Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2021 i Who Do You Think You Are?

Wnen I first launched this magazine in 2007 I remember talking to a Who Do You Think You Are? genealogist who still did all of her trees on paper. I suspect those days are long gone, and that almost all of you will have some form of electronic tree. This month Chris Paton shares advice on getting the most out of online family tree builders (page 16). Even if you are a diehard software user, there are benefits to be found online. We also head off to Coventry as it marks its year as the UK City of Culture, and take a peak at the history of the automobile industry (page 24). Although individual records are scarce, there’s still plenty to discover about life on the production line. While we…

Email wdytyaeditorial@immediate.co.uk Write to WDYTYA? Magazine, Eagle House, Colston Avenue, Bristol BS1 4ST MEDICINE MEN I want to say a big thank you for the ‘Record Masterclass’ in the February issue. Even though I’ve not yet had the chance to pursue further research, I was very pleased to read the background to the appointment of Medical Officers of Health. It is something I had already investigated to a degree, because I have an ancestor who died of smallpox in his late 20s during a major epidemic in Birmingham. I researched more of the background through the Newspaper Library at Colindale before it moved, and was surprised to see that the post of Medical Officer of Health already existed – but, of course, your article shows just how much earlier the…

Email wdytyaeditorial@immediate.co.uk to feature your upcoming event here DEVON FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY Various dates w devonfhs.org.uk Upcoming talks from the society include ‘Parish Rates for Family Historians 1500–1650’ (8 May) and ‘The 1924 Torquay Pageant’ (14 May). Free. INSTITUTE OF HERALDIC AND GENEALOGICAL STUDIES Various dates w bit.ly/ihgs-zoom-tutorials The IHGS’s forthcoming tutorials include ‘My Ancestor Has Vanished’ (5 and 19 May) and ‘Using Newspapers for Profit and Pleasure’ (6 and 20 May). £10. SOCIETY OF GENEALOGISTS Various dates w bit.ly/sog-events The society’s upcoming online talks are ‘Finding Death & Burial Records in the United States’ (6 May), ‘My Ancestor Made Hats’ (8 May) and ‘Finding and Using Parish Registers in England & Wales’ (13 May). £10. BEGINNING YOUR FAMILY HISTORY From 4 May w bit.ly/eventbrite-fhf-begin The Family History Federation’s…

There are many family history programs within which you can record information to allow you to build family trees and generate ancestral reports from your home computer. These can be incredibly versatile, allowing you creative options to record key facts, media files and source information about your individual finds. The information you have gathered can be made to work much harder However, as the family history scene continues to evolve, the reasons you should also consider hosting your tree research online are increasing. In storing your finds in an online tree-building program, you can continue to document where you are at any one point on your research journey, but in the data-rich world in which we now live, the information you already have gathered can be made to work harder.…

Many online hosted projects aim to create a single family tree through collaboration. One thing to be aware of with such projects is that users may need to sign up to various rules and cede some ‘sovereignty’ over the ‘territory’ that was previously their exclusive domain. However, the rigorous interrogation process for all facts contributed by users can often strengthen the conclusions reached. Among the projects providing such opportunities is the free-to-access WikiTree project at wikitree.com. Participants collaborating on a profile page for a relative can make edits, contact each other through the site’s internal messaging system and interact through the site’s Genealogist-to-Genealogist Forum (G2G). Similar to WikiTree is Geni (geni.com), which not only allows users to collaborate to help create a “single world family tree”, but can also host…

ARCHIVES AND MUSEUMS COVENTRY ARCHIVES a Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Jordan Well, Coventry CV1 5QP t 024 7623 7583 e archives@culturecoventry.com w coventrycollections.org Coventry Archives holds company magazines, photographs, marketing material and oral history recordings. COVENTRY TRANSPORT MUSEUM a Millennium Place, Hales Street, Coventry CV1 1JD t 024 7623 4270 e info@culturecoventry.com w transport-museum.com Explore a large collection of motor cars, commercial vehicles, bicycles and motorcycles. MODERN RECORDS CENTRE a University of Warwick Library, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL t 024 7652 4219 e archives@warwick.ac.uk w warwick.ac.uk/services/library/ mrc The MRC has society, association and union records, including from the Standard Motor Company. THE ROOTES ARCHIVE CENTRE a Unit 15, Apollo Office Park, Ironstone Lane, Wroxton, Banbury OX15 6AY t 07771 943988 e a.bye@rootesarchive.org w rootesarchive.org The centre has…

