http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.ukWhether you are just starting to trace your family tree or have been doing genealogical research for many years, you will find Ancestors full of tips and guidance.en-ukCopyright 2008 Wharncliffe Publishing Limited and The National Archives2008-07-16 11:17:502008-07-16 11:17:50http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/images/header.jpghttp://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#98I came across this quiz on the Gather the Jewels website which is devoted to Welsh history www.gtj.org.uk/en/familyhistory/quiz. I got eight out of the nine questions posted right (failing on the school attendance register). Unfortunately there is something wrong with the design of the webpage here, so there was nothing for the tenth and final question. It’s a pity because it is an interesting site, particularly if you have connections with the Principality. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-07-16 11:17:50http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#96A French website has details of 18,000 victims of Madame Guillotine during the traumatic terror of the 1790s – les.guillotines.free.fr. Although it is in French, it is fairly easy to work out what each entry says. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-07-14 09:17:14http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#97Ray Blackmore, 76, has been looking into his family's past for 28 years and has come up with some interesting discoveries. And he is putting them on show at Taunton Library in Paul Street, Taunton for a week from today (14 July). He will be showing certificates, wills, indentures, tithe documents and items of local history going back to the 14th century. He will also be on hand to offer advice to other people who are researching their own family tree during his exhibition. Mr Blackmore said: “I have found 10,000 related names on my family tree and discovered Alfred the Great, Matilda Flanders and William the Conquerer in there. Not even the Queen has a family tree as detailed as mine." Mr Blackmore's enthusiasm for starting his family tree came from losing both his parents: "Having lost my mother and father as a child, I became inquisitive about my family background. My older siblings had very little information and what little they did have proved to be influenced by their childhood imagination.” He has spent around £20,000 and five hours a day for the past 28 years scouring archives, cemetery records and census registers to trace his roots back 1,500 years. He added: "When I started I never planned to go back that far but the more I looked the more interested I became. There have been some very frustrating times when I seemingly hit a brick wall. But there is always a way around or over an obstacle and you just have to persevere. I could go back further into my French descendants but I think I'll leave it as it is." He has now found relatives right back to the Cerdick family in 500 AD and can link himself through 37 generations to William the Conqueror in the 11th Century and 45 generations to Alfred the Great in 880AD. "The records show that my family were yeoman from around the 10th century when monks first started recording births," he said. Without wishing to denigrate Mr Blackmore’s achievements (and it is a pity I can’t get to Taunton to see the exhibition) I wonder how far back is it possible realistically to go. Mid-18th century, easy-peasy; mid-17th century one or two lines; but before then, unless you are descended from nobility or royalty, it must be very hard. Certainly I haven't got that far. [Story based on articles in Somerset Gazette and the Daily Telegraph] Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-07-14 09:16:37http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#95While I was away on holiday the refurbished and redesigned museum opened at Kew. And it is excellent. At its centre lies the Domesday Book – the Archive’s most famous document. There are seven strands or themes, including one on family history displaying a selection of documents that you might use in your genealogical research. They are not the obvious choices either! A few documents have been digitised and made available through “the turning pages” terminals. So for example you can examine a D-Day map in some detail. Another nice touch is a case showing a document which has recently been in the news. At present it is a file about the SOE agent Pearl Cornioley. The Museum is free and is open all the hours the public areas are open. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-06-24 16:25:21http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#91"Deceased Online" is a new service providing access to the registers of burials held by crematoria and cemeteries across England and Wales. The idea is that the indexes are free, but users will pay to get copies of the entries in the registers themselves. The first council to have joined up is Tunbridge Wells in Kent. The site is in beta test at www.deceasedonline.com and as many pages didn’t open it seems more test than beta, but clearly this is a resource worth watching. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-06-24 16:24:25http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#93Surrey History Centre and the Queen’s Royal Surrey Regiment museum have completed a unique project providing online resources giving access to four centuries of archives relating to the county’s regiments as well as the memories of soldiers who served with them. Catalogues for the regimental archives are available at www.a2a.org.uk. ‘Buried Battles and Veterans’ Voices’ has recorded for posterity the experiences of veterans who served with the Surreys and its predecessors between the 1930s and 1950s. Extracts from interviews with some of the veterans are on the regimental museum’s website www.queensroyalsurreys.org.uk/video/index.html. You can watch the interviews or read a transcript. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-06-24 16:23:22http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#94There are two non-family history sites which show what the internet is becoming capable of achieving. SearchMe www.searchme.com is a new search engine (still in beta test form) which produces images of webpages and allows you to flick through them to find the one you want. It’s vaguely reminiscent of the music and video search facilities on the Apple iPhone and iTouch. It’s fun and seems pretty effective as well. You can search by website, video or image. A rough test suggested that it was as good as Google for websites, but less so for photos (it seemed only to search flickr) or videos (utube). Even so give it a try. Combining detective fiction and Google Earth seems a strange mash-up, but Penguin Books have made a brave attempt at wetellstories.co.uk/stories/week1. Starting at St Pancras station you can follow the hero around the world to solve the mystery. I just read chapter 1, which takes place at St Pancras and got rather bored, but you may get more from it. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-06-24 16:19:32http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#90A reminder to complete the survey form found elsewhere on this site. We have had lots of comments back about the magazine already and they have been overwhelmingly positive. Many people have made very sensible comments which we hope to follow up over the next few months. But we would welcome your views, even if you are only an occasional reader of the magazine. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-06-24 16:11:39http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#89Else Churchill at the Society of Genealogists has contacted me about an online survey being conducted by the Identity and Passport Survey (which recently absorbed the General Register Office). She told me that: “I think that it would be useful for family historians to look at the survey and make comments as they think appropriate. If you have any comments to make about ordering certificates through the GRO’s existing website, getting information about indexes, or any other aspect of the certificate service website then here is your opportunity. If you have any feelings about the integration of the General Register Office with the Identity and Passport Service and identity cards you can make comments. I am worried that the GRO website may well become much more difficult to find if it is subsumed wholly within Direct Gov and I know some people have been frustrated with the online ordering system. Do take the opportunity to respond. I think the Identity and Passport Agency should know how important the registration service is to the family history community.” The survey is at www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=9XArLRa_2b_2bFTLdL3ELj5bDA_3d_3d Please complete it.Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-05-23 09:15:01http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#81I've just came across the new Old Bailey Proceedings site www.oldbaileyonline.org.uk. The original site (with a different URL) had fully searchable transcripts of trials which took place at the Old Bailey between about 1674 and 1834. It has now been extended to November 1913 when the proceedings end. The new trials have a different character than those from the earlier period. There are fewer cases of certain types of theft (animal theft, highway robbery, and shoplifting), but more cases of embezzlement, robbery, theft from the post, and property crimes involving deception (bankruptcy, forgery, and fraud). With respect to violent crimes, there are fewer murders but more cases of manslaughter, and more cases of minor violence such as assault, threatening behaviour, and wounding. In addition Ordinary's Accounts published between 1690 and 1772 are now available. These richly detailed narratives of the lives and deaths of convicts executed at Tyburn have been linked to the relevant trials. Searching always was easy, but you can now search by key word as well as by person. The results can be revealing. For example, I’ve done some research for an article on dangerous drugs in the first half of the 20th century. Historians have suggested that the cocaine habit only really arrived with Canadian troops during the First World War. Yet, typing in ‘cocaine’ reveals at least two defendants who admitted to being “cocaine maniacs” in the early 1900s – at least a decade earlier than previously thought. The keyword also brings up a transcript of the trial of Hawley Harvey Crippen. In addition there are new background notes and you can search for crimes by street – using a neat little map. Click on Myddelton Street -the former home of the Family Records Centre, for example - and crimes which happened in the street come up (all thefts in the early 1830s). In short this is a superb resource for anybody who has an ancestor in London, interested in the capital’s local history or wants to put flesh on Henry Mayhew’s (and other writers) accounts of poverty and criminality in the metropolis. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-05-16 11:54:31http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#88Several readers have pointed me towards The International Society Of Genetic Genealogy www.isogg.org which provides advice about DNA and genetics in general. The website, for example, contains a useful comparison of services provided by commercial DNA testing companies. There is also a bulletin board section for new members. Other pages provide summaries of information in this rapidly changing arena, for example about the markers which make up various Haplogroups. It also publishes a Journal of Genetic Genealogy. And there are a store of independent experts who can provide advice on testing and interpretation of results and the pros and cons of the various testing companies. And amazingly membership is free. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-05-15 16:07:00http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#87The media has been full of stories about newly released Ministry of Defence files from the 1980s about UFO sightings. As of this morning The National Archives have had over two million hits – much, much higher than normal. If you want to see what all the fuss is about visit ufos.nationalarchives.gov.uk where you can download files and podcasts. You have to be quick the files are only free until mid-June – otherwise the normal Documents Online charges will apply. There’s also an excellent guide to sources at TNA by Dr Peter Clark, an academic at Sheffield Hallam University. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-05-15 11:41:40http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#86There’s been a flurry of media interest in an article in the current (June) issue of Ancestors when our deputy editor, Penny Law, tested three of the commercially available DNA heritage tests and came up with three widely different sets of results as to her genetic origins This was picked up by the Daily Mail in last Monday’s newspaper (read the article at www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=565800&in_page_id=1770), which was followed up by interviews on BBC Radio 5 Live (listen to the interview until 19 May at www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive/programmes/midday.shtml then click on Monday and fast forward to 12.34) and BBC Radio Essex. Along with Chris Pomery, who contributed the other article on DNA in this issue, Penny should appear on BBC Radio 4’s “You and Yours” programme on Friday morning. Why not listen in. My personal view is that DNA tests of these kind (that is heritge tests) are a complete con and do not contribute to individual’s family history. Other types of testing however may be more useful, but you need to know the science and what you are likely to gain from such tests. Penny’s article shows this clearly. The best book on the subject is Chris Pomery's 'Family history in the Genes' available from The National Archives bookshop at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/bookshop/searchresult.aspx?k=in%20the%20Genes.Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-05-15 09:08:28http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#85I received this piece of gen too late for the magazine, but you might like to know that the National Army Museum are having a family history week between 24 May and 1 June. Each day will begin at 12.30pm with a 30 to 40 minute talk on subjects of interest to those exploring the lives and experiences of their military ancestors. And in addition, every day except Bank Holiday Monday 26 May, members of staff will be available between 1pm and 4 pm to identify visitors’ photographs and other memorabilia, and to offer advice and research tips. There is no need to make an appointment – just come along! Details at www.national-army-museum.ac.uk. Even if you don't have any military ancestors the Museum offers a diverting half-day out. It’s a few years since I have visited, but I remember the highlight being a mid-19th century model of the Battle of Waterloo. You can’t mistake it, it’s vast! Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-05-08 14:42:59http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#84The first issue of a really interesting newsletter published by the Library of the Religious Society of Friends is now available at www.quaker.org.uk/shared_asp_files/GFSR.asp?NodeID=152762 Among other things there is a note about the magnificent new Biographical dictionary of British Quakers in commerce and industry 1775-1920 edited by Edward H Milligan, reports on Library work on the history of the anti-slavery movement, as well as the recent acquisition of two World War I manuscript diaries (with notes about the Friends’ relief organisations during the two world war). There is also a section on the preservation of the Library's manuscript collections. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-04-29 09:25:18http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#83Enhancements have been made to The National Archives Global Search facility. The award-winning search engine searches all the databases on TNA’s website and can be accessed from the home page www.nationalarchives.gov.uk. Improvements include: the addition of new resources, such as the Your Archives wiki and relevant books held by TNA Library; improvements to design based on customer feedback, and finally, and most importantly, cutting edge technology allows additional filtering and more targeted searching so that the search engine will make suggestions to you about how to refine your search. The problem with the original global search was that it was very difficult to narrow down what you wanted. Now it is easier, but still not perfect. Take for example my attempt to find files about canteens run by the NAAFI for the Army. A general search turns up 271 entries, including a Your Archives list of sources for records about the wartime ENSA ('Every Night Something Awful') entertainments service and a history in the library. Click on ‘refine search’ you can break down the search by year, by some thirty broad subjects (‘armed forces’, ‘government’ looked the most useful for the NAAFI search) or by database (‘Access to Archives’, ‘Bookshop’, ‘Moving Here’ etc). Curiously you can search the 1851 census but none of the others. But it wouldn’t let me easily just find War Office files relating to the NAAFI. By trial and error I found that to do this you needed to enter both NAAFI and War Office as search terms or, taking the low tech approach, plough through all 108 files found with just the armed forces filter turned on. Another search, just using the A2A, came up with 83 entries for records in local archives from Plymouth to Leeds. In conclusion it is much better than the first edition, but it still not always intuitive and the help pages in particular are unhelpful. It’s real use is to get an idea of what is available for a particular search across archives, large and small, in England (and to a lesser extent Wales, Scotland and Ireland). Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-04-28 14:10:45http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#80I’ve been a bit remiss posting interesting websites – unfortunately running a magazine has to take priority. So here’s a miscellanea of recent sites I’ve come across. First up is Hertfordshire Names Online www.hertsdirect.org/libsleisure/heritage1/HALS , which is an online index to half a dozen or so indexes held by the Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies (HALS) including apprentices’ indentures, marriages, coroner’s reports, photographs from a selection of local papers and biographies of men from the Royston area who fought in the First World War. Despite the title you can search by place or keyword, which also makes it very useful for local historians. And if you can’t get to Hertford you can request a quote for copies of the items you are interested in. Too late for inclusion in the list of websites on MIs which accompanied the piece on NAOMI in May’s magazine was Gravestone Photographs www.gravestonephotos.com. The site provides a transcript of the genealogical information on the tombstone. It is possible to request a free photograph of the stone itself. Coverage is very patchy, but if you do find a parish you are interested in it could be very useful. Across the Irish Sea, Roscommon Historical Research www.roscommonhistory.ie is building up a history of the county. It is all a bit random with an emphasis on the modern rather than the old, and the Genealogy pages are still under construction, but there is some nice ephemera (bill heads, election material and the like). If you are researching Irish ancestry then you might like to know that Ancestry has put up indexes to Griffith’s Valuation and the Tithe Applotment Books www.ancestry.co.uk/search/rectype/alldblist.aspx. These are essential census surrogates as they provide many lists of landowners and tenants about the time of the Great Famine. I’m surprised they didn’t make more of this as they really are a key resource for Irish genealogy [later note - I have received a press release about the records which they will formally launch on 23 April]. Ancestry are also trialling a new search facility which at a cursory glance seems rather better than the old one, which I always found difficult to use. As you know I'm always happy to feature sites you recommend or are running, so keep suggestions coming. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-04-25 16:09:07http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#82The second batch of WW1 service records for soldiers is now available online. They are for men with surnames letters D-H. The best way to get access to these records is via www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/militaryhistory/?source=ddmenu_research0_eSimon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-04-23 11:10:39http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#79New subscribers to Ancestors at the Who Do You Think You Are Live! Show will receive a free pedigree chart courtesy of Maxbal worth £7.50. Maxbal Genealogy is a leader in producing high quality family tree charts for displaying family history with one of the widest ranges of blank, personalised and custom designs available. The personalised charts offer a wide range of standard designs printed with you own family information and bridge the gap between a “you fill it in “ blank chart and a full custom design. Maxbal’s website has a range of products which now include custom designed charts printed on canvas. More details at www.maxbal.co.uk. The Who Do You Think Show takes place at Kensington Olympia between 2 and 4 May. Ancestors Magazine will be sharing The National Archives stand no 175. Details at www.whodoyouthinkyouarelive.com. Incidentally, I will be there on the Saturday and Penny Law, the Deputy Editor, on Friday and Saturday - look out for us. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-04-15 10:58:57http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#76We're now taking bookings for the Ancestors Afternoon on Thursday 19 June at The National Archives. This year's theme is "problem solving". The speakers include David Annal providing a general introduction to resolving brick walls, and William Spencer looking at problems with the WW1 service records (both from The National Archives). Sharon Hintze, from the Hyde Park Family History Centre, will concentrate on resolving difficulties in tracing births, marriages and deaths. The Ancestors Lecture is to be given by Professor David Hey, one of Britain's most eminent local historians (and good friend of Ancestors). He will look at solving problems relating to 16th and 17th century research. Best of all tickets are free. To get yours ring 020-8392 5271 or email ancestors@nationalarchives.gov.uk. The last two such events were sell out events, I'd advise you to book now.Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-04-02 10:48:48http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#78We received this news item, too late for inclusion in the May issue of Ancestors Magazine: “Professor Robert Bartlett, one of the world’s leading medievalists, is the host on a new landmark history series ‘Inside the Medieval Mind’. The four-part series, co-produced by The Open University, will explore the mindset and lifestyle of medieval citizens and will reveal what motivated people who lived between 800AD and 1400AD and what beliefs we share with our ancestors. The series, beginning at 9pm on Thursday April 17, is the first in a season of Medieval themed programmes on BBC Four this Spring.” Find out more at www3.open.ac.uk/media/fullstory.aspx?id=13412 Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-04-02 10:44:38http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#77Some new resources have just been added online. First up, The National Archives Documents Online service has added details of continuous service engagement books between 1853 and 1873 at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/royal-navy-service.asp. Before 1853 ratings were paid off at the end of each voyage, but now the system changed. Initially boys and men over 18 who joined up had to serve ten years "continuous service" and existing ratings were encouraged to swap to the new system as well. These records are the first attempt by the Navy to introduce what in effect a single service record. Meanwhile, FindMyPast have added the last batch of outward bound passenger lists for the 1950s www.ancestorsonboard.com now they are complete between 1890 and 1960 and very useful they are too. There’s been a competition among colleagues here at Kew tracking famous people (or people who later found fame) in the lists from the 50s. The most obscure entry was for a one-year old Tony Blair who was taken to Australia by his parents in 1953. His family weren’t part of the mass emigration under the “Ten Pound Pom” scheme, but hundreds of thousands of people took advantage to start new lives Downunder. Lastly, Genes Reunited have added the indexes to the General Register Office (GRO) registers of mainly English-born service personnel who died in the two world wars www.genesreunited.com. These are the least used of all of the lists of the war dead, but will give you a man’s full name and service number and occasionally other information as well. You can also use the information to order a death certificate for the individual from GRO. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-03-28 15:09:51http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#75Just a note to say that the Family Records Centre closes at 5pm tomorrow (15 March). No doubt there will be a few tears shed, but the new facilities at Kew are already impressive and will be wonderful when all the works have been completed. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-03-14 09:36:34http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#74About four times a year The National Archives publishes “RecordKeeping” for “all those interested in archives and records”. The journal is clearly aimed at archivists and record managers, but there are always one or two articles of wider interest. The Winter 2008 issue is now available and among the articles on electronic records management and assessments of local authority archive provisions there are pieces on the completion of the cataloguing the CO 323 (Colonial Office General) series of correspondence, which I worked on years ago when the world was young, and the Beale and Inman Archives at Westminster City Archives (Acc 2553-37). Beale and Inman were shirtmakers to the upper classes, with Winston Churchill and Neville Chamberlain among their clientele, and their papers include sales ledgers and name books containing references from other tailors and bootmakers. Clearly Beale and Inman wanted clients whom they knew would pay for the aristocracy were notoriously bad payers. RecordKeeping can be downloaded for free from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/services/recordkeeping.htm or is on sale in the shop at The National Archives at Kew, price £2. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-03-05 17:06:14http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#73There are a number of impressive websites available for local historians, which can also be used by genealogists. The Kent Archaeological Society’s website www.kentarchaeology.org.uk has recently been updated and now offers nearly 16,000 pages of indexed records that can be searched and downloaded free of charge. They include hundreds of memorial inscriptions from Kent parish churches and graveyards transcribed between 1756 and 1921. In many cases the original gravestones or monuments have been destroyed or become illegible. In addition, there are transcriptions of 200 individual Tithe Award Schedules from 1830s and 1840s. Eventually the KAS will publish all of the county’s 403 schedules online. Also available are scans of the Victoria County History of Kent Vol 3, which includes census figures for every parish in the county (1801 – 1921), indexes from “Archaeologia Cantiana” plus a selection of articles taken from it and part of Arthur Ruderman’s research into Ashford’s births, marriages and burials, manor rentals, and manor court rolls. More professionally produced is the “Documenting the Workshop of the World” project for the Black Country. The project has now been completed and the results available at www.blackcountryhistory.org. Over the past three years over 60 collections of business records and other material from local firms as well as 10,000 images covering life in the region have been digitised. The site is relatively easy to use and there are some great images to be found here. I spent a happy half hour looking at pictures of pubs – the Black Country is noted for its many splendid hostelries as I hope to rediscover shortly! Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-03-05 17:03:17http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#72Ancestry.co.uk has just released the Medal Index Cards for the First World War www.ancestry.co.uk/military. There was a huge amount of publicity over this and many people may have got the impression that it is the first time that these records have become available. In fact, they have been on TNA's DocumentsOnline service www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline for a number of years. Ancestry does offer several distinct advantages over DocumentsOnline: first the quality of the scanning is superb, and secondly you get to see both sides of the card. In most cases there is no additional information, but in about 50,000 cases the back provides an address, but occasionally there are notes about other medals awarded or other data. Unfortunately the indexing seems to be pretty poor.* I particularly wanted to find the card for my unlucky great-uncle Pte Henry P S Crozier, 18th London Regiment who was killed in the last week of the war. I couldn’t find him in the Ancestry service, although he was easy enough to find on DocumentsOnline, along with lots of other Croziers who do not seem to appear in Ancestry. I tried other names as well and DocumentsOnline constantly came up with more results than Ancestry. In general I do find searching the various Ancestry databases increasingly difficult and certainly more frustrating than rival sites. Using the censuses on Genes Reunited www.genesreunited.co.uk, for example, seems easier and more accurate. But of course it may just be me. I’d be interested to hear about your experiences. *Since writing this I have been contacted by Ancestry's Simon Ziviani who points out that only "2.1 million names [from the medal cards] were launched last week - the remaining 3.4 million will go live in the coming weeks, meaning that at this stage there is a less than 50% chance that your relative’s name would be contained." Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-03-05 17:01:17http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#71The work on improving the reading room progresses apace. From Monday (25 February) an extra fifty seats will be made available in the Document Reading Room and this should help relieve pressure on seats. In addition the staff canteen reopens, so fewer people will be using the new public restaurant. And personally speaking it will mean less of a walk to buy the strong cups of tea, which in time-honoured Civil Service tradition sustains the Ancestors Magazine editorial team. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-02-22 16:41:47http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#70There’s a new website which contains news and information about the digitisation and indexing of the 1911 census: www.1911censusinfo.co.uk/census-news.php. At present there isn’t much on the site, but I’m told this will change over the next few months as work speeds up and the release date comes closer. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-02-22 16:39:17http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#68Follow up Lisa Edwards piece 'Gaps and Silences' in the January issue prompted an email from Sarah Hagen who with friends and neighbours are trying to build up a history of Rainhill Hospital on Merseyside. If you can help let me know or visit www.stbenedictswood.com. The history page has a link to a website specifically dedicated to the hospital www.dwnw13400.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/index.htm. In March’s issue our letter about the Backhouses in Ruhleben Camp for British civilians interned in Germany during the First World War drew a response from Chris Paton. He runs a detailed site devoted to the Camp and includes details of all the men who spent the war years there at ruhleben.tripod.com. Unfortunately it is hard to navigate between pages because of pop-ups and other “nasties” (although to be fair, this may be Tripod's fault). He also runs an excellent genealogical blog at www.scottishancestry.blogspot.com which despite the name has stories from all over the British Isles. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-02-22 16:38:00http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#69We regularly receive letters from readers who have ancestors who emigrated to South America before 1914. This part of the 19th century emigration story has almost been forgotten, but thousands of people were attracted to South America to farm, build railways or work in the mines, as is clear from the online outward passenger lists available at www.ancestorsonboard.com. The largest British community was in Buenos Aires, although there was sizeable communities in most large cities and port towns. It can be very difficult to track these people, because genealogy is only beginning to take off here and the records tend to be in Spanish or Portuguese. Help, however, may well come from the Brits in South America Index at www. bisa.btinternet.co.uk which has details of thousands of British and Irish people who were attracted to the continent, although it doesn’t pretend to be complete. It is also simply designed with links to other relevant sites – the perfect place to start research as exotic as this! Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-02-14 10:41:45http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#67In my recent guide to Military History on the Internet [see www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1448 ], I included a whole chapter on war memorials and rolls of honour. One of the best I came across was for the spa town of Cheltenham commemorating 1611 Cheltonians and men from surrounding villages who made the supreme sacrifice during the First World War. The authors, Dave and Jimmy James, have spent years researching them and the results are impressive. As well as the basic details of where a man died and where he is buried, there are often stories about the indivduals, photographs and details of local men who for some reason are not commemorated on war memorials in the area. In addition there is material about those who died a year or two so after the Armistice of wounds about whom the James have been campaigning for official recognition. The site’s URL is www.remembering.org.uk Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-02-05 11:10:20http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#66Once I have sent the magazine off to the printers I occasionally come across additional information which readers might be interested in and which had been omitted for one reason or another. In March 2008’s issue we have a letter about papermakers (p66): a new list of archive collections relating to papermakers has just been posted at www.archiveshub.ac.uk/feb08.shtml. There is an online exhibition at www.national-army-museum.ac.uk/exhibitions/warForAmerica about the British Army in America during the War of Independence which fits in well with our article ‘Hugging Brown Bess’ (p36). Lastly we were unable to squeeze in a list of regiments which took part in the Quebec Campaign of 1759 (see “Who served with Wolfe?” (p42)). If any reader would like the list please let me know. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-02-05 11:04:42http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#65The reading rooms at Kew are being extensively remodelled. The end result will be worth the wait: what has already been completed has transformed the experiences of readers. However the works mean reduced space in the document reading room with reports that readers have had to wait a couple of hours for seats to become available. In addition the advance order service has been suspended until after the building work has been completed. And just to add to the woes the public restaurant is also being rebuilt with fewer tables at present. There’s a new coffee bar, but inevitably there are long queues at peak times. Finally from next Monday (11 February) the Library will be closed until 25 April and the books stored off site while extensive changes are made. It has one of the best collections of books relating to British history and archive science in the country, but it isn’t as well known as it should be partly because physically you could only approach it through a set of doors from the microfilm reading room. It is now going to be opened out which should mean that more people will discover its treasures. In the meantime, my advice is to ask is your research really necessary? If not, why not leave it until later in the year. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-02-04 11:36:28http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#64We now have one. Click on the orange button on this page to be kept up to date with additions and changes to the blog.Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-02-04 11:04:54http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#63A excellent new guide to help family historians research their ancestors in Worcestershire has recently been launched on the Worcester branch website of the Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & Heraldry - www.worcesterbmsgh.co.uk. At its centre is a guide to parishes (click on ‘tracing your ancestors’) in the old historic county of Worcestershire, so it includes many places in the Black Country. For each parish the site tells you which sources are available and where they are held. There is also general information on the location of the parish, neighbouring parishes with, in some cases, photographs of the parish church. Other information can include details of the Poor Law and school records. There is also a glossary of terms you might find in parish record and material about the branch and its activities. The website is well designed and clearly laid out. Perhaps a model for other local societies to follow?Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-02-04 11:03:07http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#62Unfortunately details of these talks came just too late for the March issue of Ancestors: 1 March - "Family History on the Internet" (with Ruth Edwards) offers a short introduction to finding your way around the internet including a practical guide to using the most important websites for family history research. 4 March - "A Brief History of Myddelton Street" Myddelton Street has been home to the Family Records Centre for nearly eleven years - but what was there before? In the last ever talk at the FRC, Dave Annal will take a look at the history of this Clerkenwell Street from its early days as a track through the fields, through the 19th century when it was a major centre for watchmaking right up to the present day. The talks begin at 2pm and are free. Tickets available on the day only at the FRC. Sponsored by Ancestors. More information at www.familyrecords.gov.uk/frc/extra/events_calendar.htm Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-01-29 14:33:26http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#61It was announced on Satuday that Scotland Online has acquired Findmypast for an undisclosed amount from its parent company the Title Research Group. My understanding is that negotiations had been ongoing for a number of months and it was certainly no secret that Findmypast was up for sale. Scotland Online is owned by the Dundee based D C Thompson group, best known for publishing the Beano and Dandy comics. Scotland Online manages the acclaimed ScotlandsPeople website and was the surprise winner of a tender to run the 1911 census website on behalf of The National Archives. Findmypast, originally 1837online.com, was the first site to put the GRO indexes online five years ago and recently has been putting the outward bound passenger lists online and won the contract to take over the FFHS family history online service. Findmypast will continue to operate from its London headquarters. More details at: www.theherald.co.uk/business/news/display.var.1978316.0.Scotland_Online_buys_family_history_website.php Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-01-21 09:37:44http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#59In response to growing demand, The National Archives has agreed free onsite internet access to the birth, deaths and marriages indexes provided by findmypast.com. Readers at Kew, and the Family Records Centre in Myddleton Street (until 15 March 2008), have free access to the digitised indexes, for an initial one-year trial period. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-01-18 12:39:38http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#58For anyone who missed the Radio 4 series “Tracing Your Roots” broadcast last year, the series producers have provided two CDs, each featuring three programmes. If you would like a copy of the CDs send a large (preferably padded) self-addressed envelope to: Tracing Your Roots (CDs), Zone 3.05, BBC Scotland, Pacific Quay, Glasgow G20 8NS Postage will be paid by the BBC. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-01-18 12:37:57http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#57In February’s issue we included an article about Eric Gaskell’s exhibition at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum based on his genealogical research. If you can’t get to the exhibition which runs until mid-March the exhibits are available online at www.egdesign.co.uk/exhibition.htm. Eric has challenged me: “It may (or may not) be to your tastes, and although it looks quite abstract I hope you can see what all the dots and marks are about.” I’m not sure I do, but you might! Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-01-18 12:35:55http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#56This year’s Ancestors Afternoon is on Thursday 19 June in the new reader’s conference room. Normally they take place in February, but because of the building work at Kew we’ve postponed it until later in the year. The theme will be ‘problem solving’. Among the speakers will be David Annal (who writes the View from the Centre pages in Ancestors) and Sharon Hintze, from the Hyde Park Family History Centre. In addition, Professor David Hey will be giving the annual Ancestors Lecture. David is the former consulting editor on Ancestors and is probably Britain’s foremost local historian. He is also an excellent lecturer. The Afternoon will be free. Tickets and more information will be available nearer the day, but if you would like to be on the mailing list let me know. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-01-18 12:34:53http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#55The National Archives is helping with the review of the 30-year rule which governs when the bulk of government documents are opened to public inspection. The review team is taking evidence from government departments, historians, the media, politicians and policy groups and the general public about whether records should be released sooner. If you wish to have a say you can do so on the review’s website www.30yearrulereview.org.uk . The consultation ends on 29 February. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-01-14 10:28:54http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#54The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (universally known to all as PRONI) has just relaunched its website www.proni.gov.uk/index.htm. The old one was frankly unattractive, difficult to navigate around and it was hard to find anything. A quick glance suggests that all these criticisms have been rectified. If you want to know more the site has been extensively reviewed in an excellent blog on Irish family history www.irishfamilyhistory.ie/blog. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-01-11 12:11:31http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#53The Chartists were a political movement we may have learned about in history lessons at school. Their campaign for political reform in the 1830s and 1840s collapsed after the presentation of a monster petition to Parliament in 1848. Tens of thousands of ordinary people were involved in the campaign. And Ancestors contributor Mark Crail maintains a very interesting website www.chartists.net devoted to them. Recently he has added 3,900 names drawn from the list of subscribers to the Chartist Land Company. These men and women came Lancashire industrial towns. He has also updated the list of “Chartist children”. The first piece he wrote for us was about the Chartists who named their children after their political heroes. At the time he found about a hundred examples. He repeated the exercise last month for some of the leaders of the movement: Feargus O'Connor, William Lovett, John Frost, Henry Vincent and Ernest Jones and came up with 1,399 names. Incidentally, the 1851 census has just seven men and boys born in England before 1838 with the name Feargus. From 1838 onwards, he has found 138 named "Feargus O'Connor xxxxxxxxxx" alone and many more with the forename Feargus. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-01-07 17:00:12http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#52A reader asks "What are the odds of you being a direct ancestor to someone a thousand years from now? Very good or are the odds against you?" Any ideasSimon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2008-01-03 07:53:10http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#51Historians may well view 2007 as the year when family history became respectable. Perhaps the ultimate accolade came when both The Guardian and Independent newspapers (and their Sunday equivalents) published special genealogical supplements. Neither would have done so had they not thought that they could gain readers as a result. The Guardian’s booklet was especially good. On the other hand the General Register Office (GRO) showed contempt for a key user group in the way they handled the closure of their services at the Family Records Centre. The closure received coverage in the national press, but it was too little and too late to make a difference. Indeed the GRO has not had a good year, with key indexing and digitisation projects way behind schedule. It remains to be seen whether the Office’s merger with the Identity and Passport Service due in April will lead to an improvement. The hobby is dominated by the internet in a way which would have been inconceivable even three or four years ago. The major records to be put online during the year were the outward passenger lists between 1890 and 1960 by FindMyPast and the surviving First World War Army service records by Ancestry.co.uk. Neither is yet complete, but they should be by the end of 2008. In addition the first batch of the 1901 and 1911 Irish censuses (Dublin 1911) were made available in December and S&N put the first tranche of the pre-1837 non-conformist parochial registers online in September. But the larger sites are now offering much more than raw data. The big value added services to emerge during 2007 were social networking and DNA. Neither, of course, is exactly new. The current fashion is for social networking (see the hype over Facebook et al), but family historians have been sharing research and family trees since the infancy of the internet. And it has been possible to have DNA tests done for a number of years now, although the results are so general that in most cases they are meaningless. The excitement lies in the convergence between social networking, DNA and genealogical data to build up a massive genealogical database, literally for all of our ancestors whether they left a written record or not. Clearly the company which does this first - or best - is set to make a killing (and will probably kill the hobby stone-dead if all you have to do is type a few names in order to receive a complete pedigree). Two American companies Genetree and Ancestry.com are already working along these lines. They launched services in the autumn. Genetree provide social networking and DNA, while Ancestry offer all three. At present the market leader for social networking in Britain is GenesReunited, but they seem to be resting on their laurels and could conceivably loose out to newer rivals such as FamilyRelatives which has an impressive (and free) social network facility. The family history world still needs its annual fix of "Who Do You Think You Are?" The fourth series aired on BBC One in September and October (with a special earlier in the year). Personally I did not find it as interesting as previous series, and one or two programmes were positively dull. Viewing figures however remained very respectable. Over six million people watched the first programme with Natasha Kaplinski. However I have seen no evidence that archives and libraries had a surge in people desperate to trace their ancestors as a result of the programmes. Perhaps everybody who wants to find their forebears are already doing it, or now that most households are linked to the internet viewers are doing their research online. Further series are planned for 2008 and 2009. However there were two spin offs from the programme. The first is a new magazine from BBC Magazines. With six family history titles now on the newsstand one wonders whether they can all survive. Fortunately the circulation of Ancestors was not hit by the new magazine. Indeed, our sales are slightly up. Secondly the Who Do You Think You Are Show took place at Olympia over the early May bank holiday. Some 12,000 people came through the doors, dwarfing the attendance at the old Society of Genealogists’ family history fairs which had in previous years been on the same weekend. The organisers Brand Events (who do this sort of thing for a living) brought a professionalism which had previously been missing from such events. It was a massive success – I was rushed off my feet answering questions from attendees on The National Archives stand – and all copies of the magazine had been sold by lunchtime on the Sunday. The 2008 show will be bigger, both in terms of space and the numbers of exhibitors – with more emphasis on heritage – and is scheduled for 2-4 May. 2007 was not all good news. Increasingly (and inevitably) the family history world is dominated by a few big commercial companies – primarily Ancestry.co.uk, FindMyPast and S&N – and one institution The National Archives. Even here there were persistent rumours that both Ancestry and FindMyPast were for sale. As proof in September, Spectrum Equity Investors bought a majority share in Ancestry’s parent company The Generation Network for $300m. Smaller companies are finding it increasingly difficult to compete and a few ceased trading during the year. The Federation of Family History Societies closed its commercial arm, selling the well-regarded FH Online website to FindMyPast and Genfair to S&N. Many of the existing booklets were taken over by a new company the Family History Partnership. In addition, Stepping Stones, which mainly produced census CDs was bought by S&N, and Archive CD Books suddenly ceased trading in October. My predictions for 2008: 1) more emphasis on value added services by the big providers in order to encourage new subscribers and retain those who are already members; 2) the first tranche of the English and Welsh 1911 census in the autumn will bring new standards to the indexing and the quality of the digitised images; 3) the concentration within the industry will continue as more companies offering genealogical services close as they are unable to compete against the major hitters; 4) new standards and facilities for those using the records in person will be provided by the new reading rooms at Kew and the Scottish Family History Centre in Edinburgh; 5) Ancestors will continue to cover these stories and the background behind them, but then you knew this. Happy New Year! Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-12-29 19:17:49http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#50"And then there is the work! If the genealogical bug once bites you, you are a doomed man, and never again will you be happy except when attempting to trace the elusive ancestor: It has all the fascination of a game for one who loves it. It is like working out a chess problem or a crossword puzzle, but much more exhilarating, for the pawns in this game were once human beings. You have ancestral charts in blank, which theoretically can be filled in completely with the names of your ancestors; and there is no elation akin to that which you experience when a long-sought forbear is discovered and an empty space on the chart becomes a name and a reality.” Donald Lines Jacobus, “Genealogy as Pastime and Pleasure” (1930) Quoted by John Hamrock in "Tracing Your Roscommon Ancestors" (Flyleaf Press, 2007) which we will be reviewing in the magazine shortly. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-12-22 14:52:57http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#47Occasionally you come across information on websites which sends shivers down the spine. I can think of several times where this has happened to me. The first was finding Tony Blair’s entry in the electoral registers available on www.192.com. At the time (this was a couple of years ago) he and his family were living at 11 Downing Street. In a funny way it made our erstwhile prime minister a real human being rather than just a face on the telly. I had a similar but much stronger feeling when searching the Yad Vashem database of the Jews who had perished during the Holocaust www.yadvashem.org. Here in flickering black and white are the names and often the fates of over three million men and women (about half of those murdered). It brought home the share scale and horror in a way which books had not. And I think it was more shocking because I came across the site more or less by accident. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission Roll of Honour www.cwgc.org with its details of over a million British and Commonwealth service personnel (and some civilians) who died during the two world wars had not had this effect, perhaps because it is so well known. Lastly, I felt the same with the excellent Britain’s Small Wars website, devoted to the various post-1945 conflicts and campaigns in which British servicemen have been engaged. Harold Wilson has been praised for resisting American pressure to commit troops, but there have long been rumours that the SAS and perhaps other units experienced action there. www.britains-smallwars.com/Vietnam/index.htm (click on Rumour Control) includes debate and enough eyewitness accounts to suggest that the British forces were in the region at least in small numbers. Did the Prime Minister know? If you have visited sites which sent shivers down your spine, tell me and I’ll include them here. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-12-20 18:48:37http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#46Because of the building work in the public areas over the next few months there will be much reduced space in the reading rooms at Kew. In order that seats are allocated in the fairest way possible, the advance ordering service has been suspended. Seats will be allocated on the first come, first served basis. In addition the reading rooms will be closed between 21 and 26 January inclusive. Information about these arrangements is available at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/about/disruption.htm Unless your visit is really urgent you might want to wait until the middle of March when most of the building works will have been completed. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-12-13 14:21:42http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#45Reader Barrie Brinkman has contacted me about his new website devoted to the parish of Weeke, which is now a suburb of Winchester www.weekehistory.co.uk It is an excellent site with various pages (although essays might be a better description as each page is rather wordy) devoted to this Saxon parish, although as photographs here suggest that only the most devoted local historian can discern much amidst the urban sprawl. He has also included extracts from parish registers between 1577 and 1870; lists of rectors; and extracts from the census and tithe records. More is promised. I've suggested adding extracts from parish magazines, mainly because I've just written a short article about their worth for family and local historians for February's Ancestors. I was impressed how informative these magazines could be. They should be better known. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-12-13 14:02:28http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#43The 1911 census for the city and county of Dublin is now available at www.census.nationalarchives.ie in a fully searchable form. This is the first tranche of a joint project between the National Archives of Ireland and Library and Archives Canada to digitise the whole of the Irish 1911 census. Then as now Dublin was by far and away the largest city in Ireland. It is easy to search by name and the result is displayed in a PDF. The index leads to a simple transcription of the names and ages of the people in the household. From there you can call up a page of the original census enumerator's form. This is slightly tricky - don't click on view census form on the transcription page. Instead click on the address at the top of the page. You will then be presented with all the households in a particular house or street. Now click on the family you want and the enumerators sheet will appear as a PDF. The images are very clear in greyscale. The whole site is clean and well laid out. And best of all it is free! But I am not sure why Irish and Canadian taxpayers should subsidise my hobby.Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-12-07 08:26:39http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#41Five or more years ago I wrote a paper for the English Tourist Board arguing that the Board should be encouraging people with English ancestry to visit the country. They ignored my recommendations. Meanwhile the Scots have long encouraged ancestral tourism and it has been a great success for them. Well over ten per cent of tourists visit Scotland because they have roots there and want to see where they ancestors come from. If you are thinking of venturing north of the border in search of your ancestors www.ancestralscotland.com has lots of resources. In order to attract such visitors the Angus and Dundee tourism people are organising a Roots Festival between 6 and 13 September 2008. They tell me it will include “a packed programme of events with visits to ancestral sites, living history re-enactments, talks, demonstrations, film shows and much more.” Details at www.tayroots.com. You can find more about the Festival in the January issue of Ancestors which will be on sale on Thursday 6 December. Indeed the whole issue has a distinctly Scottish theme. Further ahead 2009 marks the year of the “Homecoming Scotland” with a mass of events and celebrations to mark the 250th anniversary of Robbie Burns’ birth and Scottish culture and heritage. More at www.homecomingscotland.com Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-12-03 14:21:10http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#40Reader, Art Cockerill, has been in touch to recommend the site of Peter Goble at www.rma-searcher.co.uk , which has details of the admission of 11,000 children who passed through the Royal Miitary Asylum betweeen 1801 and 1892. There are also details from the surviving registers of the Royal Hibernian Military School in Dublin(1765-1924). The bulk of the records of the Hibernian school were stored in London following closure of the institution and destroyed in the London Blitz. Art’s own very interesting website at www.achart.ca deals with, amongst other matters, the history of the military schools and gives biographical detail of some of the more famous students of the Hibernian and RMA (renamed the Duke of York’s Royal Military School in 1892). Readers seeking information on ancestors who attended these schools can contact Peter who is happy to help them - email petergoble.rma@googlemail.com. Incidentally records about the three schools are in series WO 143 at The National Archives. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-11-27 15:50:55http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#38The BBC is looking for people interested in reuniting their extended family on an all expenses paid weekend celebration in Spring 2008, to feature in an important new documentary series for the BBC. If you’re keen to find out more, please call Annabel Borthwick on 020 7267 4260 or email aborthwick@blastfilms.co.uk Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-11-27 13:48:50http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#37I've come across three very different websites this week which you might like to visit. Firstly reader Clare Gibson has launched The Army Children Archive (TACA) at www.archhistory.co.uk. The Archive was established to collect, record and preserve details of the unique aspects of growing up as the child of a soldier in the British Army. Although it is still in its infancy, she hopes that "the Archive and the website will eventually provide a useful source for social and military historians, and particularly that it will interest former and current army children, who, on the one hand, may find that it ignites some sparks of recognition that in turn trigger a string of memories or, on the other, may enjoy the sense of having a rich history all of their own". At present she has posted a number of interesting pages and of course Clare would welcome contributions if you came from an army family or your ancestors did. Weather has a profound influence on the lives of our ancestors, particularly those less well off who were particularly affected by harvest failures and the resulting high price of bread. Even in late-Victorian times heavy snowfall could throw tens of thousands out of work. www.booty.org.uk/booty.weather/metindex.htm has pages about weather over the centuries presented in various ways from timelines comparing historical events to the weather at the time to summaries of weather extremities and oddities from the Stone Age almost to the present. Outside work I’ve been working on a proposal for a book about crime between the two world wars. One topic I have been researching is the gangs of young men, particularly those which caused trouble in working class communities in Sheffield and Glasgow. I stumbled across an excellent website – The Glasgow Story – which explores the history of the "Empire's Second City" in great detail (although there is not much about gangs). There are pages and pages of well-written history plus an extensive photographic library and indexes to the Valuation Rolls for 1913-1914 which provide details of the city’s ratepayers - in effect a surrogate census. www.theglasgowstory.com Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-11-21 16:26:27http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#35One of the suggestions made by the satirical website Social Scrutiny to resolve the current problems at HM Revenue and Customs is that “You should also alter your mother’s maiden name by Retrospective Deed Poll. This is rather complicated, but does at least stop family historians in their tracks and will lead to the eventual collapse of the genealogy industry.” Read the whole article at www.socialscrutiny.org/weblog.php?id=P279. Actually, even if the proposal was seriously entertained, it would only be a minor inconvenience: deed poll records end up at The National Archives in series J 18, and changes of name by deed poll are published in the London Gazette as soon as they are issued. For more information see www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=176&j= Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-11-21 16:24:06http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#34One of the nice things about editing Ancestors is the excellent articles we receive from first time and new writers. I like to think that we are giving these new Richard Holmeses and Antonia Frasers a helping hand. The problem, however, is often not so much the style but the content. Researching the subject and then making it interesting is not as easy as it seems, as I can well testify. Which is why I’m pleased to publicise the first ever MA in non-fiction creative writing at London's City University. It is aimed at people who wish to write narrative non-fiction, including history, autobiographies, biographies and travel books. It is unique not least because graduates will leave with a completed full-length book. And Ancestors hopes to run a competition for students and print the best results. It builds upon City’s existing creative writing courses and offers students the opportunity to hone their writing in a central London location with access to publishers and agents, research libraries and archives. It will be mainly run in the evening. Applications are invited from potential students, who will need to submit 5000 words of non-fiction prose as part of the selection process. Visit www.city.ac.uk/journalism/courses/postgrad/cwnonfiction/entry_apply.html for more information and application forms. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-11-14 16:58:50http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#33Kingston University and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children have launched a database documenting patient admissions from Victorian and Edwardian times. The online resource at www.smallandspecial.org provides fascinating information about the children who were admitted to Great Ormond Street Hospital from 1852 – when it first opened its doors – to 1914. Compiled by academics and volunteers from Kingston University’s Centre for Local History Studies, the collection has details of more than 84,000 young patients including names, addresses, ages, symptoms and the outcomes of their hospital treatment. It is the first time hospital records of such historic significance have been digitised. Incidentally, the website’s name comes from Elizabeth Lomax’s book "Small and Special: the Development of Hospitals for Children in Victorian Britain" published by the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine in 1996. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-11-14 16:53:49http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#32The last few weeks have seen the arrival of a number of new books from The National Archives. Pride of place must go to Chris Pomery’s “Family History in the Genes: Trace your DNA and grow your family tree” which describes the increasing importance of DNA in genealogy. There is a full review in January’s issue. Another title under review is “Elizabeth and Philip: 20 November 1947” by Val Horsler, which looks at how the Royal Wedding was organised. A number of titles have arrived too late to be covered in this issue, including Simon Trussler’s “Will’s Will: the last wishes of William Shakespeare” and Katherine D Watson revisiting the greatest murder case of the Edwardian period in “Dr Crippen”. You can find out more and order titles at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/bookshop Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-11-14 16:51:17http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#30There are some surprisingly good websites on the history of local towns and villages. A reader Jon Cole has alerted me to his website on historic Farnborough – a town which most people might imagine had little history. It is at www.historicfarnborough.co.uk. It concentrates on the buildings – there's a chance to vote for the town’s greatest architectural eyesore - and the people, with a few memories contributed by the locals Incidentally if you have a site which you would like mentioned here why not send me details - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-10-25 14:03:53http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#29Liverpudlians may already be aware of the family history column that Martin Rigby regularly writes for the Liverpool Echo www.liverpoolecho.co.uk. He also contributes a genealogy blog to the newspaper’s website, which is full of useful advice particularly for the beginner. It’s actually hard to find on the main site, but you can read it at genealogy.merseyblogs.co.uk Recent posts include articles about wills, family photographs and, um, gardeners. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-10-25 13:57:15http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#28If like me you spend a lot of time searching the internet, you might like to visit Research Buzz. It is an American site run by a librarian Tara Calishain at www.researchbuzz.org with pages of reviews about search engines, databases and the like, plus tips about how to use them and details of new bells and whistles that are constantly being introduced. I should stress that it is not specifically about family history, although she does reasonably often review genealogy sites, and some at least of the resources described elsewhere could be adapted for genealogical purposes. Unfortunately her site is arranged as a blog and is not all that easy to search (perhaps a case of the cobbler’s children). I subscribe to her monthly e-newsletter which has links to many new search engines, websites and services. Irritatingly my email program thinks the e-newsletter is junk, so I have to occasionally retrieve it from the trash. You may find the same happens to you! Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-10-18 11:04:08http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#27Just published by The National Archives, “Philip and Elizabeth 20 November 1947” tells the story of the fairytale wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip of Greece in the midst of post-war austerity. Using documents at Kew it tells the story of the organisation of the wedding and how the great day unfurled. Potentially this may seem to be a dull topic, but the author Val Horsler, uses some wonderful quotes and a dry wit to bring the day alive. The book costs £7.99 and can be ordered from the bookshop at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/bookshop/details.aspx?titleId=441 Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-10-18 10:59:51http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#26Two of our writers, Roy and Lesley Adkins, publish a newsletter three or four times a year full of historical stories and trivia they have come across in the course of their researches. They are naval historians and at present are writing a history of the ordinary sailor in Nelson’s Navy, so there is a naval bias, but they also report on unusual monuments they come across, suggest a forgotten history book and muse about other oddities. A new edition has just reached my in-box and in it are notes about flint, a review of a “forgotten book” – Eric S Wood’s Historical Britain, the Abraham Crawford memorial in Plymouth and the craze for Egypt in the early 19th century. Subscribe, for free, at mail@adkinshistory.com. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-10-18 10:57:05http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#25Every year The National Archives runs a conference on the online catalogue and ongoing cataloguing projects. This year’s event takes place on 30 November at Kew. Among other topics, Speakers will be talking about the project to index the Navy Board papers, digitising 20th century Cabinet papers and saving searches done on the catalogue. The event is free, but is very popular so it is a good idea to book now. For details visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/events/catalogue-awareness-day.htm Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-10-18 10:55:19http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#24It can be hard to find links to key genealogical websites in one place. Although very comprehensive, both Genuki www.genuki.co.uk and Cyndi’s List www.cydnislist.com suffer from having too many sites to wade through. A reader sent me details of an impressive American site pricegen.com/english_genealogy.html which has links to over 500 sites by category (Census, migration, heraldry military etc etc). The hyperlinks themselves are colour coded between sites which are free and those which charge - a nice touch. There are also a selection of articles on research problems. The site is actually a spin off from the work of Price and Associations who are professional researchers specialising in English research based in Salt Lake City. If their work is as good as this site, they may be worth hiring! They include at least one site I hadn’t come across before: the Genealogue www.genealogue.com which claims to contain “genealogy news you can’t possibly use”. It combines news stories (many from old newspapers), quiz questions and humour. It is an American site, so some of the humor doesn’t translate, but there is enough to amuse and intrigue visitors to allow them waste many minutes, as I have to confess I have just done.Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-10-04 09:21:05http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#23Over the years I have attended a number of very interesting Public History seminars at Ruskin College in Oxford. The 2007-08 programme is as follows: On 24 November Liz Leicester talks about “Memory as historical material” considering the oral history of a strike of Leeds textile workers. On 26 January Alastair Owens, Karen Wehner, Nigel Jeffries and Rupert Featherby present “Living in Victorian London: a material history of everyday life” about a project which is seeking to gain "a deeper understanding of the social complexity and geographical diversity of metropolitan lives in the mid-nineteenth century through a study of the material culture of everyday domestic life” (I’m not sure I could explain this in words of one syllable, but it should offer insights into how our ancestors lived 150 years ago) and on 15 March, Mandy Richards tells the story of the Women’s Freedom League, an almost forgotten suffrage organisation. Sessions take place at the Elvin Room, Ruskin College, Walton Street Oxford 0X1 2HE and begin promptly at 11am. There’s coffee from 10.30 and seminars finish by lunchtime. To be added to the mailing list or for more information contact edeeley@ruskin.ac.uk. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-10-03 11:40:14http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#22Hubert Lionel Wood was registrar of births, marriages and deaths for the City of Oxford between 1947 and 1982. On his retirement he wrote up his memoirs, which are now online. They offer an interesting perspective into the life of registrars and the development of civil registration during the post-war years. In addition there are also what might be called notes based on his local history researches with an emphasis on historical demography using the census, poor law and other records. It’s all rather random and charming with some interesting anecdotes, and is well worth spending a few minutes browsing. www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/external/hlw/hlw04.htm Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-09-26 09:44:15http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#21Viewing figures for the top genealogy show on Wednesday nights on BBC One are holding up well, according to Media Guardian at media.guardian.co.uk/overnights/story/0,,2174343,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=4. Their analysis shows that well over six million viewers tuned in for the first show with Natasha Kaplinski. The second programme, which featured John Hurt discovering that he has no Irish ancestors, was somewhat less popular with only five million viewers, possibly because he is less of a mainstream media figure. Numbers climbed again to just under six million for last week’s programme with Griff-Rhys-Jones investigating the tragic life and death of his great-grandfather. The next most popular programme attracted half the number of viewers. To put it in context only top dramas, soap operas and major sporting events can normally command these sort of viewing figures in these days of multi-channel TV. It is little wonder that a fifth series has already been commissioned. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-09-26 09:40:55http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#20At the end of The National Family History Fair in Gateshead in September someone handed the organisers a spiral bound notebook with a multi-coloured plastic front which obviously contains family research material. They have looked in vain for contact details of the owner. However, there are some clues which may help locate him or her. There are quite a number of references to the Midlands and Birmingham Anthony Joseph Workshops and numerous notes for essays. There is a family Tree - including names Chamberlain and Chatterley; and notes from two workshops on 21 April 2007: Joan Addo – The Body in Europe and Maggie Hains Workshop. The only reference to a contact appears on a page entitled “Masquerade”. “Stevie, Gegard, Max and Henry. Jon Haliday and Lesley Mountain.” If you own the notebook please contact the Fair’s organiser Robert Blatchford on 01904 332638 or email robert.blatchford@nationalfamilyhistoryfair.com. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-09-26 09:38:19http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#19During October, the index volumes will be removed from the ground floor of the Family Records Centre in Middelton Street and transferred to storage, at which point there will be no further public access. The timetable for the move is: 13/14 October Births, Deaths, Marriages 1947-2005 inclusive; 20/21 October Births, Deaths, Marriages 1865-1946 inclusive; 27/28 October Births, Deaths, Marriages 1837-1864 inclusive; 27/28 October Overseas All years. The indexes, however, will continue to be seen on microfiche on the first floor at the FRC or online from various providers. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-09-12 09:10:10http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#18For one reason or another there aren’t many county wide or even local genealogical resources online in Ireland. An excellent exception is provided by the County Clare library service. Over the years they have added many online resources for genealogists researching Claremen and women, including indexes to the 1901 Census, Griffith's Valuation of 1855, and the Tithe Applotment Books compiled between 1823 and 1837. In addition the library’s Surnames Database allows members of the public to find information on the frequency and spread of surnames in the county during the 19th century. The most popular names are McMahon and McNamara, followed closely by O’Brien and Kelly, while Ryan and Moloney vie for fifth place. The website, at www.clarelibrary.ie also has a variety of other databases and indexes, including lists of local land owners in Clare 1876, the Bodyke Evictions, men from North Clare who served in the First World War, and biographical notices from the Clare Champion newspaper between 1935 and 1985. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-09-11 14:42:46http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#17As part of the Kew 2008 programme to improve the public facilities at Kew the public reading rooms will be closed between 1 and 16 December inclusive to allow building work to take place. In addition the readings will also be closed in late January - probably the week of 21 January. The Family Records Centre will, however, remain during both periods. For more information visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk and of course we will cover all the changes in Ancestors. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-09-06 14:40:58http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#16Many of the major genealogical websites have added, or are adding, social networking facilities to enable subscribers to share information among themselves and to make connections between the records (particularly the birth, marriage and death indexes) as well as to add comments to individual records. All this will have major implications for the hobby and how we undertake research and indeed on the nature of the records and indexes themselves. We will be including an article about these developments shortly. In the mean time, the team from Family Relatives came to see me about a month ago to demonstrate their new site and the services it provides. I was pretty impressed – the social network component in particular was easy to use and very flexible. It could even be useful even if you are not really a family historian. And the service is free. Subsequently I received a rather breathless press release, saying that they have “added for the first time ever a new and exciting free social network facility for families and family historians which allows for the rapid linking of people across the world. The facility enables not only experts but also amateur family historians to share common interests by enabling the sharing of local knowledge and of people. Familyrelatives.com allows families to work together by - creating, building, connecting and sharing with other members researching the same family history. these unique features ensure that where different members are researching the same information it matches them and allows them to share their information. This covers in excess of 600 million records and additional names can be added through an easy to use interface. Add a comment to the records – if you knew the person or are related? For anyone whose Birth, Marriage or Death took place in the last 20 years you can add a comment and on many millions of other records too.” Why not visit www.familyrelatives.com and see for yourself. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-09-06 14:39:04http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#15The Local Population Studies Society (LPSS) is devoted to the promotion of all aspects of historical demography at a local level. It publishes the excellent journal “Local Population Studies” twice a year. The Society also organises themed conferences on topics related to local populations in the past. I attended this April’s one on the Poor Law, which was extremely interesting. The Society has just launched a new website www.localpopulationstudies.org.uk which contains information about its activities. You can also download articles free of charge from back issues of “Local Population Studies” between 1968 and 1998. They cover a wide range of topics from studies of the census to discussions about bastardy and may provide answers to some of the questions you may across in your family history research. