Free access to Irish records on MyHeritage for St. Patrick's Day

From MyHeritage (www.myheritage.com):

From March 14–18, 2026, MyHeritage is offering free access to 145 million Irish historical records.

These collections include birth, marriage, and death records, parish registers, newspapers, passenger lists, and court records that document everyday life in Ireland. Together they can help people discover relatives, trace migration stories, and learn more about the communities their families came from.

To gain access visit https://www.myheritage.com/research/catalog?location=Ireland

For further details visit the MyHeritage blog at https://blog.myheritage.com/2026/03/celebrate-st-patricks-day-with-free-access-to-irish-records-on-myheritage/

(With thanks to Daniel Horowitz)

Chris 

Order Researching Ancestral Crisis in Ireland in the UK at https://bit.ly/4jJWSEh. Also available -Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors, Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. To purchase in the USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page.

Free access to 100 million pages of British Newspaper Archive content via FindmyPast

The British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) will be reaching 100 million pages of content this week (it's currently at 99,924,013 pages). The same content is also made available to view via a FindmyPast subscription, and as such, FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk) is opening up its access to the collection for free until February 16th to celebrate. The following is its announcement:

Findmypast opens newspaper archive for free to celebrate 100-million-page milestone 

• Findmypast and the British Newspaper Archive reach 100 million historical newspaper pages digitised and published online to the public
• The collection dates back to 1699, covering over 2,700 titles and more than 7 million issues, offering a vast, powerful resource for uncovering vibrant family stories
• Findmypast’s high quality digitisation process and powerful search tools mean it's easier than ever to make discoveries, add them to family trees, or save them to Workspace projects
• To celebrate, Findmypast is offering free access to the entire newspaper archive until 16 February 2026, giving family historians a full week to explore

Findmypast, the home of British and Irish family history, is celebrating a monumental milestone this week: its ever‑growing digital historical newspaper collection reaches 100 million fully searchable pages, opening up countless new opportunities for family historians to uncover hidden stories, forgotten moments, and long‑lost ancestors.

This milestone marks one of the world’s largest long-running digitisation projects to enable broader access to these significant historical records. To celebrate the occasion, Findmypast is offering free access to its entire newspaper archive until 16 February 2026, giving researchers a full week to dive into centuries of headlines and discover the unexpected.

Spanning 400 years and featuring more than 2,700 titles and 7 million issues, Findmypast’s newspaper archive is one of the richest sources for building a vivid picture of your ancestors’ lives. Whether you're chasing down a great‑grandfather’s wartime escapades, tracking a long‑forgotten marriage announcement, or stumbling across a scandal that reshapes your family narrative, these pages offer a window into events as they happened.

Findmypast’s newspaper search tools are designed to help family historians uncover stories quickly and accurately. Researchers can draw on extracted details from birth, marriage, and death notices—instantly linkable to family trees—and refine broad searches with smart filtering to pinpoint the most relevant results. Clip and save articles to your tree, add them to your Workspace, or create a Collection around a family member or project.

The vast, continually growing archive includes newspapers from the UK, Ireland and beyond, digitised page-by-page on an ongoing basis by a team based in Boston Spa, Yorkshire.

Using the latest equipment, the pages are scanned to a high resolution, and the images processed using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. This extracts the text data, enabling Findmypast’s own machine learning technology to identify key terms powering a more detailed search, including information like names, dates, locations, and even phrases. Quality checks ensure that the pages are clean and readable before they are processed and added to the archive.

Lee Wilkinson, Managing Director of DC Thomson History, which owns Findmypast, said: “Reaching 100 million published newspaper pages is a landmark moment for Findmypast, and a powerful reflection of what long-term partnership can achieve. Over 15 years, we have worked closely with major British & Irish archives, cultural organisations, and publishers to preserve these fragile records and expand public access to them. Each page adds depth to our shared history and gives researchers, educators, local historians and families new ways to understand the lives and communities that came before us. I’d encourage everyone to go online and explore this rich resource for free.” 

Delve deeper into your family history at www.findmypast.co.uk

(With thanks to Madeleine Gilbert) 

Chris 

Order Researching Ancestral Crisis in Ireland in the UK at https://bit.ly/4jJWSEh. Also available -Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors, Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. To purchase in the USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page.

