1881 Scottish Census at FMP

NEWS

A freshly-transcribed version of the 1881 Census for Scotland is now available at Find My Past. For full details and the relevant link see here. And, as far as I'm aware, you can still get 10% off the membership rates for FMP by using the promotion code NEWYEAR12 - or if that doesn't work try STFTW12 (until 31st January - try the site out here).

FMP have also released additional records for the county of Cheshire - see here.

DeceasedOnline have come forward with more releases - this time from the Scottish Highlands.

The February issue of Family History Monthly is now available.

Pen & Sword Books have issued another 'offers' bulletin.

And finally, news-wise, I will give you the next announcement (via the FFHS's Roger Lewry) in full...

The following announcement has been received from the Ancestral Tourism Partnership:

Dr Nick Barratt will be among speakers at the Archives, Digitization and Heritage Tourism Workshop taking place at The Centre for the Historical Record, Kingston University, London 2.30 - 5.30pm on Wednesday, 22 February 2012. This innovative workshop aims to facilitate discussion and dissemination of information about the latest digital developments in the field of archives and heritage that are designed to increase public use and awareness of historic records and to encourage more people to visit local repositories and sites of historic interest. It will be of particular interest to archive, museum and heritage professionals, local councils keen to promote heritage and tourism in their area, and anyone interested in public history, local history and family history.  Everyone is welcome and entrance is free but places are limited so please reserve your seat online (http://number8glass.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=dd1d56a1060255e3c02857d1b&id=2ae699084b&e=b2cded504a).  This link will also provide more information about the scope of the workshop. For more information please contact Dr Nicola Phillips, The Centre for the Historical Record at:  n.philllips@kingston.ac.uk or 020 8417 2895.

WEBSITES

The 3rd anniversary of GeneaBloggers has just passed - which gives me an excuse to direct you to a neat little post on the worthy set-up, here.

Fell across the MemoryBistro website on Twitter, and thought it was worth a mention. Doesn't appear to have launched yet, but looks like an interesting concept.

ARTICLES

The Family Recorder blog has two recent articles of interest. Firstly, there's a piece on Free Online Genealogy Tools; then there's an item on an unusual, and often ridiculed, occupation - the 'monthly nurse'.

MEDIA NEWS

What looks like a great week ahead for history on TV & radio can be scrutinised here.

TWITTER BITS

• 'Napoleonland' theme park (from @74guns via @2nerdyhistgirls);
• 1984-85 Miners' Strike (from @heritagehistory);
• Dublin City Book Fair on 22nd (from @findmypastIE);
• Early Photography (from @Amateur_Casual);
• Wolverhampton events (from @WolvesArchives);
• 1960s London footage (from @peter_watts);
• Pram fashions - fantastic! (from @BritishPathe).

Need a Genea book or software? Try...

BI-Gen Store

Libraries Bite Back!

NEWS

Tucked away on the BBC website is a story to warm the hearts of library lovers, historians and genealogists across the land concerning the decision taken by Somerset County Council to scrap their plan to close several of the county's libraries. Fact is, they have had their hand forced by the High Court, no less - and it looks like it will lead to a bit of a cash injection for the institutions, too. Wow! One would assume that a precedent has now been set...

The Parish Chest has issued its latest newsletter, which includes details of the release of many, many new genealogical products.

As this year sees the passing of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens, I guess we'll be hearing rather a lot from the guy in the near future. Londoners can kick off with this offering from the Museum of London.


I had a look at Claire Santry's Irish Genealogy News blog this morning, and realised that I'd fell behind a bit with the same! Claire has been busy catching up with various bits and pieces concerning Irish research - so I'd urge you to go there now and bring yourself up to speed on items such as ... oh, there's too much, so just take a look for yourself!

It seems that legendary blogger, Dick Eastman, is over the worst of his health scare.

And Pen & Sword Books have more offers up for grabs, here.

MEDIA NEWS


TV & radio guides for the next few days can be found here and here.

ARTICLES

Another story out of Somerset, with the unearthing of an alleged 'Jack the Ripper' manuscript.

And if, like me, you're just getting into Twitter (or are thinking about it), then check out these two online articles on the same which I found most helpful:

• GenesReunited item on 'Social Media';
• New to Twitter? piece for genealogists.

