Welcome to the Family History Social

In the June 2023 issue of Discover Your Ancestors periodical you can read the following excellent articles:

- What do we think they’ll discover? Who Do You Think You Are? is back on TV this month. Andrew Chapman introduces the new series
- The fasting girl: Stephen Wade looks at the phenomenon of the Welsh fasting girl, Sarah Jacob, whose story dominated the press for much of 1869
- Meet Kitch: unflappable Spitfire pilot: In 1980 Nick Thorne met a man on a yacht in the English Channel. Thanks to online RAF records, here is his story
- On the trail of George Orwell: Richard Willis follows the life and adventures of this giant of letters, born 120 years ago
- Making the censuses crystal clear: We explore how the latest technology can improve your research
- The forgotten rural martyrs: 150 years ago this month, 16 women – two of them with babies – were imprisoned. Keith Laybourn commemorates the Ascott Martyrs
- History in the details: Picturing fashion c.1710

In this issue:

A roof over one's head: Denise Bates unpacks the world of property rentals, tenants' rights and moving house in the past
For the love of God: Caroline Roope explores the work and adventures of 19th century missionaries
The duties of a Victorian registrar: As family historians we rely on the work of past registrars of marriages, births and deaths, but we know little of their work. Daniel Hewitt tells their story
'Murderer' in the margins: Nick Thorne uses the latest enhanced census images to help trace the Eltham Murder victim and the accused, both recorded under the same roof
Hats off to Harold! In February Keith Gregson wrote about a chest full of surprises. An ancient piano stool also caught his eye...
History in the details: Picturing fashion c.1700

In the April 2023 issue of Discover Your Ancestors:

Easter uprisings: Rachel Bates explores some entertaining Easter customs of yesteryear

Your merchant navy photographs: Simon Wills presents a useful pictorial guide to the details that can aid research into maritime forebears

Master and commander: Lynsey Ford pays tribute to the resilience and human endurance of an Elizabethan ancestor

The quartermaster and the iceberg: Nick Thorne finds a Titanic survivor in the records

Completing the set: Keith Gregson reports on how groundbreaking online tools have breathed new life into his family history studies

History in the details: Materials – feathers

The price of life: Denise Bates explores the horrors of a mining disaster 150 years ago and the consequences for local families

Who owned that building? Nick Thorne takes a walk of discovery through historic Eton, checking historical records on the move

A chest full of surprises: Keith Gregson reports on an interesting and unusual source for learning about family life in the mid-20th century

Speaking of the unspeakable: Andrew Chapman discovers that two famous literary names both attended the same public execution

History in the details: Materials – fur (part 2)

In the latest issue of the Discover Your Ancestors online magazine there is lots for family and social historians to read:

The biscuit kings: Nicola Lisle traces the remarkable history of biscuit manufacturer Huntley & Palmers in its bicentenary year
Etched into history: A box in the loft opened up a window into the world of glass etching for Denise Bates
Pierside problems: Wales is home to several piers – but some have seen tragedy, writes Nell Darby, despite their association with summer pleasures...
Breaking the pattern: Anna Maxwell Martin's recent episode of Who Do You Think You Are? shows how families can transcend their tough origins. Andrew Chapman delves into some of these using online records for Scotland
Times of transition: A real-life account of a workhouse inmate who may have inspired Dickens
History in the details: Materials – silk (part 2)

In this month's issue:

Food to die for: When our Victorian ancestors went shopping, adulterated food was everywhere and nothing was as it seemed. Michelle Higgs serves up the details

Celebrating Coventry: As Coventry launches its year-long programme of events to mark its status as the 2021 City of Culture, Nicola Lisle explores its history

A matter of life and death (and marriage): Nick Thorne researches the family of actor David Niven

Tracing a difficult dentist: Under the surface, the life of one dentist highlighted the gender inequality present in Victorian England, as Nell Darby explains

Twas a rare affair: Denise Bates researches a family poem written in 1913

History in the details: Materials – wool (part 4)