Trace and Tell your Family's Empire Stories
Research guide
Many websites contain message boards and surname indexes of people trying to trace their Ugandan family history. These are worth looking at to see if anyone is researching the same areas as you, and you can also post messages and join mailing lists specific to your research. 'RootsWeb' gives a useful overview of what is available, as well as surname indexes.
http://lists.rootsweb.com/ind
ex/intl/UGA/AFR-UGANDA.html
For a general overview of African history and roots, use 'Ancestry.com'. This site contains access to listings of African classified newspaper adverts, which you can search by geographical region. Within the 'Notices' section you can search births, engagements, death certificates, etc. These entries are changed daily and unfortunately there are no archived entries, so it is advisable to look at them routinely to keep up-to-date. This site also enables you to search a huge number of historical records for more information.
http://www.ancestry.com/learn
/library/article.aspx?article=
dailynews
Newspapers are a great resource for tracing your ancestors, as not only will they provide you with a rich picture of life at the time, but in most cases will contain notices for births, marriages and deaths. It can be a lengthy search, but if you know dates of events then they can be a very useful and reliable resource. ABZ Newspapers has links to newspapers from around the world, although these mainly cover the most recent history.
http://www.abyznewslinks.com/
ugand.htm
There are also a number of collections which you can visit and search in person. Some of these are in Uganda.
The British Library holds private papers and manuscript collections of prominent British administrators, statesmen and military men in Africa, and it covers Uganda. The subject coverage of this collection is wide-ranging and includes historical, political and administrative themes, observations on African society, culture and traditions travellers' accounts, maps, charts and topographical drawings.
http://www.bl.uk/collections/
africanofficialuganda.html
The British Library Newspaper Collection: Colindale Avenue, London, NW9 5HE Tel: +44 (0)20 7412 7353
British Library newspaper library has an extensive holding of colonial newspapers, including Ugandan papers.
http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/n
ewspapers
The 'Gazette of Uganda' holds important genealogical information that is not always found in newspapers. The Gazette is essentially a newspaper and one was published by the government of each colony. The amount of information available in the Gazette can vary according to the date and some time periods don't hold as much information as others. The Gazette may sometimes provide important genealogical information not always found in other newspapers.
Unfortunately the Gazette is not available on the web. For much of the nineteenth century, Gazettes had no contents page and are not indexed, so be prepared to spend some time looking through these records. The National Archives reference for Gazettes dating from 1908-1973 is CO 612.
Under the Republic of Uganda's National Records and Archives Act, passed in 2000, Uganda is due to begin construction of a new national records and archives centre in Kampala. Until this is complete, unfortunately tracing archive material from Uganda will be difficult.
Asians tracing family history in Uganda may find relevant records in the National Archives, Kew, or the National Archives of India or Pakistan.
The National Archives of Pakistan: Administrative Block Area Block N, Pakistan Secretariat Islamabad. Pakistan.
This may hold records relating to central government as well as various Gazetteers and public and private records relating specifically to post-1947 Pakistan. These records aren't available online, but they do have a website.
The National Archives of India: Director General of Archives, Janpath, New Delhi 110001 Telephone +91 11 23383436
The National Archives of India was established in 1891 as the Imperial Record Department. Pre-independence census records are available for the period 1871-1923. These can be useful in establishing household relationships, dates of birth and occupations for both Indian nationals and Britons born in India. Digitisation of some records is in progress but you will need to visit to view all records. The National Archives of India now has four regional offices at Bhopal, Jaipur, Bhubaneswar and Pondicherry. If you are planning to visit, call the Central Repository Regional Office, Bhopal on 0755 2660173. Full contact details for all offices are available on their website.
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Family Records Centre, Islington
Poor and rural countries tend to have lower registration rates due to shortages of trained personnel and modern technology, the logistical problems of travelling to registry offices and ignorance or fear of the process. It will almost certainly be very difficult to trace any records of your ancestors in Uganda.
If your ancestors were of British origin but were born in Uganda, the civil registration documents may possibly be available in the UK. The National Archives, Kew hold records relating to records kept by British consulates abroad and at sea. From the nineteenth century they were obliged to send the records that they recorded to the General Register Office of England and Wales. The army also kept its own registers for at home and abroad.
The National Archives also holds some records of birth, marriages and deaths in Uganda. Unfortunately, these are not complete, but what does exist is available in record class RG 36 and covers the years 1893 to 1962. The National Archives holds a microfilm index to these, which will make your search easier. You will need to visit the National Archives in person, as these records aren't available on the website.
The Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS) has microfilmed copies of surviving birth, christening, marriage and death records for many countries. Search the online database to locate the records. The LDS have many family history libraries all over the world, and you can order in copies of the microfilms to view in your nearest LDS family history centre. Use the website to locate your nearest centre.
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/FHC/frame
set_fhc.asp
If your ancestors were born in the UK, you can trace their birth, marriage and death records using the General Register Office website.
http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/
You can also search in person at the Family Records Centre, Islington, London. However, copies of certificates need to be ordered and there are fees involved. It costs 23 pounds for a certificate to be delivered to the Family Records Centre in 24 hours, or 7 pounds for a four-day delivery time.
If you pay the subscription fee you can search the indexes online at 'Ancestry.com'. 'Free Births Marriages and Deaths' also has some of these records. They aren't yet complete but are being constantly updated.
The National Archives or Registrar General's Office may hold an index of wills of your ancestors, if they were proved in England.
For Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC) wills proved between 1384 and 1858, use The National Archives, Kew, documents online. You need to know the approximate year of death and the parish to use it efficiently.
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonlin
e/
For wills proved after 1858, you need to visit the Probate Search Rooms: First Avenue House, 42-49 High Holborn, London WC1V 6NP.
