Forest Genealogical Records

Forest Birth & Baptism Records

Guernsey IGI Batch Numbers (1840-1875)

An index to coverage of the LDS' International Genealogical Index on Guernsey.

British Nationals Born Overseas (1818-2006)

An index to births of British citizens born overseas that were registered with the British Consul or High Commissioner. Provides a reference that can be used to order a birth certificate.

British Army Birth Index (1761-2005)

An index to births registered to British Army personal at home and abroad.

Birth Notices from The Times (1983-2003)

An index to over 100,000 birth and christening notices from The London Times.

British Maritime Births (1854-1960)

An index to children born to British parents at sea. The index contains the name of both parents, child's name, date of birth and other details. Provides a reference to order a birth certificate.

Forest Marriage & Divorce Records

Guernsey IGI Batch Numbers (1840-1875)

An index to coverage of the LDS' International Genealogical Index on Guernsey.

British Nationals Married Overseas (1818-2005)

An index to marriages of British citizens overseas that were registered with the British Consul or High Commissioner Provides a reference that can be used to order a marriage certificate.

British Army Marriage Index (1796-2005)

An index to marriages registered for British Army personal at home and abroad.

Marriage Notices from The Times (1982-2004)

An index to over 80,000 marriage and engagement notices from The London Times.

FreeREG Marriage Index (1538-2000)

A growing index of marriages, currently containing over 4 million entries from Anglican and Non-conformist records in Britain and Jersey.

Forest Death & Burial Records

Guernsey IGI Batch Numbers (1840-1875)

An index to coverage of the LDS' International Genealogical Index on Guernsey.

British Nationals Overseas Deaths (1818-2005)

A name index linked to original indices of British citizens who died overseas. Records record the area in which the deceased died and their age.

British Army Death Index (1796-2005)

An index to deaths of British Army personal at home and abroad.

Death Notices from The Times (1982-1988)

An index to over 54,000 death notices and obituaries from The London Times.

Maritime Deaths (1781-1968)

A name index linked to images of original documents detailing around 950,000 deaths of those who worked on the seas and related industries.

Forest Census & Population Lists

England, Wales, IoM & Channel Islands 1911 Census (1911)

The 1911 census provides details on an individual's age, residence, place of birth, relations and occupation. FindMyPast's index allows searches on for multiple metrics including occupation and residence.

1901 British Census (1901)

The 1901 census provides details on an individual's age, residence, place of birth, relations and occupation. FindMyPast's index allows searches on for multiple metrics including occupation and residence.

1891 British Census (1891)

The 1891 census provides details on an individual's age, residence, place of birth, relations and occupation. FindMyPast's index allows searches on for multiple metrics including occupation and residence.

1881 British Census (1881)

The 1881 census provides details on an individual's age, residence and occupation. FindMyPast's index allows for searches on multiple metrics including occupation and residence.

British Phone Books (1880-1984)

Directories containing over 275,000,000 entries. As well as name, address and phone number, occupations are often recorded. A useful census substitute.

Newspapers Covering Forest

The Star (1869-1900)

A general newspaper published on Guernsey that covered local and world news. It includes references to the people of the island in articles and family notices.

Name Card Index to AP Stories (1905-1990)

An index to over 2.1 million people mentioned in Associated Press stories, including name, subject, location, date and a reference to the article.

AP Stories & Newsfeatures (1937-1985)

An index to and digital images of hundreds-of-thousands of world newspaper articles.

Subject Card Index to AP Stories (1937-1985)

An index to around 500,000 Associated Press articles.

Channel Islands Monthly Review (1941-1945)

A newspaper published for those who escaped from the German occupied Channel Islands during WWII. It contains reports on the military front on the islands, with details on persons deported to Germany; obituaries; birth, marriage & death notices and general news of interest to former islanders. The newspaper is fully text searchable.

Forest Wills & Probate Records

Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills (PPV) (1384-1858)

A index to testators whose will was proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. They principally cover those who lived in the lower two thirds of Britain, but contain wills for residents of Scotland, Ireland, British India and other countries. A copy of each will may be purchased for digital download.

Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills (Subscription) (1384-1858)

An index and digital images of PCC wills, available on a subscription basis.

