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.

Ancestry releases five UK themed Second World War databases

Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) has released five new UK themed World War 2 databases:

UK, World War II Photographs, 1939-1945
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62210/
Source: WWII Images. London, England: Mirrorpix.

About UK, World War II Photographs, 1939-1945

The World War II collection includes photos of the Second Great Fire of London and the destruction following the Blitz air raid bombings.

The images in this collection come from Mirrorpix, a division of Reach PLC, a publishing company.

Mirrorpix is a comprehensive archive of photographic press images. The collection includes works from the Daily Mirror newspaper, the Daily Express, and hundreds more leading regional newspapers.

 

UK, British Army World War II Medal Cards, 1939-1945
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62862/
Source: WW2 C.S.20 Army Medal Cards (WO 460). Kew, Surrey, England.

About UK, British Army World War II Medal Cards, 1939-1945

This collection contains an index of cards with information about medals awarded by the British Army for service during the Second World War. Records include a link to the image available on Forces War Records and Fold3.

The cards served as applications for war service medals, including the Defence Medal, the War Medal 1939-45, and campaign stars that were awarded for service in specific theatres of the war. Veterans or their family members were required to submit an application to claim the appropriate medals, and many veterans didn’t file applications to receive their military honours.

It is believed that the medal index cards do not survive for members of the following regiments:

• Royal Engineers
• Royal Army Veterinary Corps
• Royal Army Medical Corps
• Royal Army Ordnance Corps
• Auxiliary Territorial Service
• Scots Guards
• Leicestershire Regiment
• Royal Warwickshire Regiment
• Lincolnshire Regiment
• West Yorkshire Regiment
• East Yorkshire Regiment
• Green Howards
• Duke of Wellington's Regiment
• Sherwood Foresters
• York and Lancashire Regiment
• Royal Northumberland Fusiliers
• Royal Ulster Rifles
• Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
• Royal Irish Fusiliers
• King's Own Regiment
• Lancashire Fusiliers
• East Lancashire Regiment
• Border Regiment
• South Lancashire Regiment
• Loyal Regiment
• Manchester Regiment
• Welch Regiment
• Cheshire Regiment
• Worcester Regiment
• South Staffordshire Regiment
• North Staffordshire Regiment
• South Wales Borderers
• Royal Welch Fusiliers
• Liverpool Regiment

The Second World War medals for civilian personnel in the Political Warfare Directorate are not included in this series.


UK, Selected Smaller Units Service Records, 1921-1959
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62683/
Source: WO 421: War Office: Selected Smaller Corps Other Ranks: Service Records. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives.

About UK, Selected Smaller Units Service Records, 1921-1959

This collection contains military service records for members of the British armed forces created between 1921 and 1959. A majority of the records are related to the discharge of over-age personnel who served during the Second World War between 1939 and 1945.

This collection includes service records from the following Corps:
Army Air Corps Royal
Army Veterinary Corps
Royal Military Police (or Corps of Military Police)
Royal Army Pay Corps
Royal Army Physical Training Corps
Military Provost Staff Corps
Royal Corps of Army Music
Royal Army Education Corps
Royal Pioneer Corps
Intelligence Corps
Officer Training Corps
Non-Combatant Corps


UK, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Service Records, 1942-1959
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62682/
Source: WO 420: War Office: The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Other Ranks: Service Records (WO 420). Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives.

About the UK, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Service Records, 1942-1959

This collection contains records of service members who served in the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (officers excluded) between the years 1942 and 1959. In this collection you’ll find service members who served during and after the Second World War, as well as those who were discharged for “aging out” of service (over 45). Only records of service members born over 100 years ago have been published, with more released annually as they exceed 100 years since birth.

Using this collection

Records in this collection may include the following information:
Name
Birth date and place
Age
Service number
Rank
Regiment
Residence place
Parents’ names
Parents’ birth dates and places
Spouse’s name
Spouse's birth date and place
Marriage date and place
Religion
Physical attributes
Enlistment date and place
Discharge date and place
Occupation
Death date and place

Each service member has a packet containing multiple records. When viewing this collection be sure to use the image viewer to view all the records available in the packet. Service record packets may include the following:

• Attestation forms: documents created upon initial recruitment or transfer between units
• Statement of service: a list of the soldier’s postings whilst in service
• B102 Tracer cards: used to trace the soldier’s movements and promotions in the military
• B103 Service and casualty forms: an expanded version of the military service providing more in-depth details

The first page of each packet will include the piece number, which is used for cataloguing the records and will prove useful when creating source citations.

