Where is Bristol

[stanmapstone]

What period is your research going to cover as Bristol is currently in the County of Avon 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avon_(county)

That county was abolished on the 1st April 1996, under the Local Government Act 1992. The area is now covered by the Unitary Authorities of the City of Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire. You can download a map of the boundaries for the whole of the country at http://www.rootschat.com/links/0fax/
A useful site is The Beginners Guide to UK Geography http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/geography/beginner-s-guide/index.html
Stan


Stan

[danuslave]

Thanks Stan - and I thought I was confused 

Luckily I'm not 'local' in a FH sense, so I don't have to deal with records   

Linda

[Marne]

When I was born in Bristol ....  It was a City and County ..... those were the days.


Marne

[stanmapstone]

Under the Local Government Act 1992 Bristol returned to its former status of a city and county in itself.

Stan

[Plummiegirl]

My family came from the Bristol area and when I enter names into search engines I have found that if just mention the area, rather than listing the county I have more luck.

Many sites will search both Somerset & Gloucestershire or Gloucestershire/Herefordshire depending on where in Glos. the area is. And you need do very little unless you feel you want to enter all the counties on individual searrches.

[Dav]

Thanks to every one for your answers, sounds like just typing in Bristol is the best way to go.
My ancestors seem to come from the St James area in the late 1700s and early 1800s.
Thanks
Dav