Saturday 27 July 2013

Genealogy News - 27th July


Ancestry are once again offering free access to the 1911 Census of England & Wales. You've got until the 14th October to indulge yourself - but you will have to register with the website (free).

Miss the first episode of WDYTYA? Check it out here (info about the episode + link to the show itself). Your Family Tree magazine have a related (free) download.

Over 400,000 new Royal Navy and Merchant Seamen records have popped up at TheGenealogist (thanks to @SueWilkesauthor on Twitter). Indeed, this news is included in the latest S&N Genealogy Supplies e-newsletter.

You may wish to browse the July e-newsletter from ScotlandsPeople.

Three good spots by blogger Chris Paton:



Thanks to @DebbieKennett on Twitter for flagging this interesting article entitled 'Selling Roots'.

The DeceasedOnline blog has a neat piece on the rituals and rigmarole surrounding death. Also, DeceasedOnline's latest news bulletin can be found here.

Leeds researchers will want to check this out.

Could you be related to Oliver Cromwell?

Cemetery records news for Limerick and Clare. More Irish stuff - this time for Cavan - to be found here. And the source of all this info (Claire Santry) also brings us a little update re. the Irish GRO Research Room.

Get confused about the Royal family tree? Check out this helpful graphic (thanks to @My_History on Twitter). And here's another royal-related article from the 'Abroad in the Yard' blog.

Barnardo's Archive to be binned? Read all about it here (thanks to @archives4london on Twitter).

Some interesting history links from the Two Nerdy History Girls.

Famous family trees: Sean Bean.

Weekend stuff from the BBC:

Forthcoming events:

And don't forget to keep calling in at the BI-Gen Twitter feed, which is updated most days.





Sunday 21 July 2013

More Genealogy News!


Oops! Despite yesterday's assertion that I'd be posting to this blog once a week, I find myself writing to you almost immediately thereafter. The reason? I forgot something! Here are your genealogical events for the coming week...



Why not come along to...

Saturday 20 July 2013

Genealogy News - 20th July


Welcome to the first of my once-per-week Saturday news posts from the world of genealogy. Yeah, I know, it looks like I'm getting a bit lazy in this balmy summer weather ... and there's a bit of truth in that, too, with several personal commitments looming up in the coming months which are gonna leave less time to do stuff like this. Fear not, though, as there will be no let-up in the amount of news I bring you - it's just that you can now read it all in one go every weekend!

Off we go then...

Where better to begin than with the ever-excellent mid-July issue of the Lost Cousins Newsletter.

British Telecom records have gone online - and they're free. See the report here.

I see that The National Archives & FindMyPast are getting together to digitise WWI RAF & RFC Service Records - around 360,000 entries in all. Chris Paton has the full text of the announcement here.

Dublin's GRO Research Room is set to move in August - a decision considered a strange one by most of us. Full story here.

Wondering why the British Newspaper Archive website hasn't had much to report on lately? John D Reid has spotted the problem.

New issue of Your Family Tree.

Check out the Manchester Catholic Register Index.

Welsh researchers may wish to have a quick glance at this piece of news.

Chris Paton reports on a little development at FindMyPast and recent UK Electoral Registers. The very same blog also carries an interesting snippet re. Scottish Window Tax records.

The latest TNA Podcasts offer a variety of historical listening.

Those of you who are deeply interested in the archives sector in England may wish to read this report from TNA.

What did you all make of the new BBC comedy show, 'Family Tree'? Most commentators seem to be reserving judgement or have responded rather coolly to the first episode, but I loved it! Have a look for yourself here.

As for TV-related news, well, don't forget about WDYTYA? starting next week.

And as for the BBC HistoryExtra website...

Remember that despite the slight let-up in the frequency of my posts, you can still find daily genealogy news updates at the BI-Gen Twitter feed.




Here's a strange one from the Far East...


Tuesday 16 July 2013

Genealogy News - 16th July


*** Please note that from this week I will be experimenting with a SINGLE blog post per week, which will appear every SATURDAY. The summer months are usually a little quiet, and I have a number of upcoming personal events to attend to (a holiday and a minor operation, to name but two), so the move makes sense. The next post will therefore be Saturday 20th July.***


First up are a few new bits and bobs from TheGenealogist (Lancs, Suffolk, Worcs, Jewish & Railway stuff).

GenealogyInTime has a neat summary of recent worldwide genealogical developments.

You may find these short articles handy ... Scottish Marriages and Illegitimate Births.

Latest update to the Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives is provided by Claire Santry. Claire also brings us some important Irish cemetery news.