Who were my great grandparents? Q We have come to a dead end with our research, because there is no obvious information about my grandfather’s family – every lead brings us back to the same point. My grandad was born on 5 August 1927, in Fulham. His name was James John Crowe. His mother’s maiden name may have been Fox. We cannot find his father or siblings. Any help or advice would be appreciated. Roy Crowe A Your first step should be to obtain a copy of the birth certificate of James John Crowe, registered in 1927 in Fulham, South-West London. That would confirm his date of birth, and the names of his parents. Without it, we can’t be absolutely certain that the entry is your grandfather, although it does…

ANCESTRY w ancestry.co.uk/cs/uk/criminal Ancestry’s police records detail promotions, disciplinary actions, injuries and even give physical descriptions. BRITISH TRANSPORT POLICE HISTORY GROUP w www.btphg.org.uk This website is packed with information and useful resources, including honours and medals. ESSEX POLICE MUSEUM w bit.ly/essex-police-museum-research Discover how to research officers in the Essex County Constabulary and its predecessors. THE GLASGOW POLICE MUSEUM w policemuseum.org.uk The museum’s website includes a timeline of policing in Glasgow, as well as a roll of honour, and histories of the smaller burgh forces. HAMPSHIRE CONSTABULARY HISTORY SOCIETY w hampshireconstabularyhistory.org.uk Here you’ll find stories, pictures and information about the police museum in Southampton. LIVERPOOL CITY POLICE w liverpoolcitypolice.co.uk Read a detailed illustrated history of the city’s police force back to its formation in 1836. METROPOLITAN WOMEN POLICE ASSOCIATION w metwpa.org.uk…

Finding information about your relations who worked as agricultural labourers begins with the basic genealogical records. Search online census returns and the 1939 Register to identify locations and family information. Find your ancestors in as many returns as you can. Using this information, along with valuable details you find in parish registers and birth, marriage and death records, look at contemporary maps (maps.nls.uk) to identify locations of the farms or estates where they may have worked. You can then use the Victoria County History (history.ac.uk/research/ victoria-county-history ) or British History Online (british-history.ac.uk) to find details of the manors and landed estates in the area, so you can begin to investigate available records held locally. Many labourers worked for tenant farmers of the landed estates, so researching estate records is paramount.…

The official motto of the Royal Marines is per mare per terram – “by sea by land”. It’s a good description of what they do, and suggests that nothing is an obstacle to them. The marines began in the 17th century as soldiers based on Royal Navy ships, and they have continued this seagoing role ever since. But they can also be deployed to the land as an assault force, and this has led to some of the Royal Marines’ most famous actions. For example, in 1704 marines landed from their ships at Gibraltar and played a decisive role in capturing it from Spain. By the middle of the 19th century there were two types of marine. The Royal Marines Light Infantry (RMLI) were called the ‘red marines’ because of…

Tom Cobb was born in Canning Town in Essex in 1882. As a teenager, he worked in a London household as a footman but it wasn’t the role he really wanted. As soon as he turned 18, he applied to join the Royal Marines in London. He was successful and started as a private in the Royal Marines Light Infantry on 1 August 1900. At Deal in Kent, some deficits in his schooling were addressed via classroom teaching, but Tom’s military training began too. In his first year he received field training, and learned skills such as how to use a rifle. He met the service requirement for swimming proficiency, and was taught how to fire a ship’s gun. His progress was rapid, and within three years he was promoted…

Finding a successful entrepreneur in the family can be very exciting. It becomes all the more enthralling if your ancestor grew up in humble circumstances. How was social mobility possible for working-class people in Victorian times? Jeremy Cripps from South Shields has discovered an ancestor who managed to leave the world of agricultural labour behind to become a merchant who supplied the highest echelons of society. MY BRICK WALL My mother Beryl told me intriguing stories about her great grandfather John Malin. He came from Oxfordshire, sold potatoes to smart hotels, and lived as a wealthy gentleman in Jermyn Street, the City of Westminster, London. My parents even named their house ‘Rydens’ after a farm that the Malins once owned. In 1992, my great aunt Maisie died and I inherited…

1096 Construction of Norwich Cathedral begins. 1249 Bishop Walter de Suffield founds the Great Hospital in Norfolk for priests, scholars and sick paupers. 1343 Theologian Julian of Norwich is born. Her Revelations of Divine Love is the earliest surviving book in English written by a woman. 1381 The Peasants’ Revolt in East Anglia ends in defeat at the Battle of North Walsham. 1549 Unrest over the enclosure of land breaks out in the county. The rebels take Norwich before defeat at the Battle of Dussindale. 1849 Opera singer Jenny Lind, who is nicknamed the ‘Swedish Nightingale’, gives two fundraising concerts for what will become the Norwich Infirmary for Sick Children. 1865 Edith Cavell is born in Swardeston. She becomes a nurse, and is executed by the Germans in 1915 for…

