Reference Centre, Genealogy 101

Answers to Genealogy FAQs - 100-Year Sealed Records

Some sources are sealed for privacy purposes for 100 years in England and include the following:

• census;
  
  
• hospital patients' records, closure largely calculated from date of last document in a file;
  
  
• hospital staff records are closed for 75 years from the last date of the document;
  
  
• hospital administrative records are closed for 30 years, e.g. accounts and minutes of meetings;
  
  
• some workhouse records;
  
  
• files pertaining to prisoners;
  
  
• some calendars of prisoners;
  
  
• some briefs and case papers from borough Quarter Sessions files relative to coroners' inquests, natural and sudden deaths, financial records and coroners' papers;
  
  
• records pertaining to children
  

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