Genealogy New Year Resolutions

2020...moving swiftly on, let's focus on the year ahead and the possibilities it offers on the family history front.  Aside from wanting to travel to ancestral areas, or return to researching in physical archives, what do I hope to achieve?

Here are a few of my genealogy goals in the coming year.  In 2021, I resolve to

☙  Improve my research skills by reading more widely on family history techniques and different record types

☙  Check my DNA matches regularly and reach out to close cousins

☙  Make more progress on identifying my mystery Irish great-great grandfather (2020 was quite a good year for getting some ideas on that)

☙  Learn from other genealogists on Twitter's #AncestryHour (Tuesdays, 7pm UK time, from 12 January)

☙  Put my Legacy Webinar subscription to better use

Other goals to consider are, for example, making plans to identify the birthplace or parents of a specific ancestor.  Or you may be thinking of taking an online course - I previously posted about a free online learning provider that has some excellent courses for genealogists.  And something as simple as writing to an older relative to find out what they know about the family's history could be another worthwhile item on your to-do list.  The possibilities are endless!

So, what do you think?  What will your family history resolutions for 2021 be?

Christmas Family Tree Wishes

Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash

 Wishing all family history lovers everywhere a peaceful and safe Christmas.

Best wishes,

Alison

Ten Free Family History Websites

 

Here are some website recommendations for you to try out over the festive break, or to put in your notebook for 2021.  Although some may have additional services which cost, these websites are all free to use – or they were at the time of writing, so please do contact me if you find any of them want to charge just for access.  I’ve tried to list websites that aren’t mentioned in any of my previous blog posts, but am aware that one or two have sneaked in under the radar because they are SO GOOD. 

Next month, for Burns’ Night, I’ll be posting my recommendations for some great Scottish online resources (free, naturally), which is why there are not many Scots-specific websites listed in this post.  And later next year, just for fun, I’ll pick another ten free-to-use sites; subscribe to this blog or follow me on Facebook or Twitter so you don’t miss them.

The sites below are in no particular order, and those marked * indicate that their administrators welcome contributions of additional information or volunteers for their projects.  If you can, give back a little to help other genealogists.  It won’t cost you anything but a bit of your time.

Am Baile *

This site allows you to “explore the rich history of the Scottish Highlands and Islands through images, maps, documents, audio and video”.

 

Army Children Graves Register  

Part of The Army Children’s Archive, hosting historical records relating to the young people whose parents served in the British armed forces.

 

Convict Records *

Search for convicted Britons who were transported to Australia between 1787 and 1867.  Included in the data are known aliases, place of conviction, point and date of departure, and arrival port.

 

Lord Baden Powell Papers  

Personal papers of the Scouting movement founder, including correspondence, photos, and scrapbooks.

 

The Gazette  

The archive of the official UK government newspaper for birth, marriage and death announcements, as well as probate, military, insolvency notices.  Search and download its digital images.

 

Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild *  

Thousands of indexed passenger lists from across the world and throughout the centuries.

 

One-Step Genealogy – Steve Morse

Some amazing tools that manipulate data from other online sources - for instance, the Ellis Island records - and allow you to search them more creatively.

 

Online Parish Clerks – England & Wales * 

Volunteer-compiled information and links relating to individual English & Welsh parishes.  Extremely useful if you have a specific parish in mind to search for your ancestors.

 

Historic Hospital Admission Records Project (HHARP)  

Four UK children's hospitals are included in this project: GOSH, the Evelina, and the Alexandra Hip Hospital in London, and the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow.  Included are well over 100,000 records from 1852 up to 1921.

Online Genealogical Index

It's not the International Genealogical Index, but it is a handy site to try when you have no idea which website holds your ancestral records.  The OGI checks more than 400,000 datasets and then lists the results according to your requirements.

Secrets of ScotlandsPeople

It’s sometimes unpopular because it doesn’t offer subscriptions, just pay-per-view.  It’s the official government website offering access to the church, civil, and census records of Scotland.  It’s not free…not all of it.  If you didn’t know that some of it is free, you should read on. 

🔊 Late breaking news  Yesterday it was announced online that from early next year, the Kirk Session records of the Church of Scotland up to 1855 will be available, free, to browse and read on ScotlandsPeople.  Welcome news indeed for Scottish researchers everywhere!  You can read a bit more on the Scottish GENES blog.

