Frequently Asked Questions
If you are new to the site or need assistance, see if our collection of FAQ and answers can help you out.
I would like assistance with:
Q. How do I search for a document?
A. The easiest way is to type the name of the person you are looking for into the Quick Search box and click on the Go button. Advanced search allows you to search on specific fields. You will find lots of search tips
and detailed information on searching in the help files.
Q. How many keywords/search terms can I enter at once?
A. You can enter up to 200 characters in the Quick Search box - this is between 20 and 30 search terms, depending on the length of the words you enter. You can narrow down your search a great deal, even by entering 4 key words, for example john smith shopkeeper westminster, (if searching for a will) or john (or j as you can enter the initial) robinson coldstream guards private. There is no need to use capital letters and you only need to separate the words with spaces.
Q. How are the search results ordered?
A. The search results are ordered by relevance. When you search using Quick Search, the search will list items that match the name field higher than other items (see below). Therefore, if you are looking for a place, which might also be somebody's name, you might find it easier to use advanced search. To re-order your search results by Date or Description, click on either of these headings at the top of the search results table.
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Printing and viewing
Q. Can I print the document when I've downloaded it from DocumentsOnline?
A. You can print a document. However,
all the documents have been scanned in "size for size", meaning that
most of the originals are approximately A3 size and are best
printed on an A3 printer. Most documents are readable when printed
on an A4 printer, albeit slightly more condensed on the page. We advise
those wishing to print on an A4 printer to adjust their setting within
the print option in Adobe to enable the "shrink oversized pages to
paper size" and the "auto-rotate and centre pages".
Q. The image on the document is very poor. What happens now?
A. Contact us, and we will advise you, via email, whether the image should be re-filmed and/or re-scanned. If this is the case, it will take a minimum of 25 working days to complete the work. An email will be forwarded to you when the work is finished so that you can download the new file.
Q. I cannot read the text on the document. What do I do now?
A. We advise you to use the zoom facility (the Magnifying Glass icon) on Adobe Reader to enhance the screen image. If, after this, you are still having difficulties magnifying the image, please contact DocumentsOnline.
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Downloading
Q. I clicked on the link in the email I was sent but I can't access my image. Why?
A. You have 56 days from when you receive the email to download the images you have purchased. It is a good idea to save each image onto your computer, for future reference. For PDF files, use the save icon in the Acrobat toolbar, or use "File" and then "Save As" from the menu. To save JPEG files to your computer, use the "File" menu and then "Save As" option.
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WW1 Campaign Medal Cards and related issues
Q. Why is there sometimes no regimental number?
A. Officers did not have a regimental
number unless they were promoted through the ranks.
Q. I know my ancestor was a sergeant in the British Army. Why does he not come up when I search?
A. 'Sergeant' was more commonly spelt as 'serjeant' in those days.
Q. Do all individuals with medal cards have medal entitlements?
A. No. It should be noted that the medal cards are a record of application for medals, as much as a record for those actually awarded. In many cases medal cards exist without indicating medal entitlements, meaning the body of the card itself could be blank.
There are a variety of reasons for this; the most frequent one is that the individual was not entitled to any medals. This is predominantly the case for many of the men who went to France after 11 November 1918. They thought they were entitled and so applied, only to have the application refused. Others failed to meet the required criteria for certain awards, especially the Territorial Force War Medal. The individual must have also served abroad; if they applied when they were based entirely in the United Kingdom, then no medal was awarded. It should also be noted that many individuals forfeited their campaign medals due to a disciplinary infringement.
Other cards in WO 372 include details for campaign medals for post 1918 campaigns or even long service awards.
Q. My relative was an officer. Why can I not find his medal entitlement?
A. Unlike medals for soldiers, which were
sent automatically, officers had to apply for their campaign medals.
If they did not apply, there will not be a card
Q. Where can I find an officer's service record?
A. These are not yet available online,
so you will either need to visit
The National Archives or engage an independent
researcher to research on your behalf. If you don't know whether
the officer in question was in the Territorial Army (TA) or regular service, it is better to start with the TA records as they are easier to search and they are fewer in number. The TA records (and records for those with temporary commissions) are held in the series WO 374 and are arranged alphabetically. The original records can be viewed at The National Archives at Kew.
The Regular Army and Emergency Reserve Officers records are a little
trickier to find. First you should consult a catalogue list for WO
338 (this series is an index to the records themselves). You
then refer to the index (on microfilm) at The National Archives, which
will give you something called a 'long reference number'. This then
tells you which list to consult so you can find the record in the
series WO 339 as an original document.
More information on researching officers' records can be found in
the research guide for First World War officers'
records.
