Ulster Historical Foundation American Tour - update

From the Ulstrer Historical Foundation (www.ancestryireland.com):

American Lecture Tour - Update

Our 2019 Irish and Scots-Irish family history lecture tour of the United States begins next week on 09 March in Concord, NH.

Our events in Madison, WI and Tampa, FL have already sold out and our other events are filling up fast. If you are interested in attending any of our events, even those that are free to attend, we would recomend you contact the host organisation as quickly as possible to ensure that you don't miss out.

If you would like to register for one of the programmes simply click on the relevant link below.

09 March - Concord, NH
10 March - Philadelphia, PA
11 March - Chicago, IL
12 March - Madison, WI SOLD OUT
13 March - Green Bay, WI
14 March - Salt Lake City, UT
15 March - Salt Lake City, UT
16 March - Denver, CO
18 March - Pittsburgh, PA
19 March - Louisville, KY
20 March - Coeur d'Alene, ID
22 March - Valparaiso, IN
23 March - Tampa, FL - SOLD OUT
24 March - Fairfield, CT
25 March - New York City, NY
26 March - New York City, NY

Getting involved – we would like you to help us

We would like you to help us make our 2019 lecture tour as successful as it can be. It is easy to get involved: by talking to friends and family, especially those interested in family history; telling your local library, community learning groups, fraternal organisations in your area; messaging genealogy and history societies, museums, Irish, Scots-Irish and celtic cultural organisations, sharing and commenting on social media, blogs and forums; or even mentioning the Foundation to your local Irish pubs, clubs or local interest groups.

You don’t need to live in USA to assist. Supporters living in UK and Ireland, Canada, Europe, Australasia and South Africa have friends, family and contacts in USA. You too can share posts, tweets and details of the tour with potentially interested parties.

We would like to thank you for your help and support. More information can be found at https://www.ancestryireland.com/lecture-tour-2019.

(With thanks to the UHF)

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

MyHeritage introduces AutoClusters for DNA

From MyHeritage (www.myheritage.com)

MyHeritage Adds Automatic Clustering of DNA Matches for Insights on Common Ancestors

February 28, 2019 11:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

TEL AVIV, Israel & LEHI, Utah--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MyHeritage, the leading global service for genetic genealogy, announced today the release of AutoClusters, a new feature that automatically clusters and visualizes shared DNA Matches.

In the past few years, millions of consumers have purchased DNA kits in order to find relatives based on shared DNA. However, the DNA results typically do not describe the exact relationship path between two matching people, and only cite the likely connection (for example, 3rd cousins). AutoClusters are helpful in shedding light on the relationship paths, by grouping together DNA Matches who likely belong to the same branch and have a common ancestor. Reviewing their family trees can allow users to piece together the entire branch.

This new AutoClusters feature on MyHeritage was developed in collaboration with Evert-Jan Blom of GeneticAffairs.com and is based on technology created by Mr. Blom with enhancements added by MyHeritage. These additions are especially helpful for successful clustering of endogamous populations (people who lived in isolated communities with a high rate of intermarriage, such as Acadians and Ashkenazi Jews). AutoClustering technology organizes a person’s list of DNA Matches into clusters of people who are likely to have the same common ancestor, because they are all mostly related to each other. Clusters are color-coded for convenience and are presented in a powerful visual chart, as well as in list format.

“MyHeritage strives to be at the forefront of genetic genealogy and offer its users the best tools,” said Gilad Japhet, Founder and CEO of MyHeritage. “When automatic clustering was introduced several months ago, we were impressed by the usefulness of this cutting edge technology and its ability to provide insights on DNA Matches. We set it as our goal to be the first major DNA service to offer it, and are happy to fulfill this promise today.”

“I've enjoyed working with MyHeritage very much,” said Evert-Jan Blom. “It's a very dynamic and vibrant company to work with.”

AutoClusters is a premium feature that requires a subscription on MyHeritage. Users who upload their raw DNA data from another testing service to MyHeritage and do not wish to purchase a subscription can pay a one-time fee of $29 per kit to unlock all advanced DNA features offered by MyHeritage, including AutoClusters.

Further info is available at https://blog.myheritage.com/2019/02/introducing-autoclusters-for-dna-matches/

(With thanks to Daniel Horowitz)

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

More on Ancestry's new Ancestry Lab features

Some more on Ancestry's MyTreeTags, released yesterday via the new Ancestry Lab (see https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/2019/02/ancestrys-new-ancestry-lab.html):

MyTreeTags Fact Sheet

Overview:
● MyTreeTags™​: Add labels to people in your tree to highlight personal details or clarify yourresearch status. Ready for a simple new way to highlight important family details? Now you cantag people in your family tree to indicate whether your research on them is confirmed orverified, or to record personal details, like “never married.” You can also create your owncustom tags to note that a person immigrated from Denmark, or worked as a blacksmith. Youcan even use filters as you search your tree to see everyone with the same tag.

About the Product
● Efficiently Notate Research:​ MyTreeTags™ provides customers with a mechanism to notatetheir research status at the level of a person within their tree. It will include tags applicable tomost family trees within Ancestry plus the creation of custom tags to match their personalfamily history process. Customers can apply tags as filters in Tree Search to drill down insearches of people in their tree.
● Easier organization​:​ MyTreeTags™ is a simple way for you highlight important details about thepeople in your family tree, allowing you to easily organize and categorize them for yourresearch.
● Customizable:​​With MyTreeTags™, you can create custom tags to personalize your family historyexperience.
● Research Continuity:​ MyTreeTags™ allows you to easily indicate and identify the research statusof each person in your tree so you know exactly where you left off. And you can filter by tags toget started more quickly.