Free Searches

When you’re searching for any type of record on ScotlandsPeople, you don’t need to have paid anything up front.  All that’s needed to carry out a search is to register with the website, which costs nothing.  Once you’ve done that, you can perform as many searches of as many record sets as you like, and view the results, which can run to several pages. 

Detailed Matches

Several of the record sets provide additional information in the list of matches.  In the case of the pre-1855 christening records, for example, the matches will name not only the child but at least one parent, and usually both.  A list of results for military appeals tribunals will give the occupation, grounds for appeal, and decision of the court.  And testament (probate) matches may give as much detail as this example, in addition to the name of the individual:

Cashier with Denny & Coy., Engineers, Dumbarton, sometime residing in High Street there, latterly at The Bield, Bonhill Road there, d. 17/06/1894 at Dumbarton, testate (SC65/34/40)

To see images of the document requires payment, but the information provided with the search results enables you to more accurately decide if it’s a good fit for the individual you’re researching before forking out, in this case 10 credits for a testament. 

1881 Census

You may have overlooked the free-to-view transcription of the 1881 Scottish census.  This is the product of a community indexing project carried out in conjunction with FamilySearch in the 1990s.  To search this set, choose "Census Returns" and tick the box marked "1881 (LDS)", then enter your search terms.

For instance, if I search for anyone with the surname Wyatt living in Glasgow who appears in this census, I can see not only a list of matches which seems to indicate a family, but I can freely view a transcribed version of the census entry containing those individuals.  This states their relationship to one another, confirming they are indeed a family, and gives all the essential details contained in the original census image such as address, occupation, age, and birthplace.  This is more than you'll find on some subscription websites, which can also be less accurate in their interpretation of the nineteenth-century handwriting.

The 1881 (LDS) transcriptions were written out twice and then keyed into a computer twice - and compared for accuracy at both stages - so they are a good reflection of the original document.  Of course, it’s always advisable to view the original when you can; you can do so without incurring a charge at public libraries or family history centres with microfilm copies. 

Highlands and Islands Emigration

Around 5,000 emigrants from Scotland to Australia between 1852 and 1857 are listed in this database.  These were Scots who received assisted passage in order to try and relieve some of the destitution that prevailed in the Highlands and Islands at that time.  They are enumerated in passenger lists which contain the names, ages, and places of origin of each person, proving very useful as a genealogical source.  You can read more of the story behind these records and their contents on the website’s guide. 

Maps and Plans Images

National Records of Scotland, who operate ScotlandsPeople, claim to have the largest known collection of original maps and plans of Scotland.  Almost 2,500 of these can be freely searched and downloaded, with a further thousand viewable online.  The earliest of these date from the sixteenth century. 

Plan of the River Ness, Commissary Court records,
Crown copyright, National Records of Scotland, RHP672

Historical Images

Another image set you can search and view freely contains images of historical photographs, manuscripts, and drawings.  These can be searched by subject category, ranging from “Armed Forces” to “Whisky Industry”, or by your choice of keyword, which might be a family name you are interested in.  When I entered “MacLeod” as my search term, a very interesting image of a seventeenth-century document of fosterage popped up – written in Gaelic.  

And finally

Don’t forget that search tips plus advice and support are always available via the search pages, or on the help and guidance section of the website.  Whenever I’ve run into difficulties in reading a poor-quality image, the website administrators have been extremely helpful in having the record re-scanned, and sometimes refunding credits spent, in the case of index errors.

2020: Gifts of Genealogy

I've recycled last year's seasonal post with some gift ideas for the genealogist in your life.

It’s approaching the time of year when “What can I buy X for Christmas?” becomes the most pressing question.  If your nearest and dearest happen to be into family history, I have some gift ideas that don’t (a) include a DNA kit or (b) cost a fortune.  Handmade, personalised presents are the most thoughtful of all, I reckon.  And what could be more personal than the gift of heritage?  Here are my suggestions:

 A framed family tree.  There are many ways to present this; if you have a steady hand and good penmanship (or a decent Italic pen), your costs can be limited to finding a suitable frame and paper – both available at budget stores.  Or your local charity shop might have some pictures for sale whose frames can be re-used.

Another option is to print a chart.  Family history computer programs can do this, with varying degrees of eye-catchingness.  

