Search and enquiry service

Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies offers an enquiry service for those who are unable - or do not wish - to carry out their own research. Staff at the Archives & Local Studies have access to the full range of Hertfordshire sources, from original archives to a comprehensive library of books on Hertfordshire subjects.

To order research or copying online, please select the link called 'HALS services' under the heading 'signposts' at the bottom of this page.

Some of the sources we can search:

• Parish registers (baptism, marriage, burial from 1538 onwards, and some nonconformist records)
• Indexes to most Hertfordshire wills, 1415 to 1858
• The Allen Index to marriages in Hertfordshire before 1837
• Militia Lists 1758-1801
• Hearth tax (1662-1673) and Land tax (1711-1832) assessments
• Poor Law records - apprenticeship, settlement and removal papers (indexed)
• Hertfordshire newspapers from 1816
• Hertfordshire trade directories
• Manorial court rolls and rentals
• Maps including tithe, enclosure, estate and Ordnance Survey (sixteenth to twentieth century)
• Some land records, including deeds and sales documents (indexed by parish only)
• General indexes, including surnames, obituaries, places and subjects
• Hertfordshire census returns, 1841-1901
• Hertfordshire electoral registers (these can only be searched if an address is given)
• The International Genealogical Index
• UK-wide index to the 1881 census
• Index to the General Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1837-2003
• Index to National Probate records, 1858-1943

Search time is charged in units of 30 minutes (please see the Fees and Charges link on the left-hand side of this page), to a maximum of one hour in any one transaction. A request can be made by telephone, post, fax or email. (Telephone 0300 123 4049, email hertsdirect@hertscc.gov.uk or fax 01992 555113)

Please note that the search fee does not include the provision of copies. If we identify any relevant documents that can be copied, we will provide a quote with our report.
The fee includes the time spent reading your letter and writing the report.

You may also wish to make use of our copying service for copies of documents relevant to the research.

To get the most out of our enquiry service
Please prioritise your requirements and we will answer as many questions as possible in the time you have purchased. Please be clear and concise and include all names, dates and places known. We want to be able to give you a swift, positive response.

Although our sources are wide-ranging, the answers to questions aren't always in the records. If our search doesn't yield a positive response, we will tell you and try to suggest alternative sources. We will always try to advise you of the next step, if it seems that you could pursue an investigation further.

What you need to do
1. Work out what questions need answering
2. Write down clearly, with dates, names and places, the information you know which is relevant.
3. For a house history enquiry, enclose a map of the location and detailed address.
4. For a family history enquiry please enclose a copy of your family tree if you have one.

How can I order a Search?
You can order a search online. Our HALS Online - Search and Copy service lets you order in a safe and easy way. If you wish to order a search of the records you will be asked to register. Registering will provide you a personal secure account and save you time on future orders.

We will acknowledge your application within 3 working days, and send a full report within a month.

What information do I need?
You can only order copies if you have ALL of the following information:
• A specific document reference
• A date of document or entry
• Specific entry details.
Examples:
• Baptism entry for John Smith, Bengeo, 1 April 1809 (and not: Baptism of John Smith, maybe Bengeo, maybe Hertford, 1809)
• Newspaper article, Hertfordshire Mercury, 1 Jan 1899 edition, obituary of John Smith (and not: Obituary of John Smith, Hertfordshire Mercury, sometime in 1899)

Where you have found the reference on either Hertfordshire Names Online or Access to Archives a search is required to ascertain whether the item is suitable for copying, and the costs involved.