Local and Family History
at Leighton Buzzard Library

• Ancestry Library Edition
  Free access in the library to 'Ancestry Library Edition', a web site that has a huge range of resources for family historians. For details, see the top of Local and family history A-Z page
   
• Armed services
  See Armed services records at Leighton Buzzard Library
   
• Books
  Including:
  
  Leighton Buzzard and its hamlets, by Robert Richmond
  The coming of a town, by R.V. Willis
  Pictures past and present, by Richard Hart
  Around Leighton Buzzard and Linslade, by Maureen Brown and June Masters
  Leighton Buzzard Light Railway, by Sydney Leleux
  
  For further details please see the library catalogue
   
• Burial and cemetery records
  National Burial Index on CD-ROM
   
• Census indexes
  1851 census index for Bedfordshire. 
  CD-ROM 1881 national index of the British Isles
   
• Census records
  Free access to census records 1841- 1901 on Ancestry Library Edition web site
  1841-1891 for Leighton Buzzard and surrounding villages, on microfilm and microfiche
  1881 British Census transcribed records on CD-ROM, accompanying the 1881 National Index on CD-ROM
   
• Census statistics
  Summary statistics for Bedfordshire towns and villages from 1841 to date. 
  Small area statistics for Leighton Buzzard and South Bedfordshire villages for 1981 and 1991
   
• Council papers
  Leighton Buzzard Town Council - one year backfile
   
• County guides and directories
  Leighton Buzzard guides and directories from the 1700s to the 20th century.
   
• Electoral registers
  South Bedfordshire electoral registers from 1958/59 to date
   
• Highway Board Minutes
  Luton Highway Board 1863-1868 and 1873-1881
   
• International Genealogical Index
  1992 microfiche edition covering England, Scotland and Wales
   
• Magazines and journals
  Bedfordshire Magazine  1946-1999. 
  Bedfordshire Historical Record Society Publications 
  Local parish magazines
   
• Maps
  Street maps
  Ordnance Survey maps
  Goad Plans 
  Miscellaneous historical maps 
   
• Newspapers
  Leighton Buzzard Observer formerly the Beds and Bucks Observer, from 1861 to date, in hardcopy until microfilm received 
  Leighton Buzzard on Sunday, from 1991 to June 2007, on microfilm (ceased)
  Leighton Buzzard Citizen, from 1997 to date in hardcopy (incomplete file)
  Leighton Buzzard News, from August 2007 to date
   
• Parish registers
  Complete set of transcribed parish registers from 1500s to 1812 (dates vary for different events and places), in book format
  Surname index to complete set of Bedfordshire Parish Registers, on CD-ROM.
  Parish registers on microfiche for selected areas
   
• Poor Law minutes
  Leighton Buzzard Poor Law Minutes from 1835-1845, on microfiche
  Woburn Poor Law Minutes from 1835-1840 and 1843-1847, on microfiche
   
• Town guides and directories
  1962 (+ map), 1970 (+ map), 1976 (+ map), 1984 (+ map), 1987, 1990, 1994, 1998
   
• Vestry minutes
  Leighton Buzzard Vestry Minutes for 1720-1740 and 1799-1895, on microfiche
   
• Wills
  Index to Prerogative Court of Canterbury Registered Wills and Administration Acts 1701-1749. Contains references to some 300,000 wills and administrations in one alphabetical sequence, on microfiche

Leighton Buzzard Library contact details and opening times