FamilySearch allows users to freely print out their trees in a range of attractive formats. 
 
If you have photographs of people featured on the tree, these can be mounted on a chart, with or without name labels.
 
Photographs.  Compile an album for an older relative to prompt memories, and perhaps some heart-warming recollections too.  Frame any number of photographs to make a conversation piece for the hall, stairway, or living room – either in a collage frame or individually.
 
This Is Your Life.  The photo album idea could be taken a stage further to include mementos such as programmes, letters, postcards, certificates and so on, forming a record of the recipient’s life.  An appropriate presentation ceremony would add to the occasion!

Frame an heirloom.  This isn’t as unlikely as it sounds.  Medals are an obvious choice, and can be combined with photographs.  These could be military or sports awards; one of my great-uncles took part in a police tug-of-war team, and I still have the medal to show for it.  Other heirlooms might include a wedding favour, a piece of fabric with a special meaning, or even an item of jewellery.

 
A Gift For My Grandchild.  Although these types of books are available commercially, a homemade version would be something to cherish.  Starting with the grandparent, it can tell the story of how the family has grown to include the grandchild.  Make it even more personal with lists of favourite music, books, food etc., and include blank pages for the child to add their own artwork and memories.  You can find plenty of inspiration online for creating a unique family keepsake.
 
Keeping A Diary.  Generic notebooks can be transformed into the gift of a personal journal, diary or travel log – or you can buy ready-made ones quite cheaply.  Personalise the book by adding a photograph or the recipient’s name or initials to the cover.  To get them started with their writing, include a journal jar in the gift.  Any decent-sized jam jar can be transformed with ribbon or other embellishments.  Write “prompts” on small slips of coloured paper to put in the jar.  These can be questions such as “What did you most enjoy about today?” or ideas like “Write a description of your garden”. 
 
This idea might also be applied to someone writing their own life history.  Again, there is no shortage of suggestions on the internet; just search for “journal jar”.
 
 Give Them Their Story.  This may require a bit of pre-planning, and co-operation from your relative, but it can be very worthwhile for the giver too.  Over a number of occasions, chat to the intended recipient about their life, using photographs or other memory-joggers, and (with their permission, naturally) record their recollections.  This could be on paper, if your shorthand’s up to it, on audio or video recording.  Follow up by transcribing the conversation and then typing it up, printing out and compiling a book(let).  Add photos as above, bind in a folder, and gift-wrap.

As a prelude to Christmas, I’d like to finish with this video by Martin Lewis

which, if you’ve not seen before, I would urge you to watch.  Being frugal isn’t just about saving money, it’s about peace of mind, and what says more about Christmas than peace?

Get ready for St Andrew's Day

General Register House, Edinburgh

Enric, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Next week will be St. Andrew’s Day, and to mark this, FamilySearch are running a free Scottish Research Day on Monday 30 November. There will be four online workshops in the afternoon/evening, beginning at 3.30pm UK time. These are aimed at beginning researchers but the content looks suitable for anyone working with Scottish records. The webinars are

☙  Using the Wiki and Scotlands People for Scots Research - The FamilySearch Research Wiki is a rich and ever-growing resource to help guide your search in Scottish records. ScotlandsPeople is the Scottish government's site to search censuses, civil registration, many church records, wills and testaments, and more. Learn how to use these two sites to further your Scottish family history research. 

☙  Scotland Land and Property Records - This webinar will give an overview of Scotland Services of Heirs and Sasines records. They help us understand how land was transferred and are great for naming family relationships. It will show how to access those records and use them effectively to discover the family relationships in Scotland dating back to the 1500s. 

☙  Och Aye! Understanding Weird Scottish Words and Phrases - This class looks at the history of Gaelic and Scots and then focuses on the languages and words of genealogical value for people doing research in Scottish records. 

☙  Scotland Probate Records - The purpose of this class is to introduce the Scottish system of probate or, in other words, the handling of the Scottish deceased’s property, both real and personal, after death. The class will include the procedures, customs and terms associated with it as well as the time period, content and availability of the records. 

You can sign up for the webinars on the Family History Library Classes website.  This will register you for all four workshops but you don’t have to tune in to them all, only the ones that interest you.  There is also more information about other upcoming events they have scheduled, as well as a short how-to video for those not familiar with using Zoom.