Thanks to the many of you who have already decided to 'follow me' (see http://twitter.com/HistoryMick ) - which means that I shall have to at least try to entertain you as best I can with regular instalments!

OTHER BITS FROM TWITTER

In the meantime, I realise that many (most?) of you don't bother with Twitter, so the blog shall very much remain the main medium through which I work. And here are a few more little stories from the, er, Twittersphere, as I believe they call it...

• Footage from Ireland in 1962 (from @thejournal_ie);
• Canadian Emigration Papers release from FMPIreland (from @findmypastIE);
• 'What a clever girl' story from Ireland (from @the_irish_times);
• Online Palaeography lesson from TNA (from @familytreemaguk);
• History in schools discussed in House of Commons (from @HistoryExtra);
• History of Leinster House (from @findmypastIE).

No Christmas Let-Up for us Bloggers!

I was hoping for a few 'blog-free' days over the Christmas period, but an unexpected rush of news items has put paid to that! Seems like everyone is trying to clear their desks of all sorts of bits and pieces - so here's a selection for you. Nothing major, really, but I'll run them past you none the less...


NEWS

If document preservation is your thing then you may be interested in the December newsletter of the British Library Preservation Advisory Centre.

Or maybe you're interested in developments in the library sector on the Continent? In that case you'll want to have a look at Europeana Libraries Project's December bulletin (check out the article on the forthcoming 'European Library' website).

Blogger John Reid has fell upon some important news for those of us with an interest in Welsh wills.

And though it's not of direct interest to genealogists, I have noticed a recent burst of activity on the 'Heritage of Wales News' blog. Well, fans of Welsh history may be interested, I guess.

More 'Workshops' of interest to family & local historians have popped up on the National Library of Scotland's website - see here.

Dick Eastman brings us news of the release of The Master Genealogist version 8.

And both students and tutors of family history will want to cast their eyes over the December issue of the Pharos bulletin.

ARTICLES

The Anglo-Celtic Connection blog has an article on the effect of breast-feeding habits on infant mortality rates.


Still hungry for more Festive reading? Then have a browse of these special articles plucked from the HistoryToday archives.

And there's more general comment from Nick Barratt, here, which includes reference to a Daily Mail article on our family history skeletons (link is at the very bottom of his post).

And don't forget the following coming up on 26th (which is when you'll next hear from me)...

GRO Debate Continues

ARTICLES

Blogger Audrey Collins has joined the 'GRO certificates' debate with an interesting analysis of her own on The Family Recorder blog. It's a funny old situation and it now needs to be carefully looked at by the folk in charge. It seems hard to believe that a system cannot be devised to modestly cash in on the sizeable demands of us family historians.

I see that Claire Santry has begun a series of guest blogs on the 'Certificate of Irish Heritage' website, with an article entitled 'In Search of the Townland'.

A short reminder of our early days of research is provided by the Genes Reunited website with their Top 20 Family History Tips as compiled by their members. Always useful to be reminded of such simple matters every now and again!

NEWS

Due to relocation in early 2012, Ceredigion Archives have revised their opening times for January and February - see here. It does, however, seem that they will specially open up for you if travelling from 'another continent', as they put it!

TheGenealogist has issued an update for it's Diamond subscribers - see here (mainly English stuff).

The National Library of Scotland has issued a fresh 'Events' listing covering January-March.

A listing of 'Black and Asian British History Seminars 2012' has popped up on The Historical Association's website.

MyHeritage have released a new version of their popular (and free) software program, Family Tree Builder - see the lengthy feature on the same here.

Check out some unusual discoveries made in The National Archives' holdings.

And I haven't mentioned the ReadIreland Book Database for a while - so check it out here (then click on 'Read Ireland Book News').

MEDIA NEWS

Here are a few TV/radio programmes which may interest you over the next week or so.

Irish Publications

NEWS

A couple of websites have thrown up a good few Irish books for your consideration. The publications arm of the Ulster Historical Foundation, BooksIreland, have compiled a list of 'Latest Releases' which looks rather tasty. Ditto the selection offered in the latest Eneclann Newsletter (which also has a 'Focus' on County Down).

