If you have British ancestors or you were raised in a place with British history as part of the culture, a trip to London, England can include some family tree tourism. You don’t have to be an expert on genealogy to have fun seeing this amazing city through the eyes of your ancestors.
My experience with London family history research is that most people with London roots will be able to find information from the 1800s and 1900s. The 1800s are relatively easy to research, especially after 1837.
This is good for trip planning. Much of what was visible in London then can still be seen today, even though the Second World War and modern urban development have changed things greatly.
If your London history goes back to before 1800, you can still use this guide.
Where is London?
London is a major city in the south-east of England. It’s on the River Thames, which flows into the North Sea about 50 miles (80 km) east of the centre of greater London. The modern city is quite sprawling. Directions and distances for London use a spot close to Trafalgar Square as the geographical centre of the vast city.
The historic City of London is just one square mile, and it’s called the City with a capital “C”. Many places tourists visit aren’t in the City but instead are in the West End, which is in neighbouring Westminster. On the ground it all feels like, and functions as, one giant city.
Overseas travellers usually arrive at Heathrow Airport to the west of Central London or Gatwick Airport to the south. Both are connected by train to Central London. London is also connected to Ireland and mainland Europe by ferry services, and additionally to France by the Eurostar train which runs through the Channel Tunnel.
London as a tourist destination
London is a popular place for tourists from all over the world. There is enough here to satisfy the non-genealogists as well as those with an interest in family history.
Your ancestry and London
If your family comes from somewhere else in Britain or beyond, not London, keep in mind that London has been a major city and an important port for centuries. It’s a place everyone would have known of and heard about, even in remote corners of the British Isles and Europe
It can be confusing to talk about “Britain”, “England”, the “United Kingdom”, and so on. Great Britain is a large island with smaller islands around it. Scotland, England, and Wales are all part of Great Britain.
Another large island, Ireland, is close by to the west and is part of the British Isles. The Republic of Ireland is a separate country occupying most of the island of Ireland.
England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales are all part of the United Kingdom. Each elects members to sit in the Parliament at Westminster (part of Greater London).
If you grew up in a British colony, a Commonwealth country, or in an English-speaking culture, including in the USA, you have a connection to London. It may be genetic, it may be cultural, or both. New York, for example, was one of the 13 Colonies, administered from London until American Independence. If you live in the United States now, or have a family connection, London will be relevant to your family heritage.
Whatever your family history research turns up, if you have a connection to the United Kingdom, London will have played a part in your ancestors’ lives.
Here’s how to enjoy some genealogy travel as part of your London vacation.
How much genealogy research do you need to do?
There are two reasons to do genealogy research before your trip. The first reason is because you love doing the research, in which case, you’re probably already working on it.
The other reason is because you want to go to London anyway, maybe to see some theatre, do some shopping, visit famous places, and have a fun vacation. You have a vague idea that your family might be British but doing genealogy research isn’t your cup of tea.
In that case, you have two choices.
First, you could hire someone (pick me) to do the research for you. The cost and results are very individual. Don’t be afraid to ask. The result of genealogy research done for trip planning purposes will be a list of specific addresses that you might be able to check out in person.
If getting to that specific level of detail doesn’t interest you, you could decide that visiting places of national importance is enough. In that case, you’re not interested in further research. As part of your London trip, you’ll go to some famous places that have been around for a long time, and that will be just fine.
For example, Westminster Abbey and the Monument, to name just two, are so famous that your ancestors probably visited them in person, or at least knew about them. Today, loads of tourists visit these places, and so will you. The difference is, you will go there with your personal connections in mind. You’ll be thinking: My great-grandfather walked here. I’m literally seeing what my great-grandmother saw the day she arrived in London.
I think these points make the trip much more meaningful.
Your ancestry timeline and London’s timeline
Using a timeline to visualize your family history is a good idea. You can include key events from London’s past to provide context.
Some of the big events of the 1900s affecting London were:
- the death of Queen Victoria in 1901
- the First World War, 1914-1918
- the Second World War, 1939-1945
- the Blitz, intense bombing of London from the air in 1940-1941
- the British Invasion of the 1960s, when British style and music became popular around the world.
