| Once upon a time,
before the town of Portsmouth was founded, this coastline was made up of creeks, low-lying marsh and water. Over the centuries the coastline has altered, but the town's position here on the south coast, its proximity to the open sea, coupled with control of the harbour and its entrance, have secured Portsmouth's place in history as one of the world's great anchoranges and a rendevous for British shipping in times of war for over 800 years. |
Postal Research Service
We offer a comprehensive research service: for a fee, payable
in advance, we can undertake research in the many sources held at
the Records Office, including parish registers, electoral registers,
rate books, and trade directories. Many requests for searches are
from family historians, but the same service applies to those requesting
other types of research.
How to Request Research
Please make your request for research on the application form, and
send it to the Records Office with the appropriate research fee.
We regret that no search can be undertaken unless we have received
payment in advance.
Obtaining an Application Form
You can download a form here: application form. Alternatively, you can request a form by either contacting us on +44 (0)23 9282 7261 or emailing us searchroom@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.
Making Your Request
Try to be as specific as possible about which records you would like
us to search, the dates to be covered, and the object of the research.
We would strongly advise you to check in advance that the Records
Office holds the relevant material before you ask us to undertake
a search.
Results
We cannot guarantee that the search will yield the information you
are hoping to find, or that we will be able to undertake all the work
you have asked for in the time provided. However, we will try to discover
as much as we can for you.
Searches are carried out in the order in which we receive them. We
carry out research up to a maximum of three hours at a time. This
allows us to maintain a reasonable turnover of searches and enables
the researcher to control the progress and cost of a search.
Our Charges
We charge £11.50 per half hour. Our charges include all work connected with the search - there are no extra charges for postage or administrative costs. (We also include a limited number of photocopies in this fee, if this is the best way to convey the information.)
We can provide certificates of baptism, marriage and burial entries in parish registers for the statutory fee of £7.00 plus £11.50 for a half hour search fee. Certificates are provided for official or legal purposes only. Please note that certificates do not provide additional information to that which would be supplied in the usual search report apart from common form and, where given, the name of the officiating minister.
How to Pay
You can pay for the research by cheque, postal order, or money order
made payable to 'Portsmouth City Council'. Overseas payments must
be made in pounds sterling.
You can also pay by debit or credit card.
If you have any further questions to ask about the service, please contact us
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