During the summer break, the Borthwick Institute for Archives released more than two million records online in partnership with Ancestry. These records contain information about births, marriages and burials that took place in and around the city of York from 1538 to 1995.

This release will allow researchers from across the globe to gain easier access to Yorkshire-based ancestral records. Previously, academics and members of the public could only gain access to these records by viewing the physical copies held within the Borthwick Institute but, since the release, this information can now be viewed virtually on the websites of both Ancestry and the Borthwick Institute.

The events detailed as part of this release all occurred within the boundaries of the Archdeaconry of York, which spans an area with a radius of roughly 20 miles around the city centre. Certain well known family names, that have played a significant role within the history of York, appear within the released documents. These include Fawkes and Clitherow, along with the various family-run chocolate businesses such as Rowntree, Craven and Terry.

Unlike most ancestral records at the time, the Dade Registers of Yorkshire, released through this partnership, include extra details in relation to baptisms and burials. For records within the years 1777 to 1812, the cause of death appears on the burial register, along with occasional information regarding weather, local events and local people. For a city such as…