Blogger Chris Paton has brought to our attention the publication of the annual review of the National Library of Scotland - and his post also mentions the uploading of several thousand new maps onto the NLS's website! Chris has also posted news (and personal comment) about some minor changes at the ScotlandsPeople Centre - see here.

In England, tomorrow (13th December) is the scheduled date for the reopening of the Lincolnshire Archive Search Room. At the time of writing, the relevant website seems to indicate that this is still the plan - though the car park will still be out of bounds. Best give them a ring before travelling.

If you're an active member of a 'Community Archive/Heritage Group', you may be interested in the '2011 Community Archive Award'. Closing date for nominations is 31st December.

And for those of you who like to follow genealogist Nick Barratt's adventures, see his latest blog post here.

WEBSITES

London researchers may be interested in the 'London Historians' website - and the related blog.

ARTICLES

GenealogyInTime has a lengthy article of hints and tips regarding Online Genealogy Searches.

Save 10% on a subscription, and earn BI-Gen a bit of commission (at no additional cost to yourself) by clicking below...

More 1911 Progress at Ancestry

NEWS

Ancestry have announced the availability of more 'searchable records' pertaining to their 1911 Census holdings for England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. Read all about the latest developments here.

The National Archives have issued a couple of news items in the last day or so. The first refers to the pending release of records of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (follow the link in the piece for much more info); the second concerns movement at the highest level of the archive industry, namely, the All Party Parliamentary Group on Archives and History's latest get-together with the sector's leaders.

Denbighshire Archive Service will be closed next week (Mon 12th to Fri 16th) for its annual stocktake - see here (where their Christmas hours are also on display).

A couple of special offers:

• Your Family History magazine have what looks like a great 'Starter Pack' up for grabs - and their latest issue is also now available;
• Pen & Sword Books have a '3 for 2' offer on all local & family history publications - see their newsletter, here, and click on the relevant banner.

The Christmas issue of BBC History Magazine is also now available.

MEDIA NEWS

TV and radio for the coming week can be found here.

ARTICLES

And a neat follow-up article to last night's Find My Past TV show on the subject of the Suffragettes is provided by writer and researcher Ros Bott - see here.

Save 10% on Gold or Diamond Subscription to 'The Genealogist'...

New GOONS Membership Options

NEWS

If membership of the Guild of One-Name Studies is something which may interest you, then check out their new flexible subscription rates across six different currencies. Confused? There's no need to be: there's a nice table for you to examine, here.

Claire Santry brings us news of the CIGO's 2011 Award for Excellence in Genealogy - read all about it here. And whilst we're in Ireland, check out the recent additions to the IGP Archives. Thanks Claire.

You may be able to find something with which to entertain yourself in the BBC's 'Out and About' feature for December.

Pen and Sword's latest discounted books/offers are lined up here.

ARTICLES

There's an article of sorts on the subject of Welsh Wills on the FamilySearch blog.

MEDIA NEWS

Another of those brief interviews concerning the Find My Past TV show can be found here. Interesting, but it's a pity the Q&A sessions weren't a bit longer.

OTHER STUFF

By following the link from the TNA's announcement, here, you can access the organisation's rather sweet 'Image Library'. Have a browse of all the categories, why don't you?

And finally, if you haven't tripped over it already, please have a look at my brand new 'Local & Family History Centre' website. All you need to know about it is easily accessible on the site itself. If you want to get involved then, well, get in touch! It's completely free...

British Newspaper Archive Now Live!

NEWS / WEBSITES

The major news story of the day (week/month?) is the unveiling of the British Newspaper Archive website - a joint venture by the British Library and commercial concern BrightSolid. The story is all over the Internet, but why not go straight to the horse's mouth and the British Library's formal announcement. There's very little available without parting with some cash, but you can at least perform a full search of the records for free. The mammoth 10-year project is on-going, of course, so this is just the start - with currently only around 4million of the 40million page-target online. Some useful comment from The Family Recorder blog on the subject can be found here.

The weekly 'Events Listing' continues to dwindle as the winter deepens...

• Monday 12th & Tuesday 13th December - British Library's 'Royal Manuscripts Conference';
• Saturday 3rd December - Norwich Book Fair;
• Postcard Fairs at Haywards Heath (3rd), Northampton (3rd), Birmingham (4th - see top right of page - a major event), Cirencester (7th) - see here. Please check with organisers that fairs are still going ahead before travelling to venues;
• And what is left of the SoG's talks for the rest of 2011 can be found here (you'll have to be very quick to book).

