The 1939 Register – Why is it invaluable?

This session will reflect on the speaker and her mixed race children experiences of ethnicity as a case study, including comparison of ethnicity DNA results, expressed identity, and narratives.

Kent, known as the Garden of England, has a wealth of genealogical records but locating those records can take some investigation, with records divided between at least three archives. Then, some parishes that were formally in Kent were absorbed into Greater London, adding another four archives into the mix. Genealogical research can be done knowing when and where the records can be accessed.

Learn how to trace the officers and men who served in Britain’s Royal Navy, find information about their ships. Research through online, original and print resources, with case studies.

Do you know the difference between a Peculiar Baptist and an Anabaptist? What types of records the Quakers kept? What the Puritans believed? Understanding the background to and the beliefs of the multitude of non-conformist churches can give us an insight into our ancestors' lives. Learning what records the various groups kept can give us a new lead for our research, or prevent us looking for records that never existed in the first place. This talk will not only tackle those questions, but also give a history of many of the non-conformist churches that existed in England and Wales.

Learn all about the key resources available for researching ancestors in the counties of Cumberland and Westmorland. Discover the key archives covering these counties and how to use their catalogues and other resources. Find out where records can be found online both within the main commercial websites and other sites. Learn about key historical events that may impact your research in the ‘Lake Counties’. Investigate where else you can get help for researching here such as published resources and local and family history societies. At the end of this talk, you will be set up for starting your research on your Cumberland and Westmorland ancestors. Note that the talk assumes you have already watched ‘Introduction to County Research in England’.

Discover the building blocks for researching in the English counties. This talk provides an overview of the key facts you need to know to start researching your English ancestors. Unravel why counties have come and gone with changing boundaries and different types of administrative entities. By understanding which records are stored at national or county level and some of the laws that influenced their collation, you will then be able to effectively concentrate on looking at the specific counties your ancestors came from. Learn about the finding aids and helpful resources to ensure you are set up to take a journey through English research supported by our English Research Series.

This talk looks at free online sources that are often overlooked in preference for the main commercial websites. It is focused on English and Welsh resources. The talk gives ideas of where else you could go to expand your hunt for your ancestors’ life story.

Regular sailing schedules between Liverpool and North America began in 1818, and during the 19th century Liverpool became the primary port for emigrants from the British Isles, northern Europe and Russia to North America, Australia, and the rest of the British Empire. Learn how and why this came about, understand what the experience was like going to, in, and leaving from Liverpool. Learn how to identify, access, and use the records of the port and shipping that are available.

The probate system in England and Wales changed significantly in 1858. Learn how the English probate system worked before and after that change, see what records are available and why they are of value. Learn tips and tools for procedures which will simplify the search process, whether the ancestor’s location in England is known or unknown.