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TNA is testing handwritten text recognition software

f you have ever looked at an old document and been unable to read the old script then you may be interested in a fascinating post on The National Archive’s blog about software that is being developed to read old handwritten documents.

A 1496 Prerogative Court of Canterbury Will from TNA retrieved from TheGenealogist’s online collection of Will documents

A 1496 Prerogative Court of Canterbury Will from TNA retrieved from TheGenealogist’s online collection of Will documents

 The National Archives (TNA) points out the revolution  that optical character recognition (OCR) technology has made reading printed words written in books, newspapers and some archival documents.  But OCR does not work on handwritten documents. It is for this reason that TNA say that they are excited by the new platform called Transkribus, developed by the EU funded READ Project. It will offer, for the first time, the potential to use computers to ‘read’ handwritten documents.

See TNA’s blog post on their website here: http://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/blog/machines-reading-the-archive-handwritten-text-recognition-software/

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The Family History Show - London

New Family History Show for the London area

This Sunday, 24th September 2017 sees the first Family History Show  - London

The Family History Show - London at Sandown Park

Organised by Discover Your Ancestors Magazine, the same people behind the ever successful event called The Family History Show, York it is being held at Sandown Park Racecourse between 10 am and 4:30 Watch this video of this year's York event to get a taster of what is to come... [embed]https://www.facebook.com/thefamilyhistoryshow/videos/313329735787369/[/embed]  

Free Talks throughout the day

10:00 Show Opening with Caliban's Dream, Medieval Musicians 11:00 Breaking Down Brick Walls In Your Family History Research Mark Bayley, Online Expert  Resolve stumbling blocks in your family history research using innovative search strategies and unique record sets to find those missing relatives. 12:00 Tracing Your Military Ancestors Chris Baker, Military Expert & Professional Researcher  Chris draws on his experience from researching thousands of soldiers to explore what can be found when looking for a military ancestor. 13:00 Breaking Down Brick Walls In Your Family History Research Mark Bayley, Online Expert 14:00 Tips & Tricks for Online Research Keith Gregson, Professional Researcher & Social Historian Keith shares top tips & techniques for finding elusive ancestors, illustrated by some fascinating case studies. 15:00 Breaking Down Brick Walls In Your Family History Research Mark Bayley, Online Expert   Read more at: http://thefamilyhistoryshow.com/

York Family History Fair

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Discover Your Ancestors June Offer

The Discover Your Ancestors Online Periodical was launched in May 2013 and has been providing a terrific mix of family history stories, case studies, social history articles and research advice. This regular and affordable service is a must have for anyone starting out in family history research or for those with more experience but who have reached brick walls. The high quality monthly digital magazine is delivered to your own personalised online account every month as a beautifully designed 30+ page online magazine. This regular and affordable service is highly recommended for anyone who is beginning to research their family tree as well as for those researchers who have more experience but may have reached brick walls in tracing their ancestors.  

JUNE OFFER

Sign up today for only £24.99 and receive the following:
  • 12 monthly issues of the Periodical
  • Access to 500,000,000 birth, marriage and death records
  • Free data: Titanic passenger list
  • Free ebook: 1870s trade directory for Worcestershire
Read more at Discover Your Ancestors
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One of the largest family history shows in the UK

With exhibitors from all over the UK and Ireland, this 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.

York Family History Fair

You don't have to have Yorkshire Ancestors to come to this fair - they can be from anywhere at all! Everyone is very welcome and there is lots to see. There is plenty of parking and refreshments are available all day. There are several lifts to take you to the upper levels, and the whole place is wheelchair friendly. There will be FREE talks from a number of experts, to discover more see the talks page on their website: http://yorkshirefamilyhistoryfair.com/free-talks.php The Yorkshire Family History Fair is run by Discover Your Ancestors Magazine and sponsored by TheGenealogist Do you really know who you are? Come and find out - you may be surprised!

Yorkshire Family History Fair

Saturday 24th June 2017 10am to 4.30pm The Knavesmire Exhibition Centre, The Racecourse, York, YO23 1EX Admission: Adults £4.80, Children under 14 FREE To get your tickets go to: http://yorkshirefamilyhistoryfair.com/
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In time for Christmas - Discover Your Ancestors Bookazine 6 out now!

Here is some great news - the wonderful Discover Your Ancestors Bookazine Issue 6 is now available from S&N Genealogy Supplies

Discover Your Ancestors bookazine Issue 6

This 196 page bookazine contains new in-depth articles, research advice, social history, 'how to' features, case studies, places in focus, and much more! It is ideal for both experienced researchers and those just starting out.  
  • Fascinating features about life in the past
  • Different types of records explored
  • Jane Austen: 200th Anniversary
  • Milestones of past lives: Follow key moments in your ancestors' journeys from birth to death
  • Celebrity genealogies: Tom Hiddleston & Benedict Cumberbatch
  • and much more! Also included is a FREE Cover DVD with over £170 worth of resources! Including:
  • 1 Month Diamond Subscription to TheGenealogist
  • 3 Month Subscription to Discover Your Ancestors Online Periodical
  • Visitation of England and Wales
  • Peerage of Scotland & Ireland
  • Collectanea Topographica et Genealogica
  • TreeView 2 Lite family tree software
  • RootsMagic Essentials family tree software
  • No. of Pages: 196
  To get your hands on it now go to: http://genealogysupplies.com/product/Discover-Your-Ancestors/Discover-Your-Ancestors-Magazine-Issue-6/
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Discover Your Ancestors November 2016 issue

