Welcome to the Family History Social

Don’t miss The Family History Show London, the major event of the genealogical calendar.

With many new features to help with your research, free lectures, and free parking. This year it’s taking place at the larger Surrey Hall at Sandown Park Racecourse in Esher, with more exhibitors and an additional lecture area.

 It will be a packed day with the Keynote speech being given by the International Genealogy Blogger Dick Eastman on ‘The Future of Genealogy’.

Other speakers include Jane Shrimpton (Dating Photographs), Graham Walter, Chris Baker (Military), Keith Gregson (Social History), Mark Bayley (Research Techniques). Sponsored by TheGenealogist and organised by Discover Your Ancestors Magazine the show in York this June was a packed event pleasing both attendees and stallholders alike.

These events are attracting family history societies and companies from all over the UK and further afield. Including The Federation of Family History Societies, MOD, Local Record Offices, Archives, Guild of One Name Studies, Family History Book Publishers, Research Organisations, Genealogy Retailers, Online Services and more.

Our ‘Ask the Experts’ panel and the ‘Census Detectives’ will be there to help with your research, date photographs and identify medals.

There is plenty of free parking and refreshments are available all day.

Last year our advanced ticket allocation sold out and the visitor numbers were exceptional, we advise early booking to avoid disappointment.

Exhibitor numbers have increased with the keenly priced tables. If you wish to attend, space and the reasonably priced tables are rapidly running out. If you would like to book exhibitor’s space at the Family History Show London you can get the booking form here.

https://thefamilyhistoryshow.com/london/exhibit/#promo

Tickets - Buy One Get One Half Price!

Early Bird offer: Buy your tickets in advance for £5 a person or buy two for £7.50 door price will be £7 each, and don’t forget everyone gets a Goody Bag worth £8 on entrance!

To take advantage of this offer:

Go to  www.TheFamilyHistoryShow.com/london

Today marks the 60th anniversary of the Public Records Act (PRA) 1958.

This Act introduced a new system of reviewing, selecting and transferring of records which continues to this day.

The National Archives posted a link on their facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/TheNationalArchives/) for anyone that wants to learn more about TNA’s duties under this Act: http://socsi.in/m6opG

FIBIS 20th anniversary conference is to be held at Hawkwell House Hotel, Iffley, Oxford. Friday 28th to Sunday 30th September 2018. This weekend conference is for both members and non-members of the Families in British India Society with an interest in the period of British involvement in India from 1600 to 1947.

The varied lectures cover family and historical research topics. In this final year of the WWI centenary, the conference showcases the FIBIS project detailing recruits to WWI from the community of Anglo-Indians and domiciled Europeans, a view of the Gurkha Regiment over 200 years and advice on researching Indian Army records. Remembering 1947, there will be a lecture on Partition and Independence viewed through the contemporary newsreel and camera lens.

The Conference also considers different approaches to individual family research, from the science of DNA to the very subjective memories evoked by sharing a kitchen!

The actress Diana Quick also relates her typical Anglo-Indian family story and the research and journeys that it inspired.

Alongside the lecture programme there will be workshops and opportunities for one to one help, and time to network and compare notes with other delegates, buy books, meet the speakers and authors and join in social activities.

You can book for the conference at https://www.fibis.org/events/fibis-20th-anniversary-conference/ 

Here are some links for more information:

https://www.fibis.org/events/fibis-20th-anniversary-conference/20th-anniversary-conference-speakers/ 

https://www.fibis.org/events/fibis-20th-anniversary-conference/20th-anniversary-conference-sponsors/

https://www.hawkwellhouse.co.uk/

TheGenealogist has just released 116,218 records into its ever growing Poll Book Database. This useful resource for family historians can be used to find ancestors residences from the period before the census collection. The newly released Poll Books range from 1705 to the 1830s, joining records covering periods between census years.

The database allows researchers to:

• Discover ancestors who had the vote
• Find where they were registered to cast their ballot
• Discover the nature of their qualification to vote, such as possessing a Corn Warehouse, a Workshop, a House, or owning a Brewhouse
• These Poll Books range from 1705 to the 1830s.