FamilySearch often archive their webinars, so if you miss one or want to watch it again, you may find it's eventually available in their extensive range of videos in the Learning Centre.

Have a great St. Andrew's Day, and don't eat too much haggis...

The Next Big (Family History) Thing

 

Image Credit: FamilySearch

This week’s blog post is my fun news that I will be giving two presentations at RootsTech Connect in February. 

For those not familiar with RootsTech events, these are three-day conferences hosted by international genealogical organisation FamilySearch and have usually been held in the United States.  However, last year RootsTech London, the first of these events to take place outside America, attracted a serious crowd of family historians keen to develop their skills.

Now, like many other events, RootsTech has chosen to switch to being a virtual show, but unlike previous years, there will be no charge to access it.  It will be completely free, totally online, and accessible to everyone.  The only requirement is for you to register your interest in participating, which you can do very easily at the RootsTech Connect website, where you can also check out the archive of previous years’ presentations.  This will give you an idea of the flavour and variety of talks that have been given at past conferences, as well as some of the keynote speakers who have put in an appearance.

My contributions will be about Scottish family history: one presentation on how to use ScotlandsPeople, and another on the riches of the records of the kirk session (of the Church of Scotland).  There will be dozens of presentations to choose from, shorter than usual and pre-recorded, but with Q&A sessions during which the speakers will be available to answer attendees’ questions on their topics.  It promises to be an exciting experience!

Striking a Blow for Justice

 

Image by Lonpicman, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

We tend to think – wrongly – of trade unions as a twentieth-century phenomenon, with earlier examples being few and far between, so perhaps you’ve not considered using union records to build your family tree.

Trade Union Ancestors is a website whose author has compiled an extensive list of unions, trades clubs, and other organisations representing many industries throughout history. The list is quite breathtaking in its scope and variety – take a look at the A-Z list on the Contents page to get an idea of just how many groups are included.

Also provided are suggested books for researching the history of the labour movement, and a link to The National Archives’ resources which include records of Friendly Societies.

The “striking stories” section of the site gives accounts of industrial action, beginning with the stonemasons building Nelson’s Column in 1841 and more recently with the Great Hairdressers’ Strike of 1918.

And what if your striking forebears fell foul of the law?  You may want to check out what kinds of records could help you trace that part of their story at Our Criminal Ancestors where you can also read some case studies of bigamists, fraudsters, and poisoners, to name but a few.  Find out about the development of different forms of punishment and justice systems in the Timelines.  Further reading ideas and a glossary will help you get clued up on crime.

Once you’ve done that, you may have need of the information on Prison History, where you can search a database of records on hundreds of 19^th-century English penal institutions, or contribute your own ancestral tale of incarceration.

Hopefully, looking at all these free resources will keep you gainfully occupied and out of trouble...

A Really Useful Family History Event

Want to hear about something Really Useful?  The UK’s Family History Federation is taking its annual show online on Saturday 14th November.  I don’t often recommend events that charge an admission fee, but this one has a lot going on, and I think it's worth the money.  

For £7 (paid in advance; on-the-day entry will probably cost more), you will get

• Access to six different channels of expert speakers on varied topics - and as there are more talks scheduled than you could watch in one day, recordings of them will be available for at least 2 days after the event
• An exclusive goody bag
• Virtual vendors’ stalls with specialist genealogy products
• Family history societies’ chat booths where you can ask questions of the organisations' helpers, and perhaps become a member of a group relating to your family’s history
• FamilySearch volunteers to point you in the direction of their resources and take your research a step further

(You can learn about the kinds of societies you might be interested in visiting or joining by checking out the Federation’s membership page.  And they’re not confined to place-specific societies; groups with an interest in religious families, Quaker or Jewish, for instance, are represented.  Also included are professional and one-place/name study organisations.)

Society members and FamilySearch volunteers will be available to chat during the show, and once you've asked your question on their dedicated text chat, you can decide if you want to continue with that, or switch to Zoom instead for a face-to-face discussion.  Whichever you choose, helpers with specialist knowledge will do their best to advise you.

This is the first time the Federation has staged an online event of this size, so patience on the part of both organisers and attendees will be necessary as everybody gets used to this fun new way of doing things.  And of course it means that a lot more people will be able to attend than would visit the traditional show - even though everybody will be taking part from the comfort of home!