Florence Nightingale was born on 12 May 1820 in Florence, Italy, then lived in her family homes in Hampshire and Derbyshire. She rejected the conventional path of marriage and childbearing, and devoted herself to study and public service. In 1840 she began to study mathematics, which was the foundation for her growing interest in gathering and ordering statistical data. During the Crimean War (1853–1856) she trained and led a team of nurses to alleviate the terrible condition of the wounded at the military hospital in Scutari, which earned her lasting fame. Back in the UK after the war she used her celebrity and command of medical data to influence the Government on a wide variety of public-health measures, notably on the health of the Army. Nightingale was a pioneer in…

ANCESTRY.CO.UK £ Index and images for England and Wales, index-only for Scotland. Occupation indexed only for Scotland. FAMILYSEARCH.ORG Free Index shared with Findmypast for England and Wales. Occupations not indexed. FINDMYPAST.CO.UK £ Index and good images for England and Wales, index-only for Scotland. Occupation indexed only for Scotland. FREECEN.ORG.UK Free Very accurate index for England, Wales and Scotland but no images. Good search options including occupation. Full coverage for most Scottish counties and some English and Welsh ones. Other areas have varying coverage. SCOTLANDSPEOPLE.GOV.UK £ Images and an index of Scottish censuses. THEGENEALOGIST.CO.UK £ Index and basic images for both England and Wales. Occupation indexed.…

ADVERTISING t 0117 300 8803 e andy.williams@immediate.co.uk EDITORIAL t 0117 300 8621 e wdytyaeditorial@immediate.co.uk Q&A QUERIES e wdytyaquestions@immediate.co.uk SUBSCRIPTIONS AND APP FAQS t 03330 162120* t +44 1604 973728 (overseas) w buysubscriptions.com/customer-services/ contact w buysubscriptions.com/customer-services/FAQs WEBSITE QUERIES e wdytyaeditorial@immediate.co.uk *UK calls will cost the same as other standard fixed-line numbers (starting 01 or 02) and are included as part of any inclusive or free minutes allowances (if offered by your phone tariff). Outside of free call packages call charges from mobile phones will cost between 3p and 55p per minute. Lines are open Monday to Friday 9am–5pm.…

I was interested to read the letter from Mrs E Greensides, née Hardie, in the April issue of Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine about the links she had found between her own ancestors and those of her husband, whom she had found out were living next door to each other in 1861. I think it’s wonderful that she’s put the maiden names to her ancestors, because those are so often written out of records. I am a Londoner, and all of my grandparents and both my parents were born there too. Some years ago, I found out that my 3x great grandfather James Billinghurst had lived in Bourne End, the village in Buckinghamshire where my husband was born. Recently I went back to research the Billinghurst line, and…

The Covid-19 Archives Fund has awarded 25 UK archives grants of up to £50,000. The fund, which is run by The National Archives, is intended to help archives secure physical and ‘born-digital’ records that are at risk of being dispersed or lost. The beneficiaries include Spetchley Park Gardens Charitable Trust, which will purchase supplies to preserve material in the archive of horticulturalist Ellen Ann Willmott; Archives and Records Council Wales, which will develop a national strategy to locate vulnerable Welsh records; and Tower Museum in Londonderry, which will preserve the archive of photographer Vinny Cunningham.…

Ancestry allows you to host multiple family trees, which can be made public or private. Work on an Ancestry tree can be synchronised to that on your home computer via the Family Tree Maker software package, and to mobile devices through the company’s own dedicated Ancestry app. Trees can be shared with other potential collaborators. The main interface uses interactive vertical family and horizontal pedigree tree views. Images of green leaves in the top right of ancestors’ boxes denote possible ‘Ancestry Hints’, flagging up potential appearances of an individual within other people’s trees, or records on Ancestry that may be relevant. Potential DNA test matches are also flagged up. Clicking on a box takes you to other options. The ‘Profile’ view allows you to view the facts within a person’s…

MyHeritage’s ‘Family Tree Builder’ can be accessed for free with a Basic subscription, but its limit of 250 individuals is lifted when taking out a paid subscription. The program can also be installed on a home computer via myheritage.com/family-tree-builder, and changes can be synced online and vice versa. The program allows for multiple trees and an app version is available. The ‘My family tree’ view is the basic work screen, where trees can be viewed vertically, horizontally or in a fan display. Details for an individual are shown within a basic box, coloured blue for males and pink for females. Potential matches on MyHeritage are identified by icons located on the right side of an individual’s box, including record, DNA (if you’ve tested), and ‘Smart’ matches (noting individuals found in…

