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==Starting The FIBIwiki contains lots of guidance for starting out on your 'British India' research==The FIBIS online ''Beginners' Guide'' will continue to be expanded in the future. It is recommended that you read through all of this information page before contacting FIBIS for personal research services (Members) or research advice (non-Members). You may also find Peter Bailey's slideshow [http://www.fibis.org/BL.pps "Your First Visit to the IOR"] helpful. (The slideshow takes about a minute to download with broadband). The slideshow is also available on [http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=CSjQMdsMZZQ YouTube ] *[[Birth, marriage and death records]]*[[Church records]]
→Recommended steps for your research
==Scope of FIBIS' Interest==
The main focus of FIBIS activities is the ‘sub-continent’ of India but we are the society is also interested in all areas and activities of the British in South Asia including the following between the founding of the [[East India Company]] in 1599 to ‘Indian Independence’ in 1947:
[[Afghanistan]], [[Aden]], [[Andaman Islands]], [[Bangladesh]], [[Benkulen|Bencoolen]] (Sumatra, Indonesia), [[Burma]] (Myanmar), [[Ceylon]] (Sri Lanka), [[China]], [[Macao]] & [[Hong Kong]], [[Indonesia]] (Borneo, Labuan etc.), [[Malaysia]], [[Mauritius]], [[Iran|Persia]], [[Singapore]], [[Straits Settlements]].
Also included are the activities of the East India Company in [[Home Establishment | London]] and [[St. Helena]].
British India was divided into three [[Presidencies]]:
*[[Bombay (Presidency)|Bombay]], which covered the smallest area on the west and north of the country, including extending through [[Sind]] and to the coastal area of what is now [[Pakistan]], including [[Karachi]] and also included [[Aden]] *[[Bengal (Presidency)|Bengal]], which covered the east of the country and included [[Burma ]] and what is now [[Bangladesh]] and extended west to parts the [[North West Frontier Province|North West Frontier]] to include most of what is now modern day [[Pakistan]], including [[Lahore]], [[Multan]], [[Peshawar]] and [[Rawalpindi]]
*[[Madras (Presidency)|Madras]], which covered the southern portion of India
Also note that administrative boundaries changed from time to time and it is important to check 'border' districts in the adjoining area. The above map is adapted from Plate 21 of the (1931) revised atlas of the ''[[Imperial Gazetteer of India]]''. Such small scale maps cannot show every enclave of territory, and this map is not to be taken as an authority for boundaries. For more detail see the provincial maps in the ''Imperial Gazetteer'' atlas, and large scale published ''Survey of India'' topographical maps.
==Main sources Recommended steps for informationyour research== ===The very first steps===*Search the main online databases, consisting of free sites, and a commercial site. :There are three free websites: # [https://fibis.ourarchives.online/bin/index.php '''FIBIS database'''] contains information from many sources. # '''[Mailing lists[FamilySearch]]''' - which is the website of the Mormon Latter Day Saints Church (LDS). To search the records you must "Sign In", located at the top right hand corner of the website - initial registration is required.# [[British Library]], [http://indiafamily.bl.uk/ui/Home.aspx '''India Office Family History Search''']. Contains only a small proportion of the total records.:Commercial sites: '''[[findmypast]]''' is the main site for India related records. The India related records available on Ancestry are mostly a duplicate of those to be found on the free [[IGI|FamilySearch]]site. *:The commercial site [[findmypast]] and the free [[IGI|Familysearch]] web site host a large volume of transcriptions based on the India Office [[Church records|church records]] housed at the British Library.:'''Note''': Only [[findmypast]] – Asian & African Studies Reading Room – contains images of the records, which generally contain '''additional''' information to the transcriptions, such as occupational details, which may be very helpful for your research.:Some later records for baptisms and marriages are not available with full details for privacy reasons on [[APACfindmypast]] (Asia. For those unable to visit the British Library, alternative records are available for later births and marriages on FamilySearch digitised microfilms, and previously issued microfilms, Pacific see [[FamilySearch]] and Africa Collections)[[FamilySearch Centres]]. If FamilySearch Centres are not geographically convenient, copies of records may be requested from the British Library for a fee.*Search the archives of the Rootsweb India List. You may find that someone else has already researched the family tree you are interested in. Read how to do this, and more about the now discontinued India List, in the Fibiwiki link [[The Mailing lists]]. *Consider joining your local genealogy society as most large societies, in addition to other services, provide members free online access in their libraries to commercial sites such as Findmypast and/or Ancestry, and possibly many other additional genealogy websites which would otherwise require payment. This is especially relevant as the church records at the British Library are now digitised and available through Findmypast. Some Borough/Local Government and/or County/State and/or National Archiveslibraries may also offer free access to websites such as Findmypast and Ancestry, see [[Miscellaneous tips]] . Some of the larger genealogy societies have become FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries where it is possible to view many, but not all, 'restricted' FamilySearch digitised records which are not available on home computers. For more details see [[FamilySearch Centres]]. Findmypast and Ancestry (TNAand additional sites) – formerly are also available at [[FamilySearch Centres]]. ===The next steps=== *Read the Fibiwiki article [[Birth, marriage and death records]] and all the Public associated articles and links *By now, you may have some occupational details. **For officers and soldiers in the Military, read [[Armies in India]] and all the associated articles and links which are relevant to your research.** Look at [[:Category:Occupations]], and read the articles and links about occupations relevant to your research. ===Further steps===*Look at [[:Category:Research methods]], and [[:Category:Records Office ]] and read the articles.*Browse the remaining categories on the [[Main Page]] ===Visiting the British Library=== *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGZQlMGocPQ Advice For Your First Visit to the APAC Reading Rooms] - Advice from the Chairman of the Families In British India Society, Peter Bailey, on your first visit to the Asia Pacific and Africa Collection Reading Rooms at the British Library to research your family history in British India.2009 (PROyoutube.com) == Related articles ==* [[British Library]]*[[findmypast]]*[[General Register OfficeIGI]]* [[Birth, marriage and death records]]* [[Church records]] (GRO)*[[National Army MuseumMiscellaneous tips]] (NAM)== External links ==*[http://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=2114&id=201071 findmypast]*[National Maritime Museumhttp://indiafamily.bl.uk/UI/ India Office Family History Search]*[https://familysearch.org/ Familysearch] (NMM)
[[Category:Research methods]]
