Articles by Findmypast

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,

Every New Year recipients are honoured with titles as part of the British Honours System. Have your relatives been among them? Delve into the rich history of our Britain, Knights Of The Realm & Commonwealth Index, which meticulously documents over 35,000 individuals honoured with orders of chivalry by the British monarchy. This comprehensive resource sheds light on the remarkable lives and achievements of distinguished figures in the history of the United Kingdom.The British Honour SystemThe honours system was established to

Tracing your female ancestors can be a challenge since almost all women took their husband's family name when they were married. But, not all is lost, below are some of the many ways that can help you trace your ancestor's maiden name.Get hold of their marriage recordThe obvious starting point, marriage certificates list both the groom's surname and the bride's maiden surname. When exploring marriage resources, remember to also look for associated records like licenses, announcements, banns, bonds

Curious about how our family tree maker works? To help you get the most from building your family tree with Findmypast, we’ve compiled our community’s most-asked questions. If you’re a beginner at family history, be sure to check out our other handy guides. Not sure how to make a family tree? Start discovering your family story today with our free tree builder. Better yet, we have a free family tree template too.Troubleshoot your family tree woes here so you

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

The phrase 'Ten Pound Poms' is used to describe the Britons who emigrated to Australia following World War 2 on the Australian government's assisted passage scheme. The purpose of this scheme was to enlarge Australia's population whilst supplying workers for the country's growing economy and industry.Britons were offered a way out of the rationing and deprivation of post-war life, shown visions of glorious sunshine and boundless possibility by a government desperate for an influx of labour.They were offered the

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

Isn't it exciting to discover a famous name in the far-off depths of your family tree? But when you brag about this to your friends, what do you call this famous ancestor? The key question here, is: what do kinship terms actually mean?Thomas Edison is the great-uncle of my great-great-grandfather's third cousin!Confusing, right? But you'll be relieved to hear that it doesn't have to be. How do kinship labels work?Terms that indicate distant relatives, like 'third cousin

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

Many genealogists like to store their family tree data online, using websites like Findmypast. And there are good reasons to do it this way. If your data principally comes from a single source, it's likely to be convenient for updating if it's kept on that provider's website. Keeping your data online means that you shouldn't have to worry about backups. And with most online services, you can easily access your data from any mobile device or app, wherever you are.