1897 Coventry-based Daimler makes the first cars in Britain, at a time when horse-drawn vehicles are the most popular form of transport. The speed limit is just 12 mph. 1920s The Coventry car industry really takes off. Most cars are hand-built by craftsmen until the Standard Motor Company introduces the mass assembly line at its Canley factory in 1929. 1934 William Lyons’ Jaguar Cars launches the game-changing SS Jaguar following a move from Blackpool to Coventry. 1940 On the night of 14/15 November, an 11-hour Luftwaffe bombing raid devastates Coventry. The city’s importance in aircraft production made it a prime target. 1952 Riley’s new owner Morris merges with Austin to form the British Motor Company. But the Riley brand is tarnished as a result. 1953 Standard Triumph launches the Standard…

There were no wedding photographs or pictures of Dad in the house Gunfire had broken out around Holy Trinity Cathedral in Shanghai. It was 1925, and oppressed workers had risen up to shake an angry fist at the Chinese establishment. Two British craftsmen inside the cathedral kept their heads down and carried on working, despite the grave danger. The men dodging the bullets were very close relatives of Pam Corps, who knew almost nothing of this drama until she began researching her tree. Why was such an intriguing story not spoken of around the kitchen table? As is so often the case, a family schism was to blame. “My father Austin Jones deserted my mother when I was a baby, and didn’t have anything more to do with us,” explains…

Why did my grandfather travel so extensively during the war? Q My grandfather John William Slingsby was issued with a passport signed by the Foreign Office on 17 April 1940, aged 56. He was a steelworker and the occupation on his passport was “Roller”. He embarked from Newhaven on 23 April 1940. His passport is full of visas – allowing him through France into Turkey and into Istanbul. He then travelled through countries including Palestine and Egypt, at the height of the Second World War. What he was doing? Anita Davies A Your grandfather certainly can’t have obtained a passport easily in 1940. For all passports during the war, applicants had to complete a detailed questionnaire giving reasons for travel and apply for an exit permit. These were vetted by…

When did this soldier serve? Q I received this print of a photo, along with several other family photos, from my paternal uncle. He doesn’t know who the soldier is, and there isn’t any information on the back. Can you help identify the time period and the uniform? Chris Williams A This is a studio photograph of a newly enlisted soldier in the Royal Artillery (RA), probably taken during the First World War, although possibly at any time between about 1905 and 1921. The problem with tracing unknown RA soldiers is that the regiment was huge by the end of the First World War – there are 705,000 Medal Index Cards at The National Archives in Kew for men who served abroad, and many more probably only served at home.…

Based at the Royal Horticultural Society’s London headquarters, the Lindley Library is home to thousands of rare books and records covering the history of horticulture, practical gardening and botanical art. It also houses the charity’s own archives, dating back to its previous incarnation as the Horticultural Society of London (1804–1861). Here the society’s head of libraries and exhibitions Fiona Davison discusses a source at Lindley that sheds light on the charity during this early phase in its history. CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE DOCUMENT? It’s a register named ‘The Handwriting of Under Gardeners and Labourers’ (1822–1829). It contains 105 handwritten entries by young men who were applying to join the training scheme at the society’s experimental garden in Chiswick, West London. The society had originally founded the Chiswick garden in 1821…

Take your research further LIBRARY NATIONAL LIBRARY OF WALES a Aberystwyth, Ceredigion SY23 3BU t 01970 632800 e gofyn@llgc.org.uk w library.wales NLW is home to a wealth of material about the country’s history, and as well as tithe maps its impressive digital offering includes newspapers, probate records and online exhibitions. MUSEUM ST FAGANS NATIONAL MUSEUM OF HISTORY a St Fagans, Cardiff CF5 6XB t 0300 111 2333 w museum.wales/stfagans Discover more about the dwellings in which your Welsh ancestors lived via the ‘Historic Buildings’ collection at the museum. WEBSITE DICTIONARY w geiriadur.uwtsd.ac.uk The University of Wales’ online dictionary can help English readers with the details and place names featured on the maps.…

BOOKS The Agricultural Labourer HMSO, 1894 This five-volume report was created for a Royal Commission on Labour. A digitised version is freely available from HathiTrust at bit.ly/hathi-ag-labs. Farmworkers: A Social and Economic History 1770–1980 Alan Armstrong Batsford, 1988 This book provides a well-rounded picture of farming life, and is worth tracking down. My Ancestor Was an Agricultural Labourer Ian H Waller Society of Genealogists, 2008 Ian’s comprehensive guide details records and information about agricultural labourers up to the 20th century.…

A Royal Marine’s career records often don’t spell out the military engagements in which he was involved. Instead, they list the ships served on and the places to which a man was deployed. However, you can use this information to investigate whether he participated in some of history’s famous battles if you know the dates. The following list details some of the battles between the early 18th century and the end of the First World War where the Royal Marines played an important role. • The Siege of Gibraltar, the War of the Spanish Succession (September 1704 to May 1705) • The Battle of Bunker Hill, the American War of Independence (17 June 1775) • The Battle of Trafalgar, the Napoleonic Wars (21 October 1805) • The Battle of Graspan,…