Release Information
● MyTreeTags™ will be in public beta on 2/27 and anyone with an account (no subscriptionnecessary) may opt-in at ​www.ancestry.com/BETA​. Customers will find this feature through twoentry points: their Tree View page and their Ancestor Page view. For RootsTech, customers whoopt in to the public beta will have the ability to add 20 universal, predetermined tags to theirAncestor Pages as well as create their own custom tags. Applied tags can then be used as filtersin Tree Search. We are still adding functionality and the features may change day-to-day as wework to provide the best version of this tool. Please come back frequently to use the tool andleave feedback for us


New and Improved DNA Matches Fact Sheet

Overview

● New & Improved DNA Matches​: Now you can easily sort, group, and view your DNA matchesany way you’d like. We’re redesigning the DNA Match experience to help you make morediscoveries, faster. Now use color coding, custom labeling, and other innovative new tools to seeyour AncestryDNA connections in the clearest light possible.

About the Product
● More control:​​With new tools and customizable groups, New & Improved DNA Matches givesyou control over how you group and view the matches that are the most meaningful to you.●Streamlines matches​:​ New & Improved DNA Matches allows you to quickly identify your newestmatches or your maternal/paternal matches more easily.
● New Look: ​A much needed redesign brings an updated look and new features to the DNA Matchexperience.
● Updated Match List:​​This offers customers new ways to filter their matches, such as by close,distant, not viewed, tree status, notes and messaged. If a customer has a parent(s) tested, theycan also now see a maternal and/or paternal label next to the matches that are descended fromthat side of the family.
● Custom Groups:​​A much longed for feature request - there is also the ability to create customgroups that can be labeled, assigned a color and applied to any matches in a customer’s MatchList.
● Easily View Additional Tests: ​Customers can also easily see and switch between the Match Listsfor AncestryDNA tests they administer, collaborate or have viewer rights for.

Release Information
●The New & Improved DNA Matches experience will be in public beta on 2/27 and anyone withan AncestryDNA test may opt-in at ​www.ancestry.com/BETA​. Customers will continue to findthis feature from the DNA Matches card on the logged-in-home-page and from the AncestryDNAmenu item in the site navigation. We are still adding functionality and the features may changeday-to-day as we work to provide the best version of this tool. Please come back frequently touse the tool and leave feedback for us.

(With thanks to Seonaid Lewis)

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

FindmyPast to host 1921 English/Welsh census

From FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk):

The National Archives in association with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has awarded Findmypast the contract to digitise and publish the 1921 Census online

In the most anticipated family history development since the online publication of the 1939 Register, Findmypast has been selected as The National Archives' commercial partner to make the 1921 Census of England & Wales available online.


The census, which was the first to be conducted following the introduction of the Census Act of 1920, will be published online by Findmypast in January 2022.

The project will see Findmypast capture digital images and transcribe the records in a way that will enable family historians across the globe to conduct meaningful searches of these important records when they are opened for the very first time.

Taken on 19th June 1921, the census consists of more than 28,000 bound volumes of original household returns containing detailed information on close to 38 million individuals.

It provides greater detail than any previous census as, in addition to the questions asked in 1911, the 1921 returns also asked householders to reveal their place of employment, the industry they worked in and the materials they worked with as well as their employer's name. Those aged 15 and older were required to provide information about their marital status, including if divorced, while for those under 15 the census recorded whether both parents were alive or if either or both had died.

The 1921 Census also included detailed questions on education, and was the first in which individual householders could submit separate confidential returns.

(Source: https://blog.findmypast.co.uk/1921-census-2630175088.html)

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

MyHeritage's Theory of Family Relativity for DNA

From MyHeritage (www.myheritage.com):

TEL AVIV, Israel & LEHI, Utah--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MyHeritage, the leading global service for family history and DNA testing, revealed today its latest innovation in genetic genealogy — the Theory of Family Relativity™. This technology offers users, for the first time ever, theories that utilize nearly 10 billion historical records and family tree profiles to explain DNA connections. Until now, family history enthusiasts used two distinct domains for making discoveries: the paper-trail world of records and trees, and the biological world of DNA connections. Now, MyHeritage has combined these two domains and integrated them seamlessly.

The Theory of Family Relativity™ is based on a big data graph that connects billions of data points drawn from thousands of databases on MyHeritage, in real time. Every node on this graph represents a person, and every edge depicts a blood relationship between two individuals that is described in a family tree or a historical record; or a match between two tree profiles that are likely to be the same person; or two records that are likely to be about the same person. These connections between people and records are established by MyHeritage’s industry-leading matching technologies. MyHeritage engineers and algorithm experts led by the company’s CTO, Sagi Bashari, developed a unique approach that allows the big data graph to instantly compute all paths between millions of blood relatives. The Theory of Family Relativity™ draws upon this resource to construct the most plausible theories explaining how pairs of people linked by a DNA Match on MyHeritage are related, using family trees and historical records.

Previously, users who took a DNA test looking to find relatives were faced with puzzling lists of thousands of distant relatives, without many clues explaining the DNA connections. Now, for a growing percentage of these DNA Matches, theories are provided by MyHeritage that explain the precise relationship paths using trees and records. In these theories, not only does genealogy illuminate DNA connections, but DNA also helps separate fact from fiction in the genealogy and shows which tree and record connections appear to be correct.