Index to Death Duty Registers (1796-1903)

An index to wills and administrations that incurred a death duty tax. The index can be used to order documents that give a brief abstract of the will and details on the duty. It can be used as a make-shift probate index.

Bank of England Wills Extracts Index (1717-1845)

An index to over 60,000 wills of people who died with money in public funds. Useful when researching counties where wills have been destroyed. Also contains wills for citizens of British colonies.

Dougal's Unclaimed Money Register (1650-1910)

A register of over 70,000 unclaimed estates.

Forest Immigration & Travel Records

Passenger Lists Leaving UK (1890-1960)

A name index connected to original images of passenger lists recording people travelling from Britain to destinations outside Europe. Records may detail a passenger's age or date of birth, residence, occupation, destination and more.

UK Incoming Passenger Lists (1878-1960)

A full index of passenger lists for vessels arriving in the UK linked to original images. Does not include lists from vessels sailing from European ports. Early entries can be brief, but later entries may include dates of births, occupations, home addresses and more. Useful for documenting immigration.

17th Century British Emigrants to the U.S. (1600-1700)

Details on thousands of 17th century British immigrants to the U.S., detailing their origins and nature of their immigration.

Migration from North America to Britain & Ireland (1858-1870)

A list of over 40,000 passengers traveling from North America to the British Isles. Details of passengers may include: occupation, nationality, gender, age, martial status, class, destination, and details of the vessel they sailed on.

Aliens Entry Books (1794-1921)

An un-indexed collection of over 100,000 documents of correspondence and other documents of the Home Office and the Aliens Office. Contains a great deal of information on aliens and those who applied for naturalisation.

Forest Military Records

Guernsey WWI Memorials (1914-1918)

A list of names found on World War One monuments in Guernsey, with some service details.

Guernsey WWII Memorials (1914-1918)

A list of names found on World War Two monuments in Guernsey, with some service details.

Channel Islands Monthly Review (1941-1945)

A newspaper published for those who escaped from the German occupied Channel Islands during WWII. It contains reports on the military front on the islands, with details on persons deported to Germany; obituaries; birth, marriage & death notices and general news of interest to former islanders. The newspaper is fully text searchable.

Prisoners of War of British Army (1939-1945)

A searchable list of over 100,000 British Army POWs. Records contains details on the captured, their military career and where they were held prisoner.

British Prisoners of World War II (1939-1945)

Details on around 165,000 men serving in the British Army, Navy and Air Force who were held as prisoners during WWII.

Prison Hulk Registers (1802-1849)

From the late 18th century many prisoners in Britain were kept on decommissioned ships known as hulks. This collection contains nearly 50 years of registers for various ships. Details given include: prisoner's name, date received, age, year of birth and conviction details.

Perry's Bankrupt Gazette (1828-1867)

A publication giving brief details of bankruptcies, including the names of parties and companies involed.

Chancery Proceedings, Bridges Division (1613-1714)

Abstracts of 17th and 18th century chancery bills and answers. Details listed are: plaintiffs, defendants, details on the dispute and where the proceedings were held.

Chancery Proceedings (1558-1660)

Abstracts of late Tudor & early Stuart legal proceedings, listing plaintiffs, defendants, details on the dispute and where the proceedings were held.

Early Chancery Proceedings (1377-1558)

Abstracts of early legal records listing parties involved, details of the dispute and where the proceedings were held.

Forest Taxation Records

Index to Death Duty Registers (1796-1903)

An index to wills and administrations that incurred a death duty tax. The index can be used to order documents that give a brief abstract of the will and details on the duty. It can be used as a make-shift probate index.

Forest Land & Property Records

UK Poll Books and Electoral Rolls (1538-1893)

Poll books record the names of voters and the direction of their vote. Until 1872 only landholders could vote, so not everyone will be listed. Useful for discerning an ancestor's political leanings and landholdings. The collection is supplemented with other records relating to the vote.

Letters and Papers of Henry VIII (1509-1547)

A calendar of papers relating to Henry VIII's rule at home and abroad. Contains records relating to people from all walks of life.

Forest Directories & Gazetteers

Robson's Directory of London and Western Counties (1839)

A directory of London and Berkshire, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Somerset, Wiltshire, Guernsey & Jersey.