Q. How can I find a soldier's record?
A. In comparison with officer's records,
fewer soldiers' records survived, more than 60% having been destroyed
by a fire in 1940. These are held within two series: WO 363, the
'burnt' series, covering war survivors and war dead; and WO 364 for
soldiers discharged to pension. What remains of these series has been
microfilmed and can be viewed at The National Archives at Kew.
More information on researching soldiers' records can be found in
the research guide for First World War soldiers'
records.
There is also a list of Records destroyed at the Army Records Centre, Arnside Street, London as a result of bombing on the 8th September 1940, (WO 32/21769) available from the DocumentsOnline website.
Q. Why are the medal cards now £2.00?
A. Due to cost savings in this particular area, we can now offer a reduction of £1.50 for all medal cards.
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Q. I know when my ancestor died, but I can't find their will listed under this date. Why?
A. The date given is the date on which probate was granted, not the death date. In some cases this could be several years later.
Q. I know my ancestor's will was proved before 1858. Why can't I find it?
A. In general, simpler wills bequeathing smaller properties were usually dealt with in a lower level court (either archdeacon's court or bishop's court). More complex wills, with a greater amount of property dispersal, would be proved at a higher level (for example, the diocesan court). Firstly, check that they lived in one of the geographic regions covered by the court. If they fall into the correct area, where the person died, then you need to consider how they dispersed their goods, and how much they were valued at. If the value of the goods were less than £5, then the will would not be proved at one of the central courts. If the goods were dispersed within a small geographic region, such as within one archdeaconry or diocese, then the probate would have been granted in a lower level court. To read more,
look at What determined where a will was proved?
Q. Does the PCC only cover the wills of rich people?
A. The Prerogative Court of Canterbury (based in London) was the most senior church court, but it would be overly broad to suggest that only those wills of sufficient wealth were proved there.
In the early years of its jurisdiction the minimum £5 bequest for a will to be proved in the PCC was difficult for most to meet. Over the years, this set value did not increase, but the relative wealth of ordinary individuals did, so the PCC was more open to all ranks of society. It has been estimated that by the 1830s, a third of all wills made in England and Wales were proved by PCC.
During the interregnum (1553-1560) all wills were proved in London. If your ancestor left property in both courts, their will would be held in PCC.
If your ancestor was out of the country (for instance a sailor, soldier, migrant) and bequeathed property held anywhere in England or Wales, their will would have been proved in the PCC.
Q. I know my ancestor's will was proved in 1858. They lived in London, so why can't I find it?
A. On 12 January 1858 the ecclesiastical courts ceased, and jurisdiction for the granting of probate was passed to the new secular Court of Probate. Therefore a majority of the wills proved in 1858 will not fall under either of these courts. See "Where are the wills after 1858 held?" below.
Q. Where are the wills after 1858 held?
A. In 1858 a secular Court of Probate
was created and the proving of wills was no longer under the jurisdiction
of the church. There is information on the Court
Service website about wills after 1858, including a guide
to obtaining copies of probate records.
Q. Do you have Birth, Marriage and Death certificates online?
A. No, those for England and Wales are held by the General Register Office (part of the Office of National Statistics). You can order certificates online or download order forms on their website - you will also find information on fees for their postal service.
Q. Where can I find divorce records?
A. The National Archives only holds records of divorces in the Supreme Court. The "Principal Registry of the Family Division" holds records from local courts and divorces after 1943. Their address is:
First Avenue House
42-49 High Holborn
London WC1V 6XP
Tel: 020 7947 6000
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Q. Where can I find an officer's records?
A. You can now search and download some Royal Naval Officers' Service Records from DocumentsOnline, and we have written a guide to the records which provides further information.
If the record you are looking for is not available at DocumentsOnline, you will need to visit
The National Archives or engage an independent
researcher to research on your behalf. Have a look at the research guide Royal Navy: Officers' Service Records in the Catalogue for more details.
Once you have found his service record you can look for an entitlement to medals he might have been awarded. Campaign medals from 1793 to 1902 are listed in the series ADM 171. First World War campaign medals for Royal Naval officers are listed in ADM 171/89-91.
Second World War and later campaign medal rolls are not in The National Archives. Write to the Armed Services Medal Office at:
AFPAA
(JPAC)
Ministry of Defence Medal Office
RAF Innsworth
Gloucester
GL3 1HW
There are numerous published sources for gallantry awards. The research guide British Armed Services: Gallantry Medals explains where to look for them.