This technology uses millions of family trees on MyHeritage, as well as the World Family Tree on Geni, which is replicated daily to MyHeritage, and the single family tree of FamilySearch, which is also replicated daily to MyHeritage under license. This combination results in the most comprehensive family tree traversal available today. Additionally, the technology utilizes billions of historical records on MyHeritage, including all census records, as well as the MyHeritage Record Detective™ technology that indicates whenever two records are about the same person. For example: a theory that explains a DNA Match between two users can begin in the family tree of the first user, traverse through a series of matching trees into a census record, continue to a household relative, who then matches into another tree, until the path completes with the family tree of the second user. MyHeritage displays the complete path of every theory, and explains every step along the way, allowing the user to verify its accuracy. Each theory is presented with a confidence level that is based on the confidence of the matches used to construct it.

“Our new technology is a game changer in its scope and power and is a tribute to our passion for developing the best genetic genealogy tools for our users,” said Gilad Japhet, Founder and CEO of MyHeritage. “Using genealogy to explain DNA Matches, and using DNA to validate genealogy matches, combines the best of both worlds. We expect this technology to help people make new discoveries in their family history. With every day that goes by, this technology grows even more powerful as more tree profiles, historical records and DNA kits are added to our global database.”

The Theory of Family Relativity™ feature is included for free with all Premium, PremiumPlus, and Complete subscriptions on MyHeritage. Individuals who upload their raw DNA data from other testing services to MyHeritage who do not have a subscription can pay a one-time fee of $29 per DNA kit to unlock the Theory of Family Relativity™ and the full range of advanced DNA features offered by MyHeritage.

To purchase a MyHeritage DNA kit, visit www.myheritageDNA.com

(With thanks to Daniel Horowitz)

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Ancestry's new Ancestry Lab

Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) now has a feature called AncestryLab, located under the Extras tab on your home page.

Its two offerings just now are MyTreeTags and New & Improved DNA Matches, both of them in Beta format, which can be enabled and disabled at your convenience.

I have just enabled the DNA offering, and it looks extremely promising, showing my notes information and allowing me to place cousin matches into dedicated groups.

Lots of fun ahead!

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Scottish HIES emigration records added to ScotlandsPeople

ScotlandsPeople (www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk) has added emigration records from the Highlands and Islands Emigration Society from 1852-1857. Here's the announcement from its website:

The departure of many Scottish families from the Highlands and Islands in the 1850s can be traced in fascinating records released on ScotlandsPeople in February 2019.

Almost 5,000 people who left Scotland to make a new life in Australia between 1852 and 1857 are recorded in the archive of the Highland and Island Emigration Society in National Records of Scotland.

The Society assisted would-be emigrants in taking passage on ships sailing to Australia from British ports. Their journeys to a better life were often dangerous and sometimes fatal. Among the thousands who left Scotland were the McKinnon family from Snizort on Skye and the McQueen family from St Kilda.

The HIES offered to emigrants the opportunity of a new life in Australia. This new resource offers people across the world who are interested in the Scottish diaspora the opportunity to search the enhanced database of the emigrants and to see images of the original documents. The all-new database supersedes the transcript that has been available through the Scottish Archive Network (SCAN) website. The entries and images are all free to search and view.

(Source: https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/article/news-article-highland-and-island-emigration-society-records-released)


NB: The last paragraph is interesting. The SCAN website (www.scan.org.uk) is a project that is well and truly out of date on the cataloguing front, and it had been the intention of the SCAN board and partners (including the NRS) to try to replace it with a new catalogue project called Scotland Online - leaving the question of what to do with the data resources available. I stood down as a director from SCAN a couple of years ago, so am not up to date on where this project now lies, but the fact that this collection (albeit a new presentation) is being hosted on ScotlandsPeople may indicate there is finally some progress on this. Here's hoping we will see more material soon - note the name of the category on ScotlandsPeople into which the material has been deposited: Poor relief and migration records.

The emigration records can be accessed directly at https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/advanced-search#{%22category%22:%22poor-relief%22} - the results returns include free to access digitised copies of the original records.

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Scottish 'antenuptial fornication' records added to FindmyPast

New to FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk) this week:

Scotland, Antenuptial Relationship Index 1661-1780
Do you have ancestors that were members of the Church of Scotland? Search over 31,000 antenuptial records from Kirk Sessions registers to find out if there were any family members who were summoned to the ministers and elders of the church to deny or confess their sin as a child had been conceived out of wedlock

In these cases of 'antenuptial fornication', it was the mother of the child who would be summoned first, they would be sternly rebuked and persuaded to name the father of the child if he was not an obvious boyfriend. The father was then told of the accusation, summoned and would either appear or write, to deny or confess his sin. The session would summon the mother and father of the child back to subsequent meetings until the matter was resolved and the mother, or sometimes the couple, made some sort of reparation, often with the mother standing at the church door for 3 Sabbaths. When they had fully repented, and been pardoned, each was welcomed back into the church.

(Source: The Scottish Genealogy Society)

Also available:

Yorkshire Baptisms
Over 135,000 new additions covering 81 new parishes have been added to the collection.

Yorkshire Banns
Find out if your Yorkshire ancestors were married by banns with over 35,000 new records covering 57 additional parishes.

Yorkshire Marriages
Did your ancestor's tie the knot in god's own county? Over 53,000 additional records covering 68 new parishes.

Yorkshire Burials
Discover the final resting place of your Yorkshire ancestors with over 124,000 additional records covering 86 new parishes have been added to the collection.

1939 Register update (England and Wales)
Over 287,000 additional 'open' records have been added to the 1939 Register. Since the Register was launched, Findmypast has matched more than four million 'closed records' to multiple data sources to correctly confirm the date and location of death for individuals recorded.