SERVICE RECORDS 1842-1925 w bit.ly/tna-marines-1842-1925 The records can be downloaded in full, and are searchable by name and dates of combat. RMA and RMLI records are filed together. OFFICERS’ SERVICE RECORDS 1793-1925 w bit.ly/tna-marine-officers Royal Marines officers are included with Royal Navy officers. Again, the records can be searched by name and downloaded in full. CAMPAIGN MEDALS 1793-1972 w ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/1687 Ancestry has a version of TNA’s ADM171 that is searchable by name – find out the campaigns for which a marine was honoured.…

1 TRADE DIRECTORIES Tradespeople or professionals may be listed in Pigot’s or Kelly’s Directories. Search for free at the University of Leicester’s website specialcollections.le.ac.uk. 2 NEWSPAPERS Old newspaper adverts can reveal clues, while the Government’s journal of record the London Gazette includes royal warrants and bankruptcies: thegazette.co.uk. 3 CURRENCY CONVERTER John Malin left £4,170, equivalent to £500,000 today. You can use The National Archives’ tool to convert historical values: nationalarchives.gov.uk/currency-converter.…

BOOKS Royal Weddings Emily Brand Shire Publications, 2011 Brand looks back at a thousand years of royal weddings in Britain. Vintage Weddings: One Hundred Years of Bridal Fashion and Style Marnie Fogg Carlton Books, 2011 This journey through bridal history has a particular focus on bridal gowns. MUSEUM VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM a Cromwell Road, Knightsbridge, London SW7 2RL t 020 7942 2000 w vam.ac.uk The V&A has wedding attire spanning five centuries. You can see highlights at bit.ly/vam-wed. WEBSITES BRITISH NEWSPAPER ARCHIVE w britishnewspaper archive.co.uk The archive’s historical newspapers feature many wedding-related stories and advertisements. BRITISH PATHÉ w britishpathe.com The searchable archive includes newsreels for the weddings of royal and society figures. WDYTYA? MAGAZINE w bit.ly/wdytya-marriage Our own site has a guide to marriage registers, and one for civil…

2ND AIR DIVISION DIGITAL ARCHIVE w digitalarchive.2ndair.org.uk This archive documents the wartime experiences of the US Army’s 2nd Air Division in its ‘home from home’ of Norfolk. IMAGES w bit.ly/norfolk-pics Explore more than 25,000 images from the county’s past. MAPS w historic-maps. norfolk.gov.uk Discover how the landscape of the county has changed over the years with historic maps and aerial photographs. NORWICH CENSUS OF THE POOR w bit.ly/ arch-norwichcensus This fascinating snapshot of the poor and destitute in Norwich in 1570 is available from the Internet Archive. WILLS AND DIRECTORIES w www.norfolksources.norfolk. gov.uk This is a free website that allows you to explore digitised material held at both the record office and the heritage centre, including trade directories and wills.…

SHARING YOUR FAMILY HISTORY ONLINE A GUIDE FOR FAMILY HISTORIANS Chris Paton Pen & Sword, 125 pages, £12.99 The latest book from regular WDYTYA? Magazine contributor Chris Paton (see page 16) has an ambitious aim: to showcase all of the ways in which family historians can collaborate with others over the internet. And for the most part it succeeds, dividing the topic into six digestible chapters that cover everything from social media and crowdsourcing to DNA testing and sharing stories. The guide can be read on two levels: first, skim-read it to appreciate all of the opportunities the internet provides for opening your family tree up to a wider online audience. Then, use the comprehensive table of contents and index to focus in on programs, websites and services of…

WEB TOOL MYHERITAGE DEEP NOSTALGIA myheritage.com/ deep-nostalgia Free MyHeritage’s latest photo tool drew headlines when it launched in February. Deep Nostalgia uses artificial intelligence to bring the faces in photographs back to life, including smiling, blinking and moving their heads. Some family historians loved it, others called it creepy. Try it out on pictures of your family to see for yourself! PODCAST STORIES IN OUR ROOTS heathermurphygenealogy. com/storiesinourrootspodcast Free In this podcast, US family history expert and life coach Heather Murphy invites women to talk about how exploring their ancestry has enriched their lives. Recent guests include Rachel Décoste, who travelled to Africa to investigate her roots, and Lisa Coffey, with tips about what to do when records are inaccessible. VIDEO VOTES FOR WOMEN jerseyheritage.org/ womenshistoryvote Free What is the…