Free access to the Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland (UK only)

The first edition of the Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, published 2016, is currently free to access on Kindle in the UK via Amazon at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Oxford-Dictionary-Family-Britain-Ireland-ebook/dp/B01N41TEO3/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR29TPLqpnoL8tCXjBMaJhM3a3v0KNeHPl2srv2fYyfg-PSPIPgyRgy6zjI_aem_dVq-Gj5CRh7Au93Z3vCsoQ.

An initial browse through it has found most of my family's ancestral surnames, and I have been impressed with the definitions provided. Irish names are covered, as well as Scottish, although it does seem that more effort has gone into researching the English names. Nevertheless, this is a useful book, so perhaps grab it while you can!

Chris

Order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors in the UK at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. For purchase in tthe USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, on Threads at @scottishgenesblog and via Mastodon at https://mastodon.scot/@ScottishGENES.

Free access to FindmyPast for Remembrance Day commemorations

From FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk):

Uncover forgotten wartime stories with free access to Findmypast this Remembrance Day

•    Research from Findmypast has revealed that 1.18 million wartime stories could be lost to history forever, as two thirds (64%) of Brits admit they haven't researched an ancestor who served
•    To combat this, all records on Findmypast will be free to the public over the Remembrance weekend (7-11 November 2024)
•    Delve into ancestors’ wartime experiences – from WRENS to frontline troops – in millions of military records
•    The 1921 Census will be free to view for the first time, offering a snapshot of interwar life
•    Uncover the details of family heroics and tragedy within the pages of Findmypast’s treasure trove of historical newspapers
•    Preserve stories and memories in a family tree and take advantages of helpful free tools and features

This Remembrance weekend, Findmypast is offering free access to all records to enable more people to discover their family’s wartime experiences.

This comes after new research conducted by Findmypast revealed that 1.18 million wartime stories are at risk of being forgotten, with a staggering two thirds (64%) of Brits admit they haven't researched an ancestor who served. 

From 7 November – 11 November, anyone can delve into the billions of records and historical newspapers on Findmypast, including the exclusive 1921 Census for the first time.

With millions of military records available – from WWI service records to medical records, enrolment forms, and rolls of honour – you can trace every detail of your ancestors’ wartime service across the globe.

With millions of women serving in in uniform and undertaking civilian wartime roles, make sure to uncover their stories in record sets including the WRENs files, Red Cross volunteer lists, rolls of honour, and service records. 

Newspapers on Findmypast offer a treasure trove of information and stories. You might find details of your ancestors’ wartime heroics, images of your community during the blitz, or fascinating insights into the reporting of major milestones in the war. Follow history as it happened with free access to millions of newspaper pages, digitised in partnership with the British Library.

With the 1921 Census offered free for the first time, you can also discover the impacts of the First World War on your family’s lives. Uncover their changing occupations and reflect on tragic losses, all documented in the largest and most comprehensive census in British history. Trace their lives further into the 20th century with the 1939 Register, taken on the advent of the Second World War.

Plus, you’ll get free use of all Findmypast’s tools and features to aid your research and grow your tree. Preserve your findings with Findmypast’s online family tree builder, and allow the clever hints to get your family history further, faster and with more accuracy. Search for ancestors within the branches of other members’ tree and uncover new connections. Discover milestone moments with Family Notices, and map these onto their profile.

Sarah Bush, Managing Director at Findmypast said: "Remembrance Day provides the perfect opportunity to reflect on our ancestors’ sacrifices, but research shows many stories remain untold. We’re encouraging people to honour their ancestors by uncovering their wartime stories. Every family’s wartime experience is unique, so we’re making our vast and varied collection of records, newspapers and tools on Findmypast free to ensure that no story is left behind.”

Free access on Findmypast will run from 10am GMT on 7 November to 11.59pm FMP on Monday 11 November. Ts&Cs Apply.  

(With thanks to Maddy Gilbert)

 

Chris

Order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors in the UK at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. For purchase in tthe USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, on Threads at @scottishgenesblog and via Mastodon at https://mastodon.scot/@ScottishGENES.

