Beginners' Guide

Starting out your 'British India' research

The FIBIS online Beginners' Guide will continue to be expanded in the future. In the meantime, please also visit Cathy Day's website. It is recommended that you read through all of this information before contacting FIBIS for personal research services (Members) or research advice (non-Members). Cathy, a FIBIS Committee member, does not undertake research for other people – so please do not email her with requests – but she does welcome any potential relatives to contact her.

Main sources for information

• Mailing lists
• British Library – India Office Records (IOR) Reading Room – APAC (Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections)
• The National Archives (TNA)formerly The Public Records Office (PRO)
• The Family Records Centre (FRC) and
• General Register Office (GRO)
• National Army Museum (NAM)
• National Maritime Museum (NMM)