CHRIS PATON On page 16 Chris reveals lots of reasons why online family trees are useful. We also review his latest book Sharing Your Family History Online this month on page 83. SIMON WILLS Simon is an expert in maritime genealogy with many books to his name. He shares his tips on tracing Marines on page 61 including downloading TNA records while free. EMMA JOLLY Emma is a regular contributor to our ‘Q&A’ pages, and on page 52 she shares some of the many insights she has gained researching her Welsh family using free online tithe records.…

TheGenealogist adds 1939 Register transcripts TheGenealogist (thegenealogist.co.uk) has added the 1939 Register to its collections. The register was taken on 29 September 1939 to compile a record of the civilian population of the UK at the start of the Second World War, and is the most recent and comprehensive census substitute available. It is already available on Ancestry (ancestry.co.uk) and Findmypast (findmypast.co.uk). However, unlike these websites, TheGenealogist does not have images of the records but does offer a full transcript. Free handbook for South Asia cemeteries launched The British Association for Cemeteries in South Asia (BACSA) has published the first practical manual about caring for European cemeteries and monuments in the region. The illustrated manual, which was commissioned by BACSA and has been written by conservation architect Dr Neeta Das,…

Family history site Findmypast (findmypast.co.uk) has created a new database of 32,000 Royal Air Force personnel who were mentioned in dispatches during the Second World War. The records are transcribed from the London Gazette (thegazette. co.uk), and can be searched by name to find each individual’s rank, service number and the year they were commended. ‘Mentioned in dispatches’ refers to service men and women who were named in an official report because of an act of bravery.…

Renovation work in a historic townhouse in North Shields, Tyne and Wear, has revealed some astonishing secrets. The builders discovered the former servants’ quarters of the Grade II-listed 18 Northumberland Place hidden behind an unused door. The quarters include bedrooms for male and female servants with small privacy closets and a main room, possibly to use when they weren’t working. The original wallpaper and furniture were also preserved inside. Jules Brown, historic places adviser for Historic England, said: “This is a fascinating discovery and shows what treasures lie lost and forgotten right under our noses.” He encouraged anyone interested in the history of their house or local area to “have a rummage in your attic or talk to people who’ve lived in the area for decades and see what they…

Reading an article about servant girls in the Edwardian period, and how they so often went into service far from home, brought to mind Auntie Ethel. She was my mother’s close friend when I was young, and I knew her well. We went to tea with her every Wednesday and I listened to them talking and reminiscing, and in that way I learnt something about her story. She was 13 years older than Mum, warm and caring, an ideal friend for my mother who had recently arrived in a suburban Surrey town. Ethel was from industrial South Wales, my mother from inner-city Manchester – both newcomers in an unfamiliar world, which meant that they really bonded. The Great Western Railway conveyed Ethel to a new life Ethel was born in…

You can build multiple trees on Findmypast with different privacy settings, and the website has created a helpful beginners’ guide for members Findmypast’s ‘Build Your Family Tree’ tool is available from the homepage, with a handy user guide available at findmypast.co.uk/blog/family-tree. The site allows you to create or import multiple trees, which can be public or private. You can view a vertical or horizontal chart, a ‘Family View’ showing a basic chart for an individual, spouse, parents and children, and a ‘Profile’ page for a specific individual. Clicking on an individual produces a mini-menu that allows you to access their profile page, edit basic vital record details, add a relative, or search for further information about them. By clicking on ‘View full profile’ a new homepage appears for that person…

TheGenealogist’s ‘TreeView’ application is a more traditional tree builder, which can be viewed on its site, or via treeview.co.uk. The free version is limited with just current view and full tree printing. Other functions such as mapping, merging and charts are available by purchasing the full program, which also allows users to sync trees online, on computer and on the free app. On the TreeView platform, you can create or import multiple trees, and display ancestors in a horizontal ‘Pedigree’ view, a ‘Full’ tree with all relatives, an ‘Hourglass’ view, and ancestral and descendants’ trees. You can also print out your whole tree, share your tree with friends and family and contact other members who share individuals on your tree. Clicking on a tree icon found at the top right…

CARLISLE ARCHIVE CENTRE w cumbria.gov.uk/archives/ archivecentres/cac.asp The staff at Carlisle Archive Centre were extremely helpful. Your relation’s local archive may also hold records that contain invaluable information, many of which won’t be digitised. FAMILYSEARCH w familysearch.org The 1911 census proved to be a gold mine of information, and gave Pam concrete details to work from. It’s available on subscription websites, while transcribed entries are free to view on FamilySearch. HARRISON & HARRISON w harrisonorgans.com Pam contacted the company her grandfather worked for, which provided a wealth of archived correspondence that helped her research. Try the same with your ancestors’ employers.…

