This page lists some of the more unusual and some of the more helpful sources that have assisted me to trace my tree as far back as I have

• The Glasite Archive at Dundee University is a must if you have relatives who were Glasites. I have transcribed many of the membership rolls - though I recently discovered that I had missed a few - and the archive now makes my list available on line, so you can quickly see if your ancestors may have been Glasites.
• Northumberland & Durham Family History Society has a wealth of information and, if you are a member, provides access to lists of births, marriages and deaths going back to around 1700. There are some gaps, so the absence of information does not mean that an event did not occur, but it is a really good starting point with no extraneous information.
• Trade directories and poll books can be very helpful. The first trade directory for Newcastle was published in 1725. Several are available on line and I have transcribed some of them as well.
• Old histories can be helpful too. I have found considerable information in the Descriptive & Historical Account of the Town & County of Newcastle upon Tyne by author and publisher Eneas Mackenzie (who was located in St Nicholas Churchyard) and published in 1827. Amble and District Local History has reproduced some of The Picture of Newcastle upon Tyne, published in 1807 and provides a great description of Newcastle and Gateshead at the start of the 19th century. This was revised and expanded and republished in 1812. A complete version is available from the Library of Congress.