Birth, marriage and death certificates are invaluable to genealogists. In Great Britain and Ireland, civil registration began in the 19th century: Before those dates, we need to rely on parish records. England and Wales Birth, marriage or death certificates for England or Wales can be obtained from the General Register Office. Currently (July 2024) hard Read More…
Category: Guides & Resources
Julian To Gregorian Calendars
It’s likely you will have come across dates where the transcribed year appears in the format 1748/49, using both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Before 1752 the UK used the Julian Calendar, after 1752 the Gregorian Calendar came into use. Whilst the Gregorian Calendar uses 1 January as New Year’s Day, in the Julian Calendar Read More…
Transcription Errors
We all make mistakes, transcribers and the original form writers (whether they be parish clerks or census enumerators) included. As we know, it’s important to check original documents whenever possible and not trust in just the transcription, but sometimes the details on original documents should be taken with a pinch of salt. Poor Handwriting I Read More…
Catholic Records In England
If your ancestors were Catholic, you may find that you struggle to find parish records online. The National Archives has provided a guide to help in research. Between 1754 (Marriage Act) and 1837 it was a legal requirement for all marriages to take place in an Anglican church. Many Catholics also married in a Catholic Read More…
Ireland’s Lost Records
Many of Ireland’s historic records were destroyed by a fire in 1922. Now a project is hoping to bring many of these records back to life. What happened to the original records? In the mid 19th century, it was feared that records, particularly those held by parishes, were in danger of deteriorating and being destroyed. Read More…
1921 Census
The 1921 census for England and Wales and the Scottish 1921 census are due to be released in 2022. Here’s everything we know so far. England And Wales Census What date will the census be released? The census for England and Wales was due to be released in January 2022, but transcribing has been slowed Read More…
Euxton Catholics
Euxton in Lancashire was home to two of Lancashire’s oldest Catholic families, the Andertons and the Molyneuxs. The Molyneuxs were the biggest landowners in the area, while the Andertons initially leased and later purchased Euxton Hall from them. One branch of my maternal family, the Higginson were Catholics from Euxton who worshipped in secret at Read More…
1939 Register
The 1939 Register is a snapshot of live in England and Wales at the beginning of World War II. It was taken on Friday, 29th September, under the National Registration Act of 1939, an act of parliament introduced as an emergency measure preceding the start of World War II. The register’s importance to genealogists is Read More…
Census Guide for UK & Ireland
Updated: September 2024 In the United Kingdom, a census of the population has been taken every 10 years since 1801, except for 1941 (although a similar register was taken on 29 September 1939, shortly before the outbreak of war).In Ireland, the census was taken along with the UK census until 1911. No census, was taken Read More…
Genealogy Websites
There are a great number of genealogy websites out there. Some offer worldwide coverage, from birth marriage and deaths through census data to passenger lists and newspaper archives. Others focus on one subject or one region, with some focusing on a single town. Many are free and some are either subscription or pay as you Read More…