Who could this Little Lord Fauntleroy be? Q When my father died, we found this photograph in a case of his parents’ belongings. Could it be my grandfather Gerald Finch, born 1907, or one of his siblings, born between 1902 and 1917? Another possibility is that it’s Gerald’s father Walter Finch, born in 1872 – or my grandmother Gertrude Stolliday, born 1906. There are no identifying marks on the front or rear. Stephen Finch A This is a large-format professional studio portrait, its presentation characteristic of the early 20th century. The child’s appearance dates the photo firmly to c1905–1914. His outfit is a typical example of the fashionable ‘Sunday best’ attire of small Edwardian boys. Ever since the popularity of the Victorian ‘Little Lord Fauntleroy’ look, some families continued to…

My grandmother My grandfather George Dehayen took this photo of his wife Georgina with him when he went to war. Hugh Bruce My great great uncle was an official naval artist in Weymouth during the Second World War. Nanna Wilson My great great grandmother Mary Wilson, aged 16 in 1925. Heroes caught on camera George served in the 51st (Highland) Division. A French photographer took this picture after my grandfather (right) and some of his pals helped repair his bomb-damaged roof during the war. Picking hops Here are my great grandmother Sarah Salter, my mother Jean Dehayen and my uncle Georgie Dehayen. Underneath the branches In this photo from 1900 Sarah is in the centre of the back row in front of the tree trunk. The lady on the left…

The Open University’s website open.ac.uk has long been a very useful source of information for my writing. It used to hold a massive archival listing of every aspect of police work from the past. But today, under the guidance of Dr Rosalind Crone, it is much more. The university’s archive of material on the police is now held by the International Centre for the History of Crime, Policing and Justice, and the page open.ac.uk/arts/research/ policing explains the eight areas of research that the centre focuses on, including the rights of the poor, and policing in British colonies. The material in the archives will help a researcher to understand the key elements of the development of the police in the UK. The reorganisation of constabularies; the gradual legislation for the establishment…

The discovery of agricultural labourers is commonplace in most researchers’ family history. While researching them may seem challenging because of a lack of written records, you can find out more about them in a surprising number of common sources. The term ‘ag lab’ was quite uncommon before the 1841 census, when it became a standard abbreviation used by enumerators. Before 1841 they were referred to as labourers, farm servants or by a specific term such as ploughman or shepherd. In the 20th century your ancestor may have been a Land Army girl, a prisoner of war or an evacuee working on a farm during the world wars. There is no single record that enables us to formulate details of agricultural labourers’ lives, but many informative records help us build the…

Parishes play a vital role in family history. Their records form the backbone of our forebears’ lives, providing details of where they were baptised, married and buried – both before and after the advent of civil registration in 1837 for England and Wales and 1855 for Scotland. Until the 1860s they were synonymous with the Church, and are still important in local government despite the division into separate civil and ecclesiastical parishes. However, parishes and their boundaries aren’t necessarily well known. You may know that your ancestor or a family group lived within the confines of a specific parish, but where exactly was it? Thankfully, there are several online maps that can reveal a parish’s boundary both now and in the past. They also reveal neighbouring parishes, helping you build…

The service records for Royal Marines (1842–1925) are held by The National Archives at Kew in series ADM159, and can be downloaded from its website (currently for free) at livelb.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/ research-guides/royal-marines-service-records-1842-1925. This is the record for Norman Augustus Finch (1890–1966) 1 PERSONAL INFORMATION At the top of the record, look for date of birth and marriage, changes of address, previous job, and physical description. 2 CAMPAIGNS These columns show the marine’s rank, plus places and dates of service. 3 DEATH “DD” means “discharged dead”, and date of death may be documented even after leaving the service, as here. 4 PENSION At the end of active service, look for the latest home address written at the bottom for pension payments. 5 TRAINING This section has information about training, good conduct (“GC”),…

BOOK Tracing Your Royal Marine Ancestors Richard Brooks and Matthew Little Pen & Sword, 2008 This guide explains the history and structure of the Royal Marines, conditions of service, and sources to help research an ancestor. WEBSITES COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVES COMMISSION w cwgc.org/find-records/ find-war-dead Find marines who died in either world war. Choosing ‘Navy’ for the ‘Served in (army etc)’ option will filter out a lot of irrelevant results. THE ROYAL MARINES MUSEUM w bit.ly/marines-mus-new The museum at Eastney Barracks in Portsmouth has closed, but there are plans to open a new one soon. Watch the website for details. TRAFALGAR ANCESTORS DATABASE w nationalarchives.gov.uk/ trafalgarancestors This database includes everyone at the battle. Use the ‘Rating’ option under the advanced search to restrict your search to marines.…