Robson's Guernsey & Jersey Directory (1839)

A gazetteer with short descriptions of settlements, appended by lists of their residents.

CIA World Factbook (1994)

A statistic and descriptive gazetteer of nations.

World Foreign Gazetteer (1998)

Useful for locating places, this searchable gazetteer gives brief details, latitude and longitude for more than 1.5 million features, places and regions throughout the world.

Kelly's Directory of the Channel Islands (1927)

A comprehensive place-by-place gazetteer, listing key contemporary and historical facts. Each place has a list of residents and businesses. Contains details on local schools, churches, government and other institutions.

Forest Cemeteries

Billion Graves (1200-Present)

Photographs and transcriptions of millions of gravestones from cemeteries around the world.

Forest Obituaries

United Kingdom and Ireland Obituary Collection (1882-Present)

A growing collection currently containing over 425,000 abstracts of obituaries with reference to the location of the full obituary.

Quakers Annual Monitor (1847-1848)

A collection of 364 obituaries of Quakers from the British Isles. The volume was published in 1849 and includes obituaries of those who died in late 1847 through 1848.

Musgrave's Obituaries (1421-1800)

This transcribed and searchable work by Sir William Musgrave contains 10,000s of brief obituaries. The work is a reference point for other works containing information on an individual.

Forest Histories & Books

Ancestry Member Stories (6000 BC-Present)

Over 7 million remembrances and historic details submitted by Ancestry members. Useful for local historians.

Ancestry Member Photos & Documents (6000 BC-Present)

Over 60 million historic photographs and documents submitted to Ancestry. This rich collection contains many rare sources of interest to local historians and will be relevant to most genealogical research.

Guernsey Church Photographs (1890-Present)

Photographs and images of churches in Guernsey.

UK & Ireland Historical Postcards (1885-1950)

Over 19,000 postcards depicting places in the UK & Ireland.

UK Photos (1857-2005)

A collection of 220,000 professional photos covering most towns and villages in Britain, and parts of Ireland.

Forest School & Education Records

Oxford University Alumni (1500-1886)

A name index linked to original images of short biographies for over 120,000 Oxford University students. This is a particularly useful source for tracing the ancestry of the landed gentry.

Cambridge University Alumni (1261-1900)

A transcript of a vast scholarly work briefly chronicling the heritage, education and careers of over 150,000 Cambridge University students. This is a particularly useful source for tracing the ancestry of the landed gentry.

Cambridge Alumni Database (1198-1910)

A searchable database containing over 90,000 note-form biographies for students of Cambridge University.

Official List of Registered Teachers (1917)

A directory of registered teachers – their current school and date of registration. Also contains details on officers and operations of the Teachers Registration Council.

Forest Occupation & Business Records

Cricket Archive (1844-Present)

A database of cricket scores and players.

UK Medical Registers (1859-1959)

Books listing doctors who were licensed to operate in Britain and abroad. Contains doctor's residencies, qualification and date of registration.

Railway Employment Records (1833-1963)

A rich collection of records documenting those who worked for railway companies that were later absorbed by the government. Records include: staff registers, station transfers, pensions, accident records, apprentice records, caution books, and memos. Records may include date of birth, date of death and name of father.

Royal Navy Medical Journals (1817-1857)

Indexed medical journals from British ships containing personal and medical details of patients. The journals list names, ages, rank/status, diseases, illness duration and notes on symptoms and treatment. Contains details on military men as well as people immigrating or being deported to colonies.

British Postal Service Appointment Books (1737-1969)

This collection gives brief details on the appointment of over 1.4 million people who worked for the Post Office. Includes references to corresponding data in the Postmaster General’s minute books and is a starting point for research in the rich archive of the British Postal Museum.

Pedigrees & Family Trees Covering Forest

FamilySearch Community Trees (6000 BC-Present)

A searchable database of linked genealogies compiled from thousands of reputable and not-so-reputable sources. Contains many details on European gentry & nobility, but covers many countries outside Europe and people from all walks of life.

Ancestry Member Family Trees (6000 BC-Present)

A compilation of lineage-linked family trees submitted by Ancestry users. The database contains over 2 billion individuals and is searchable by numerous metrics.

