Ancestry website to publish Canterbury Cathedral records online

Canterbury Cathedral Archives has granted permission to a family history website to publish some of its historic records online.

An online version of the parish registers of the historic Archdeaconry of Canterbury will go live on Findmypast.co.uk in the coming weeks in the first phase of the project.

The Canterbury Collection will feature around a million entries, covering a wide area in East Kent, from Whitstable in the north to Hythe in the south, and including the city of Canterbury and the towns of Faversham, Wye and Elham.

The launch of the online archive coincides with the temporary closure of the Canterbury Cathedral Archives for a major refurbishment due for completion by the autumn.

Findmypast.co.uk has begun the process of transcribing the records, with a view to creating an index and making them fully searchable on the website later in the year.

Paul Nixon, Content Licensing Manager for Findmypast.co.uk, said: "We're really looking forward to seeing these invaluable records from Canterbury Cathedral Archives go live on findmypast.co.uk, strengthening the site's position as the natural home for UK parish records."

Canterbury Cathedral Archivist Cressida Williams added: "Working with findmypast has provided us with a wonderful opportunity to expand access to these records to a worldwide audience.

"This resource will be a great asset for anyone with an interest in the history of this part of Kent."