Family history question

My sister has decided that she can't let sleeping myths lie, but must investigate the truth behind the king of Barbados.

I know clarienne & louisedennis (and perhaps others?) have recently researched their family history - can you advise on which websites are particularly useful, or which would be worth paying for access? So far as we know, she would be looking at records for Kent, Essex and London. 

I have told her that I don't want to know unless they turn out to be at least as strange and unlikely as the myths, but have apparently been assigned the job of creating an illustrated family tree, featuring cartoon deathbed scenes...