Search millions of Suffolk family history records online

Trace your ancestors and their incredible stories in Suffolk archives online at Findmypast. Our Suffolk family history records reveal the detail behind the milestone moments in your relatives’ lives. Your Suffolk story begins with your family tree.

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A swift look at Suffolk history

While the county of Suffolk is recorded in the Domesday Book, it was closely linked to Norfolk until 1575.

Suffolk suffered its share of raids, burnings and uprisings but achieved prosperity from the 14th to 17th centuries mainly due to its cloth-weaving industry. Its fertile farmland was used to grow food in the 17th and 18th centuries. The area also saw its textile industries develop in the 19th century.

Lowestoft’s Ness Point in Suffolk is the most easterly part of the country where you’ll see the sun come up first in England. Bawdsey, the first radar station in the world, is in Suffolk. Newmarket is considered the home of British horseracing, while its Rowley Mile is believed to be the sport’s longest straight. Lawnmowers were also first mass-produced in Suffolk.

Your family could go back to the Angles who settled in Suffolk in the 5th century, or maybe you’ll find links to Flemish migrants.

Felixstowe in Suffolk is home to the largest container port in the UK.

Surprising Suffolk discoveries await...

Military heroes? Nefarious criminals? Star-crossed lovers? See who’s hidden in the branches of your family tree with our detail-packed collection of local records.

Suffolk family history: Collage of life in the 1920s

What was Suffolk like in the 1920s?

Only available online at Findmypast, the 1921 Census of England and Wales offers a fascinating snapshot of local life on 19 June that year. Discover your Suffolk relatives, their lives, loves and losses over a century ago.

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Extra! Extra! Your Suffolk ancestors made the papers

What echoes of your past do old Suffolk newspapers hold? As well as birth, marriage and death announcements, you may pick up some colourful titbits or unknown facts.

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Endless English family history records

If you suspect your research doesn’t end in Suffolk, keep going with our extensive collection of historical resources. It covers every county, city, town and village in England.

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