A vast new archive has opened a window into centuries of daily life in Yorkshire.
Nearly 16 million records spanning almost 700 years are now available online thanks to a major digitisation project led by the University of York in partnership with Ancestry, giving people worldwide access to genealogical and historical documents from 1389 to 1858.
The records include personal stories from all walks of life, from tragedies and shipwrecks to epidemics.
Gary Brannan, Keeper of Archives and Research Collections at the Borthwick Institute for Archives, said: "People have a huge desire to trace their roots, and the discoveries they make can be intensely personal and profoundly moving.
"Individuals living around the world are always rightly proud to discover they have roots in Yorkshire.
"These records are quite unique as they are incredibly well kept and cover a long time span in a community that is always growing and changing."
Among the records are Bishops’ Transcripts and Wills from the Prerogative and Exchequer Courts of York, documenting baptisms, marriages, burials and final wishes of individuals.
Some entries capture poignant moments in history, such as a 1604 record describing a community ravaged during "plage tyme," and the will of Ann Stackhouse from 1613, dictated to her midwife as she died in childbirth.
Other entries are unexpectedly touching - one from Bossall in 1736 notes "no love amongst us" after a year with no weddings.
The collection also includes the wills of notable figures like Charlotte Brontë and Anne Lister. However, it’s the accounts of ordinary people that often prove most poignant.
The online records will be free to view at the Borthwick Institute for Archives, and available remotely through Ancestry.co.uk with a subscription.
Income generated by the partnership will be used to develop and support the Borthwick’s activities.
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