Researching the history of a house can be an amazing adventure. Peeling back the layers of time to reveal the stories of former owners and occupants through each generation and answering the questions of ‘Who lived in my house?’ and ‘What is the history of my house?’. It can also inspire a new appreciation of your home and your place in its history. But, what do you do if you hit a wall? Much like family history or any other…
So you're ready to get started on your family tree? Are you sure you've gathered together all the information you need? A little bit of preparation can make all the difference in the early stages of family research. We've put together a useful checklist to make sure you cover all the bases. 1. Start with what you already know: It's all about family. Building on the information you know yourself with details remembered by your family can give you a great…
Sam Mendes’ epic war film 1917 depicts two British Army runners tasked with delivering a vital message during the First World War. The buzz surrounding the movie has ignited interest in the real runners of the First World War and their unbelievable tales of triumph and tragedy. We scoured our records to discover more. What were runners in the First World War?: Runners were essentially foot messengers. They were men whose primary role was to deliver critical pieces of information from…
Can you name all eight of your great-grandparents? Do you know what they did for a living? How about where they lived? Recent research has revealed that over five million of us know nothing about our great-grandparents. Although most people know a lot about their grandparents, just 10% of Brits know basic details about their great-grandparents, such as their names, birthplaces, and occupations. News of this generational knowledge gap is worrying - it reminds us of the importance of researching and preserving…
Else Churchill is no stranger to a parish record, having researched her own family back to the 1670s and worked extensively with 17th-century records. However, even someone with over 30 years' experience in family history can get stumped while researching that far back."Though I'd like to tell you that you can all trace your ancestors back to the beginnings of parish registers in 1538, I'm sure most of you have found that there are problems along the way," Else said.Unfortunately,…
A picture paints a thousand words and at no time is that more true than when analysing old family photos for clues to help with your genealogical research. Clothing, photograph style, and even the way your ancestors pose are just some of the valuable clues that can help you learn more about your forebears, and maybe even make some more additions to your family tree.So, without further ado, here are my 30 top tips for using old family photos for…
Almost every family has a connection to the First World War and you've come to the right place to discover more about yours. At Findmypast, we've got the most comprehensive collection of First World War resources available. A collection that includes millions of Army, Navy and Air Force records, carefully indexed to include many more soldiers' names than you'll find anywhere else online. Findmypast is the best place to start searching for your First World War ancestors and to help…
In general, tracing your family history back to the middle ages and beyond is a challenge. Luckily, many of our amazing UK parish records date back as far 1538 when Henry VIII was still on the throne, but we've got a lot more to offer than just parish registers. Here are some of our favourite early Record collections, many of which you may not know about. Britain, Registers Of Licences To Pass Beyond The Seas 1573-1677: This collection offers our earliest travel…
(main image via Tyne & Wear Archives & MuseumsTyne & Wear Archives & MuseumsTyne & Wear Archives & Museums)General Register Office births, marriages and deaths are a fantastic resource covering the entirety of England and Wales between 1837 and 2007. They not only allow you to discover when and where your ancestors were born, got married and spent their final moments, but also provide you with the information needed to order a copy of an original certificate from the General Register Office of England and…
It's the question asked so often you can almost hear the genealogists all over the world crying out in unison: "But how do I know if I have the right person?" Well, today you're in luck. The Society of Genealogist's Else Churchill explains the Genealogical Proof Standard, the cure to every family history researcher's frustration. "Considering what constitutes proof in a genealogical context can be a challenge. Certainly you don't want to delude yourself or anyone else that something is…