The records cover 18 different registers of people who were entitled to vote in between 1705 and the 1830s and covers constituencies situated in Abingdon, Bristol, Hampshire, Somerset, Suffolk, Maidstone, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Worcestershire and York.

These records have been transcribed by volunteers on the UKindexer.co.uk website which brings benefits to the volunteers as well as the wider family history community.

They join the millions of electoral resources on TheGenealogist which include Electoral registers, Voters lists and Absentee Voters.

Read TheGenealogist’s article at:

https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2018/researching-poll-books-discovers-how-john-constables-family-voted-861/

The Family History Show at York held on the 23rd June was a fantastic success.

The people attending the event run by Discover Your Ancestors Magazine certainly seemed to be enjoying all that was on offer from family history societies to the expert's talks. As we went around asking the exhibitors for their reaction it was universally very positive with comments about how busy it had been and how they would be back next year.

I'm now looking forward to the London show run by the same organisers at Sandown Park Racecourse on the 22nd September.

I hope to see you there!

TheGenealogist has just released a great new resource for family historians wanting to find ancestors who had officially changed their forename or surname in Britain. The Change of Names Database covers information gathered from a number of sources including Private Acts of Parliament; Royal Licences published in the London and Dublin Gazettes; notices of changes of name published in The Times after 1861 with a few notices from other newspapers; registers of the Lord Lyon [King of Arms] where Scottish changes of name were commonly recorded; records in the office of the Ulster King at Arms and also some private information.

Use this database to:

• Discover ancestors that recorded a change of name
• Find what name had been adopted and the name discarded

Lord Byron who changed his surname to Noel and is found in the Change of Name Database on TheGenealogist

This is available to Diamond Subscribers and can be found under Miscellaneous Records.

The second release this month is to coincide with the return of The Family History Show, York to the racecourse on Saturday 23rd June. TheGenealogist has now added the Colour Tithe Maps for the North Riding and the East Riding of Yorkshire. Complimenting the already released schedule books and greyscale maps, these colour maps add an attractive visual aid to find where your ancestor lived in the mid 1800s.

The fully searchable tithe records released online allow researchers to:

• Find plots of land owned or occupied by ancestors in early Victorian North Riding and East Riding of Yorkshire on colour maps
• See where your forebears lived, farmed or perhaps occupied a small cottage or a massive estate.

Colour Tithe map of Township of Kelfield, East Riding of Yorkshire

To search these and a huge assortment of other genealogical records see more at: https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk

Read TheGenealogist's article on the fascinating Change of Name Database at:

https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2018/change-of-name-database-discovers-ancestors-who-adopted-different-surnames-846/

15 June 2018

Don't forget The Family History Show York is next Saturday 23rd June 2018 - 10am to 4.30pm at The Knavesmire Exhibition Centre, The Racecourse, York, YO23 1RX.

Pre-book your tickets for The Family History Show, York and buy one get one half price!   Hurry, as pre-booking closes at the end of Wednesday 20th June!

Saturday 23rd June 2018 - 10am to 4.30pm

The Knavesmire Exhibition Centre, The Racecourse, York, YO23 1EX

Admission: Adults £5.00, Children under 14 FREE

With even more exhibitors attending this year, the York Family History Fair is probably the largest event of its kind in England. Many family history societies and companies attend each year. There is lots of local history from the York area too.

Facilities include:

• Free Talks from Expert Speakers
• Exhibitors from all over the UK
• Free Parking
• Cafe with refreshments available all day
• Fully accessible with lifts and ramps throughout

Our Girl star and Coronation Street actress Michelle Keegan uncovers some exceptional women on her family tree in the episode of Who Do You Think You Are? that is broadcast tonight, Wednesday 6th June 2018 on BBC 1 in the U.K.

This is a stand alone programme from the fifteenth series of the BBC’s genealogy programme. While the rest of the episodes are due to be shown later in the summer, it begins tonight with Michelle's episode to coincide with the BBC’s ‘Hear Her’ series that is celebrating the centenary of women obtaining the vote in Britain.