New Records from Barbados
Over 736,000 records from the Eastern Caribbean Island of Barbados are now available to search. Sourced via the International Genealogical Index, these new additions consist of six individual collections covering births, marriages, deaths, baptisms and burials between 1637 and 1891. The Barbados collections currently available to search include:

Barbados Baptism Index 1739-1891
Barbados Burial Index 1854-1885
Barbados Church Birth Records 1637-1887
Barbados Church Death Records 1637-1887
Barbados Church Marriage Records 1637-1887
Barbados Marriage Index 1854-1879

British & Irish Newspaper Update
This week 134,952 have joined the Archive. We have added two Home Counties titles for England, The East Kent Gazette and the Bucks Examiner for Buckinghamshire. We have also added to ten of our existing titles, including:

Birmingham Daily Post - 1965
Coventry Evening Telegraph - 1935
Drogheda Independent - 1895
Irish Independent - 1914, 1925
Newcastle Journal - 1995
Perthshire Advertiser - 1907
Runcorn Guardian - 1909
South Wales Daily News - 1910
Sunday Independent (Dublin) - 1986-1990, 1992-1993, 1995
Sunday Tribune - 1990-1992


Further details and links are available at https://blog.findmypast.co.uk/findmypast-friday-febraury-2629656939.html

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Irish family history talk in Motherwell on March 14th

A quick note to say that my next talk will be on Thursday March 14th 2019 at the GLO Centre Motherwell, from 7:00pm, hosted by the Lanarkshire Family History Society (www.lanarkshirefhs.org.uk). The subject is Irish Family History Resources Online.

I hope to see some of you there!

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Military Archives releases 1920-1923 IRA Brigade Activity Reports

Ireland's Military Archives (www.militaryarchives.ie) has released the IRA's Brigade Activity Reports, mainly for the years 1920-1923, during the War of Independence from the British, and the subsequent Civil War.

From the website, the following is a description of the content:

The Brigade Activity Reports provide listings of IRA operations and activities with the names of participants included. In general the files cover the period between 1 April 1920 and 11 July 1921 – the height of the War of Independence. However a small number of files contain information regarding Irish Volunteer and IRA activities going back, not only to the mobilisations at the time of the 1916 Easter Rising, but to the formation of the Irish Volunteers in late 1913 and early 1914, and forward to the end of the Civil War in 1923. The files are not a definitive listing of IRA operations during the Independence struggle. A number of IRA companies and units do not appear in the Activity File series at all. There are also inconsistencies in terms of the activities and events covered in the series as the quality and quantity of information provided both between different brigades and between individual units of particular brigades can vary somewhat.

However these files do contain a wealth of fascinating and important information relating to the IRA during the Revolutionary period. Not only in relation to the vast majority of major or high profile IRA operations and ambushes carried out between 1919 and 1921, but also to the essential support work essential to maintaining the IRA campaign such as intelligence work, the trenching and blocking of roads, scouting, carrying despatches and the caring for and storing arms. Such was the value of the series that it came to be heavily relied on by the various Referees and Advisory Committee and Board of Assessors’ members who operated the service pension legislation between 1934 and 1958. They have also been regularly referred to as tools for adjudicating service medal applications up to the present day. As an individual file series and taken in conjunction with the rest of the MSPC, they provide a formidable and essential resource for any researcher or academic interested in the revolutionary period.

(Source: http://www.militaryarchives.ie/collections/online-collections/military-service-pensions-collection-1916-1923/brigade-activities/?page_id=86)

I have to say, the presentation of these is absolutely superb, with an interactive map, reports arranged by county, operations and brigades, and more. I'm going to have a busy night ahead of me...!

To access the content, visit http://www.militaryarchives.ie/collections/online-collections/military-service-pensions-collection-1916-1923/brigade-activities

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Kensington & Chelsea 1910 Lloyd George Domesday Records with maps

From TheGenealogist (www.thegenealogist.co.uk):

Kensington & Chelsea 1910 Lloyd George Domesday Records with maps

TheGenealogist is releasing the field books and detailed annotated maps for Kensington and Chelsea as the next part of this exciting record set, The Lloyd George Domesday Survey - a resource that can be used to find where an ancestor lived in 1910. Covering the areas of Brompton, Chelsea East, Chelsea West, Holland Park, Notting Hill East, Notting Hill West and South Kensington the newly added records contain 49,608 individuals who owned or occupied property in this upmarket part of London.

This unique online combination of detailed maps and residential data held by The National Archives is being digitised by TheGenealogist and can locate where your ancestor’s house had been on large scale (5 feet to the mile) hand annotated maps which show the outlines of property plots.

Previously, researchers would often not be able to find where ancestors lived for several reasons. Road names changed over time, the Blitz saw areas bombed to destruction, developers changed sites out of all resemblance from what had stood there before and lanes and roads were extinguished to build estates and office blocks. All this means that searching for where an ancestor lived using a website linked to modern maps can be frustrating when they fail to pinpoint where the old properties had once been.

● TheGenealogist’s new release will link individual properties to extremely detailed ordnance survey maps used in 1910

● Locate an address found in a census or street directory down to a specific house

● Fully searchable by name, county, parish and street.

● The maps will zoom down to show individual properties on roads as they existed in 1910

Complementing the maps on TheGenealogist are the accompanying field books that will also provide researchers with information relative to the valuation of each property, including the valuation assessment number, map reference, owner, occupier, situation, description and extent.

This huge project includes over 94,500 Field Books, each having hundreds of pages to digitise with associated large scale IR121 annotated OS maps, and is therefore ongoing.

The initial releases from TheGenealogist have begun in London and will continue to expand outwards across the country with cross linked maps wherever they are available.

