The First World War upended thousands of families. For one Surrey family, a soldier's disappearance on the battlefield slowly unravelled an entire household, scattering its children across institutions, counties and, eventually, an ocean. Nearly a century later, family history records helped stitch those pieces back together. An ordinary family: In 1911, carpenter Albert Edward Bance married Caroline Ratcliff in Surrey. Within a few years they had three children: Frances Elizabeth, Daisy Maud, and Albert Edward. The family of five never appeared…
Over Ireland’s history, famine and hardship has forced countless families to make heartwrenching goodbyes, as loved ones travelled overseas to chase new fortunes in foreign lands. The Irish story is one of migration and resilience. This is reflected in a fact that may surprise you: more people of Irish heritage live outside of Ireland than within it. Over 80 million people worldwide claim Irish ancestry. Whether they fled the devastation of the Great Famine or sought out religious freedom overseas, your…
Millions of men fought against Napoleon for Britain, on land and at sea, and took part in famous battles and campaigns including the Battle of Waterloo, the Battle of Trafalgar, the Battle of Leipzig, and the Peninsular War. This beginner's guide to our Napoleonic War records will help you to determine whether your forebear was involved in these historic events. From medal rolls to navy log books, Findmypast has the records you need to unlock all manner of exciting family…
Whether you've got relatives who fought in World War 1, World War 2 or another global conflict, it's so important to honour their stories with acts of remembrance. More than just wearing a poppy each Remembrance Sunday, this means preserving their stories for generations to come. Using our record collection, learn more about the servicemen who were captured as prisoners of war (POWs) between 1914 and 1918.Although France had always been Britain’s traditional enemy, not Germany, by August 1914, as a result of the…
Bitter religious conflict. Economic hardship. Land dispossession. A thriving literary and musical culture, and the endurance of strong family ties. Ireland’s history is made up of dramatic episodes and strong community spirit alike. Our Irish ancestors' lives were full of ups and downs – from the joyous baptism of a new family member to wartime deaths and looming poverty, they lived through life events, big and small. Although less than seven million people live in Ireland, more than 90 million people globally…
In the modern age of Google and Wikipedia, taking a book out of the library to find the answer to your burning questions may seem like a thing of the past. However, whilst online genealogical resources are great, sometimes a good family history book is all you need. From establishing a clear timeline and a pedigree chart to tracing female ancestors with changing surnames, all manner of tricky challenges face genealogists and family historians when they begin building the branches…
Perhaps it’s a sibling enthralled by tales of battlefield strategy, or a friend already immersed in the labyrinthine alleys of family history. Whatever the case, this Christmas, you can give more than a gift: you can give a key to the past.With Findmypast’s treasure trove of records, your gift can spark journeys that thread through generations. Who knows what secrets, surprises, or long-lost relatives are waiting to be discovered?To help you in your hunt for the perfect Christmas…
Exploring the movement of your ancestors can be a particularly rewarding aspect of family history. They may have been original settlers to the New World, or war brides making a home with a soldier. No matter where they went or when, you’ll want to understand the history, law, and process they went through. The motivation for this learning may be best summarised by an author featured in this list, Valerie Knowles, who states in the introduction to Strangers at Our…
Officially almost 38 million people were enumerated in the 1921 Census. Its remit was England, Wales, the Isle of Man and a number of British Islands. But not all those recorded were natives of those places. In fact, more than 1.2 million (3.4%) citizens in the 1920s were born elsewhere. The chart below lists where the largest numbers who were born abroad came from: Of course, many more were of foreign heritage too, the children or grandchildren of immigrants. It's more difficult to identify…
If you ever focus your family research in a particular place – a town, a county, an island – you soon learn to recognise those surnames which are typical of the place. This might be because they either occur frequently or stand out as unusual, or often, in the cases of local names, both.Good examples are the surnames Camburn and Edenden in Whitstable, Kent, Bolitho in parts of Cornwall, Docwra in Cumberland, Quayle on the Isle of Man and Linklater in…