We Will Remember Them

 

This coming weekend, Remembrance Sunday is observed in the United Kingdom.  At a time when we traditionally think of those who suffered through armed conflict, we can take the opportunity to learn more of their lives and their sacrifices – not all of life but of freedom, albeit temporarily, and of normality, not forgetting those who were left behind at home to cope as best they could.

This week, Ancestry is giving free access to some of their war collections up until Sunday 8 November.  Included in this are UK WW1 service, medal, and prisoner of war records, plus the 1939 Register for England & Wales, which listed everyone not on active military duty by household.  This is an invaluable tool for locating and finding out more about families and what they were doing at the outbreak of World War 2.

Donald J. MacLeod, 1915-1996

Family Tree magazine has an article from 2016 about how to identify military medals from both World Wars, as well as a link to the Ministry of Defence’s Medal Office which will allow you to apply for yours or a loved one’s awards, or replacements if required.

My own mother used this service and claimed my late father’s medals, which he had never received after being invalided out of the army while serving in North Africa.  They now hold pride of place in my home, framed alongside a photograph of him in uniform.

And a wonderful idea comes from genealogist Jane Barton, who has set up a virtual guided tour of Rutherglen Cemetery (on the outskirts of Glasgow) as an alternative to her usual personal remembrance tours.  Locations and photographs of gravestones are accompanied by detailed background information about their occupants, with clearly a lot of research having gone into this project. 

Leslie Barrie / Rutherglen Cemetery / CC BY-SA 2.0

Six (free) family history things to do when the archives are closed

 

Well, I was going to write another post about archives re-opening, but with potential changes on the horizon for public building access (The National Archives at Kew have already announced they have suspended bookings for the moment), I thought it might be more useful to share some things that won't be affected by changes in local or national regulations.  So I've collected a variety of family history activities you can do from home, whether your ancestors are from Britain, Ireland, Canada or Australia.

☙  Kew are still providing free downloads to their digital documents, which include wills and military records.  Their online guides give a good overview of their collections and the kind of information they hold that can help build a family tree.

☙  A great opportunity to pick up Irish research skills starts this week.  South Dublin Libraries are offering a six-week series of Zoom evening classes beginning on Thursday 7th November.  While priority will be given to local students, overseas applicants are being accepted.  It’s totally free and you can learn more about the content of the course, and sign up for it, at their Eventbrite registration page.   

☙  Looking for a free place online to store and share your family tree?  Check out this short video from the US Family Tree magazine about WikiTree, a free tree hosting service with a difference. 

☙  You may have heard of the historical forced migration of young people from the United Kingdom to countries around the world.  Many genealogists trace relatives who experienced this, and Canadian organisation British Home Children has been helping families find each other for many years. Their website includes indexes of home children who served in the military, and transcriptions of records from the UK National Archives.

☙  Also drawing on British archives is the Australian Convict Queenslanders database. Find ancestors who left the UK for entirely different reasons, and read profiles of some who shook off the shackles and made good in their new country.

☙  And finally, if you’ve come up against a no-birth-certificate brick wall, professional genealogist Mish Holman takes you step by step through her excellent strategy for breaking it down. 

Happy hunting!

 

Returning to the Archives: Glasgow City Archives @ The Mitchell

Photo by Glasgow City Archives

Earlier this week, Glasgow City Archives re-opened, much to the delight of many researchers.  Things are a bit different, so I’ve highlighted some of the changes to access along with links to more information and booking details.  For those who can’t go in person, I offer a research service, or you can check out their online resources (link at the end of this post).

There is no current information on access to ScotlandsPeople via the Registrar service in the building.  Any announcements regarding this re-opening will be made on this Glasgow Council web page.

Glasgow City Archives

The Archives' new opening hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday only, between 11am and 3pm, and appointments are essential.  These must be booked at least one week and no more than four weeks in advance, and can be for no more than 3 hours at a time. The North Street entrance to the building is currently closed and only the Granville Street entrance is in operation, with queuing when necessary.

The archives staff will provide an advisory service in advance of your visit, with suggestions on what sources will best suit your research purposes.  You'll be able to pre-order up to six documents to view during your appointment.

For full details of the arrangements to visit the archives, see their Frequently Asked Questions. 

The booking form on this page should be filled in to apply for your appointment and submitted by e-mail.