MyHeritage offers free access to Canadian records for Canada Day

From MyHeritage (www.myheritage.com):

MyHeritage is offering free access to all 135.4 million Canadian historical records on MyHeritage for a limited time, from June 27 to July 2, 2024.

MyHeritage has 183 collections from Canada, including vital records (birth, marriage, and death), census records, immigration and passenger lists, military records, and newspapers pages. Among these collections, we have recently added the 1931 Canada Census, complete with an index created by MyHeritage. These records provide a wealth of information that can help anyone with Canadian heritage learn more about their family story.

For further details visit the MyHeritage blog at https://blog.myheritage.com/2024/06/celebrate-canada-day-with-free-access-to-canadian-historical-records/.

(With thanks to Daniel Horowitz)

Chris

Order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors in the UK at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. For purchase in tthe USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, on Threads at @scottishgenesblog and via Mastodon at https://mastodon.scot/@ScottishGENES.

Free access to FindmyPast from June 6-10

From FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk):

Find your family heroes with free access to millions of records and newspapers on Findmypast for D-Day

•    Delve into your family’s stories with free access to records and newspapers on Findmypast between 6-10 June*
•    Discover the remarkable actions of men and women at home and overseas in the largest collection of historical newspapers online
•    Explore your ancestors’ military service and the lives they lived with records you won’t find anywhere else
•    Preserve your family’s wartime stories for the next generation in a family tree on Findmypast

*Excludes 1921 Census and Tree Search

Between 6-10 June, Family history website, Findmypast, is making millions of its family history records free to access* to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, so you can uncover and honour their stories and sacrifices.

Explore your wartime ancestor’s story with the largest collection of British and Irish newspapers online, digitised in partnership with the British Library. 

Among the pages, you might find details of bravery or moving tributes to the fallen – rich details that can help you feel closer to your ancestors. You can also uncover the wider story of D-Day as it happened in the newspaper reports or look more closely at the impact of the war on your own community. Make sure to clip, save, and share articles of interest using the new Collections feature on Findmypast.

Findmypast’s family history records can paint a vivid picture of what your ancestor was doing during wartime. They may have been a prisoner of war, helped on the home front, or worked as a Red Cross volunteer. Discover their whereabouts on the eve of war in the 1939 Register and delve into the largest collection of British Army records anywhere online, including regimental records and the British in India collection, which runs right up to 1947.

Uncover those all-important life events in the most comprehensive collection of British parish records online, and check Findmypast’s vibrant Photo Collection for a glimpse into life during wartime.

Preserve your findings with Findmypast’s online family tree builder and share their legacy with family and friends.

It’s also a perfect time to explore your own family archive for letters, diaries or photographs. Keep your ancestors’ memories alive by sharing their stories with your loved ones, and share your findings online using the hashtag #FindMyFamilyHero.

Jen Baldwin, Research Specialist at Findmypast said: "80 years on from D-Day and the stories of service and sacrifice remain extremely poignant and relevant to us today. We invite everyone to discover their own family’s wartime stories with free access to Findmypast’s records this weekend and preserve them for future generations.”

*Records on Findmypast (apart from the 1921 Census of England and Wales and Tree Search) will be free to access for all signed-in users from 10am GMT Thursday 6 June, until 10am GMT Monday 10 June 2024. 

(With thanks to Madeleine Gilbert)

Chris

Order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors in the UK at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. For purchase in tthe USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, on Threads at @scottishgenesblog and via Mastodon at https://mastodon.scot/@ScottishGENES.

Free UK access to Ancestry military records from June 5-11

To commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) is offeing free access to its military records collections from June 5th to 11th, including war diaries and its Forces War Records collections.  

To access the collections visit https://www.ancestry.co.uk/c/d-day 

Chris

Order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors in the UK at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. For purchase in tthe USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, on Threads at @scottishgenesblog and via Mastodon at https://mastodon.scot/@ScottishGENES.

Free access to Ancestry's Global Wartime Records for Remembrance weekend

From Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk), details of free access to its Global Wartime Records collection, for the Remembrance weekend:

Free access – 7 days only*
Discover a world of wartime stories

This Remembrance, enjoy unlimited views and searches of over 22 billion global wartime records until 13th November. Start uncovering your family's wartime story today.

