely personal and profoundly moving.

“Individuals living around the world are always rightly proud to discover they have roots in Yorkshire.

“These records are quite unique as they are incredibly well kept and cover a long time span in a community that is always growing and changing.”

Covering the years 1389 to 1858, the collection reveals stories of ordinary lives and personal tragedy, from a 17th-century mother’s final moments to communities affected by plague and shipwreck.

Researchers can now access the 1613 will of Ann Stackhouse, who gave her final wishes to a midwife while dying in childbirth.

The records are freely available onsite at the Borthwick Institute and by subscription through Ancestry.co.uk.