Alternative online family history resources are listed on this page, under the Special Collections and Glasgow City Archives section. There are a variety of databases you can search online, including church and militia records.

The Virtual Mitchell website has an extensive collection of historical photographs of Glasgow buildings, which you can search by area, street, or subject. 

Special Collections at the Mitchell Library

The Special Collections department of the Mitchell, on the same floor as the Archives, is also open, under restricted conditions.  Of particular interest to family historians are their newspaper collections, microfilm records, monumental inscriptions, and local history books. 

In future blog posts I'll be following the re-opening of other archives, and sharing information about those record offices that are starting to welcome visitors once more.

Give More, Get More - Family History Society Projects

Glasgow Cathedral from the Necropolis graveyard

In this post, learn about organisations that are running projects to benefit genealogists, how you can help them, and discover some completed projects that you may find useful in your own research.

Current Projects Looking for Volunteers

Experienced family historians will already have the perfect skills to bring to projects like these.  If you choose a project in an area that you're familiar with, you'll be able to contribute your local knowledge of place and family names. 

Glasgow & West of Scotland FHS  This group is currently working on Baillieston Churchyard and Glasgow Cathedral burial ground.  The reopening this week of the Mitchell Library will mean the society's Glasgow Pedlar project can start again. 

Dumfries & Galloway FHS  Their ambitious graveyard transcription project aims to record the monumental inscriptions of every cemetery and kirkyard in the two counties.  No matter where you live in the world, you can help with this, as transcription is from the society’s collection of headstone photographs. 

Family & Community Historical Research Society (FACHRS)  Here you have a choice of projects to get involved with, both long- and short-term, currently Parlour Maids and Communities of Dissent as well as a COVID-19 Pandemic project.

Completed Family History Society Projects

These online resources are free for anyone to use.

Lancashire Family History & Heraldry Society (in conjunction with Lancashire Archives) produced an index of seamen on Crew Lists of registered vessels from Preston, Fleetwood, and Lancaster for the mid-19^th and early 20^th centuries.

The Federation of Family History Societies is co-operating with the National Archives to create a database of the English Manorial Documents Register.  You can search the Register and learn more about these records on the website.

Webinar

Troon @ Ayrshire FHS are promoting a free webinar on Thursday 29^th October, “Finding Your Scottish Ancestors in Canada”.  Pre-registration is essential for this Zoom presentation.

And this is just a fraction of the work that's being carried out by family and local history societies and other heritage groups around the world.  Use those research skills you've developed to search for a society that you can donate your time and talents to.  Archives and local history libraries are good places to find out about groups that need volunteers, and if you live in Britain or Ireland, GENUKI has a handy list of links to genealogy and special interest societies' websites.

Doctor Who or Genealogy? You Decide

Last week, in the UK, the TV genealogy programme Who Do You Think You Are? had a military theme as it researched the great-uncle of Doctor Who actor Jodie Whittaker.  Some of the records used on the show to document his life are available online or in record offices. Note: In this post I'm not listing sources that presently charge for these records.

1901 census – for England & Wales, this is available via FamilySearch. You will need to be signed in to your account, or be viewing the record at a FamilySearch centre or affiliate.  Some of FamilySearch's records, such as the 1901 census, are subject to partnership viewing restrictions.  For Ireland, search on their National Archives website; for Scotland, images of the census may be accessed on microfilm at a public library, archive, or family history centre.

WWI Medal Card (WO 372/7/115041)

WWI Medal Cards – these are currently free from The National Archives (Kew). Registration with the website is required before you download the documents.  The web page includes a helpful guide to interpreting the different formats of medal card for this period.

War Graves - it's free to use the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website to find the names of war dead.  Additionally, the CWGC has very recently launched Our War Graves, Your History to promote local involvement in activities such as guided walks, family events, and public talks. Find out more about the work of the CWGC through their outreach programme, which includes virtual talks offered to community groups and schools.  Download their free War Graves app to help you locate memorials and headstones in your area.

This series of Who Do You Think You Are? begins with just four episodes.  The producers have expressed the hope that further instalments will be filmed at a later date.

Searching for London Ancestors

 

Temple Church, London

Libraries and archives are starting to reopen under special conditions, such as pre-booking a seat or specific records.  It’s always a good idea to check opening hours and other arrangements, and that’s especially true at a time when repositories are restricting the numbers of visitors per day, as well as the number of documents you can order or view in one visit.  Some of the first sites to welcome researchers in person again are in London.

