You can view documents by visiting the History Centre, or, in many cases, obtain a copy of a document through our reprographics service.

We also offer a research service to extract information from documents on your behalf if you are unable to visit in person.

• Parish registers

  A guide to the parish registers we hold: which parishes and what dates.

• Guides to records

  Our collections guide gives and overview of the different types of records available at the History Centre.

• Local studies library

  The Dorset Local Studies Collection contains published books and pamphlets on a wide range of subjects including archaeology, topography, geology, natural history and Dorset trade and industry.

• Wills

  Probate records: wills, letters of administration and inventories

• Maps

  An overview of the types of maps we hold, including ordnance survey maps, tithe maps and enclosure maps.

• Photographs

  There are thousands of photographs at the Dorset History Centre, including studio portraits, postcards, aerial photographs and more.

• School records

  Most Dorset schools kept records fairly systematically from the mid to late nineteenth century onwards. School records can be particularly illuminating for family and local history.

• Electoral registers

  As of list of who lives at what address, compiled annually, electoral registers are a useful source for tracking individuals or families.

• Local government and administration

  Many different organisations have been responsible for local administration in Dorset during the county's history. The History Centre holds records for many of these.

• Court, prison and police records

  Records of crime and punishment include those of the local courts, prisons and police force.

• Family and estate archives

  A list of the family and estate collections held at the Dorset History Centre, arranged alphabetically.

• Local clubs and societies

  The History Centre holds the records of clubs and societies based in Dorset, and for some Dorset branches of national organisations.

• Business records

  The History Centre holds records for various kinds of businesses, including brewers, solicitors, architects and more. Our business archives include the internationally recognised company Poole Pottery and Britain's first garden centre, Stewarts of Ferndown.

• Herrison Hospital (Dorset County Lunatic Asylum)

  Herrison Hospital was a mental hospital, formerly the county asylum for Dorset. The original asylum was founded in 1832 and the institution continued until 1992, when the hospital closed. The records of the asylum and hospital are held here.

• Dorset Authors Collection

  A unique collection consisting of thousands of publications relating to Dorset's authors and poets, including Thomas Hardy, William Barnes, John Fowles, Sir Frederick Treves, Sylvia Townsend Warner and the Powys brothers.

• Ancestry

  Ancestry, one of the most comprehensive family history websites, is available free at the Dorset History Centre.

• Microfilm sources

  The Dorset History Centre holds a number of microfilm sources available on open access.

• The Data Protection Act and research at the Dorset History Centre

  The Data Protection Act 1998 protects the personal data of living individuals. By law, the History Centre has to monitor or restrict access to certain types of records which may contain personal information.