Should you require my services in carrying out research, or in visiting the Archives on your behalf, please click [here] to find out more about my Isle of Wight based research service. If you’d like to discuss your particular needs, please get in touch.

However, I’ve prepared this page in the hope that you’ll find it useful in progressing your own research. It will give you an idea of what resources are available.

Local archives
The local County Record Office is at 26 Hillside, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 2EB.
The website is [here].
This page from their website gives an idea of the extent of their holdings, and some of their online databases. The staff are very approachable and extremely helpful. They will advise if what you need isn’t listed, or if you need help in working out what sets of records might help.

Note that family research relating to the Isle of Wight is impacted by the limited availability of parish registers online.  I have described the card index at the Isle of Wight County Record Office (IOW CRO) [here]. It is time-consuming to use but accurate, and will direct the user to the precise page in the parish register where the required record will be found. From here, you move to the microfiche. Again, this stage can be very time consuming, particularly since some of the microfilm reels are old and delicate and must be wound on slow speed.

In addition to this, there is also an online index produced by FamilySearch.org.  Key information from each parish register entry was transcribed by FamilySearch volunteers, and used to create that index, which is available both at FamilySearch’s own free-to-use website and, by agreement with them, at other commercial genealogy websites.  Note that the records are transcriptions: you will not find images of the original records. Note also that transcriptions vary in quality.  Online indexes in particular require the transcriber to place information in specific ‘fields’, which may mean that some information on the original is omitted.  Unlike the local people and archivists who produced the IOW CRO card index, those creating the FamilySearch index are unlikely to have local knowledge.  Records indexed as ‘Newport, Isle of Wight’, for example, sometimes turn out to be ‘Newport, Monmouthshire’, and probably vice versa, while the arrangement of ancient parishes and the local chapelries within them can cause confusion.  The difficulty of reading handwriting from previous centuries also poses problems in transcribing unknown local surnames and place names.  This does result in errors and discrepancies, but it remains as an alternative to visiting the archives yourself or hiring a genealogist to do the work for you.

Bishop’s Transcripts for Isle of Wight Baptism/Marriage/Burial records are lodged with the Hampshire Archives, at Winchester. Some of these are now available through Ancestry.co.uk.

Roman Catholic sacramental records (Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage) are recorded in the relevant parish register which usually remains in the parish, not in the relevant Catholic Diocesan Archives, and not at the County Record Office. Examination of the registers is at the discretion of the parish priest but may be restricted to relatives, or it may be possible to obtain a certificate of the entry from the parish administrator. Unfortunately these records are often not digitised and not available via any genealogy website.

Isle of Wight Family History Society
There is one very active family history society that covers the whole Island and has lots of resources available for non-members as well as additional ones for members.
The website is [here].

Local History Societies
There are several local history societies and heritage centres, some more active than others, and some more directly relevant to family history. None of them covers the entire Island; rather they focus on specific towns. However, you may find someone there who can answer a question or point you in the right direction.
Click the links below to find out more.

Bembridge Heritage
Brading Community Archive
East Cowes Heritage Centre
Freshwater & Totland Archive Group
Friends of East Cowes (Cemetery)
Friends of Northwood Cemetery (Cowes)
Folk on Wight
Hampshire Constabulary History Society
Historic Ryde Society
Newchurch History
Ryde Social Heritage Group – lots of resources online that may help with your research.
Sandown & District Historical Association
Shanklin & District History Society
St Helens Historical Society
West Wight Heritage Centre
Yarmouth Society

Other Resources
British Coastguards and their families
GENUKI Isle of Wight
Island Eye – the History pages are very useful.
Isle of Wight Historic Postcards
Isle of Wight Photographers Index 1850-1940
Memorials and Monuments on the Isle of Wight
Wight Church Network – includes a map and information about churches.
Wightpedia