More than 400 years of the county’s rich historical heritage will be at your fingertips from 8 August. Millions of records dating back to 1538 will be available online for the first time, with more additional local-interest records to follow.
Records digitised include full-colour, high-quality digital images of parish registers from across the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. They include key historical moments like the 1776 baptism of the artist John Constable and the 1846 burial of abolitionist Thomas Clarkson.
Until now, these baptism, marriage, confirmation, and burial records were only available on microfiche or in-person. Access will be free at The Hold in Ipswich – the home of Suffolk Archives and at Suffolk Community Libraries. Viewing from home will require an Ancestry subscription. Royalties will be used to support archive services.
The project has helped preserve fragile historic documents by reducing wear and tear. Suffolk Archives were also able to carry out conservation checks during the scanning process.
Councillor Philip Faircloth-Mutton Cabinet Member for Environment, Communities and Equality said:
“This project is a fantastic step forward in making Suffolk’s rich history more accessible. Whether you're overseas, have mobility challenges, or simply prefer to research from home, these records are now just a click away.
“By digitising these documents, we’re not only preserving them for future generations but also helping people reconnect with their heritage. I hope this sparks even more interest in the stories held by Suffolk Archives.”
Ancestry is known for its expertise in digitising genealogical records and its global reach, processing over one billion searches monthly. It’s successfully partnered with numerous UK local authority archives over the past 15 years.
Simon Pearce, family history expert at Ancestry said:
“Ancestry’s digitised collections now exceed 65billion records, meaning the possibilities to research ancestors around the globe continue to expand. Collections such as this important set of records from Suffolk will help us discover more information about the key events in our ancestors' lives and help to fill in the gaps in many family trees with connections to Suffolk. The collection is of huge importance to both the community in Suffolk and people with connections back to this county scattered all over the UK and the globe.”
Gary Peverley, Diocesan Secretary, Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich said:
“I am delighted that Suffolk’s parish registers and transcripts have been professionally digitalised with Ancestry. Suffolk Archives is the official record office for the diocese, and they store a huge amount of material. This service makes it easier to draw on the archives and ensure they are readily available to everyone.”
There will be online and in-person how-to use Ancestry beginner sessions following the launch. These will be bookable online at www.suffolkarchives.co.uk