Q. Where can I find records of Royal Naval ships' voyages?
A. There are a variety of records which you can see at The National Archives. The research guide Royal Navy: Log Books and Reports of Proceedings outlines what each type contains and where you will find them.
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Q. How can I enquire about a seaman's medal entitlement?
A. These medals were not issued automatically, but had to be claimed. To enquire about a seaman's entitlement you should begin by contacting the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen at:
Registry of Shipping and Seamen
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Anchor Court
Keen Road
Cardiff
CF24 5JW
The RSS holds the most up-to-date records relating to the award of medals to merchant seamen during the World War Two. If they cannot find an entitlement listed and you would like to check whether there is one, they can advise you about the evidence they need. Have a look at the research guide Merchant Seamen: Medals and Honours in the Catalogue for more details and how to gather evidence.
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Q. What is Athens and why have you made this service available?
A. Eduserv Athens is contracted by the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) to control access to web-based subscription services for UK further or higher education institutions. Athens authenticates and authorises users for access to online services such as DocumentsOnline. Athens is a very widely used authentication method within the UK further and higher education community and we are offering this in response to user demand.
Q. Can individuals or family history institutions subscribe?
A. No, Eduserv Athens is funded by the JISC to provide an Access Management Service for UK higher and further education. If you need further clarification about the eligibility of your institution please email the Athens Service Desk.
Q. How can I find out if my institution/university is a member of the JISC?
A. You can search for your institution/university in
Find Your Organisation. If it is listed you can sign in.
Q. How do I subscribe and how much does it cost?
A. Applications must be made by a budget-holder in a UK further or higher education institution recognised by the JISC. Please go to the Athens website.The cost of the annual subscription depends on which the JISC band your institution falls under. To find out, please look at JISC banding
.
Q. Do you offer a free trial?
A. Yes, we offer a free 30-day trial to accredited higher and further education institutions recognised by the JISC. Please see the Athens registration webpage
for more details.
Q. How can I use the material?
A. The National Archives offers guidance on copyright and other intellectual property issues.
To use images commercially email the Image Library or call +44 (0) 20 8392 5225 or fax on +44 (0) 20 8487 1974.
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Q. Do I have to be registered online to use the system?
A. No, anyone can use the DocumentsOnline service.
Q. What is an order number?
A. You can find your order number at the top of the email that you receive from DocumentsOnline, it starts with the letter "I" (not the number "1").
Q. In what currency is my credit card billed?
A. We will bill you in £ (sterling) and your credit card company will carry out the conversion on the day they process the transaction.
Q. I'm getting a message that says I have already paid for my documents. What should I do?
A. This error message can appear if a transaction is interrupted. Please make a note of the documents you would like, clear the Cookies from your browser, and start the order again. We recommend that you delete all cookies from your computer, however please be aware that you may lose information relating to other webpages, such as items in your Amazon shopping basket.
To delete cookies in Internet Explorer: Select "Tools" from the top of the page, then "Internet Options" and then the "General" tab. Under "Temporary Internet Files", click "Delete Cookies" then Click "OK" in the popup dialogue box.
To delete cookies in Mozilla Firefox: Select "Tools" from the top of the page, then "Options" and click the "Privacy" button. On the Cookies link, click the "Clear" button, then click "OK".
If you would like further advice on deleting cookies, please email DocumentsOnline@nationalarchives.gov.uk or visit the Help section on your browser provider's home page.
Q. I'm having problems with my Click&Buy account/setting up a Click&Buy account.
A. Please visit the Click&Buy Help
webpage.
Q. I've paid twice for the same document. Can I have a refund?
A. Complaints and applications for refunds should be addressed to DocumentsOnline@nationalarchives.gov.uk. You can read The National Archives refund policy in the help on payment.
Q. I don't have credit or debit card or a Click&Buy account. What happens now?
A. You may forward a sterling cheque to us, made payable to: The National Archives
and send it to:
DocumentsOnline
The National Archives
Kew, Richmond
Surrey
TW9 4DU
United Kingdom
The fee remains the same. Please inform us of your email address as this is for an electronic delivery system. In addition, please send the full catalogue references for each document you require, along with your payment.
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Miscellaneous
Q. Can I talk to someone if I have a problem with the system?
A. The DocumentsOnline team are available during the hours of 09:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday. BST (GMT +1) begins again on 25 March 2007. See Contact us for further details.
Q. Can the The National Archives search on behalf of a customer for information on a document?
A. The National Archives offers a paid search service for specific documents which we hold. Please contact us for the full cost of your particular search before sending any money.
Additionally there is a list of independent researchers on the main National Archives website.
Has your question been covered here? If not, please try using the help section which covers these topics in more depth.
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Help section 
