Explore posts

Family history doesn’t just have to be about our own relatives. Many of us research for friends, colleagues or people in our local communities, helping to bring forgotten stories back to life.Four members of the Findmypast Community made some incredible discoveries about their local war memorials. Here’s what they uncovered about these lives marked by conflict. A hidden Second World War story: Community member Patricia used to be in the Women’s Royal Air Force. She decided to research a…

Family history isn’t just names and dates. It’s real people, real lives, and often, unexpected truths.If you’ve ever thought about starting your family tree, or you’re thinking about returning to it, a little inspiration might be all you need.Sometimes all it takes is one record, one photograph, or even one conversation to completely transform your understanding of your family and the lives of those who came before you. “My ancestor was a survivor”: One quiet evening, Amanda was…

For eight months, relentless German bomb raids brought terror to cities and towns across Britain. Entire neighbourhoods were reduced to rubble. Fires raged, painting the sky an ominous orange. By dawn, the survivors emerged from their shelters to scenes of unimaginable devastation – streets flattened, homes destroyed, and lives forever changed. Amidst the chaos, ordinary people displayed extraordinary resilience. Families banded together, neighbours shared food, and communities rebuilt in whatever ways they could. This was life during the Blitz: a time…

Did you know that two-thirds of Britons haven’t researched an ancestor who served in the World Wars? We did the maths, and this means that a staggering 1.18 million wartime stories stand to be lost to future generations.  Family history provides a way to discover and preserve the experiences of our ancestors who lived through World War 1 and World War 2.  Commemorating our ancestors’ bravery shouldn’t be confined to Remembrance Day. Here at Findmypast, we’re on a mission to ensure that no…

Last year, we took a member of our community on an epic journey to trace the footsteps of her 2x great-grandmother Janet. We traced Janet’s life – from her birth in 1830 up to her life as a ship captain in Liverpool by the 1860s – and uncovered a tale of tragedy and perseverance. Watch Finding Janet.We’re back with yet another moving real-life tale. Growing up, Laura Collins knew that her great-grandfather Eli had lost an arm during the First World War.…

Between coronations, weddings, royal babies and Jubilees, there's been no shortage of royal occasions. The late Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Platinum Jubilee in June of 2022, just three months before her passing on 8 September.Take a look at some of the ways our community celebrated the longest-reigning monarch in British history. Commemorating the coronation: Bob Avery, in Chepstow, sent in this lovely photo taken on 2 June 1953 - the coronation date for Queen Elizabeth II.Bob's uncle took this photo just a

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.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

Sometimes shocking but always fascinating, finding a felon in your family history is one of the richest discoveries you can make. Which shady piece of your past will you unlock with this week's new records? England & Wales, Crime, Prisons & Punishment, 1770-1935: Discover your criminal ancestors’ mugshots, prison registers, visitors’ details and more in the latest additions to this fascinating collection.Spanning from 1784-1939, the records and prisons featured in these latest additions are:Prison registers and minute books from Pentonville PrisonVisitor's…

Perhaps you’ve come across your ancestor in our 19th-century school registers, or you want to know how to find examples of old school photography from a bygone era. Either way, you’ve come to the right place. On Findmypast, you can find iconic photos in a variety of our historical records, from our incredible Photo Collection to our collection of newspapers. Here’s where you can look. How do I find old school photos?: In our Photo Collection, there are wonderful photos…

For over 200 years, mudlarks have searched the exposed riverbed of the River Thames in London at low tide, looking for lost objects. Considered to be the poorest members of society, Victorian mudlarks in the 19th century scavenged for anything they could find which they could sell for a few pence.Today, mudlarking has become a popular hobby among history enthusiasts in London.  Although I was born and raised in the United States, I moved to London in 2007 and became a…