Here's a useful article: Tips for Googling Your Family Tree.

The regular round-up of history links from the Two Nerdy History Girls.

History crossword.

Forthcoming events:


Thanks to @YourFamTreemag on Twitter for...

Friday 12 July 2013

Genealogy News - 12th July


The latest record release from FindMyPast concerns the Royal Naval Division Service Records, 1914-20. FMP have also collected some rather tenuous genealogical links for the forthcoming royal baby.

Northern Irish researchers will want to check out this forthcoming event at PRONI.

And here's another useful-looking Irish event - this time in Dublin on 21st August.

August issue of Family Tree magazine is now out.

There's been a glut of recent e-newsletters...

First up is the latest effort from S&N Genealogy Supplies (lots of stuff of note).

Then there's the latest e-newsletter from Parish Chest.

Another bulletin from Ireland Reaching Out.

The latest issue of Irish Lives Remembered.

And here's the July e-newsletter from TNA.

A new issue of Century Ireland is also up for grabs.

Free downloads from Your Family Tree Magazine (Derbyshire researchers take note).

More on that recent Wakefield record release by DeceasedOnline. Oh, and more here.

Dudley developments.

Some interesting developments re. GRO Ireland.

And yet more Irish news with the Kerry Genealogy Roadshow.

TNA's annual report and accounts can be found here.

The usual Friday stuff from the BBC:


More news available at the BI-Gen Twitter feed.






Tuesday 9 July 2013

Genealogy News - 9th July


There's an appalling lack of family history news to be had at the moment - seems like everyone's been cheering on Andy Murray these past few days. Can we get back to the serious business of genealogy now, please? Anyway, there's virtually nothing to report on, so I'll not keep you long....

Probably the best thing to come to light in the last few days is the old RootsTech lectures popping up online. Not sure how long they've been there, but thanks to @Infolass on Twitter for pointing them out.

The latest offer from Pen & Sword Books includes a special family history deal.

Think you may be interested in Chichester Consistory Wills, 1482-1800? Then check out the latest update from Origins.net (and go to bottom left of page).

Claire Santry brings us a little bit of Roscommon news. And there's also a report of a discount available at RootsIreland.

And from Scotland Chris Paton gives air to an interesting new project from ScotlandsPlaces.

Here's your weekly round-up of history links from the Two Nerdy History Girls.

Even the 'forthcoming events' listing is struggling...


More news, etc., at the BI-Gen Twitter feed.




Thanks to @MyHeritage on Twitter for...


Friday 5 July 2013

Genealogy News - 5th July


DeceasedOnline have some important news for West Yorkshire researchers.

Essential reading by way of the July issue of the Institute of Heraldic & Genealogical Studies newsletter.

Ancestry's 'updates page' has seen a fair bit of activity of late, including a couple of items of UK interest.

The more serious researchers out there may wish to peruse TNA's announcement on the subject of 'Open Government Licence.' TNA are also flying the flag for independent booksellers this week - a worthy cause indeed for us history nuts.

Whilst with TNA, I should also remind folk of the wealth of entertainment available at their podcast website - see here.

Sussex researchers may wish to investigate mention of their little corner of the world in the latest FamilySearch update.

New records for railway workers from England's south-west.

Nice article on the the work of the CWGC (thanks to @YourFamTreemag on Twitter).

Here's a new genealogy blog that you may wish to add to your reading list - from Debrett Ancestry Research (thanks to Dr Susan Morris for the tip-off).

And the usual Friday stuff from the Beeb...

More at the BI-Gen Twitter feed.



Tuesday 2 July 2013

Genealogy News - 2nd July


FindMyPast have released 2 million new Hertfordshire records.

The best regular genealogy e-mag on the market is, of course ... the Lost Cousins Newsletter!

The latest Essex Record Office e-bulletin.

Here's the July e-newsletter from the CWGC.

More muddying of the water for future genealogists, possibly? (thanks to @DebbieKennett on Twitter).

More 'sale' books from TNA.

Latest news/talks from Gresham College, London.

Old handwriting a problem - try this?

Here's a short piece on the destruction of the Irish PRO in 1922.

More Irish news from Claire Santry with the latest Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives update.

And you'll want to check out the weekly round-up of history links from the Two Nerdy History Girls.

Forthcoming events:
And remember my mention last week of the National Family History Fair at Newcastle on 7th September? Well, I have put my name down for a stall - so I hope to see you there!

More stuff at the BI-Gen Twitter feed.




Some fun from a 2012 post at the 'Abroad in the Yard' blog...

Surprising Ancestral Origins