Ancestry World Tree (6000 BC-1997)

A collection of legacy trees submitted by Ancestry users containing nearly 400 million individuals.

Debrett's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage (1921)

A dictionary of families elevated to the peerage of Great Britain & Ireland. It includes genealogies and biographical details.

Burke's Extinct Peerages of the British Empire (1883)

Lineages and biographies for extinct peerage titles in England, Scotland & Ireland.

Forest Royalty, Nobility & Heraldry Records

FamilySearch Community Trees (6000 BC-Present)

A searchable database of linked genealogies compiled from thousands of reputable and not-so-reputable sources. Contains many details on European gentry & nobility, but covers many countries outside Europe and people from all walks of life.

Debrett's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage (1921)

A dictionary of families elevated to the peerage of Great Britain & Ireland. It includes genealogies and biographical details.

Burke's Extinct Peerages of the British Empire (1883)

Lineages and biographies for extinct peerage titles in England, Scotland & Ireland.

Burke's Landed Gentry of Britain & Ireland (1855)

Lineages of Britain and Ireland's untitled landed families; supplemented with biographical sketches.

Burke's Extinct and Dormant Baronetcies (1841)

Lineages and biographies for extinct baronetcies in England, Scotland & Ireland.

Forest Church Records

Crockford's Clerical Directories (1868-1914)

Brief biographies of Anglican clergy in the UK.

Methodist Church Institutions & Boundaries (2012-Present)

An interactive map plotting the location of church institutions and delineating the church's boundaries.

The Baptist Handbook (1896)

An overview of Baptist institutions in the British Isles and abroad, with details of chapels and their particulars.

Church Plans Online (1800-1970)

Architectural plans, with some details of their construction. The database covers England, Wales, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands & Fife.

Congregationalist Ministers Index (1650-1972)

Biographical details of around 32,000 Congregationalist ministers in the British Isles and further afield.

Biographical Directories Covering Forest

Crockford's Clerical Directories (1868-1914)

Brief biographies of Anglican clergy in the UK.

The Concise Dictionary of National Biography (1654-1930)

A directory containing lengthy biographies of noted British figures. The work took over two decades to compile. Biographies can be searched by name and are linked to images of the original publication.

Chalmers' General Biographical Dictionary (1013-1812)

Detailed biographies of thousands of notable Europeans with details on ancestry.

Dictionary of National Biography (1005-Present)

An index of names connected to over 60,000 biographies of notable British and Irish people from arguably the world's most respected biographical compendium. Gives details on ancestry, careers and personal wealth.

Kelly's Handbook 1901 (1901)

Brief biographical notes on around 10,000 of Britain's foremost nobles, landowners and professionals.

Forest Maps

Speed's Maps of Britain (1612)

County and national maps covering the British Isles, extracted from John Speed's landmark work, Theatre of the Empire of Great Britain.

Maps of The Channel Islands (1584-1897)

Digital images of maps covering the islands.

Old Maps Online (1497-2010)

An interactive index to thousands of maps covering the world, continents, countries and regions. The majority of maps cover Britain and Ireland.

Methodist Church Institutions & Boundaries (2012-Present)

An interactive map plotting the location of church institutions and delineating the church's boundaries.

Forest Reference Works

Guernsey Research Guide (1538-Present)

A beginner’s guide to researching ancestry in Guernsey.

Channel Islands Research Guide (1538-Present)

A beginner’s guide to researching ancestry in the Channel Islands.

Measuring Worth - GBP (1245-Present)

A calculator measuring the changing value of the British Pound using two price indices.

Dictionary of Traded Goods and Commodities (1550-1820)

A dictionary of nearly 4,000 terms found used in documents relating to trade and retail in early modern Britain.

Glossary of Terms Used in Heraldry (1200-1700)

A dictionary of words used in heraldry, supplemented with over 1,000 illustrations.

