Indholdsfortegnelse for September 2025 i Family Tree UK

In July 2025, The National Archives launched a new workshop for students who are blind and visually impaired, using optocartography – a technique for transforming flat documents into 3D models. The free workshop includes three-dimensional versions of historic documents from TNA’s collection, including a medieval map and a wage slip for Tudor courtier John Blanke. The models are designed to be touched, with raised surfaces that can reproduce features such as churches, houses and moorland on a map, or the position of troops lined up for battle. They can also recreate the signatures of important historical figures, including kings and queens. The 3D-printed models for the Sensing the Archives workshop were made by George Rhodes of the University of Westminster and All Able, an organisation committed to accessibility and inclusion.…

June 2025 was a landmark month for MyHeritage, in which 1.25 billion records were added to the global genealogy website. They can be found within 21 of the record collections on MyHeritage. Recently added or updated records include such diverse resources as: French and Canadian newspapers, French Tables of Successions and Absences 1890-1970 (departmental records, created for the purpose of inheritance and tax, of those deceased/officially declared missing), Swedish civil registrations of births from 1876, a Finnish population tax list of 1920, German WW1 POWs and internees held by the Allies, and residential lists for Boston, Massachusetts, USA 1909 onwards. To explore the full range of records on MyHeritage, of 7,489 collections comprising more than 35 billion records, see https://www.myheritage.com/research/catalog…

During the period that the All Saints Hospital record collection covers, the hospital was dedicated to the treatment of people with mental illnesses. The information recorded gives details about the physical and mental description of patients, clues to their emotions, personality, education and religion. Home address and details for an ancestor’s close relatives or associates may also be recorded. The site has been known by several names such as the All Saints Mental Asylym or the Winson Green Asylum. Petty Session Registers cover less serious criminal cases that didn’t require a jury, and were conducted by a magistrate or justice of the peace. Examples of the types of charges covered include minor theft, minor assault, arbitration, public drunkenness or paternity cases. Details in the register include both the defendant’s and…

When I first started to trace the Tonges, my mum’s dad’s side of the family, I thought they might be a tad predictable. We didn’t know very much about them, but surely if there were any interesting tales to tell, we’d have heard already. Well, perhaps not, as families often clam up when there’s a whiff of illegitimacy in the air … If the 1871 Census has got its facts straight, it looks like Sarah Tonge – my newly discovered 3x great-grandmother – never married, which means her son, my 2x great-granddad Thomas Tonge, was born illegitimate. Disappointingly, this might mean one branch of my tree is about to come to a dead end, but at least if I can track the pair back to the 1861, 1851 and 1841…

DNA is a wonderful resource and I am so glad I decided to take a test way back in 2017 – but little did I know where it would lead me and the things I would discover. Some of the outcomes have been wonderful – such as finding matches, sharing information, and writing all about my experiences in this very magazine. However, there have been some surprises, even shocks, along the way. My quest to find the missing fathers I’ve probably mentioned in previous articles that the main reason I took a test was to solve an illegitimate brick wall on my paternal line. Actually, to solve several illegitimate brick walls … My father’s side had brick walls which would rival the battlements of a medieval castle! To start, my…

How to identify a seemingly unregistered death… David Annal demonstrates Q Is it possible to have a death in a workhouse with no subsequent death certificate in 1885? I have the record from Ancestry of the death. Mary Ann Arnold born 1854, death May 1885 (maybe Mar 1885), Ancestry: Admissions and discharges 1764-1921-Holborn. I have checked both FreeBMD and the GRO index for the whole year and DeceasedOnline, using varies names. The only one even close is: ARNOLD Mary Ann, age at death 26, Whitechapel, volume 1c, page number 238 (Fugure 1). This has the incorrect age but I did get the certificate to check dates and they are different too. Is there anywhere else I can look? I have exhausted Ancestry, Findmypast and FamilySearch. Could there be any further…

