Fancy a lesson in local history? Discover school records and more this week

5-6 minute read

By Jessie Ohara | May 6, 2022

Discover school records and more this week

Delve into thousands of new records and millions of newspaper pages.

This week, we have significant additions to our National School Admissions Registers from the North of England, an entirely free-to-view photo collection, and a whole host of newspaper pages. Here's a rundown of everything that's new.

National School Admissions Registers

If you have ancestors in Halifax, Yorkshire, then make sure to check out these new additions to our school registers.

Halifax Grammar School

Halifax Grammar School, from the Francis Frith Collection.

The four schools these records cover are Portland Road's Infant School between 1890-1904, Queens Road Boys Senior School 1904-1921, Queens Road Girls Senior School 1884-1921, and Queens Road Junior School 1896-1903, all in Halifax.

The transcripts of these records will contain information such as admission year, birth year, school name, and parents' names, meaning you could discover more than one generation from one record alone.

Halifax Technical School, from the Francis Frith Collection.

Halifax Technical School, from the Francis Frith Collection.

Of course, the real joy of school records doesn't come from the biographical information. It comes from piecing together a stronger, bolder picture of your ancestors' early lives. Discovering where they attended school five days a week (if they were good...), knowing the area they were from, or even exploring the local grounds can be an incredibly fulfilling experience for anyone researching their family history.

If you're looking for school records in other areas, we have collections from Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and even a few in the United States.

Historic Photos of England and Wales

Remember the stunning Views of Ireland collection we released a couple of months ago? Well, this collection could be termed its little sister. Discover remarkable pictures of England and Wales within its pages, and even better, it's entirely free to view.

A photo from a Lancashire church

A photo from a Lancashire church. View this photo here.

These photos cover both pre- and post- World War 1, with some military photos dotted throughout. Though they span across the country, the majority of them are from the Greater London area.

A U-Boat stranded on the South Coast of England.

A U-Boat stranded on the South Coast of England. View this photo here.

The rich detail of these photographs is often written alongside the photos themselves. Make sure to glance over it for more information on the history behind the picture.

Women polishing cutlery in a cutlery plant.

Women polishing cutlery in a cutlery plant. View this photo here.

These pictures have been compiled from both the Library of Congress and the National Archives and Records Administration. You'll find photos of historic architecture, working laborers, the armed forces, and landscapes of both rural and the more urban areas of England and Wales.

The monument to Grey at Stoke Poges

The monument to Grey at Stoke Poges. View this photo here.

If you have a few moments (or hours) to spare, then make sure to flick through these pages and admire the beauty of England and Wales from a new perspective. If anything, photo collections like these tell the story of a nation through the struggles of war perhaps even better than written records can.

There's no slowing the news

Remember three weeks ago, when we hit 50 million pages in our newspaper archive? Well, there's no stopping us. We've released an immense 1.8 million more pages this week, across 20 new and 148 updated titles. You'll find everything from local news and international relations to sports and tabloid gossip in these headlines. Scroll down for the full list of new and updated newspapers. If something catches your eye, just head to our archive and filter by title.

New titles:

Updated titles:

Did you find an ancestor in our new school records? Perhaps you've discovered your home town in the Historic Pictures of England and Wales? Let us know on social @findmypast - there's nothing we love more than hearing your stories.

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Picture of Jessie O'Hara - Brand Marketing AssistantJessie O'Hara

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