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-08-22 16:39:30http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#14I recently met Brand Events, the people who organised the very successful Who Do You Think You Are LIVE show at Olympia over the early May Bank Holiday. I’m pleased to say that the show will be repeated next year. This time it will take place between Friday 2 May to Sunday 4 May. Brand Events thinks that opening on a Friday will draw in people unwilling to give up their bank holiday. There will also be a new venue – they are moving round the corner to the larger National Hall. This means that there will be plenty of room for exhibitors and lecture rooms (which were on the first floor this year). They are also aiming to attract many more exhibitors particularly from the military history and heritage sectors to make it much more of a “National History Show”. There will still be stalls run by local family history societies – many of whom have already booked their space. Ancestors and The National Archives will of course be present, although how and what we do has yet to be decided. Tickets will remain the same price £20 per person, or two for £20 if you book in advance. It is thought that advance bookings may open in December. Full details of the Show will of course be given in Ancestors Magazine. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-08-21 16:41:00http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#13There are several email newsletters which I find useful at work and are also read with pleasure. The first is The National Archives newsletter which comes out once a month with details of releases of new records, books and a pleasing number of puffs for Ancestors Magazine. You can subscribe at www.ionmx.com/FormServer/?F=F011258F15899 The Federation of Family History Societies publishes a bi-monthly e-zine which contains brief news items about what is going on in the Federation and the world of British Genealogy in general with details of forthcoming events. Details at www.ffhs.org.uk/ezine/intro.php London’s Guildhall Library produces a quarterly newsletter full of news about the Library and its holdings with informative short articles about recently accessioned or catalogued records. If you are researching ancestors in the Metropolis or regularly use Guildhall Library or other London archives it is worth signing up – email manuscripts.guildhall@corpoflondon.gov.uk or visit www.history.ac.uk/gh/news98.htm Two of Ancestors Magazine’s authors, Roy and Lesley Adkins, produce an occasional delightful newsletter about life in Nelson’s life, research into memorials they have come across, developments in archaeology and anything else historically that takes their fancy. You can download back copies or subscribe at www.adkinsarchaeology.com/newsletter.aspx Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-08-10 11:09:43http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#11The General Register Office (GRO) has announced that it will be closing its service at the Family Records Centre in Islington at the beginning of November. At present, the GRO runs the services on the ground floor where visitors can obtain birth, marriage and death certificates and use the original ledgers to find references. The reasons cited are falling numbers of users now that the ledgers are widely available on the internet and certificates can be ordered online – only 11 per cent of applications for certificates are now made in person. In addition the building is urgently needed to house staff from its parent department the Office for National Statistics after its headquarters at Drummond Gate in Pimlico closes. Sets of the ledgers, however, will be made available in microfilm in the census area on the first floor of the Centre, although this will cease at the end of March when The National Archives moves its services to Kew. The ONS briefing paper can read at www.ffhs.org.uk/archives/gro/briefing070725.php . The GRO has placed additional information about replacement services at www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/aboutus/lookingahead/Latest_news.asp. The genealogical community has naturally reacted angrily to the news. A strong statement by the Society of Genealogists can be read at www.sog.org.uk/latest.shtml. And an e-petition to the Prime Minister against the closure has been launched at petitions.pm.gov.uk/FRC-closure. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-07-30 14:05:48http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#12The General Register Office (GRO), part of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), has admitted that their DOVE project to digitise the original births, marriage and deaths registers is way behind schedule. The original target was to launch the new service by April 2008 coinciding with the closure of the Family Records Centre (FRC). I understand that the Digitisation of Vital Events project (DOVE) is running at least 12 months late. This is the latest in a series of crises which have hit the General Register Office recently, including problems with the new computer system introduced to help with the registration of births, marriages and deaths and the closure of the ground floor of the FRC. More information at www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/aboutus/lookingahead/Latest_news.asp and www.sog.org.uk/latest.shtml Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-07-30 14:03:42http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#10Ancestry Australia has launched a fully indexed set of Convict Transportation Registers: 1788 to 1868 on its website. The originals are at The National Archives at Kew in series HO 11 The original records are not listed by the convict's name but by ship and date of departure. Entries indicate where and when convicts were tried, and may lead to records of the trial, which are separate series of records. Transportation began to Australia in 1788, but was not formally abolished until 1868, but in practice it was effectively stopped in 1857, and had become increasingly unusual well before that date. As result 158,702 convicts arrived in Australia from England and Ireland, and 1321 from other parts of the Empire, making a total of 160,023 men and women transported. Holders of Ancestry international subscriptions have free access to the records, otherwise you will need to take out a subscription to the Australian site www.ancestry.com.au. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-07-30 12:11:39http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#9There are hundreds of websites and books to advise family historians, but often they are not concise enough. When coming across a phrase in a document or thinking about a new area of research, one often needs a just a paragraph or two giving the nub of the subject. This is where Family History Companion, the new genealogy title from The National Archives (TNA), comes into its own. Sensibly, Mark Pearsall has chosen a broad brush approach covering all periods from the medieval to the mid-20th century in approximately 700 entries, beginning with abeyance and ending with Zetland. To point you further in the right direction, there are entries for major British and Irish archives and libraries (TNA’s entry is itself a master of compression), plus pointers to key websites and books. The author puts particular emphasis on legal aspects, with succinct definitions of many terms one might come across in wills and land documents, plus brief histories of various courts, along with an indication of where the records are to be found. The text is broken up by half a dozen short essays by TNA experts – David Annal, for example, looks at “Tackling the Census”; Adrian Ailes explains “Herald’s Visitations”, while Sean Cunningham explores “Inquisitions Post Mortem”. It is genuinely a useful and innovative book. Publication details Author Mark Pearsall Title Family History Companion Publisher The National Archives Price £7.99 ISBN 978-1-905615-07-0 Order online at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/bookshop/details.aspx?titleId=377Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-07-12 16:29:53http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#8 Plans are well advanced for the move of the Family Records Centre to Kew by the end of March 2008. The opportunity is being taken to radically redesign the reading rooms and generally improve the experiences of researchers while they are at The National Archives. These changes will entail some building work. Inevitably there will be some disruption to services from late summer 2007 to spring 2008, including the possibility of closing the reading rooms for a short period of time. Details of building works and any closed periods will be posted on The National Archives website www.nationalarchives.gov.uk. If you are planning to visit Kew or the FRC over the next few months it is a good idea to check the website before setting out.Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-07-12 16:09:29http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#6You may be familiar with Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki which is written by its users. Personally I find it extremely useful and refer to it all the time. Over the past few months The National Archives has been trialling its own wiki, called My Archive, where staff have been encouraged to add their knowledge of the records or how the records can be used to help in researching particular subjects. Now it is available to the general public. When you visit TNA’s online catalogue www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue there is the opportunity to add illuminating comments about particular records or historical topics. You have to sign in, with your reader’s ticket, to use the service. It’s probably most useful to add background information and cross-references to sources elsewhere rather to provide details of individual ancestors who appear in the records. It is likely to become a very useful additional resource. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-07-06 14:55:21http://www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk/index.php?page=blog#7It is a truism to say that family history has been transformed by the internet. There must be hundreds of thousands of websites devoted to genealogy in all its various forms. In each issue we feature dozens. And every week I discover, or am told about, more which for one reason or another I can’t squeeze into the magazine. Here are two, which might be of interest: Ancestor search at www.ancestor-search.info/HOME.htm is a really useful site containing links to record offices and local studies libraries across England and Wales. In addition there is information, and links, to one-name studies; brief introductions to the major series of records used by family historians (BMD registers, censuses etc), plus a guide to getting organised. It is by no means the only site offering this sort of information, but it has two great advantages: it is clearly laid out and, more importantly, the website is right up to date. Irish readers, and those with forebears who came from the Six Counties, might like Emerald Ancestors www.emeraldancestors.com. It claims to have one million names take from birth, marriage and death registers for Northern Ireland. A potentially useful feature is the e-book service. Subscribers receive an e-book, that is a facsimile of an old history book or directory – or you can buy the books separately. Simon Fowler (Editor) - simon.fowler@nationalarchives.gov.uk2007-07-06 13:54:50