Local and family history in libraries

We provide a large resource for family historians, including:

• census returns for Northamptonshire from 1871 to 1981 (microfilm and fiche)
• free broadband internet access to a range of Family History websites
• parish registers for North Northamptonshire (microfiche)
• trade and street directories

Digitised resources are available to use for free at all public libraries in Northamptonshire.

Ancestry and Find my Past - billions of digitised family history records including census returns and parish registers.

British Newspaper Archive - explore hundreds of national, regional and local titles dating from the 1700s to 1950s, including Northampton Chronicle and Echo, Northampton Mercury and Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph. Licensing requirements mean that customers need to register for free before viewing articles on the website.

We hold a large collection of maps and plans:

• selection of Ordnance Survey maps for Kettering from c1826 to c1991
• selection of Ordnance Survey maps county series 6 inch to 1 mile and 25 inch to 1 mile from c1900 to c1952
• selection of Ordnance Survey national grid series 1:10,000, 1:2500 and 1:1,250 from c1958 to c1990s

Listed below are the local newspapers held on microfilm at Kettering Library:

• Kettering Extra - 2012-2015
• Kettering Guardian - 1904-1922
• Kettering Leader - 1902-1922
• Kettering Leader and Guardian - 1922-1924, 1955-1973
• Kettering Leader and Observer - 1892-1901
• Kettering Leader, Guardian and Northamptonshire Advertiser - 1924-1953
• Lincoln, Rutland and Stamford - 1785-1848
• Lincoln, Rutland and Stamford Mercury - 1849-1895
• Northampton Mercury - 1720-1854 (Microfiche)
• Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph - 1898-1945, 1948-1957, 1978 to 1983, 1985-2017
• Peterborough Standard - 1982-1986
• Stamford Mercury - 1712-1784
• Stamford Post - 1710-1712

The British Newspaper Archive is available to use for free at all public libraries in Northamptonshire. Explore hundreds of national, regional and local titles dating from the 1700s to 1950s, including Northampton Chronicle and Echo, Northampton Mercury and Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph.

Licensing requirements mean that customers need to register for free before viewing articles on the website.

Joseph Lloyd Carr (Born 1912, Died 1994)

Collection of maps and books from Joseph Lloyd Carr author, publisher and Headmaster of the Kettering Grammar School.

Frederick William Bull (Born 1864, Died 1950)

Collection of 19th century ephemera from Frederick William Bull solicitor, historian and author.

Visit Northamptonshire Archives, located at Wootton Hall Park, Northampton, to view local and family history resources covering 800 years of Northamptonshire's history.

You can search for documents through the online catalogue (please be aware that not all items held by Northamptonshire Archives have been added to the catalogue).

Northamptonshire Archives also provides a chargeable research service.