*Free access ends 13 Nov 2023 at 11:59 p.m. To view these records you will need to register for free with Ancestry.co.uk with your name and email address. We will then send you a username and password to access the records. After the free access period ends, you will only be able to view the records in the featured collections using an Ancestry.co.uk paid membership. Terms apply. One free trial per person. Requires registration with a valid credit or debit card. Unless you cancel before the end of your free trial, your chosen membership will begin and you'll be charged the relevant price. Your membership will automatically renew at the same price at the end of each membership period, unless you are notified otherwise. If you don’t want to renew, cancel at least two days before your renewal date by visiting the My Account section or calling 0800 783 1340. Terms apply.

To access the records visit www.ancestry.co.uk/c/remembrance-day 

A list of databases included is available at https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/categories/uk_remembrance_2023/#collections 

Chris

Order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors in the UK at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. For purchase in tthe USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, on Threads at @scottishgenesblog and via Mastodon at https://mastodon.scot/@ScottishGENES.

Free access to FindmyPast for Remembrance weekend

From FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk):

Discover wartime ancestors for free on Findmypast this Remembrance weekend

• Findmypast is free this Remembrance weekend, enabling anyone to trace the wartime experiences of their ancestors.
• Unearth your ancestors’ remarkable stories in the newspaper archives.
• Honour and share their legacies on a Findmypast family tree and discover the details of their lives in the 1921 Census, 1939 Register, military records and more.
• Share your discoveries on social media with the hashtag #RememberThemAll.

To mark Remembrance, Findmypast is making its website and collections completely free to the public*. From Thursday 9 November to Monday 13 November, anyone will be able to uncover the wartime experiences of their ancestors, from nurses to soldiers to home front civilians.  

With free access to over 14 billion records and an interconnected tree network, it’s easier than ever to uncover your ancestors’ wartime stories.  

Explore the rich stories of bravery, community and tragedy in over 70 million searchable historical newspaper pages, digitised in partnership with the British Library. You’ll find details about your ancestors that you won’t get in other records, helping you to make connections and gain a deeper understanding of their wartime experiences.  

You can also delve into the exclusive 1921 Census, 1939 Register, military records, hospital and migration records, and many more, to build a detailed picture of your ancestors’ lives.  

Preserve your findings with Findmypast’s simple online family tree builder. Allow the clever hints to get your family history going further, faster and with more accuracy, and share your wartime ancestors’ legacy with friends and family.

Jen Baldwin, Research Specialist at Findmypast, said: “We’re making our entire site free this Remembrance weekend to help everyone to discover their ancestors’ experiences and stories from this tragic and momentous period in recent history. We hope that people will feel more connected to the people in the past who gave so much for our present. From soldiers and nurses to civilians and volunteers, we will remember them all this Remembrance weekend.”

Search for free at https://www.findmypast.co.uk/ from 9-13 November 2023.  

*Records on Findmypast will be free to access for all signed-in users from 10am GMT Thursday 9 November, until 10am GMT Monday 13 November.  

UPDATE: FindmyPast has reissued the press release to state that the 1921 census is not included in this.

Chris

Order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors in the UK at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. For purchase in tthe USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, on Threads at @scottishgenesblog and via Mastodon at https://mastodon.scot/@ScottishGENES.

Free access to MyHeritage death records

From MyHeritage (www.myheritage.com):

From October 27 to November 1, 2023, we’re offering free access to all death, burial, cemetery, and obituary records on MyHeritage. With 370 collections and 881,738,760 records, this special Halloween treat is sure to delight. 

To access this invaluable resource visit myheritage.com/halloween, and start searching. If you are not yet a MyHeritage member, you’ll be asked to register in order to access the records. 

For further details, visit https://blog.myheritage.com/2023/10/unlock-the-past-with-myheritage-this-halloween/

(With thanks to Daniel Horowitz)

Chris

Order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors in the UK at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. For purchase in tthe USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, on Threads at @scottishgenesblog and via Mastodon at https://mastodon.scot/@ScottishGENES.

