Our expert user guides are there to help you plan your research. Whether you are tracing your East End ancestors, exploring the history of your home, or discovering the story of migration in Tower Hamlets, our handy guides will provide you with everything you need to get started.
The guides cover a wide range of research subjects relating to the history of Tower Hamlets. These include:
- African Caribbean community
- Bengali community
- Built environment including resources for house history research
- Chinese community
- Electoral registers
- Family history including beginner, intermediate and advanced research levels
- Film and video collection
- Health and welfare including workhouses
- Jewish community
- Library special collections
- Local authors and literature
- Local government records
- Maps
- Migration and communities
- Music
- Newspapers and periodicals
- Politics and campaigning
- Philip Mernick Photographic Postcard Collection
- Places of worship
- Schools and education
- Sexuality and gender identity
- Social life and sports
- Sound collection
- Title deeds
- Taxation records including rate books
- Women
- World War I
In each guide you will find:
- Highlights from our archive, library and image collections
- Tips on how to get the most from our online catalogue and library classification scheme
- Key resources held elsewhere and online
Help us to improve the guides
Our guides represent the best of our collection knowledge but we welcome your feedback to help future researchers.
Email localhistory@towerhamlets.gov.uk if you have any suggestions or recommendations for future guides.