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Knighthoods at Westminster Abbey

Knights of the Realm: Uncover your ancestors' great deeds

30 July 2019

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

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How to find the maiden names of women in your family tree

30 July 2019

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

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family tree builder

Your family tree questions answered

30 July 2019

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

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Ten pound poms

'Invisible' immigrants: the story of the ten pound poms

30 July 2019

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

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Offline family tree

Should you build your family tree online or offline?

30 July 2019

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.

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wedding-header

Expert tips for finding marriage records

30 July 2019

Can't find you ancestor in the marriage records for the parish you're sure they lived in? Here are the parish registers you should try next:• The parish where the couple's child was later baptised • The mother's family parish (often listed on baptism record) • The father's family parish (often listed on baptism record) • Immediate neighbouring parishes You can find details of neighbouring parishes at with the interactive maps on Family Search. Bear in mind the parameters of these will sometimes change

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