Welcome to the Family History Social

To mark the 110th anniversary of the start of World War I, TheGenealogist is proud to announce the release of an extensive collection of military records featuring the global conflict. This significant release includes service records, rolls of honour, and books of remembrance from schools, places, and institutions, providing invaluable insights into the lives of those who served and sacrificed during the Great War.

The newly released records offer a look at over 25,000 individuals, giving details such as the service histories of soldiers, portraits, details of their schooling, and family connections, including poignant details of those killed or wounded in action. These records not only commemorate the bravery and dedication of those who served but also provide a rich resource for researchers and family historians.

A page from Portsmouth and the Great War

Included in this release are the following notable compilations:

• Birmingham, Service Record of King Edward School 1914-1919

• Whitgift Grammar School, The Book of Remembrance 1914-1919

• Memorials of Rugbeians Who Fell in the Great War, Volumes II, III, V, VI

• A Book of Remembrance of Old Boys and Masters of Watford Grammar School who Served in the Great War, 1914-1918

• Shrewsbury School, Roll of Service, 1914-1918

• Portsmouth and the Great War

• Swindon's War Record 1914-1918

• The Clan MacRae Roll in the Great War - Unveiling of Memorial Supplement

• 7th Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, Officers and Men Who Fell During the Great War

• London County Council Record of Service in the Great War, 1914-1918

• Phoenix Assurance Company, Ltd. - War Service List, 1914-1919

Also included in the release are two publications that give more context to the conflict, with stories and illustrations of the individual battles and notable heroic deeds:

• Children's Story of the War

• Deeds that Thrill the Empire

Mark Bayley, Head of Content at TheGenealogist, commented: “This release not only preserves the memories of the men and women who feature in these records, it also provides a window into the past for future generations. This adds to our extensive WW1 collections, providing a valuable resource for anyone interested in the personal histories and sacrifices of those who experienced the Great War.”

Researchers and family historians can access these records online at TheGenealogist's website, where they can explore detailed entries, including the years individuals attended school, information on family members, and personal stories of bravery and loss.

Read the feature article ‘Harold Ackroyd: MD to VC’ at TheGenealogist here:

https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2024/harold-ackroyd-md-to-vc-7556/  

To celebrate this release you can Save over £50 on our Diamond Package just sign up here: https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/affiliate/?affid=lzupkh&page=2719

Family History Tips: Mentioned in Despatches

When we set out researching some of our ancestors from the past we may discover that they served in the military. We may find records that prove that they were awarded medals, or that they were wounded, taken prisoner, or killed in one of the wars that this country fought. In some cases we may even discover that they have been Mentioned in despatches (MiD). But what does this term mean?

The Gazette, the official public record which publishes awards including MiDs, has a useful article that can be read here:

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/all-notices/content/101371

The article takes as its example Captain Bernard Law Montgomery who served in World War 1 in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and was first MiD in 1915. Later awarded many medals, including the DSO to which his oak leaf is pinned (see the Gazette – issue 28992), Montgomery served between 1915 and 1918, ending WW1 as a lieutenant colonel. He was to go on to become Field Marshal Montgomery and 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein in WW2.

The handwritten MiD card records can reveal detail such as the military clerk’s corrections and messy amendments. You can see this on Montgomery’s 1915 MiD card, as found from a search of the Military Records on TheGenealogist.co.uk

You can read the full article on The Gazette's website:

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/all-notices/content/101371

TheGenealogist has just released a set of 50 Regimental Records to join its ever-growing military records collection bringing its total coverage to over 70 different regiments.

Researchers can use the collection to follow an ancestor’s regiment, discovering the battles they took part in and trace their movements. You can also find ancestors who were mentioned in the war movement diaries or listed in the appendices of men and officers of the regiment. 

This release covers records from the 17th century in the earliest incidence, for The Ancient Vellum Book of the Honourable Artillery Company 1611-1682, through to the late 1920s for The King's Royal Rifle Corps Chronicle, 1927. There are also a large number of Regimental Histories that cover the First World War which can reveal some fascinating details for family historians tracing their ancestors in World War I.

Use these records to: 

• Add colour to a soldier’s story 
• Read the war movements of his regiment
• See maps of the regiment’s progress in the theatre of war
• Discover if a soldier is mentioned in the report of the action
• Find if an officer or other rank is listed for receiving an Honour or an Award
• Note the names of those members of the regiment wounded or killed

This expands TheGenealogist’s extensive Military records collection.

