A TOTAL of 2.1million baptism, marriage, wills and burial records from Dorset have been published online today, revealing the fortunes of families from cradle to grave.

The Dorset Records 1565-2001 will be welcomed by historians, and residents trying to trace their ancestors.

Famous Dorset residents feature on the Ancestry.co.uk website including Thomas Hardy’s parents, fossil collector Mary Anning and Tolpuddle Martyr James Hammet.

International Content Director Dan Jones from Ancestry.co.uk said: “These records are a treasure trove of information about millions of early Dorset inhabitants, following the seminal moments in their lives and in many cases even revealing what they left their loved ones after death.

“Not only do the records reveal the stories of some of Dorset’s most famous children, they’ll also be an invaluable tool for anyone looking to research their own connections to Dorset.”

The family history website worked in conjunction with the Dorset History Centre to scan and collate the records from the centre’s archives.

All baptisms, marriages and burials that took place in the South West county between 1813 and 2001, along with information on the possessions and land they left behind in 27,000 historic wills dating from 1565 to 1858 are on the records.

Dorset County Archivist Sam Johnston comments: “This is a big step for the Dorset History Centre.

“We are delighted to be working with Ancestry to deliver such a major online resource and one that will encourage the use and appreciation of archivesby greater numbers of people.”

The collection includes Thomas Hardy’s parents’ marriage record from 1839. Thomas Hardy (Senior) met his wife-to-be, Jemima Hand, when she was a servant working for the Vicar of Stinsford Church. The two were forced to wed after Jemima became pregnant with his child – Thomas.

His burial records are listed in the collection.

Tolpuddle Martyr James Hammet’s burial record also features in the collection. While the other martyrs immigrated to the New World to build a new life, Hammett was released in 1837 and returned to Tolpuddle. He became destitute and his record shows he died in Dorchester Union workhouse, aged 79, and was buried in Tolpuddle churchyard.

Other famous Dorset names in the records include Verney Lovett Cameron, the first European to cross Equatorial Africa from sea to sea, and Mary Anning, a fossil collector who initially sold curios found near her home in Lyme Regis to supplement her family’s income during the Napoleonic Wars.

Mary’s fossil discoveries resulted in revolutionary advances being made in the scientific understanding of the Jurassic period. She is listed in the records buried at St Michael’s church.

Parish records are vital for anyone researching their family history, especially before 1837 when Civil Registration was established.