What gets your goat? You know, those irritating niggles that get under your skin, drive you mad, perhaps make you dash off an irate post to social media. First world issues, I mean, like erratic grammar or the internet going down. Things our ancestors, worrying about failed harvests and child mortality simply wouldn’t comprehend. I’m remarkably relaxed about misplaced apostrophes, and I love an Oxford comma, whereas some get a migraine from spelling mistakes or split infinitives. But my personal pet peeves are drivers who don’t signal soon enough, supermarkets who squash my cake under the potatoes, closely followed by online family history sites that clog my feed with vast number of relatives so distant, I don’t want them. First world anxiety counsellors would’ve had a field day with our…

The Gazette’s VJDay80 hub provides online access to free resources to help with the reseearch and remembrance of those who served in the Pacific and beyond during WWII. Find: • guidance on how to explore the archives for your own relative who served during the war. (Note that opening a free account at The Gazette enables you to save your searches); • official despatches describing the declaration of war, significant battles and acts of bravery and heroism; • and articles from The National Archives, the National Army Museum and other trusted contributors. • See also the list of recipients of the Victoria Cross. Plus, in honour of the 80th anniversary of VE and VJ Day, The Gazette has launched a new WWII personalised commemorative edition, which contains a replica copy…

It all started with an email. Regular reader Lee Passmore was having difficulties finding out what had happened to one of his three times great-uncles, a man called Bryan (or Brian) Dean, and he wanted to know if we could help. Lee knew that Bryan had joined the Royal Marines and he wanted some advice about tracking down the relevant service records. Bryan was at the Royal Marines barracks in Chatham in 1861 and Lee had found a record of his marriage in 1865. But after that, nothing. So, what had happened to Bryan? The story that emerged is one of the most remarkable I’ve encountered in more than 40 years as a researcher, involving bigamy and the attempts to cover it up, transatlantic travel, devastating floods, a ghost town…

Legacy Family Tree Genealogy Software – Version 10 (Legacy) is a robust software system that allows family historians to easily compile, track, preserve and share information about their ancestors. In addition to storing basic data about individuals and families, users can illustrate the information in many types of chart formats, create reports about people, families and whole family lines, and create heirloom family history books. One of the best features of Legacy is that IT IS FREE! The following is a brief outline of many of the attributes of Legacy for people seeking a system that will help them organise their family history information. Users and programming experts have positively reviewed the program for its ease of use, multitude of features, detailed reports, media inclusion, and management and customer support.…

Women served in all three services from WWI onwards. They also served in support roles, such as the Women’s Land Army (in both wars), the Fire Services, Motor Drivers, Voluntary Aid Detachments and so forth. Their records will be in the same places as those of the men, but you will have to search a bit harder. Here are some steps and strategies – and a selection of photographs – to help you learn more about your female ancestors in the forces and identify the pictures in your family collections more accurately. But – Beware! Not all pictures of women in uniform are of them in the services! Note Figures 1 and 2; while seemingly initially similar, they portray very different realities. Sometimes the clothing and uniform swaps went all…

Perils of paperwork I have just read Diane Lindsay’s piece (FT June) about decluttering. That did ring a large bell. I have been doing family history for something like 65 years. I have managed to file a lot of the information I have gathered, and in particular items passed on from early family members. However, like Diane I have several baskets and drawers of scraps of paper with notes on awaiting my looking at them again. As for my study, I can climb in it! I remember going to a fellow family historian’s house one time and found I had to walk through a pathway between the files on the floor. I did spend the winter getting the photos in some sort of order. I find I learn so much…

23 SEPTEMBER - 7 OCTOBER 2025 WITH DR SOPHIE KAY If you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed or unsure how to move forward with your family history research, you’re not alone. Whether you’re drowning in unorganised notes or unsure how to take the next step beyond a record hint, it’s easy to lose momentum. But the good news is: with a little structure and planning, you can turn confusion into clarity – and start making genuine, lasting progress with your family tree. That’s where our brand new three-week online course comes in. Taught by professional genealogist and experienced educator Dr Sophie Kay, this friendly and practical course is designed to help you build essential research skills that will benefit you time and again. You’ll learn how to stay organised, focused and methodical…

