Ancestry | library edition
Searching and Search Tips
Simple Search
Simple searches are run from the Home page.
Just enter the first and last name of the person you are looking for and press Search.
The list of results will display by publication. By clicking on the record titles, you will be able to see all of the results.
Advanced Search
This page allows you to refine or broaden your search.
You can also refine by keyword, date range, locality and Soundtex, a variant spelling search system.
From this page you can also Browse the Entire Collection which allows you to narrow down your search to a particular region (e.g. UK & Ireland ) and country (e.g. England ).
Finally you can search by selecting a specific publication and entering your search terms. New and updated publications are highlighted in red.
Search Tips
- Start with a broad search. Begin by searching for an ancestor name without including any places or dates. If you get too many results you can refine your terms and search again.
- Try various name spellings. Most names can be spelt in a variety of ways. If you can't find the person you're looking for try some variant spellings. On the Advanced Search page you are offered the option to search by exact spelling or by Soundtex. If you select Soundtex you automatically search for variants of the name you have entered.
- Wildcard searching. If you are not sure how to spell a name you can try using wildcard characters, i.e. Boolean symbols, in your search.
- If you are stuck for search terms, why not try searching for grandparent, or even a celebrity for example Queen Victoria.
Start searching or find more search tips to get you started here.
This service can only be accessed on computers within Hillingdon Libraries