Your family tree and London
You can plan a genealogy trip to London without knowing anything specific about where in London your ancestors lived. However, if you do know their addresses, you may want to visit them. You only have so much time available, so at some point you’re going to have to decide what to include and what to leave out.
Standard tours of London will take you to places of interest to a wide audience. Before booking a tour, you might want to explore special interest tours based on your interests and what you know about your family. Connecting with a qualified local guide can also help you eliminate places from your “must-see” list. The locations may have changed beyond recognition, or they may not add much to your overall experience.
Using your family tree research, you can compile a list of addresses and add that to the list of London sites that most people have some connection to. Then choose the ones you most want, and create your day tours to include those.
Mapping
Making your own free online map is very helpful, if this is something you enjoy doing. If not, you can make a paper map, or get someone to do it for you. (Pick me again!) A map is a great way to present the information you’ve retrieved from the many records you may have consulted to get to this point.
Genealogy and Travel Guide Checklist for London
Compared to a smaller place, the Genealogy and Travel Guide Checklist for London is long. I suggest you look at the headings below and decide which categories seem interesting. Rule out the rest. You can always add them back if you have a reason to.
Would you like to get updates to this guide? What sections are you most interested in? Let me know, please. I will be expanding the guide to tell more about the various categories.
- Places of Arrival and Departures
- Ports and Docks
- Rivers and Canals
- Bridges
- Railroads
- Roads
- Airports
- Other
- Palaces
- Other places with royal connections
- Centres of government
- Landmarks
- Historic sites
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- Markets
- Churches
- Schools
- Universities and colleges
- Private schools
- Local schools
- War memorials
- Military sites
- Navy
- Army
- Air Force
- Other
- Cemeteries
- Neighbourhoods
- Museums
- Places related to industries and occupations
- Prisons
- Hospitals
- Workhouses
- Orphanages
- Other institutional homes
- Places of execution
- Battles
- Special interest
- Movies and TV locations
- Books and writers
- Shops
- Clubs
- Science
- Music / performing arts
- Galleries
- Women’s History
- Slavery and abolition
- Ethnic and cultural groups in London
- Sports
Doing genealogy research in London
I strongly discourage you from doing your research in London unless you live there.
Instead of spending your holiday going to places like the National Archives or the London Metropolitan Archives in search of genealogy records, plan to get to places you can only see in London. Whatever vital records, parish registers, etc. may be available to you in London are available to all kinds of people who can do the research for you. It’s not free genealogy, but it’s much cheaper and more rewarding to get the information before you make the trip.
Having said that, I know that for some people, doing the research in the archives is part of the overall fun. (I am one of those people.) If you’re like me, I think you need a separate research guide, not devoted so much to travel, but focussing on the work of a researcher. I also suspect you already know how to find that information. If not, please let me know what you are looking for. I’m happy to add more information to this website.
Your personal top 10 list
At some point, you need to start making decisions about what to see in London. I suggest a mixture of general interest sites, like the Tower of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and Covent Garden, and some sites more specific to your own family, such as the market closest to where they lived, their church if it’s still standing, and perhaps some ancestral graves if you want to pay your respects.
Then I would add some experiences that are unique to London, and that your ancestors may have done. These would be things like going for a boat ride on the River Thames, visiting Fortnum and Mason’s store (especially if your people were posh), watching the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, and riding on double-decker buses and the oldest parts of the London Underground (the Tube). The range of experiences is endless but with the use of a map and a timeline, you can come up with things that will most connect you to your past.
Tours you can take
London has one of the best tour guide training systems in the world, leading to the Blue Badge Guide qualification. Many of the guides operate as individuals, and some of them can be a little hard to find online, but every year they get better at using social media to show possible clients what they specialize in.
A qualified guide can take you on one of their standard tours in their patch, or they can create a custom tour based on your interests.
Would you like help planning a genealogy trip to London? Let me know what you’re hoping for. I’m always looking for case studies.