Resources and local archives to support you in your family history research in the Bradford area.

West Yorkshire Archives

West Yorkshire Archives

Bradford Local Studies Library and West Yorkshire Archive Services (Bradford) are situated in the ground floor of the refurbished Macmillan Tower.

Local Studies Library

Local Studies Library

Over 2000 bound volumes of original local newspapers from across the district will be kept in the new Local Studies archive store.

Drop In Sessions

Drop In Sessions

Request help, on a 1:1 basis at the Local Studies Library.

Bradford Trade Directories

Bradford Trade Directories

A selection of Bradford Trade Directories is available to download and search.

Useful Websites

Useful Websites

Some websites and resources to support you in your family history research.

Forthcoming Events in Bradford

Buried deep but not lost forever: Discovering your Ancestor’s final resting place

by Linda Hammond

Mon 21st September 2026 7:00 pm

Society

» Further details

Looking Up in Bradford

by Geoff Twentyman

Thu 1st October 2026 10:00 am

Society

» Further details

Researching 'before' a novel - The Mourning Broach - Part 3

by Dianne Page

Mon 19th October 2026 7:00 pm

Society

» Further details

Lawless Ladies: a thousand years of female criminals

by Trish Colton & Diane Holloway

Thu 5th November 2026 10:00 am

Society

» Further details

Open Evening – bring your queries, problems and discoveries to the Zoom meeting

Mon 16th November 2026 7:00 pm

Society

» Further details

The History of the English Canal System, including the now closed Bradford Canal.

by Eric Jackson

Thu 3rd December 2026 10:00 am

Society

» Further details

Other Family History Events

Surname search

Surname Search

There are 3153 surname interests currently listed by Bradford Family History Society members. Are your surnames of interest among them?

Bradford district map

Bradford District Map

Trying to identify where a Bradford parish is or which parishes border it? See our Bradford map guide