Family History Resources – Holme Low Parish

Are you researching your family tree?

Holme Low parish has a rich history, and there are many resources you can use — both online and locally — to help trace your ancestors. This page is a guide to get you started.

1. Parish and Local Records

Parish Registers (Church of England)
Baptisms, marriages, and burials from as early as the 1600s may survive.
- Registers and microfilm copies are held at the Carlisle Archive Centre.
- Bishop’s Transcripts (copies of registers sent to the Diocese) can also help fill gaps.
Civil Registration (Births, Marriages, Deaths)
Records from 1837 onwards are indexed online: Cumbria BMD.
Graveyards and Memorial Inscriptions
Holme Low churchyard and nearby cemeteries often hold valuable information on family plots. Some inscriptions have been transcribed by local history and family history groups.

2. Online Resources

These sites are especially useful for people researching Holme Low families:

Cumbria Archives – Family History
Guidance, catalogues, and details of parish registers and other records.
FamilySearch – Cumberland Parish Registers
Free access to many digitised parish registers.
Cumbria BMD
Birth, marriage and death indexes from 1837 onwards.
GENUKI – Cumberland
Background on parishes, maps, and useful links.
Findmypast – Cumbria (subscription required)
Census records, parish registers, and local directories.
Ancestry (subscription required)
Census returns, parish registers, military records, and other family history databases. Free access is often available in Cumberland libraries.
Find a Grave
The world’s largest gravesite collection, with over 210 million memorials created by the community since 1995.
- Silloth Cemetery (Causewayhead)
- St Paul’s Churchyard, Causewayhead
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Honours and cares for the men and women of the Commonwealth forces who died in the First and Second World Wars, ensuring they will never be forgotten.
- Graves are located in St Paul’s Churchyard and Silloth (Causewayhead) Cemetery.
Cumbria Family History Society
Publications, transcriptions, and member support for local research.
Index of Memorial Inscriptions for St Paul’s Churchyard, Causewayhead
A detailed index of memorial inscriptions for St Paul’s Churchyard, near Silloth.

3. Local Research in Cumbria

Some records are only available in person.

Carlisle Archive Centre
Lady Gillford’s House, Petteril Bank Road, Carlisle CA1 3AJ
Holds original parish registers, maps, wills, church records, manorial papers and more.
👉 Visit Carlisle Archive Centre
Local Libraries
Cumberland libraries (including nearby Wigton and Silloth) provide free access to genealogy websites like Ancestry, and hold local history books, newspapers, and electoral rolls.
👉 Library family history resources
Parish Church
Some recent registers or burial records may still be kept at the church. Contact the vicar or churchwardens for details.

4. Getting Help

Cumbria Family History Society – a great source of support, with regular meetings and specialist publications.
Local History Groups – organisations in the Solway area (Silloth, Wigton, Allerdale) often publish parish histories and memorial inscriptions.
Archives Staff – the team at Cumbria Archives are very helpful in guiding beginners.

5. Tips for Success

Collect as much information as possible (names, dates, places) before searching.
Be flexible with spellings — surnames often vary in old records.
If you cannot find a record in Holme Low, try neighbouring parishes (like Holme Cultram, Silloth, or Abbeytown).
Use Bishop’s Transcripts when parish registers have gaps.
Visit cemeteries and churchyards — gravestones often hold family clues.