 

Poland and Great Britain, Polish Air Force in Great Britain, 1940-1947
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/63126/
Source: personelu Polskich Sił Powietrznych w Wielkiej Brytanii, 1940-1947. Polska: Krzystek’s List. https://listakrzystka.pl/en/ Accessed: July 2024.

About Poland and Great Britain, Polish Air Force in Great Britain, 1940-1947

This index-only collection captures over 16,000 Polish aviators who served in Great Britain during the Second World War. The index also includes service members who worked in other divisions of the Polish Air Force (PAF) in Britain—such as the Aviation Inspectorate—as well as Polish volunteers for the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF).

The index may include the following information:

• Name
• Service number
• Rank and specialty
• Date and place of birth
• Date of death
• Place of burial
• Last known assignment/post
• Military decorations
• Last known residence

The names of Polish personnel were processed by British officers, so misspellings may have occurred. Consider different first name/surname variations during your search. If you locate a service number, you can use it to order service records from the Ministry of Defence. Such records can offer more details about a service member’s military career. https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/royal-air-force-personnel/ and https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/requests-for-personal-data-and-service-records offer guidance on how to order and procure RAF service records.

* Further details for al the collections via the links given.

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.

Ancestry adds new Irish based paupers database

Ancestry has added the following dataset:

Ireland, Paupers in Workhouses Who Were Born in England, Wales, or Scotland, 1863
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62994/
Source: Paupers (Ireland). Return of Names and Ages of Paupers in Workhouses in Ireland, on the 25th day of March 1863, who were born in England, Wales or Scotland. Dublin, Ireland: Poor Law Commission Office, 1863.

General collection information

This collection is an index of information from a book titled: Return of Names and Ages of all Paupers in the Workhouses in Ireland, on the 25th day of March 1863, who were born in England, Wales or Scotland.

Records in this collection may include the following information:

• Name
• Age
• Birthplace
• Name of poor law union

The information in this collection can be used to learn more about your ancestor and their life in a pauper workhouse. Knowing your ancestor's birthplace and the union where they lived in a workhouse may lead to other documents from that geographic area, such as church records of births, marriages, and deaths. Although the index may feature multiple people with the same last name in a particular section, the records do not say whether they are related. Ireland parish records, birth and death certificates, and census records can help you determine relations.

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.

Pre-order my new book Researching Ancestral Crisis in Ireland

I'm delighted to say that my new book is now available for pre-order from Pen and Sword at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Researching-Ancestral-Crisis-in-Ireland-Paperback/p/51770, at an introductory price of £12.79 (RRP £15.99) plus postage. The book will be published on February 28th 2025. 

Entitled Researching Ancestral Crisis in Ireland: A Guide for Family Historians, the book looks at the moments in our Irish ancestors' lives where things went wrong, and how they were documented. Here's the back cover blurb:

Ireland is an extraordinarily beautiful island from which millions can claim their direct ancestry. But Ireland is also an island which has experienced some truly extraordinary moments of crisis which will have directly impacted our forebears, helping to shape us into the individuals that we are today. Whenever such crises happened, whether on a national scale or within the home, there was invariably somebody standing close to hand with a quill and parchment to document the misfortunes that befell so many.

In this latest book, family historian Chris Paton takes a look at some of the darkest episodes of Irish history over the last four hundred years, as well as the everyday crises that affected everyone throughout their lives. He will discuss the impact of many major events on our ancestors, including colonisation, conquest and rebellion, as well as the various pressures endured from within the family, the church, and the state.

Along the way Chris highlights the records that can help us to show the various trials and tribulations faced by our ancestors, which can help to vividly bring our family histories to life, including those available both online and within Ireland's many local and national archives.

And the following is the chapter breakdown:

Introduction

Acknowledgements

Timeline

1. Irish Family History Research Basics
    Births, marriages and deaths
    Church records
        Roman Catholic records
        Protestant church records
    Census records
    Wills
    DNA
    Gateway sites
    Irish archives
    British archives
    Libraries
    Commercial vendors    
    Newspapers
    Societies
    Commercial research services

2. Family events and relationships
    Births and illegitimacy
    'Fallen women'
    Mother and baby homes
    Foundlings
    Orphans
    Adoption
    Home children
    Marital issues
    Separation and divorce
    Bigamy
    Homosexuality
    Death
    Suicide
    
3. Law and Order
    Brehon laws        
    English law
    The Crown courts
    Local courts
    Grand juries
    Manor records
    Church courts
    Police and prison records
    Transportation
    Execution

4. Poverty and health
    Poor law
    Deportation of Irish paupers from Britain
    Public health concerns
    Hospitals and public health
    Asylums

5. Them and Us
    The Plantations of Ulster
    The 1641 Rebellion
    The Cromwellian Conquest
    The Penal Laws
    The Great Famine
    The Land War
    The Home Rule Crisis
    The Suffragettes
    The Dublin Lockout
    The First World War
    The Easter Rising
    The War of Independence
    The Treaty and the Civil War
    The Legacy of Conflict

I hope you enjoy the book, I've put a lot into it!