The National Archives at Kew have been open for a few weeks now, but they continue to offer free downloads of records that are already available in digital format.  As this will probably return to being a paid service, find out what they have that's of use to your research, and get your free documents while you can!

If your focus is on the City of London, the Guildhall Library has excellent resources for that area, such as parish records for many of the oldest churches, including some that were destroyed in the Second World War.  For those planning a trip to the Library once it's open again, its virtual open day should be of interest.

The Library recently had a reprieve from controversial proposals that would have seen it merged with London Metropolitan Archives, which hosts a myriad of original sources, including workhouse, electoral, and school records.  They have a comprehensive guide to London family history research and a video introduction to using the archives.

For those of us who can't visit in person, certain relevant collections are available online.  One of the lesser-known ones is the Consistory Court Database, which covers the late medieval period in London.  Although an ecclesiastical body, the consistory court governed all aspects of life, including debt, marriage, defamation, and probate matters.

If you’re investigating the life of someone who lived and worked in London, they may appear in the records of London’s Livery Companies, who provide lists of apprentices and freemen. Trades such as chandlers, musicians, salters and goldsmiths feature in these fascinating rolls.

To learn more about ordinary Londoners through social history, check out London Lives.  Its resources include a database of convicted criminals who were transported to Australia.  Some fascinating cases are highlighted and will give you an idea of what kind of information can be gleaned from these records, which also cover the Old Bailey - this has its own separate searchable database of criminal trials from 1674 to 1913.

Finally, you may think of joining a family history society that covers the part of London your forebears come from.  GENUKI has a useful guide to the various groups that take in London and the surrounding areas.  Many societies are taking to video conferencing as a way to include their members near and far in meetings and workshops.  And they are continuing with traditional FHS routes like magazines, newsletters, and registers of members' surname interests.

Family History Events Go Global

Since the pandemic cancelled a lot of family history fairs, shows and conferences, the organisations that run them have adapted their plans to allow events to go ahead online.  In the UK, Family Tree was Virtually Live in April, and more recently the Family History Show, which usually takes place in York and London, moved online, with another event planned next year (see below). 

In this post I list some forthcoming virtual family history events. They feature speakers on a vast range of genealogical subjects that will suit all interests and levels of research experience in the records of many countries.  Some are free, others have a registration fee, but all allow access to videos of the talks for some time after the event. 

Many include a firm favourite at traditional family history shows: the exhibitors’ stalls.  Family and local history societies, archives, and record-keeping organisations offer advice and publications, while universities, genealogy supplies companies, and big-name record and DNA test providers will be selling their wares – all virtually, of course.  Some shows have an “Ask the Expert” consultation service which you may need to register for when you book your ticket.

The innovation of moving events online has had the positive side-effect of making them available to a much wider audience than before.  Hopefully this won't be ditched completely once the physical events start up again (whenever that is) - it would be such a shame to invite the world to your party once, only to revert to the original format once it's safe to do so.

Anyway, here are some dates for your diary.  Full details of their programmes and how to register are on each website.

Scottish Indexes Conference – 10 October (free)  Considerately held twice over one day to accommodate viewers in international time zones, this conference is great for researchers tackling their Scottish family tree.  Some of the talks from their previous events are also still available. 

Family Roots Conference – 23-24 October (US$29)  Here there are a wide range of workshop topics to choose from (I should declare an interest as I’m presenting three of them 😊 ). And a special event for young people is scheduled on the Saturday.

Really Useful Family History Federation Show – 14 November (currently £5 early bird price)  As well as expert speakers, there will be free advice for all ability levels provided by experienced volunteers from FamilySearch.

The Family History Show  – 20 February 2021 (£6)  Like many of these shows, this is sponsored by some large genealogical organisations who benefit from being affiliated with high-profile events, particularly online ones.  Some of them also appear as vendors, such as Discover Your Ancestors magazine.

RootsTech Connect – 25-27 February 2021 (free) The biggest family history show goes truly global with an online version. EVERYTHING will be free to view, including hundreds of classes, tips & tricks quick videos, and keynote addresses by celebrity speakers.

If you find an event that looks good for you, register your interest as soon as possible, to give the organisers an idea of attendance numbers - this will help them plan for any technical issues.