Key records for family history research, including births, marriages, baptisms and deaths in the Bailiwick, can now be accessed online.
Over the past year, Greffe records, parish church registers, Occupation identity cards and conveyance documents have been uploaded to the UK-based family tree company Findmypast.
The records are accessible from today (14 April 2025), allowing anyone anywhere to discover their links to Guernsey, Alderney and Sark.
The project has been led by the Bailiwick of Guernsey Digitisation Partnership, a steering group consisting of representatives from the Priaulx Library, Island Archives, the Deanery of Guernsey, La Société Guernesiaise and the Greffe.
Priaulx Library Chief Executive Steve Foote says the originals will continue to be preserved, but the digitised records will make local history more accessible.
“This project has been driven by a shared passion for preserving and sharing our history, and we want to thank all of those who have helped to make it possible, including Findmypast.
"The monumental project of digitising these records will not only help people with Guernsey, Sark and Alderney connections uncover their family stories across the decades to come, but it will also raise awareness of our islands’ rich heritage on an international scale."
Findmypast Archives Manager Mary McKee says the islands have a rich history.
“The records published today offer unprecedented online access to anyone looking to delve deeper into the rich history of these islands.
"For the first time, researchers will be able to search within millions of records and uncover the family stories of islanders over the past 400 years.
"In particular, the Occupation records from the Second World War provide poignant insights into life during one of the most challenging periods in its modern history."
Data protection considerations have limited some records.
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