** Please note that the book will be available in the United States from April 2025, retailing at US $28.95 - see https://www.penandswordbooks.com/9781036110376/researching-ancestral-crisis-in-ireland/ for details.

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's death records collections for Hallowe'en

From October 29th to November 1st 2024, MyHeritage (www.myheritage.com) is offering free access to its death, burial, cemetery, and obituary records. There are nearly 1.2 billion records in 435 collections.

For more on the story visit https://blog.myheritage.com/2024/10/discover-your-ancestors-stories-with-free-access-to-death-records-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 the 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.

ScotlandsPeople adds Barlinnie Prison records

The ScotlandsPeople website (www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk) has added 180,000 records of admissions to Barlinnie Prison, Glasgow, from 1882-1899. The release also includes a prisoner photograph album with images of 2000 inmates.

For more on the story visit https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/news-and-articles/exploring-hmp-barlinnie

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.

FindmyPast's appalling subscription rates restructure

FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk) has restructured its pricing mechanism to offer two new subscription packages, which are likely to infuriate many regular users. 

The first, called Family Tree, costs £9.99 per month, but only allows you to access records that the site's hints tell you may be connected to you through your hosted family tree. The second, called Everything, is £24.99 a month, or £199 annually, and replaces the previous Premium package.

The unfortunate thing about the Family Tree package is that you are entirely reliant on the site's Borg drones (i.e. its algorithms) to do your research for you, which is absolutely NOT the way to carry out research if you wish to be in control of the process. 

You can read more about the changes at WDYTYA magazine's post at https://www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/news/findmypast-introduces-new-pricing-structure.

I would suggest that this one seriously needs an urgent rethink.

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.

Ulster Historical Foundations adds new records to database

The Ulster Historical Foundation (https://ulsterhistoricalfoundation.com) has added 14,000 new records to its database, comprised of the following:

1) 4900 Roman Catholic birth records from Belfast and County Antrim, for the following areas: 

• Sacred Heart Parish, Belfast - 1916-1929
• Hannahstown, Co. Antrim - 1899-1929
• Holy Cross, Belfast - 1867-1899

2) 8,700 freeholder records, showcasing those registered to vote across various Irish counties from 1747 to 1837.

The databases are acessible at https://ulsterhistoricalfoundation.com/genealogy-databases/list.

(With thanks to Gillian Hunt)

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.

National Library of Scotland's new Mills of Britain tool

There's a new mapping tool on the National Library of Scotland mapping platform, entitled Mills of Britain (https://maps.nls.uk/projects/mills-of-britain) - the following is the blurb:

This new web resource shows the locations and details of over 15,000 mill sites mapped in 18th-19th century Britain. You can browse and filter the mill records by survey date, map symbology, mill type, as well as their distances from rivers. There is also supporting information about the project, its background, identifying mills on maps, the methods, and on accuracy and georeferencing. You can also explore more and access the data. The online resource was created through a collaborative project with the University of Glasgow and University of Wollongong, funded by the Leverhulme Trust.

The project covers Britain, rather than the UK, so Northern Ireland is not included, but Scotland is well served in the coverage. Pictured below is a grab from the site for the Mill of Airntully in the parish of Kinclaven, Perthshire. To the right are descriptiosn from three separate maps for the mill site.

Have fun exploring!

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.

Forthcoming talk on the British civilian POW camp in the First World War at Ruhleben

Hi folks,

A quick heads up that I will be giving a talk to the Society of Genealogists in London, England, on the topic of British Civilian POWs in the First World War. The following is the talk description:

The First World War had a profound impact on civilians accidentally caught in its wake. Thousands of British and British Empire civilians, living or travelling in Europe, were suddenly rounded up and imprisoned in a makeshift internment camp on the outskirts of Berlin from 1914-1918.

In this illuminating talk, professional genealogist Chris Paton delves into the story of these 5,500 civilian prisoners of war—including over 1,000 merchant seamen—whose lives were forever changed by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Discover the hardships they endured, their resilience and the legacy of a little-known chapter in wartime history.

To register please visit https://members.sog.org.uk/events/6578c48c03db660008585914/description?ticket=6578c48c03db660008585916 - and I hope to maybe see you there!

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.