Find out more at: TheGenealogist.co.uk/1910Survey/

Or read the feature article: Kensington and Chelsea Lloyd George Domesday Survey finds famous authors and actors https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2019/kensington-and-chelsea-lloyd-george-domesday-survey-finds-authors-and-actors-1069/

(With thanks to Nick Thorne)

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Armagh Ancestry Genealogy Conference 2019

From RootsIreland (www.rootsireland.ie):

Armagh Ancestry Genealogy Conference 2019

Armagh Ancestry in conjunction with Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council are hosting their inaugural Genealogy Conference on Friday 17th, Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th May 2019 at the Navan Centre & Fort, 81 Killylea Road, Armagh, BT60 4LD. The Conference will open on the Friday evening with a Mayoral Welcome and reception.

The underlying theme for our Conference is ‘Emigration – voluntary or forced’ and Brian Mitchell’s lecture ‘Emigration Records and their usefulness when searching for your Ancestors’ is a case study for port of Derry and demonstrates the types of records that can be examined to identify an ancestor’s departure from Ireland. These include newspapers, government papers, business records, and passenger departure lists. Tom Quinlan of the National Archives of Ireland examines ‘Sources in the National Archives of Ireland for Researching a Convict Ancestor’ and his lecture will outline the archival sources of information available for researching a convict ancestor. It will set the archives in context by explaining their administrative origin, their scope and content, and it will discuss how they can be interpreted and used. Both these talks will be of immense interest to the Irish diaspora and also of benefit to the people who remained in Ireland as they will detail sources which may contain information which will assist further genealogical or historical research.

The cost of the Conference is £20 GBP per day or £30 GBP for both days (Friday is FREE) and the fee includes tea/coffee during breaks. A special Lunch menu is available each day for only £5 GBP however this must be pre-booked.

For further information contact Armagh Ancestry at researcher@armaghbanbridgecraigavon.gov.uk or by telephone 00 44 2837529644.

https://armagh-navancentre.ticketsolve.com/shows/873599873

For further details - including a list of the speakers and their topics - read the full announcement at http://www.rootsireland.ie/2019/02/armagh-ancestry-genealogy-conference/

(With thanks to RootsIreland)

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

NLS uploads Second World War maps of Scotland

The National Library of Scotland (www.nls.uk) has added a series of Second World War maps of Scotland to its online mapping holdings, as well as a small number for the Isle of Man and south-east England. Here's the blurb from the site:

War Office, Great Britain 1:25,000. GSGS 3906, 1940-43

This military map series at 1:25,000 was begun in the 1930s, but at the outbreak of War in 1939, only covered around a seventh of the country. Printing was then dramatically speeded up, so that the whole series was completed in a few months. Our holdings have printing dates from 1940-43.

The underlying topographic detail was photographically reduced from the latest available Ordnance Survey six-inch to the mile maps. This topographic base was then usually overprinted them with thick brown contour lines, enlarged from the latest Ordnance Survey one-inch to the mile maps. The map series was produced by the War Office, or Geographical Section, General Staff, and carry their series designation, G.S.G.S. 3906.

This is all our holdings of this series, consisting of 829 sheets. Coverage of Scotland is complete, with a small number of sheets covering the Isle of Man and south-east England

To view the maps, visit https://maps.nls.uk/os/25k-gb-1940-43/

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Thanks to Beith, and forthcoming talks

A huge thank you to Garnock Valley Family History Group (www.beithtownhouse.co.uk/event/garnock-valley-family-history-group-5/) for its hospitality last night in Beith, Ayrshire, where I gave a talk on Irish family history resources. Thank you also to the person who came up to me at the end and gave me the shortest review ever - "pure dead brilliant!"

Beith Townhouse (www.beithtownhouse.co.uk) was the venue, a wonderful building which houses Beith Cultural and Historical Society - and as this was my first visit, I couldn't resist taking a few pics of some of the local treasures on display!

I have a few more confirmed talks lined up over the next year:

• March 14th 2019, Lanarkshire Family History Society, Motherwell - topic tbc
• April 15th 2019, Glasgow and West of Scotland FHS - Irish Sources
• October 5th 2019, Aberdeen & NE Scotland FHS (Glasgow branch) - Discover Scottish Church Records
• October 19th 2019, Manchester & Lancashire FHS, Manchester, England - Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis
• November 13th 2019, Central Scotland FHS, Stirling, Scottish Research Resources before 1800
• January 18th 2020, Aberdeen & NE Scotland FHS (Edinburgh branch) - Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis

I will updated this once I have confirmed a couple of further invites. I hope you can make one (or more!) of them.

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Forthcoming talks and events at PRONI

Forthcoming events at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (www.nidirect.gov.uk/proni):

PRONI Workshop - Getting Started
Various dates
Introductory workshop on essential skills for researching family and local history.

PRONI workshop - Online family and local history resources
Various dates, January - April 2019, 11am-1pm and 6-8pm
Introductory workshop on using PRONI’s online records for family and local history.

Soft power and subterfuge: The women of Tyrone’s Rebellion, 1593-1603
21 February 2019, 7pm
Lecture organised by the Ulster Society for Irish Historical Studies. Dr James O’Neill explores role of women during The Nine Years War.

Wreck and Rescue lecture series
27 February 2019 - 3 April, 1-2pm
A series of lectures looking at various aspects of the history of maritime disasters and the organisations who work to save life at sea.

Book launch: A long week in March by Michael Nugent
28 February 2019, 7pm
Michael James Nugent explores the events of the 21 March 1918

The development of physical education, 1922-54
7 March 2019, 1-2pm
Dr Conor Curran explores the changing role of physical education in NI.