With somewhere in the region of 12.5 million documents to choose from, there are all sorts of strange, unique and valuable items housed in the shelves and strongrooms of the county archive in Norwich. During the early 1800s, the vicar of Middleton, a parish in the west of the county, began to make pointed remarks about his parishioners in the occupation column of the registers. These included “Publican and beggar maker”, “Chopper of chips” and the blunt “Whore and mantrap”. Or there’s “Golden Balls”, who was born in Aylsham in Norfolk in 1836, and baptised in the Primitive Methodist Church. If you are lucky enough to trace your family back to 1500s Norwich, you should consult the 1570 Norwich Census of the Poor. This was taken by local authorities ahead…

CURSON This habitational name comes from Notre-Dame-de-Courson, a former commune in Normandy, north-west France. DACK Dack was a nickname for a person who had a gait like a duck when they walked. EKE This surname derives from the Old Norse word for an oak tree. FUTTER This is first recorded as the personal name ‘Fulcher’ in the Domesday Book. HAYLETT The 1881 census districts of Downham Market, Great Yarmouth and Winterton were all Haylett hotspots. LEEDER This was an occupational name for a man who worked as a drover or driver of a cart. PLATTEN Platten was an occupational name for a maker of plates for armour. RUMP There are thought to be two potential origins for Rump – a shortened form of the personal name ‘Humphrey’, and a medieval…

Census of England and Wales for the Year 1861 HMSO, 1862 The official report is available at bit.ly/arch-1861-census. Census of Scotland 1861 Population Tables and Report w bit.ly/histpop-scot-census Histpop provides access to population reports for Britain and Ireland for 1801–1937. Census: The Expert Guide Peter Christian and David Annal The National Archives, 2008 This is a useful guide. A Clearer Sense of the Census Edward Higgs HMSO for the Public Record Office, 1999 Higgs explains the Victorian censuses, from 1841 to 1901. A Guide to Tracing Your Family History Using the Census Emma Jolly Pen and Sword, 2020 This book is written by a regular contributor to the magazine.…

KISS MYSELF GOODBYE THE MANY LIVES OF AUNT MUNCA FERDINAND MOUNT Bloomsbury Continuum, 272 pages, £20 “I had tugged the thread and I could not resist following it to the end,” writes author and columnist Ferdinand Mount about his hunt for the true identity of the woman he knew as his Aunt Munca – someone who turned out to have an obsession for obscuring the facts. This fascinating account of his research reflects many of the experiences and emotions that family historians encounter when investigating their own family’s story. Kiss Myself Goodbye details a rollercoaster journey of persistence, sheer luck and speculation that leads to some completely unknown relationships. Often the author is helped on his way by a chance discovery of information, or his sudden recollection about a…

How did you come to write the book? The first book in the series was Women of the Durham Coalfield in the 19th Century: Hannah’s Story, and I initially wrote that because there was nothing written down about those women. However, Hannah’s Story was so successful that people who read it were getting in touch with me and saying, “We need a sequel – we need to know what happened to Hannah’s family.” Now, that was never on my agenda; I had never intended to go beyond that first book. But because of the requests for more information, I decided that I would write another book up to the death of Hannah’s youngest daughter, my great grandmother Susannah Jopling, in 1940. So that was the inspiration behind the second book:…

OXFORD DICTIONARY OF NATIONAL BIOGRAPHY The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (ODNB) contains more than 600,000 biographies of influential men and women in British history, and can be accessed online for free with most local library memberships. We found a wealth of information about Sir Michael’s life on the website at bit.ly/odnb-michael-stanhope. THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES’ DISCOVERY CATALOGUE Sir Michael was beheaded for conspiracy in 1552. Records relating to his demise are among the records of the King’s Bench held by The National Archives (TNA) in Kew. Although the original documents have not been digitised, they are described in detail in TNA’s online catalogue: discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C3303638. STATE PAPERS ONLINE State Papers Online is a collection of British government documents spanning the Tudor and Stuart periods available with a subscription to gale.com/intl/ primary-sources/state-papers-online.…

Memorial Avenue in the town of Easington, County Durham, in northeast England looks like any other peaceful, verdant street. However, each of its 83 trees represents a life lost in a disaster that devastated the local mining community in 1951. The oldest man to die that day was Frederick Ernest Jepson, who was still working at the age of 68. Frederick is the great grand uncle of WDYTYA? Magazine reader Christopher Jepson, who wants to honour his relation’s memory. Researching Fred’s life has become something of an obsession for me “It’s the 70th anniversary of the Easington Colliery Disaster on 29 May 2021,” Christopher explains. “I knew nothing of Fred’s life or death before I began tracing my Jepson history. Researching him has become something of an obsession for me.”…