Understand original steps in getting from event – birth, marriage or death to an index; how online services impact searches; how to obtain inexpensive certificates. Access procedures and costs for obtaining birth, marriage and death certificates in England and Wales has changed radically in the last few years. Positively, the reduced costs make it such there is no excuse for not getting all birth and death certificates. Negatively, people are losing sight of what they are actually searching to get the certificate. – Learn the original process of getting from an event to a listing within an index (local or national). – Learn what rules and laws changed the above processes over time. – Understand differences between original and new indexes. – See the impact of which versions of the indexes are being searched by the different online services. – Learn how to purchase, and quickly obtain birth and death certificates. – See the different versions of the certificates that can be currently purchased. – Learn alternatives for obtaining cheaper marriage records.

Discover how and where to locate records relating to your Essex and East London Ancestors. Learn about the changes of jurisdictions, and the various depositories that hold the keys to researching your family history. Once one of the seven Kingdoms, Essex and its neighboring East End towns/boroughs are steeped in history – from Tudors hunting in Epping Forest, to the Windrush arriving in the port of Tilbury. Find out how the landscape, particularly the Thames Estuary, played its part in shaping the county and its people. From probate courts to manors, schools to newspapers, a vast array of sources will be covered.

An insight into the wealth of information that is available within newspapers including the British Newspaper Archive and The Gazette as well as hints and tips for getting more out of searching and finding useful articles within the newspapers.

Often viewed as a rural retreat for London residents, Surrey presents unique challenges for genealogical research due to its shifting boundaries over the 19th and 20th centuries. This talk will help you build a solid foundation for exploring your Surrey roots with confidence, guiding you through the complexities of tracing your Surrey ancestry, offering strategies to streamline your research journey. Learn about the essential archives and genealogical sources available, both online and in-person, and gain insights into where to find support from local Family History Societies.

This presentation focusses on helping family historians with British ancestry to research those whose conditions or behaviours may have led them to become marginalised, or discriminated against. Their circumstances were often the result of personal misfortune, exacerbated by society’s intolerance and they are often the ancestors who are not given due attention when we research, perhaps because their life experiences make us feel uncomfortable. Now is the time to focus on the Illegitimate, the poverty stricken, the sick and the lawbreakers and restore them to prominence in the family’s story. The presentation will also consider the ethical issues that arise when telling the stories of the marginalised.

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

Most British and Irish pre-1841 census records have only statistical information. However, approximately 1400 returns have named individuals. The Early British and Irish Census Project (EBIC) brings all the information from those returns into one searchable, free-to-the-public database (ebc.byu.edu, will soon be ebic.byu.edu). The database covers the period before civil registration and the more comprehensive censuses. It helps researchers find early nineteenth-century and late eighteenth-century people who can be difficult to trace due to increased mobility and increased religious nonconformity.

Situated on the east coast of England, Norfolk is its fifth largest county and contains over 700 ancient parishes. Historically, it was a largely agricultural region, with some manufacturing in the county town of Norwich and significant seaports at King’s Lynn and Great Yarmouth. The resources available for tracing ancestors who lived in Norfolk are vast and varied. While many of the most useful records (such as parish registers) are available online, there remains a wealth of material that can only be accessed at the archives in Norwich and King’s Lynn. In this webinar, the lives of Norfolk ancestors will be placed in context and the sources of use to genealogists will be explained. The session will cover probate records, borough records, quarter sessions records, estate papers, maritime records, newspapers and other relevant resources. Some difficulties that can be encountered when investigating Norfolk ancestors will also be discussed, as well as methods of overcoming such challenges. Additionally, the printed and online publications of relevance to Norfolk research will be considered in detail.

Many English DNA matches have rudimentary online trees. Learn about online resources for quickly and inexpensively extending the trees to find possible connections. Many North Americans have limited or no understanding of twentieth century online records that can be used to extend rudimentary or no online trees for their English DNA matches. There is a big need to be able to get the trees far enough back in time to possibly find the nearest common ancestors. This presentation will look at the different record groups explaining, with examples, how to use the different records together, and the time periods for which they are appropriate. Records discussed with illustrations and limitations include: – Civil Registration – Probate – Cemeteries / Crematoriums – Newspapers – Funeral notices – Voter registrations – Telephone directories – More