Whatever the Weather
26 March 2019, 1 - 2:30pm
Dr Catherine Ross of the Met Office National Meteorological Archive charts the world of weather related records.


International Women’s Week

PRONI will be hosting two events in the run up to International Women’s Day

Archival Traces Exhibition Launch
4 March 2019, 1-2pm
“Archival traces” is a visual exploration of boglands on the island of Ireland by Michelle Moloney. The work is primarily concerned with these landscapes as repositories; sites of memory and preservation: natural archives.

Through the eyes of Margaret Cousins – Irish and Indian Suffragette – Dr Keith Monroe
8 March, 1-2pm
Dr Keith Monroe will deliver a talk on his book.

To register for PRONI events, visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/d/united-kingdom--belfast/proni/

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Scottish Government consults on inheritance law shake up

The Scottish Government has launched a consultation into proposed changes to inheritance law in Scotland. The following is the ministerial forward from the Government's Community Safety Minister, Ash Denham:

While the law of succession affects everyone, it can also divide opinion.

It is precisely because it affects everyone that there must be some consensus on what reforms will deliver outcomes that are appropriate for the majority of modern day Scots and in line with their expectations. This is no easy task.

We consulted in 2015 on recommendations made by the Scottish Law Commission in their Report on Succession published in 2009. It was clear from the responses that there was insufficient consensus on a significant number of the recommendations to progress them further.

On testate succession, whilst the current scheme of legal rights attracts criticism, the Scottish Government has concluded from the responses that it does have the benefit of striking a balance between testamentary freedom and limited protections for spouses/civil partners and children and so will not bring forward reforms to the law on testate succession.

This paper focuses on intestacy. The key area which remained unresolved in the 2015 consultation was how an estate should be split where there are both a surviving spouse/civil partner and children. This paper therefore seeks views on a fresh approach to reform of the law of intestacy with reference to regimes which operate elsewhere.

Given that the current rules on intestacy have been in place for over half a century, the approaches explored in this paper may seem novel. Nevertheless I would urge you to consider them and would be grateful for your views. The paper also seeks views on extending an alternative approach to cohabitants to test whether views on what cohabitants' rights on intestacy should be, have shifted.

There are a number of other discrete succession issues in the final chapter on which we would welcome views

I am pleased therefore to publish this consultation paper and I look forward to considering the responses which will inform our policy in this area.

For more on the story visit https://www.holyrood.com/articles/news/scottish-government-consider-reform-inheritance-law.

Details of the consultation are available at https://www.gov.scot/publications/consultation-law-succession/.

Chris

For more information on the historic laws on inheritance in Scotland, consult my book Discover Scottish Land Records - details at https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html.

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Britain's Cold War Revealed at the National Archives

From the National Archives in England (www.nationalarchives.gov.uk):

Britain's Cold War Revealed

We're excited to announce the launch of our new Cold War season this April.

The season will open with an insightful exhibition - 'Protect and Survive: Britain’s Cold War Revealed' - and a whole host of events exploring the reality of life in Britain under the persistent threat of nuclear attack during the Cold War era.

We're thrilled to announce the first few events for the Cold War season and give you, as a valued mailing list subscriber, exclusive advance access to book tickets for them. Read on for more details...

An Evening with Dame Stella Rimington
Friday 5 April, evening event

Now a best-selling thriller writer, Dame Stella was appointed Director General of MI5 in 1992, the first woman to take the post and the first Director General to be publicly named. This unique evening event sees Dame Stella discussing her career, followed by an opportunity for questions.

Book tickets for this event


The Scandalous Case of John Vassall
Thursday 25 April, afternoon event

Uncover the fascinating tale of John Vassall, a civil servant embroiled in a honeytrap by the Soviet Secret Service at the height of the Cold War.

Book tickets for this event


From the Bomb to The Beatles
Thursday 9 May, evening event

Learn about the fascinating cultural and social developments in Britain in the 20 years following the Second World War, from the restricted culture of 1945 to the dawn of heady freedoms in the 1960s.

Book tickets for this event


Archives at Night: Cold War Revealed
Friday 17 May, evening event

Fancy yourself as a bit of a modern history buff? From pop culture to spies and scandal, test your trivia knowledge at this fun evening event at the UK’s very own home of history.

There will also be the chance to immerse yourself in the era through gallery tours of new exhibition Protect and Survive, 80s-inspired craft and more.

Book tickets for this event 


Creative writing workshop: Protect and Survive
Saturday 22 June, afternoon event

Join us for a post-apocalyptic creative writing workshop with award-winning poet Suzannah Evans, touching upon themes ranging from Cold War bunkers, censorship and redaction.

Book tickets for this event



And if you can't get to Kew...

If you can't make it to the events or exhibition, don't worry - we'll be adding lots of new Cold War content to our website over the coming months, so you'll be able to share in the experience!

Explore the Cold War websiteat https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/coldwar

(With thanks to TNA by email)

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Family tree chart offer from My History

From My History (https://www.my-history.co.uk) in Yorkshire:

Our latest `Deal of the Week`

25% off Printed Charts when you use our free online Chart Generator
Offer ends 4pm Thursday 21st February 2019

This week we are offering 25% off a printed chart when you order using our online chart generator. The chart generator allows you to create any number of free charts in PDF format for checking before deciding if you wish to have any of them printed. Click here to find out how to get started with your family tree file. The 25% discount will be automatically given at the cart. Prices from £11.58. Normally you would need to order two copies of a chart to get this discount.

COMMENT: Don't forget also to check out My History's Unlock the Past genealogy guide books section at https://www.my-history.co.uk/acatalog/Unlock-the-Past-Booklets-p1.html.

