Articles by Findmypast

22 years ago I found a First World War group photograph with my great-grandfather in the centre (2nd row from bottom, 7th from left).He was commanding officer of 8th Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment, and he is pictured surrounded by his officers in their training camp on Salisbury Plain in May 1915, not long before they headed out to the trenches in France. Spurred on by my discoveries, I resolved to find out what happened to all 46 men pictured and to trace

In this post, we'll run you through exactly what parish records are, why they're important and how to search the collections to find your family's records. What are parish records?: In the 1530s, a combination of events, new pieces of legislation, the politicking of Thomas Cromwell and Henry VIII's desire to divorce Catherine of Aragon in favour of Anne Boleyn led to Henry's ex-communication and a split with Rome.In 1538, the new religious regime – the Church of England – decreed that

Passenger lists, passport applications, naturalisations and other travel-related documents are unique family records. They connect you not only to the past but to your ancestors' incredible journeys between countries and continents. They can give you a glimpse of your distant roots and cast light on a family story which might be more diverse and fascinating than you'd ever imagined. Below is just a small sample of our extensive travel records collection, highlighting some of the genealogical gems you may have

Old family photos are a fantastic way of bringing you a little closer to your ancestors. They can help you better understand the people who have shaped who you are today and who you could become in the future.You may be lucky enough to have dozens or even hundreds of photographs of the people in your family tree, smiling back at you through the years. It's more likely, however, that there are ancestors and relatives of yours that you've

Yes, back before the invention of the flushing toilet, someone had the honour of writing down "night soil man" as their occupation. I'm sure this delightful job title doesn't need much description. Basically, thanks to these men who worked through the night, via a system of buckets and carts, the products of a whole town's digestive system would be gone by morning, often taken away to be used as fertiliser. All the night soil men wanted to do was collect

The RAF records on Findmypast often include both the military details of an airman's service, and also vital clues to further your family tree, such as information about next of kin.Here's a look at the records that you can use to find your airman ancestor. British Royal Air Force, Airmen's Service Records 1912-1939: Before the formation of the RAF in 1918, the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service were the air arms of the British Armed Forces. If

Misspelt first names, incorrect transcriptions, evolving surnames... the list of possible name-related issues when searching online family history records goes on and on.It's an understandable problem. Many documents we're working with were written at a time when literacy was not common, and in almost all cases, the record keeper didn't realise how careful they needed to be. Who would have thought that hundreds of years later, people would be using something called 'the internet' to judge a poor scribe's

If you've got a Jones, Evans or Davies in your family tree, you'll know that rooting out Welsh ancestors is tricky, but we can help. Findmypast is home to an unrivalled collection of family records that can help you trace Welsh ancestors. Having the records to hand, however, is just part of the battle. To help you keep up with the Jones, we've put together this short guide of things to look out for when exploring your Welsh past. Welsh:

In November of 1911, several members of the committee for Imperial Defence were called together and tasked with investigating the use of a new 'aeroplane' in warfare. The Royal Flying Corps was created to operate these aeroplanes, and in WW1 they were flown without parachutes, against a better-trained enemy. Many of the pilots would not come back.When going through the records of your ancestors this remembrance week, you may uncover one or two who were serving in the Royal Flying

As such, it was punishable by death. 306 men, many of whom were still teenagers, were shot at dawn by their comrades between 1914 and 1919. Soldiers absent without leave were reported with full descriptions in the Police Gazette, which you can read here.306 men, many of whom were still teenagers, were shot at dawn by their comrades between 1914 and 1919.Firing squads were made up of a six or a dozen soldiers, one of whom was presented with a rifle full of blanks,