30 June is the date on which an explosion and fire destroyed the Public Record Office of Ireland in 1922. The Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland (VRTI) project was launched in 2022 – a century after that devastating incident. This June, 2025, a further 175,000 replacement records were added to the VRTI. Such additions to the virtual repository are made possible by collaborations between historians and computer scientists, and archives and libraries, across the island of Ireland and around the globe. Working together replacement records are identified in archives worldwide – and replicated on VRTI – to rebuild, digitally, the records destroyed over a century ago. At present 75 such archives and libraries are involved in this impressive endeavour. To learn more about the project view ‘The Collecting Ireland’s History…

On Thursday 17 July Historic England launched an interactive map of historic coastal landmarks. Historic England is asking people to contribute to the Missing Pieces Project, adding to the story of coastal places that hold a special place in their hearts and minds. From the Big Dipper of Blackpool Pleasure Beach, to the Pleasure Pier at Southend-on Sea; from Penzance’s Jubilee Pool to Northumberland’s Bamburgh Castle, there are iconic seaside attractions all along England’s coastline. The map celebrates nearly 300 years of seaside history, from luxury Victorian spa retreats to seaside days out for all. Submit photographs, drawings, written information or audio recordings about coastal landmarks that hold personal significance to you. Visit the website and share your memories here: https://historicengland.org.uk/SeasideStories…

On a quiet street in Walton, Liverpool, nestled among rows of terraced houses, a child was born who would one day witness one of the most infamous moments in maritime history. The date was 15 October 1887, and the address was 19 Birchfield Road, a modest home typical of the Victorian working-class neighbourhoods that grew alongside Liverpool’s thriving docks. This was the birthplace of Frederick Fleet, the man who would later serve as a lookout aboard the RMS Titanic and be the first to spot the iceberg that sealed the ship’s tragic fate. The terraced house on Birchfield Road stood as part of a close-knit community built for the labourers, dock workers, shipbuilders, and coal trimmers who kept Liverpool’s maritime industry alive. Life in this neighbourhood was demanding and often…

If you’ve been researching family history for a while, you’ve already lived through one revolution, the shift from physical to remote research. Not so long ago, being a family historian meant spending hours in record offices, ordering CDs, making trips to cemeteries, and carefully handling fragile parish registers. Those of us who lived through it remember the thrill of discovery, but also the long waits, travel planning, and frequent dead ends. Then the internet changed everything. The first leap: remote research As more records became digitised and indexed, the foundations of genealogical research began moving online. Within a matter of years, you could browse the 1911 Census from your kitchen table, order birth, marriage and death certificates through the General Register Office website, and access decades of newspapers via the…

This is part of a series of articles; the intention is to provide an overview of useful family and local history records in existence, covering the period 1066-1485. Each article can be enjoyed as a standalone read, but the maximum benefit will be enjoyed by reading the entire series. The series will include leads and resources for all countries within the British Isles. Where to look for records created by the medieval church Obviously, the time period in question predates widespread availability of parish registers, but there are numerous records created by the medieval church that survive. Many were lost during Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries but those that survive are a valuable resource. Chartularies The monasteries were used as the storage place for local records in a place…

Your family photos Christine Atkins asks: Please can you help with these family photographs? The posed lady in the studio photos might be my great-grandmother Emily Weston (née Brayban), b. 1864. She could also be the same lady sitting in the group photo with my nan. My mum, Doris Carr, is in Nana’s arms as a baby, so this photo would be taken in 1916. I have also included the backs of the photos. Now, the large photo in a frame is my big dilemma. My thoughts are: I don’t recognise the eyes, so don’t think the lady is my nan, but she could be her mother, Emily Weston, who married George Walker in 1883. As I cannot see the back of the actual photo I can’t get any other…

THE WORLD’S FAVOURITE GENEALOGY MAG RLDFVORI GENLOY MA Family Tree was first published in 1984. The world, genealogy, and what we do, is a little different now, but one thing hasn't changed: we're still passionate and excited about helping you discover and explore your family history. Did you know? know? Family Tree subscribers also receive the popular Family History Handbook every year Subscribers can attend the monthly ‘Study Club’ online meetings featuring expert talks Every issue of Family Tree includes DNA advice to help you make the most of your test results SUBSCRIBE TODAY: BIT.LY/FT-SUBS since 1984…