Genealogy Chat

What was the occupation of your relative? In the 1851 census my relative was listed as a Cordwainer born City of London. I found his apprenticeship records and it told me his address and the name of his father. If your ancestor worked for the Corporation of London there are a lot of records held at the Guildhall Library in London but they really only cover the City of London (Square Mile). To give you an idea of the sort of records available try this link http://www.history.ac.uk/gh/livlist.htm. Does anyone know if there are any other similar records for people who worked outside the City walls and if so where they are kept?

London is made up of lots of parishes and it can therefore be very difficult to research relatives and their lifestyles, particularly before civil registration began in 1837. If anyone has any ideas, tips, resources, useful websites etc and especially any success stories please add them here. Thanks. Lyla. P.S. Can anyone tell us anything about their experiences searching for London ancestors (if it’s at all possible) in such places as court/police records, pallot marriage index, Trinity House records, schools, workhouses, hospitals, poor law and settlement records or any other resources that you have tried.