Read their article: 

https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2019/using-regimental-histories-to-discover-your-ancestors-war-1187/

These records and many more are available to subscribers of TheGenealogist.co.uk

TheGenealogist has released the records of 29,000 individuals who were decorated with the Meritorious Service Medal (MSM). The roll of names for those who were awarded this British honour in the First World War have been released by TheGenealogist. Researchers can now look for holders of this medal up to 1920 from within their ever growing military records collection.

• See a copy of the image of the Medal Card with the theatre of war where the medal was won
• Details the name, rank, regiment and service number
• Unique “SmartSearch” links to the comprehensive military records on TheGenealogist.co.uk
• These new records cover British servicemen from The First World War

The medal was first awarded in 1845 to non-commissioned officers in the British Army who had a record of long service in the forces. Given originally for long service of at least 20 years to servicemen who were of irreproachable character and already held the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal of their service, the First World War saw it awarded to those who performed acts of non-combatant gallantry in the performance of their military duty. In the second case the bravery was not necessarily while the serviceman was on active service and may have been in the saving or attempted saving of the life of an officer or an enlisted soldier.

Family history researchers searching for ancestors who had been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal in the First World War will be able to find their forebears in this new addition to the military collection of records on TheGenealogist.

Meritorious Service Medal (MSM)

Read TheGenealogist’s article on a First World War NCO awarded his medal ‘For exceptionally good work’ operating night and day to keep the RFC’s aeroplanes at El Hammam flying:

https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2018/finding-ancestors-awarded-the-meritorious-service-medal-768/

• Part one of this release is The Worldwide Army Index for 1851, 1861 and 1871 which adds another name rich resource to the already vast Military record collections at TheGenealogist with over 600,000 records
• Also released at the same time is another 3,368 pages from The Illustrated War News covering 6 September 1916 to 10 April 1918 and adding to those previously made available for this First World War paper from 1914 to 1916

TheGenealogist launches millions of new Parish records as well as their New British in India Collection

TheGenealogist has just announced three important releases to coincide with the Who Do You Think You Are? Live show covering Britain and British India.

Over 2.5 Million people in the latest release of Parish records!

Augmenting the substantial Parish Records that are already available on TheGenealogist comes the release of more than 2.5 million people for two major counties:

• Hampshire Parish Records (Bishop’s Transcripts) (886,616 individuals)

This brings their total number of records to 3,199,820 with coverage of

Baptisms: 2,379,836 (1538 to 1940)

Marriages: 495,034 (1538 to 1940)

Burials: 324,950 (1538 to 1940)

• Durham Parish Records (1,697,206 individuals)

This brings their total number of records to 1,850,068 with coverage of

Baptisms: 1,253,273 (1556 to 1919)

Marriages: 198,845 (1540 to 1896)

Burials: 397,950 (1538 to 1939)

These will be a boon to Family Historians looking for key events in the lives of their ancestors.

The British in India Collection

The TV series ‘Indian Summers’ starring Julie Walters created in many a fascination with India under British rule. This new record set reveals information about those ancestors that lived in the subcontinent, their lifestyle and the communities that they lived in.

• Parish Records of British in India

• Headstone Records of British Cemeteries in India

• British War Memorials in India

• East India Registers

• Indian Army and Civil Service Lists

• Image Archive - British in India

The release of The British in India Collection on TheGenealogist now allows family historians to search for ancestors who went out to British India in a very broad-ranging set of resources ranging from the early 1800s up to the 1920s.

These records make up part of the Diamond subscription to TheGenealogist

New records to search from TheGenealogist

Edward Bright by David Ogborne http://www.itsaboutmaldon.co.uk/edwardbright/) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

• The Waterloo Roll Call 1815
• Battery Records of the Royal Artillery, 1716-1859
• The Manchester Regiment, 63rd and 96th 1758-1883 Vol I and 1883-1922 Vol II
• Certificate of Musters in the County of Somerset 1569
• Four more Army Lists, from 1838 to 1886

Details that can be found in these memorial records include:

• Name
• Regiment, unit or ship
• War or date of death
• Rank and medals
• Photograph of the War Memorial from multiple angles and zooms

Example of finding your ancestor in the records