Free access to Canadian records on MyHeritage for Canada Day

From MyHeritage (www.myheritage.com):

As Canada Day approaches, I’m thrilled to share that MyHeritage is offering free access to all our Canadian records from June 29 to July 2, 2023! Our vast range of Canadian records includes 176 featuring 103,662,055 records, including immigration documents, military records, census data, and more.

This limited-time free access provides an unparalleled opportunity for those with Canadian heritage to explore their roots and learn more about their ancestors.

To access the collection, visit https://www.myheritage.com/research/category-Canada/canada-genealogy-vital-records

(With thanks to Daniel Horowitz)

Chris

Order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors in the UK at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. For the USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Free access to MyHeritage military records this weekend

From MyHeritage (www.myheritage.com):

At MyHeritage, we believe it’s our duty to preserve every family story, and that responsibility takes on added significance as we pay tribute to the brave men and women who gave their lives to safeguard our freedom. In honor of Memorial Day, we’re offering free access to all 83.1 million military records on MyHeritage, from May 25–30, 2023. 

Our 65 military record collections include draft, enlistment, and service records, pension records, and military biographies from various countries around the world, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and many more. These records can reveal a wealth of information about your ancestors, such as their rank, unit, date of enlistment and discharge, physical characteristics, and even their next of kin.

Search the records at https://www.myheritage.com/research/catalog/category-3000/military

Chris

Order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors in the UK at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. For the USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Free access to MyHeritage UK collections this weekend

MyHeritage (www.myheritage.com) is offering free access to its 1.1 billion U.K. historical records from May 4th–8th, 2023. For further details visit https://www.myheritage.com/research/category-United-Kingdom/united-kingdom-genealogy-vital-records

That should offer a healthy distraction for the weekend!

Chris

Order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors in the UK at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. For the USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

MyHeritage free access to Irish Records, and Mother's Day DNA sale

MyHeritage (www.myheritage.com) is offering free access to its Irish collections for this year's St. Patrick's Day weekend:

We are pleased to announce that in honor of St. Patrick’s Day this year, we are making all 106 of our Irish record collections available to search for free for a limited time, March 14–19, 2023! If you have Irish heritage, you may get lucky and discover a family treasure!

The MyHeritage Irish collections include Irish birth, marriage, death, census, wills, atlases, directories, calendars, historical books, registers, passenger lists, prisoner, and registration records. Many of the collections also include images.

You can discover more at https://blog.myheritage.com/2023/03/free-irish-records-for-st-patricks-day/ - the records themselves can be searched at https://www.myheritage.com/research/category-Ireland/ireland-genealogy-vital-records.

There's also a MyHeritage DNA promotion at https://www.myheritage.com/dna for Mother's Day.

Chris

Pre-order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

MyHeritage offers free access to marriage records

From MyHeritage (www.myheritage.com):

Explore Marriage Records for Free This Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love, and what better time could there be to explore the love stories of your ancestors? For a limited time only, we’re offering free access to all marriage records on MyHeritage! The records will be free to search and view from February 13–19, 2023.

To view the marriage records, visit https://www.myheritage.com/research/category-2020/marriage-divorce - a full list of the collections included is at https://www.myheritage.com/research/catalog/category-2020/marriage-divorce.

For further details visit https://blog.myheritage.com/2023/02/explore-marriage-records-for-free-this-valentines-day/.

(With thanks to Daniel Horowitz)

Chris

Pre-order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Free access to British Newspaper Archive holdings on FindmyPast

FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk) is offering free access to its newspaper collections from May 30th until June 6th.  You will need to register for a free account to use the collection.

Note that the search screen on FindmyPast's newspaper collections is not great - you may have more luck searching first on the British Newspaper Archive at www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk, and if you find something, then try to locate it on FindmyPast. (The sites hold largely the same records.)

To access the collection visit https://www.findmypast.co.uk/page/free-access.

Chris

My new book Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records is now available to buy at https://bit.ly/IrishLandRecords. Also available - Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

MyHeritage offers free access to military records until May 31st

MyHeritage (www.myheritage.com) is offering free access to its military records until May 31st, as part of commemorations for the US Memorial Day. From the site:

MyHeritage is home to 694 collections of 74 million military records from all around the world — including draft, enlistment, and service records, pension records, and other military documents. Several important military record collections have been added in the past few months, including collections from France, Germany, and the United States. The collections contain records going back as far as the mid-1700s, providing information on people across the globe who were involved in the major armed conflicts of the past few centuries.

