Getting the best out of the online Local BMD indexes

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.

Birth records are more than just dates — they hold the beginnings of your ancestors' stories, revealing a wealth of information beyond the moment they entered the world. Are you mining these records for all they're worth? Join Lisa Lisson for a deep dive into birth records, from discovering MyHeritage's extensive collection to uncovering the rich details within. This session will equip you with practical techniques for unearthing accurate birth dates and enhancing your family history research. Plus, we'll explore alternate sources that can shed even more light on your ancestors' beginnings. Walk away with a newfound ability to breathe life into your ancestors' stories.

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.

Despite the fact that their marriages were not legally recognized before 1865, enslaved couples were uniting in "quasi-marital" relationships, and were cohabitating as husband and wife, as evidenced by many extant documents created during and after the end of America’s Civil War. In this presentation, we explore examples of documents that provide evidence of these relationships, and sources for finding them.

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.

Examine migration patterns from Wales to the US and Canada, looking at the push and pull factors. An understanding of the group migration and historical processes can help in determining the place of origin. We will examine all the Welsh settlements in the US and Canada.

Not every ancestor left a death certificate, even after death registrations were required by the states. But don't give up hope! You may still be able to find an ancestor's death date using these 10 resources.