Tracing Your European Ancestors

In this presentation we shall examine the reasons for migration and focus on the individual migration groups coming to the British Isles. The United Kingdom is in an interesting position in that it sits within Europe and yet also has been a focal point of Empire, some of which influenced...

In this session we will look at the earliest Polish Communities in Great Britain leading up to why and how these communities were developing.

One of the great difficulties for people researching their French immigrant ancestors’ roots is that so little is known outside of France about when and why the French left their country. This dearth of knowledge has led many family historians of the 19th century to presume Huguenot, noble émigré or Alsace-Lorraine ancestry for any ancestor with a French name. The supposition became a family legend that then became a research frustration as more recent family historians attempt to prove what was never more than a misguided supposition. This webinar looks at the many waves of French migration, as well as the three mentioned in the title, from the 17th to the 20th centuries. The historical reasons for when, why and to where they emigrated will provide the key points to bear in mind when conducting research. The bibliography, in English and French, contains not only books and articles concerning French emigration but a list of websites to aid the researcher.

Despite their reputation for being rooted to their localities, Germans do have a history of migration within their own country, especially after the onset of industrialization in the mid-19th century. In this presentation, we will explore the various patterns of internal migration, and offer guidance on how to navigate these movements to aid in your search for ancestors.

Due to the constantly growing offer of online accessible sources for German genealogical research, an important cornerstone of the actual research is more and more disregarded: the classical research in an archive. A good preparation facilitates the archive visit immensely and makes the search in the historical documents an experience that will never replace a research on the screen. Particularly if you intend to add “meat to the bones” and find more valuable information about your ancestors besides dates and places of birth, marriage and/or death. There are many individual records in German archives and it would be a shame never to look at these wonderful documents. A visit to a German archive can be rather intimidating. Besides language barriers, the archival structures are initially often difficult to understand. But help is near! This presentation will cover professional tips & tricks for research in a German Archive – from preparation over execution to follow-up, if applicable. If you are unfamiliar with a specific archive, it is already difficult as a German to make the most of an archival research visit. Particularly as archives do not offer to conduct complex research projects on your behalf, you have to be prepared to do it yourself.

Victoria was the colony that experienced the gold rushes of the 1850s. This presentation looks at websites that assist anyone trying to find relatives in Victoria in the 19th century into the 20th century.

Many people can trace their ancestry to he Austro-Hungarian Empire, or at least the countries that were part of the empire at one time. It can be confusing, however, to keep track of these regions, especially those that are not on modern maps. This session will help you to understand the empire's wide reach, and will explain to best tools to use in your search for places.

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.