To access the records visit https://www.myheritage.com/research/catalog/category-3000/military.

(Source: https://www.myheritage.com/research/catalog/category-3000/military)

Chris

My new book Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records is now available to buy at https://bit.ly/IrishLandRecords. Also available - Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Claim a free copy of History Scotland magazine

From History Scotland magazine (www.historyscotland.com):

Sign up to the History Scotland newsletter and claim your free issue of History Scotland

History Scotland are offering a free issue of the popular magazine!

    Members of the public can claim a free issue of History Scotland
    The digital magazine is available when you sign up to the History Scotland newsletter
    The popular newsletter features history news, articles, offers and more
    The Jan/Feb 2022 issue , being offered for free, is usually priced £4.99

How to claim the free issue…

Members of the public with an interest in Scottish history are being encouraged to sign up to the free History Scotland newsletter, which is emailed to thousands of enthusiasts every fortnight.

Once they sign up they will immediately receive access to the full Jan/Feb 2022 issue, as a digital ‘page-turner’ edition.

To register, visit https://www.historyscotland.com/account/register

Chris

My new book Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records is now available to buy at https://bit.ly/IrishLandRecords. Also available - Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Claim a free issue of Family Tree magazine

From Family Tree magazine (www.family-tree.co.uk):

Family Tree offer genealogists a free issue of the popular magazine

· Members of the public can now claim a free issue of Family Tree magazine
· The full, digital version of the magazine is available when you sign up to the FT newsletter
· Family Tree’s popular newsletter features genealogy tips, news, articles, offers and more
· The April 2022 issue of the magazine, being offered for free, is usually priced £5.50

The Family Tree team are giving everyone the chance to sample the hugely popular magazine for free as part of a new drive to promote the hobby and get more people researching their family history.

Simply sign up to the email at: www.family-tree.co.uk/account/register

Members of the public with an interest in family history are being encouraged to sign up to the free Family Tree newsletter, which is emailed to thousands of enthusiasts every week. Once they sign up they will immediately receive access to the full April 2022 issue, as a digital ‘page-turner’ edition.

Editor Helen Tovey said: “We want everyone to sample our wonderful magazine and this seemed like a great way to get people involved and for them to find out more about family history. We’re so proud of our monthly mag, it’s been going since 1984 and is packed with information and inspiration, and we also love putting together our weekly newsletter. Family history is all about sharing and so we’d thought we’d give something back!”

Highlights of the April issue include:

· Determining the origin of surnames
· How your ancestors' birth dates can hold the key to the past
· How to use kirk session records
· The lives and working conditions of tailors, dressmakers & seamstresses

Family Tree is published every month by Warners Group Publications. Find out more at www.family-tree.co.uk

(With thanks to Matthew Hill)

Chris

My new book Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records is now available to buy at https://bit.ly/IrishLandRecords. Also available - Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

MyHeritage offers free records access for Anzac Day

From MyHeritage (www.myheritage.com):

To make Anzac Day even more meaningful, MyHeritage is pleased to offer free access to our collections of 95 million records from Australia and New Zealand, between 20 April and 26 April 2022 (inclusive).

MyHeritage can help you discover and preserve the stories of your Australian and New Zealander relatives who fought for freedom, or any of your relatives from the region – so seize this excellent research opportunity when the records are free of charge.

MyHeritage is home to several important historical record collections from Australia and New Zealand, including a number of military collections such as the Anzac Memorial records, the Australian World War II Nominal Roll, 1939–1945, and more. Additional records, such as vital records, newspapers, and government records can help fill in more details to paint a full picture of your relatives’ lives. 

For further details, visit the MyHeritage blog post at https://blog.myheritage.com/2022/04/anzac-day-free-access-to-all-australia-new-zealand-records. 

Records are freely available until April 26th.

Chris

My new book Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records is now available to buy at https://bit.ly/IrishLandRecords. Also available - Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.