NORS: Norfolk Online Record Search
User Guide

Welcome to the NORS User Guide

The NORS database provides access to those Parish Register Transcripts held by the Society by means of a Surname Search facility. Data is organised according to a classification hierarchy. At the top level are details of all Norfolk Parishes. The records are then subdivided between baptisms, burials, banns and marriages.

However, while the data is organised in the above manner NORS does not allow you to view all entries for a particular parish register, nor to perform a search for all surnames beginning with 'A' or 'B', etc. The reason for this is that the Society wishes to provide some protection against unscroupulous wholesale copying and reproduction of transcripts, which have taken many volunteers many hours of work to produce.

What the NORS database provides is the ability for Members to perform a search for an individual ancestor, based on a known Surname. Subject to this criteria, it is possible to narrow a search to a particular Forename (including variations) and date range. Those of you who use FreeReg will be familiar with similar Search functionality based on an ancestor's name.

How to Search the NORS (Norfolk Online Record Search) database

There are three ways to search the database, either by performing a Quick Search or an Advanced Search or by Browsing Records.

Quick Search

The easiest and most obvious way of searching NORS is to use the Quick Search. This is particularly the case when dealing with an unusual Surname where fewer results are likely to be displayed in search results. A Quick Search is also useful where you do not know the parish from where an ancestor came as it provides a quick means of gauging which parishes contain more instances of a given Surname.

Follow the link to a guide to using the Quick Search facility

Advanced Search (Find a Person)

An Advanced Search enables a more precise search of the parish register transcripts, either by allowing you to search for variations on a Surname or by restricting a search to a given Forename (including variations) or date range.

Follow the link to a guide to using the Advanced Search (Find a Person) facility

Browsing Records (Find a Source)

Browsing records provides a general overview as to which parish registers are available in the database. This approach also enables you to search for a specific Surname within a given parish and parish register, either baptisms, burials, banns or marriages.

Follow the link to a guide on Browsing Records (Find a Source)

Before beginning a search of the NORS database, it is recommended that Members acquaint themselves with the above User Guides and the various FAQs that have been put together. The FAQs comprise three core themes:

Non-members may view a summary of the resources available by browsing the classification hierarchy but to search the database you must be a Member. Details on how to join the Norfolk Family History Society, together with the Membership application form, can be found under the Membership page.