Ancestry Library Edition Tips

Ancestry Library Edition is a version of the huge family history web site 'Ancestry' that you can use free in libraries via the public computers or by connecting to the WiFi.
Ancestry Library Edition will no longer be available to access from 1st July 2025 at Bedford Central, Bromham, Kempston, Putnoe and Wootton libraries.
Ancestry Library Edition is still available and free to use in Central Bedfordshire Libraries.
If you are in the library now open a web browser (for example Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox) and click on the link to Ancestry on the welcome page.
For details of computer use at your local library please see IT in Libraries
You will find:
- Searchable English census records 1841 - 1911 with images of the actual census pages.
- Census records for other areas of the UK and other parts of the world
- Birth, marriage and death records, including the England and Wales birth, marriage and death indexes
- Records of immigration into the US and of emigration from the UK, including passenger lists
- Military records
- And directories and membership lists.
Are you using a computer in a Bedfordshire library at the moment? Click Ancestry library edition on the web browser homepage to go straight to the web site
Are you using a computer elsewhere? You can use 'Ancestry' but you will need to pay for most of the resources. You can search all records from other Ancestry sites directly at Ancestry.co.uk, including European, US, Australian, and Canadian records

Page last updated: 17th June 2025