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

RootsIreland adds Laois and Offaly records

From RootsIreland (www.rootsireland.ie):

New Laois and Offaly Records Online

15th February 2019 By fdmadmin

We are pleased to announce that Irish Midlands Ancestry have added 18,000 records for Laois (Queen’s County) and Offaly (King’s County) to their databases at www.laois.rootsireland.ie and www.offaly.rootsireland.ie. These records include:

Tullamore RC baptisms and marriages, 1900-1916;
Census Laois and Offaly, 1659;
King’s County Chronicle, 1890-1895;
King’s County Electors, 1836;
King’s County Voters, 1829;
Landholders, King’s County, 1824;
Landowners, King’s County, 1876;
Landowners, Queen’s County, 1876;
Queen’s County Freeholders, 1758-75;
Queen’s County Voters, 1846;
Rateable Occupiers of Geashill Barony (King’s County), 1883-84;
Subscribers Parsonstown Poor Relief Fund, 1855.

For a full list of sources for Laois and Offaly, and to search these records, go to www.laois.rootsireland.ie and www.offaly.rootsireland.ie.

(Original story at http://www.rootsireland.ie/2019/02/new-laois-and-offaly-records-online/)

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

PDF option for English & Welsh GRO records now permanent

From the General Register Office for England and Wales (https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/default.asp):

GRO News

GRO has been piloting a service providing PDF copies of historical birth and death records. From the 16th February 2019 PDF’s have become a permanent service.

Applications for PDF’s cost £7, must be made online and include a GRO index reference. England and Wales records which are available to order in PDF format include:

Births: 1837–1918
Deaths: 1837–1957

Note: A PDF is not a certificate and has no “evidential” value, therefore a paper certified copy [certificate] is required for official purposes, e.g. applying for a passport, driving licence or where required to give notice of marriage.

(With thanks to @CensusDetective via Twitter)


Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

In Search of Missionaries: Tracing relatives on a mission from God

Whilst I am personally not very religious, several members of my family have worked as missionaries in the past.

On my research service blog, I discuss how I traced the careers of the Rev. William Paton, Mary Paton, and the Rev. David MacDonald Paton, as well as the missionary work that they carried out in India and China. I note many of the resources I found online, and at English based repositories such as the School of Oriental and African Studies archive in London, and the University of Birmingham archives.

You'll find the article at https://scotlandsgreateststory.wordpress.com/2019/02/15/in-search-of-missionaries/ - enjoy!

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Discover Your Ancestors 8 now on sale

The eighth annual bookazine Discover Your Ancestors is now available for sale.

The 196 page bookazine contains new in-depth articles, research advice, social and general history, 'how to' features, case studies, places in focus, and much more! It is ideal for both experienced researchers and those just starting out.

• Fascinating features about life in the past
• Different types of records explored
• Explore Edward's Era - meet the Edwardians at home and at play
• How to research: Methodists & Dissenters, Scots criminals and family myths
• George Eliot: 200th Anniversary
• Celebrity genealogies: Emily Blunt and Michael Caine
• Over £170 of FREE resources! Including a 6 Month Gold Subscription to leading website TheGenealogist (worth £44.95!) and a 12 Month Subscription to the monthly online magazine, Discover Your Ancestors Periodical.
• Lots of other downloadable resources and much more!

To order a copy visit https://genealogysupplies.com/user/basket/

NB: This edition includes articles by me on researching Scottish ancestors in times of crisis, and on researching Irish birth, marriage and death records - enjoy!

(With thanks to Andrew Chapman)

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

FindmyPast adds Scottish irregular marriage index

FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk) has uploaded a useful resource for irregular Scottish marriages this week:

Scotland, Irregular & Cross-Border Marriage Index
Did you have ancestors' that eloped to be married or had an irregular marriage in Scotland? Search over 13,000 records spanning 1624 to 1898 and covering places such as Gretna Green, Coldstream, and Lamberton Toll to find details of their marriage in this collection. Marriage by a declaration in front of two witnesses was legal in Scotland, however, in 1753 a law was passed in England which banned such irregular marriages and this led to many couples eloping.

An irregular marriage in Scotland did not require the ceremony to be carried out by an ordained minister or to be preceded by proclamation or Banns. Parental permission was also not required for the marriage to be recognized as being legal. Irregular marriages were disagreed with in principle by the churches, they were however tolerated as the churches feared that if the law did not recognize such relationships, the couple would end up 'living in sin.'

Source: not listed.

[NB: My books Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition) and Discover Scottish Civil Registration Records cover irregular marriages in both the pre-civil registration and civil registration eras - see https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. The final form of irregular marriage in Scotland, marriage by habit and repute, was not abolished until the Family Law (Scotland) Act 2006 - for more, see my blog post at https://scotlandsgreateststory.wordpress.com/2015/12/20/abolition-of-marriage-by-habit-and-repute/]


Also released this week:

Scotland, Edinburgh Field Officers From Almanacs 1758-1800
The Edinburgh Field Officers from Almanacs 1758-1800 is an excellent resource for anyone researching their ancestors' military history and want to understand more about their military life.

United States Marriages
Over 23 million additional marriage records covering 46 states have been added to the collection. These new additions span nearly 450 years of American history, containing records dating all the way back to 16th century Massachusetts.

Arkansas First Draft Registration Card, 1940-1945 Image Browse
Do you have ancestors from the state of Arkansas who were drafted during WW2? Explore over a million draft cards to learn facts such as their birth date, address, place of employment, relative's names, physical description and more. Browsing allows you to explore images of original draft cards from beginning to end.

