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Delving into your family's past is one of the most fulfilling things you'll ever do and getting started has never been easier. If you're new to the fascinating world of genealogy research, follow these four simple steps and you'll be well on your way to a flourishing family tree in no time. 1. What do you think you know? Write it down: First things first. Write down everything you already know about your family, with a question mark next to any…

The year 1837 is a crucial one for genealogists because that's when the General Register Office (GRO) was established in the UK. For the first time, a central national index of all births, marriages and deaths registered in England and Wales was formed.This landmark moment in British history has helped millions explore their family trees ever since and made finding family in Victorian Britain relatively straightforward. 1. Start with birth certificates: Birth certificates will be one of the first types of…

The Royal Archives Collection on Findmypast is comprised of a unique selection of records relating to nearly 400 years of the British Monarchy. If your ancestor worked for the royal family or was associated with them in other ways, these royal records could be vital for learning the history around them. Our partnership with the Royal Archives has made these fascinating records available online for the first time, only at Findmypast.Royal Household Staff 1526-1924 includes over 386,000 employment records from royal residences

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…

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…

Getting started with searching Findmypast's records is easy. Our billions of individual records are divided into categories. Here's a summary of what you can expect to find in each of those collections and how they'll help your family research. Birth, marriage, death & parish records: This is one of the categories of records you'll probably use most often. These records, commonly known as BMDs, detail the most important events in your ancestors' lives and are essential for every family historian. Parish…

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…

Findmypast is home to the fastest-growing collection of online family records from Scotland. Add to that our extensive collection of Scottish newspapers, and you have yourself a veritable treasure chest of material to help you find highland relatives.Here's a quick guide to the records that will help most as you discover your Scottish family story. Scottish birth, marriage and death and parish records: There are several useful collections you can explore to find the most important milestones in your…

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 System: The 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 record: The 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…