  The November edition of the acclaimed digital family history magazine Discover Your Ancestors is out and packed with interesting articles. Have you got your copy?
  • The People’s Palace: Eighty years ago this month the Crystal Palace burnt down. Sue Wilkes tells its story
  • Banking on fraud: Nick Thorne discovers that a Royal Charter and having MPs for directors failed to stop a Victorian bank embezzling its customers’ money
  • ‘Off by heart’: Ruth A Symes looks at the role of poems in the family
  • Who teaches the teachers? Richard Willis explores the history of the Chartered College of Teaching
  • The escapologists: Nick Thorne follows the ‘Thrill Slayer’ and the ‘Artful Dodger’ in newly released US records
  • History in the details: Jayne Shrimpton on blouses
  • Regulars: Region: Cardiganshire / News & Events / Books  / Classifieds

dyap1116

Head over to Discover Your Ancestors website http://www.discoveryourancestors.co.uk/subscribe/
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Anita Rani: Celebrity at the Who Do You Think You Are? Live Show 2016

  Who Do You Think You Are? Live will run at the NEC from 7 to 9 April. Anita Rani is due to appear on Saturday April 9 at 10.15 to 11:00 and 12.15 to 13:00. To book tickets go to here. The 38 year-old Countryfile presenter, who is of Punjabi descent but raised in Bradford, was reduced to tears on the WDYTYA? TV programme earlier this year when she heard about the horrific circumstances in which her maternal grandfather, Sant Singh lost his first wife and children during the Partition of India.
TheGenelogist, seen here at a previous year's show.

Talks at Who Do You Think You Are?

Mark Bayley of TheGenealogist delivers one of his popular talks

The Society of Genealogists will also be running an extensive programme of talks by leading genealogists over the course of the three day show and they promise that there will be a choice of many different talks to attend covering a vast array of subjects from: Different Research Techniques, How to Record your Findings and Using Parish Registers to My Ancestor was an "Alien," The Luck of the Irish and My Ancestor's made Hats. Will you be going?  
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Discover Your Ancestors March edition is now out!

Discover Your Ancestors Online Periodical has published their March 2016 edition. The Discover Your Ancestors Periodical is a high quality monthly digital magazine that is delivered to the subscriber's own personalised online account every month. The 30+ page online magazine is packed full of stories, case studies, social history articles and research advice and is  great for anyone starting out in family history research, or even for those with more experience but who have reached brick walls in their family history.

Discover Your Ancestors March 2016

Discover Your Ancestors March 2016

This months articles include: Heavy work: Sue Wilkes digs into the lives and work of Britain’s lead miners Criminally insane or cold-blooded murderer?: Nick Thorne researches a 19th century cause célèbre using TheGenealogist’s record collections The privilege of the feu…: Chris Paton explores the ownership records for Scottish land and property The ancestral laptop: Ruth A Symes explores the history of family writing desks, and what family historians can learn from them History in the details: Jayne Shrimpton on trousers Meaning business: Jill Morris investigates the history of limited companies Regular features: This month's region: Cheshire / News / Events / Books  / Classifieds Read Discover Your Ancestors Today: http://www.discoveryourancestors.co.uk/current-issue/
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Its November and a New Discover Your Ancestors online magazine is out

Discover Your Ancestors Periodical is a high quality monthly digital magazine delivered to your own personalised online account every month and there is a new one just out! If you haven't seen this publication yet then what you are missing out on is a well designed 30+ page online magazine that is packed full of stories, case studies, social history articles and research advice. This regular and affordable online magazine is highly recommended for anyone starting out in family history research, or for those with more experience but who have reached brick walls. This month we have been reading in our copy the following great articles... The best of times: Daniel Hewitt explores the history of horology through his Clerkenwell clockmaker ancestry The quartermaster’s tale: Anthony Boulton presents a unique memoir of his grandfather’s WW1 experiences From Longleat to the Tower of London: Nick Thorne delves into the history of Longleat and its illustrious inhabitants Decoding Victorian jewellery: Victorian jewellery was rich in symbolism, as Kim Fleet explains Woven into history: Caroline Taylor explores carpet-making in Kidderminster and resources in the town’s carpet museum A fair hearing?: Jill Morris explains the Court of Chancery History in the details: Jayne Shrimpton on boots Regulars: News / Events / Books / Place in focus: Somerset / Classifieds

Discover Your Ancestors Periodical November 2015

To find out more go to their website here:  http://www.discoveryourancestors.co.uk/current-issue/
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Important records of Civil Servants are now available on SoG Data Online

The Society of Genealogists has added the evidence records of those candidates taking the Civil Service examinations, between 1855 and 1939, to their SoG Data Online. Members of the Society will be able to view the original documents, after logging in, while non-members can search for a name in the collection, but are not able to view the documents. The records were originally created when candidates for the examinations had to provide proof that they were at least 21 years old. The evidence, which they submitted, very often would have been their birth certificate or sometimes a certified extract from a baptismal register. In some cases these documents were simply not available and so all manner of alternative evidence was produced, such as Indian horoscopes drawn up at a child’s birth. The SoG says that the geographical spread of the collection is extremely wide with many births recorded from Ireland, the Channel Islands, Malta and Gibraltar plus others for British people who were born all over the world and especially in India. The surviving documents only include evidence of birth for a small proportion of Civil Servants, some 60,000 people in all. However the collection may provide vital evidence of an ancestor’s birth date that would be difficult or impossible to prove otherwise and so break down a brick wall.

Society of Genealogists

Society of Genealogists - www.sog.org.uk

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