New records from the Dominican Republic
Over 677,000 new records from the Dominican Republic are now available to search. These new releases consist of 5 separate collection covering civil registrations, baptisms, marriages and deaths between 1666 and 1924, including:

Dominican Republic Civil Registration, 1801-2010
Dominican Republic civil death registration, 1801-2010
Dominican Republic Marriage Index 1743-1929
Dominican Republic Death Index 1666-1862
Dominican Republic Baptism Index 1726-1924

British And Irish Newspaper update
This week we have added 128,578 new pages to The Archive. We are excited to welcome two brand new additions to our collection – the much requested Long Eton Advertiser and the Runcorn Guardian. We also have updates to six our existing titles, including three of our Irish publications, as well as the Middlesex County Times, the Manchester Evening News and the Lennox Herald. This week sees substantial additions to our twentieth century holdings, including an extensive run of 1930s titles, featuring the Middlesex County Times and the Long Eaton Advertiser.

For further details see https://blog.findmypast.co.uk/findmypast-friday-2629023080.html

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Free access to Irish and UK records on Ancestry

Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) is offering free access to its Irish and UK collections until Monday:

 *Access to the records in the featured collections will be free until 23:59 GMT on 18 February 2019. To view these records you will need to register for free with Ancestry.co.uk with your name and email address. After the free access period ends, you will only be able to view the records in the featured collections using an Ancestry.co.uk paid membership. To see a full list of the records in the featured collections please click here.

Have fun!

NB: Ancestry is one of the websites I'll be discussing in my next Scottish Research Online course on March 11th - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102 for details!

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Ancestry adds London Poor Law Hospital Admissions and Discharges records

Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) has finally added a new English collection to its site, the first in some time.

London, England, Poor Law Hospital Admissions and Discharges, 1842-1918
https://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61711&key=U
(Source: Board of Guardians records held by the London Metropolitan Archives, London, England)

About London, England, Poor Law Hospital Admissions and Discharges, 1842-1918

Historical Context

After the Poor Law Act of 1834, workhouses became the main vehicle of assistance for the poor. Conditions were very hard and many of those who entered workhouses needed medical care. Infirmaries attached to workhouses, and administered by the Poor Law Unions were used to provide some relief for the impoverished elderly, chronically ill and anyone who suffered from one of many ailments prevalent at the time.

The role of the Workhouse infirmaries steadily expanded over the 19th century and by 1900, they were used to treat and care for not only Workhouse inmates but non-paupers as well; some were even operating as private hospitals.

This Collection

Users may find the following details for individuals found in the registers (where available):

Name
Gender
Admission Date
Age
Death Date
Discharge Date
Poor Law Union

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

West Norwood Burial Records now on Deceased Online

From Deceased Online (www.deceasedonline.com):

West Norwood Burial Records now on Deceased Online

Burial records from the historic West Norwood cemetery in Lambeth, London, are now available on www.deceasedonline.com. This beautiful cemetery, one of the 'Magnificent Seven' Victorian cemeteries, was founded in 1836 and is home to a great many listed monuments. The cemetery maintains a place in the English Heritage National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens, and is recognised as a site of nature conservation value within Lambeth.

Among the notable famous people of the past buried in West Norwood cemetery lie John Dwight Doulton and his son Sir Henry Doulton. John Doulton, who died in 1873, was the founder of the firm that would become known as Royal Doulton. Originally the firm existed as a partnership with Martha Jones and John Watts, and was known as Jones, Watts, and Doulton. They specialised in industrial ware, brown stoneware, and stoneware bottles for liquid chemicals. Jones withdrew from the partnership in 1820 and, following the retirement of Watts in 1853, Doulton merged his company with his son Henry's company, Lambeth pottery, to become Doulton and Company. Henry's love of literature and the arts channelled the production of Doulton towards the manufacture of Art Pottery, for which Royal Doulton has become famous. Sir Henry was interred in a mausoleum at West Norwood cemetery made from red pottery tiles and bricks from the Doulton Works, and this has become a Grade II listed building.

Isabella Mary Beeton, author of the 1861 work Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, is also resting in West Norwood cemetery after dying in 1865 of puerperal fever at the young age of 28. Mrs Beeton worked extensively with her publisher husband, Samuel Beeton, revitalising the The Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine with Isabella listed as 'co-editress'. Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, a collection of 24 articles from the The Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine, became one of the major publishing events of the 19th century. It was immensely well received by critics of the time and sold over 60,000 copies in its first year. It is still in print today.

English architect and designer William Burges, among the greatest of the Victorian art-architects, rests in West Norwood cemetery in the tomb he designed for his mother. Burges was described by contempories as eccentric, over-indulgent, and unpredictable, but his sense of humour and lively conversation won him many friends. He was well known for his opium addiction and party-batchelor lifestyle, which some have speculated was at least partly responsible for his early death in 1881, at the age of 53. Burges left behind an incredible body of work in architecture as well as designs in metalwork, sculpture, jewellery, furniture, and stained glass. His most notable works include Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral in Cork, Cardiff Castle, Gayhurst House in Buckinghamshire, and the Church of Christ the Consoler in Yorkshire.

The 165,000 records available on Deceased Online cover 1837 to 2005 and comprise microfiche scans of the original burial registers, information showing the other occupants of the grave, and maps showing the grave's approximate location in the cemetery.

Records from West Norwood crematorium are also available on Deceased Online.

Other Magnificent Seven cemeteries available on Deceased Online:
Kensal Green Cemetery
Highgate Cemetery
Nunhead Cemetery
Brompton Cemetery

(With thanks to Deceased Online via email)

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.