FindmyPast - things to come 2010

I've just received a press release from FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk) summarising the achievements of the company in 2009, and outlining some things to come for 2010. The following are the main developments of interest to us here in Scotland:

1) We will be significantly expanding our military records, including launching online for the first time anywhere Chelsea Pensioner service records and militia attestation papers (detailed military registration service records, containing personal details and physical descriptions). These are being provided in association with The National Archives.

An index to militia attestation papers is currently available online at British Origins and elsewhere, but this looks like it might be the full records. The Chelsea Pension Records are fantastically detailed and can provide all sorts from physical description to lenghth of service, theatre of operation etc. Both contain lots of records for Scots.


2) Our BMDs section will be overhauled and improved, including the addition of greatly enhanced maritime records.


3) Irish and Scottish records will be arriving soon, establishing findmypast.co.uk as the primary family history site for the entire UK.

I love ambition! No idea whether this means the arrival of records from ScotlandsPeople (both sites are run by Brightsolid), or something new (Scottish 1911 census, gazetteers, who knows?!). Until now FMP has been a fantastic resource for English and Welsh research, but fairly limited for north of the border and fairly unremarkable for Northern Ireland, so it's quite a bold claim to say it will be the primary family history site for the entire UK. What's in store? No idea! We'll have to wait and see...!

(Thanks to Paul Yates at FMP)

Chris

www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton