Category Archives: British Isles

Findmypast adds records from Britain, Ireland, India and beyond

Posted on June 27, 2022 by Gail Dever

During the past week, Findmypast has added a mix of newspapers, parish records and Merchant Navy records. Britain, Merchant Seamen, 1918-1941 Nearly 5,000 records have been added into this existing collection, known for its biographical detail, physical descriptions, and often photographs. … Continue reading →

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Were your ancestors tourists? Probably not

Posted on October 3, 2019 by Gail Dever

The collapse of British travel company Thomas Cook on September 23 stranded 155,000 tourists, put 9,000 people out of work, and made headlines around much of the world. While many people have heard of Thomas Cook, and used their services, … Continue reading →

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Cost to order English and Welsh wills drops from £10 to £1.50

Posted on July 23, 2019 by Gail Dever

The Probate Registry in the United Kingdom has reduced the cost to order downloaded copies of probate records and wills in England and Wales from £10 to £1.50. This big drop in price appears to have just happened yesterday. Genealogists can … Continue reading →

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Findmypast to publish 1921 England and Wales census online

Posted on February 28, 2019 by Gail Dever

The National Archives yesterday announced the contract to publish the 1921 Census of England, Wales and Scotland online has been awarded to Findmypast, in association with the Office for National Statistic. The census will be published in January 2022. Taken on June … Continue reading →

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Use The National Archives’ converter to find out your ancestors’ buying power

Posted on February 13, 2019 by Gail Dever

On November 18, 1841, a warrant was issued for the arrest of an 18-year-old agricultural labourer from a large and very poor family in Occold in Suffolk, England. He was accused of “feloniously” stealing a box of money from the … Continue reading →

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Cost of English and Welsh BMD certificates to rise mid-February

Posted on December 27, 2018 by Gail Dever

For a few years, I’ve put off purchasing several English and Welsh birth, marriage and death certificates simply because I became distracted by another branch of the family or couldn’t be bothered spending the money. When the General Register Office … Continue reading →

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British Red Cross launches online database of its archives

Posted on October 16, 2018 by Gail Dever

The British Red Cross has launched a new online database, allowing the public to explore its collection of historic artifacts that includes letters, posters, photographs and films, from the charity’s beginnings in 1870 to more recent years. The British Red Cross’ … Continue reading →

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Maps of your ancestors’ British hometown — yesterday and today — on National Library of Scotland’s website

Posted on July 31, 2018 by Gail Dever

The National Library of Scotland has a new interactive tool on its website that overlays old maps of Great Britain with satellite imagery and allows you to see how the country has changed from when some of your ancestors lived there … Continue reading →

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British Newspaper Archive’s family notices, 1800-1900, on FamilySearch

Posted on July 20, 2018 by Gail Dever

FamilySearch has added what appears to be a new collection, British Newspaper Archive, Family Notices. The free collection comes from the British Newspaper Archive, and it is a collaborative project with Findmypast.com. This collection contains almost six million family notices found … Continue reading →

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Book review — Peter Higginbotham’s history of institutional care for British children

Posted on February 20, 2018 by Gail Dever

Last July, Pen & Sword published historian Peter Higginbotham’s latest book, Children’s Homes: A history of institutional care for Britain’s young, and Revd Dr John Pridmore, former Rector of Hackney in east London, recently reviewed it for the London-based Church Times. … Continue reading →

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