In this show Michelle Keegan uncovers a special connection to the suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst when setting out to trace her Mancunian roots. She also follows a branch of her family tree to Gibraltar and back into several generations to the north of Italy.

You can read about the discoveries in this article on TheGenealogist’s website. (Warning: article may contain spoilers.)

Who Do You Think You Are? Michelle Keegan

With the 1921 census still some years away from public release, TheGenealogist has added to its 1921 census substitute. This resource covers a large number of county directories which have been transcribed to produce a searchable resource. This appears under Census Records as the 1921 Census Substitute on TheGenealogist and they encompass a period currently not served by a published census. With this release the total records are boosted to 1.75 million heads of household.

The fully transcribed, searchable records released today will allow researchers to:

• search on forename, surname and profession
• search by street, town and county
• look for a business name
• discover your ancestors’ addresses
• find professions listed

These 1921 directories cover Nottingham, Glasgow, Leicestershire & Rutland, Derby, Shropshire, Kent and add to those already released for Aberdeen, Bath, Berkshire, Bradford and Surrounding Districts, Bristol and Suburbs, Brixton and Clapham, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Channel Islands, Cheshire, Cumberland, Dorset, Durham, Hessle, Hull, Lincolnshire, London, London County Suburbs, Middlesbrough, Norfolk, Northumberland, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Suffolk, Westmorland, Wiltshire, Worcestershire and Yorkshire. If you have ancestors that you are tracing in the 1920s then this new release from TheGenealogist adds a fantastic name rich resource for you to use.

At a time when we are celebrating the 100 years of women getting the vote we have used this newly released records to find some people with suffragette connections.

See TheGenealogist's article here:

https://thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2018/1920s-census-substitute-reveals-the-suffragists-tea-room-836/

TheGenealogist has added to its Criminal Records collections with the release of the Metropolitan Police Criminal Records Office: Habitual Criminals Registers and the Habitual Drunkards Registers.

These are high quality transcripts with original colour images of the registers, as well as registers created by the Police to supervise released criminals.

One of the most interesting features of these records are the photographic portraits taken from the Registers of Habitual Drunkards. These feature two photographs - face on and profile - per individual, and some records may also give distinguishing features. The Habitual Drunkards Registers were distributed to licensed premises and the secretaries of clubs to prevent the convicted person from buying alcohol.

• Entries contain a description of the individual and date of discharge from prison
• Some records may also give distinguishing features of the individual
• See face on and profile Photographs of habitual drunks.
• It may also give the name of the prison, length of sentence and previous convictions.
• Includes registers created by the Police to supervise released criminals including spies!

These new records from The National Archive’s MEPO 6 are available as part of the Diamond Subscription at TheGenealogist.

The Criminal Records on TheGenealogist could reveal the darker side of your family tree. Read TheGenealogist’s article:

https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2018/criminal-records-on-thegenealogist-could-reveal-the-darker-side-of-your-family-tree-816/

About TheGenealogist

TheGenealogist is an award-winning online family history website, who put a wealth of information at the fingertips of family historians. Their approach is to bring hard to use physical records to life online with easy to use interfaces such as their Tithe and newly released Lloyd George Domesday collections.

TheGenealogist’s innovative SmartSearch technology links records together to help you find your ancestors more easily. TheGenealogist is one of the leading providers of online family history records. Along with the standard Birth, Marriage, Death and Census records, they also have significant collections of Parish and Nonconformist records, PCC Will Records, Irish Records, Military records, Occupations, Newspaper record collections amongst many others.

TheGenealogist uses the latest technology to help you bring your family history to life. Use TheGenealogist to find your ancestors today!

About The National Archives

The National Archives is one of the world’s most valuable resources for research and an independent research organisation in its own right. As the official archive and publisher for the UK government, and England and Wales they are the guardians of some of the UK's most iconic national documents, dating back over 1,000 years. Their role is to collect and secure the future of the government record, both digital and physical, to preserve it for generations to come, and to make it as accessible and available as possible. The National Archives brings together the skills and specialisms needed to conserve some of the oldest historic documents as well as leading digital archive practices to manage and preserve government information past, present and future.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/  http://www.legislation.gov.uk/

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