Historical Description

FOREST is a small parish on the southern coast of the island, the coast boundary extending from Petit Botbay to Corbier point. The church of Ste. Marguerite de in Foret, which is 4 ¼ miles south-west from the town church of St. Peter Port, was consecrated in 1163, and is an edifice of stone, mostly in the Norman style, consisting of two parallel aisles, and, attached to the centre of the south aisle or nave, a low rectangular tower with pinnacles and an octagonal spire; the church was restored and repewed in 1891, at a cost of £600, and has 300 sittings. The register dates from the year 1700. The living is a rectory, net yearly value £95, in the gift of the Crown, and held since 1889 by, the Rev. Ernest Francis Paget Colman M.A. of Keble College, Oxford. Forest Churoh Institute, built in 1899-1900, at a cost of £150, is a corrugated iron building, used for entertainments and as a club-room for the local branch of the Church Lads’ Brigade; parish meetings are also held here. Here are French Wesleyan Methodist and Baptist chapels. In the parish is a large hotel called “Le Gouffre.” The soil generally is a strong loam; subsoil, rocky and gravelly. The chief crops are tomatoes, grapes and early produce. The population in 1901 was 843. The area is 1,090 acres; capital value, £138,775.

School, built in 1829, restored & enlarged & an infants’ school added in 1902, for 50 boys, 50 girls & 45 infants; average attendance, 50 boys, 50 girls & 45 infants.

Kelly's Directory of The Channel Islands (1899)

Most Common Surnames in Forest

RankSurnameIncidenceFrequencyPercent of ParentRank in Guernsey
1Heaume571:1157.00%50
2Priaulx431:1423.89%24
3Allez351:1742.17%64
4Bourgaize331:1823.08%33
5Brehaut291:2110.14%7
6Lucas251:2431.25%67
6Mauger251:247.91%5
8Robilliard231:2611.92%22
8Queripel231:2619.49%37
10Guilbert211:2911.80%25
11de La Rue191:3235.85%101
12Tostevin161:377.80%19
13Le Page141:432.49%1
14de La Mare111:545.42%20
14Martel111:544.53%11
14Tulier111:5491.67%462
17Martin101:604.76%17
17Dodd101:6033.33%190
17Torode101:603.77%9
20Ozanne91:674.50%21
21Le Huray81:757.21%41
22Ingrouille71:8611.48%87
22Renault71:8643.75%347
24Corbet61:1005.88%48
24Guille61:1006.90%61
24Le Cheminant61:1005.08%37
27Nicholson51:12083.33%949
27Hamon51:1208.62%96
27de Garis51:1204.27%39
27Le Cras51:12011.11%121
31Mansell41:15011.43%154
31Langlois41:1501.78%15
31Laine41:1503.64%42
31Breton41:15021.05%297
31Brouard41:1502.38%27
31Le Lacheur41:1502.58%32
31Le Ray41:1504.30%56
31Du Four41:15028.57%390
31Le Couvey41:150100.00%1,328
40Marsh31:20013.04%241
40Abel31:20037.50%713
40Le Brun31:2008.11%148
40Fallaize31:2003.33%60
40Le Patourel31:2003.19%55
40Pipet31:2006.25%114
40Duchemin31:20014.29%273
40Prieur31:200100.00%1,562
48Clarke21:3005.88%161
48Graham21:3009.09%259
48McCann21:30033.33%949
48Burnell21:30022.22%639
48Gilmore21:300100.00%1,834
48Le Gros21:3006.45%184
48Batiste21:3003.23%85
48Tardif21:3003.08%83
48Le Pelley21:3003.33%89
48Le Carpentier21:30040.00%1,136
48Nicollet21:300100.00%1,834
59Williams11:5990.95%45
59Watson11:5993.57%208
59Morgan11:5999.09%521
59Lee11:5997.14%390
59Price11:59933.33%1,562
59Fowler11:5993.33%190
59Budd11:599100.00%2,283
59Haskell11:599100.00%2,283
59Gallienne11:5990.43%13
59Rowswell11:5997.14%390
59Sarre11:5990.84%36
59Jehan11:5991.30%73
59Le Prevost11:5991.25%67
59Rougier11:5992.17%117
59Lenfestey11:5991.69%92
59Le Sauvage11:5991.37%75
59Vidal11:599100.00%2,283
59Gomon11:599100.00%2,283
59Linfitt11:59950.00%1,834
59Bostrom11:59920.00%1,136