India Office Records: Family History Sources

This is a guide for family historians on how to use the available sources working from a variety of starting points such as occupational descriptions or types of documents (wills, pensions or ecclesiastical records for example). For information on individuals, please consult India Office Family History Search Database which contains over 300,000 records of British and European residents in India between 1600 and 1947.

Family History © The British Library Board.

Types of documents available for family history research in the India Office Records:

Other Internet sources:

Access to Archives (A2A)
World Wide Web Links
Asians in Britain - outlines the sources available in the India Office Records relating to Asians from Indian-Subcontinent
Moving Here - for information on Asian African migration into Britain

Search Services

We offer a remote ecclesiastical search service for enquirers who are unable to visit our reading room. The Ecclesiastical Returns (copy registers of births/baptisms, marriages and burials of European and Eurasian Christians in India, Burma and territories controlled from India) held in this collection are not complete. We estimate that 20-30% of the returns are missing. Therefore with any search conducted there is the possibility of failure. Certified copies, i.e.. an official copy with the seal of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, can also be provided. The fees for Ecclesiastical Searches and Certificates are as follows:

£36 per search for enquirers of EU countries (includes VAT)
£30 per search for enquirers of non-EU countries
£18 per certified copy

Applications for Ecclesiastical Records Search (PDF file and print)

For further guidance on our Ecclesiastical search service please contact Reference Services at the Asia, Pacific & Africa Collections

Readers wishing to pursue their own research are welcome to consult the collections in the Asia Pacific & Africa Collections by using the services and facilities of the Reading Room, where general advice is available to researchers at the Reference Enquiries Desk. Please refer to the Reader Registration page for advice on obtaining a Reader Pass. The British Library regrets that its staff are not available to carry out private research for individuals or organizations on subjects other than those of ecclesiastical nature. Enquirers who are unable to make a personal visit to the Asia Pacific & Africa Collections may wish to employ research agents to pursue enquiries on their behalf:

Private Research Agents (PDF file)

Training sessions in using India Office Records family history sources

Training workshops will be held on 9 July and 21 August 2013. Taking into account comments made on some evaluation forms by attendees of the long-established introductory sessions in family history, APAC Reference Services working in tandem with the Families In British India Society (FIBIS) are delighted to present specialized sessions looking at biographical sources for military personnel. No previous knowledge of the subject is expected or required. If, therefore, you believe you have European ancestors who served in the Indian sub-continent whether as officers or private soldiers, please book your free place by contacting hrs-training@bl.uk. Depending on the level of interest shown, we plan to offer repeat sessions at regular intervals. The next session will be held on the afternoon of 4 September 2013.