HAMPSHIRE County Council has teamed up with Ancestry® to make historical records more accessible.

Baptism, burial and marriage records spanning 400 years of history are now available online. The records will also be available to Hampshire residents for free via public libraries and Winchester’s Record Office.

Prominent Hampshire residents featured in the collection include Florence Nightingale, Jane Austen and Thomas Lord.

READ MORE: Hampshire libraries and Record Office to make 1921 Census free to view

Hampshire County Council’s executive member for countryside and regulatory services, Cllr Russell Oppenheimer, said: "It’s fantastic news that millions more of Hampshire’s historical records are now available through the touch of a button. This marks the latest batch of documents that are now online thanks to our partnership with Ancestry®.”

Dating back to the 16th century, parish records are some of the longest running records available and can be used to trace back to family roots.

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Within the records are examples of some of Hampshire’s historical celebrities:

  • Florence Nightingale: a social reformer, statistician and the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale came to prominence during the Crimean War, in which she organised care for wounded soldiers. She died August 10, 1910, and is buried at St Margaret's Church in East Wellow, Hampshire.
  •  Jane Austen: the novelist who is famous for books such as Pride and Prejudice, and Emma. She was baptised in Steventon, Hampshire.
  • Thomas Lord: a professional cricketer and the founder of the Lord's Cricket Ground. He was buried in 1832, in West Meon, Hampshire.

Kristian Lafferty of Ancestry® said: “We are happy that the parish records are now available on Ancestry®. These records hold so much insight about the ancestors of people from Hampshire and will be a great tool in finding out more about the lives they lived. These records give the opportunity for those who have roots in Hampshire to learn more about their ancestors, discover interesting stories and spot some prominent people from the region too.’’