Many of Ireland’s historic records were destroyed by a fire in 1922. Now a project is hoping to bring many of these records back to life. What happened to the original records? In the mid 19th century, it was feared that records, particularly those held by parishes, were in danger of deteriorating and being destroyed. …
The 1921 census for England and Wales and the Scottish 1921 census are due to be released in 2022. Here’s everything we know so far. England And Wales Census What date will the census be released? The census for England and Wales was due to be released in January 2022, but transcribing has been slowed …
A large proportion on my maternal family came from the historic county of Lancashire. Over the years of research I’ve found many online resources that have been very useful.
When researching a family member, we rely on primary and secondary sources of information. Primary sources, such as marriage certificates, are usually the most reliable – but not always. When looking at my parents’ marriage certificate, I discovered that sometimes personal knowledge can be the most reliable source of all. My father’s name was listed …
The National Archives site at Kew is currently closed because of the Covid-19 restrictions in the UK. In response to this, to help of all us genealogists stuck at home, the Archive is giving free access to all its digital records for as long as the site remains closed. The only restrictions are that you …
The 1939 Register recently became available on Ancestry. Whilst this is great news for subscribers who don’t have a Find My Past subscription, I’ve found that it’s not as easy to use as it is on Find My Past. Many of the Register’s entries only list a surname for the first person in each household. …
We all make mistakes, transcribers and the original form writers (whether they be parish clerks or census enumerators) included. As we know, it’s important to check original documents whenever possible and not trust in just the transcription, but sometimes the details on original documents should be taken with a pinch of salt. Bad Handwriting I …
The 1939 Register is a snapshot of live in England and Wales at the beginning of World War II. It was taken on Friday, 29th September, under the National Registration Act of 1939, an Act of Parliament introduced as an emergency measure at the beginning of World War II. The Act also brought in identity …
In the United Kingdom, a census of the population has been taken every 10 years since 1801, with the exception of 1941 (although a similar register was taken on 29 September 1939, shortly before the outbreak of war). In Ireland, the census was taken along with the UK census until 1911. No census was taken …
There are a great number of genealogy websites out there. Some offer worldwide coverage, from birth marriage and deaths through census data to passenger lists and newspaper archives. Others focus on one subject or one region, with some focusing on a single town. Many are free and some are either subscription or pay as you …