Local newspapers contain valuable sources for family history, such as notices of births, marriages and deaths, obituaries and reports of funerals, accidents, crimes, court proceedings, coroners' inquests. For local history there are reports on schools, churches, houses, shops, businesses, events, sport and games, local shows and the proceedings of the local council.
Guide to the local newspaper titles that may be available (back runs are usually on microfilm) in Surrey Libraries and Surrey History Centre.
- Banstead Herald
- Camberley News, Camberley Mail, Camberley News and Mail
- Caterham Free Press, Caterham and Purley Weekly Press and County Post
- Epsom and Ewell Advertiser
- Epsom and Ewell Herald
- Esher News and Mail
- Farnham Herald
- Godalming Times and Advertiser, Guildford Times and Advertiser, Guildford and Godalming Advertiser / Times and Advertiser
- Guildford Outlook
- Middlesex Chronicle
- The Post: Epsom, Ewell and Banstead
- Staines and Egham News
- Surrey Advertiser
- Surrey and Hants News
- Surrey Comet
- Surrey Herald: Chertsey, Addlestone and Byfleet edition (also Walton, Weybridge and Hersham edition Feb 1979 to 1999 at Elmbridge Museum)
- Surrey Mirror
- Surrey Times
- Sussex Agricultural Express (Incorporating the Surrey Standard)
- Windsor and Eton Express
- Woking Herald, Woking News and Mail, Woking Review
Please note from May 2026, the following Surrey newspaper microfilms at Surrey History Centre will be unavailable for a period while they are sent offsite for digitisation
- Esher News and Mail, 2001 to 2004
- Farnham Herald, 1937 to 2000
- Middlesex Chronicle, 1860 to 1950
- Staines and Egham News, 1897 to 1986
- Surrey and Hants News, 1864 to 1950
- Surrey Comet, 1854 to 1981
- Surrey Mirror, 1906 to 1908, 1910, 1911 to 1913, 1947 to 1948, 1959
- Windsor and Eton Express, 1812 to 1823
What do I do next?
- Search the Surrey libraries catalogue for locations of the newspapers listed above, including back runs, in Surrey Libraries and Surrey History Centre. Use the "Title" search.
- There is a handlist of titles in the Search Room at Surrey History Centre
- Always phone before visiting, to check availability and to find out if you need to make an appointment to use a microfilm reader.
- Please note that there are only short runs of some of the above titles.
- Please note that many runs are incomplete.
Where else could I try?
- British Library catalogue
- Local Museums
- British Newspapers 1710 to 1953 collection on the Find My Past website for individual subscribers (also available free in all Surrey Libraries and Surrey History Centre)
Other useful titles at Surrey History Centre
- Surrey History Centre holds a number of useful volumes of the Illustrated London News for years between 1843 and 1890.
- Surrey History Centre holds the Gentleman's Magazine from 1731 to 1842.
- British Newspaper Archive is available free in all Surrey Libraries and Surrey History Centre. See online reference shelf.
Useful links
- British Newspaper Archive
- Local Newspapers In Epsom And Ewell – Epsom & Ewell History Explorer
- Surrey in the Great War newspaper indexes
- The Gazette Official Public Record
Image
Woman holding a copy of 'The Evening News' newspaper, 1917 (from an East Surrey Regiment photograph album) (reference ESR/22/2)