If the topic of Welsh wills interests you, then you'll want to check out this lengthy news report from The National Library of Wales.

The FFHS has made an announcement regarding their 'Projects' department.

The specialist genealogical search engine Mocavo have launched a 'UK' version of their facility which, obviously, focuses on searching UK web-based resources - further details here.

OTHER STUFF

There's a History crossword for you to tackle, here.

Dead End Hobby: Oddments from the World of Family History - last few days of special pre-publication offer. See here for full details.

More MyHeritage Takeover Info

NEWS

More information on the MyHeritage takeover of FamilyLink/Vital World Records can be found here. This really does seem to be a major move in the family history world.


BBC History Magazine's latest Podcast can be found here (impact of the death of Prince Albert, and Edward IV's library).

And The National Archives latest Podcast is also now available ('A Low, Artful, Wicked Man': poverty riots and bread - the response of government to the crises of the 1790s).


Nick Barratt has put out a blog post which will be of interest to those of you with Royal Marine ancestry. Check it out here, where you will also see an appeal for advice/comment on an important aspect of our research world, namely, collaboration between the many local & family history 'umbrella' organisations that we have here in the UK. Get your thinking caps on and contact Nick with your views!

I know many of you are interested in maps and mapping - if you are, then check out this post on the Ordnance Survey blog ... which includes news of an upcoming major conference which may tempt you.


Those of you with Indian connections may wish to cast their eyes over this news item from the British Library website.


Thanks to the British GENES blog for news of the latest Electric Scotland newsletter.

And several sources have mentioned the Origins.net '20% off' subscription offer which lasts until 1st December. Enter TG2011 at checkout/registration.


ARTICLES

Check out the BBC's 'History Headlines' for the week.

WEBSITES

Ancestry have launched a new blog called 'Sticky Notes'. I'm concerned that it may be a little too US-biased, but we'll see how it shapes up. See the announcement, here, where you will find a link to the blog itself.

New Genealogy Publication!

OK, so here it is. Get your cheque book ready:

Bi-Gen Collection 1: 

Dead End Hobby

Oddments from the World of Family History

Unusual & erroneous PR entries; witty MIs; unusual occupations; medical curiosities; sarcastic record entries; appalling living & working conditions; weird traditions; tall stories; coincidences; longevity; strange deaths; last wills, wishes & words; quotes; and other quirks of history. 

72 pages of genealogical entertainment and enlightenment from BI-Gen blogger, Mick Southwick.

The first in a series of 'collections'!

Ah, but how much does this fantastic new publication cost? Well, I haven't decided for sure yet, but when it's published on 1st December, it'll probably be priced at somewhere between £3.50-£4.00 + around a £1 p&p (overseas maybe £2-£3 more). So for 'early bird' orders, let's say the following:

UK customers: £4 including p&p;

Europe/RoI: £5 including p&p;

Other Overseas: £6 including p&p.

This pre-launch offer only applies to 'hard copies' of the booklet, though an e-copy version will be available from early December. There will also be other ways of obtaining the booklet other than directly from myself, such as via the publishers, Lulu.com (which may appeal more to overseas customers). But if you want your copy NOW, then send a cheque (GBPounds sterling only, please) made payable to 'M.Southwick', to 20 California, Winlaton, Blaydon-on-Tyne, Tyne & Wear, NE21 6LY, UK. Or you can pay by Paypal via my email address micksouthwick@blueyonder.co.uk . Whichever way you do it, please remember to furnish me with your postal address. You can also use the DONATE button on the right - but you may have to send your address to me in a separate email. (Paypal is useful for overseas payments as it usually converts the currency automatically ... I think. I trust you to do the 'conversion calculation' yourself!).

The pre-launch offer will end on 1st December, so please get in touch before then. If you've any queries, then contact me on the email address above.

Class it as an early Christmas present ... for yourself.

HLF Gears Up For WWI Centenary

NEWS

The Heritage Lottery Fund, which we historians love so much, has thrown out an important announcement regarding ways in which communities may wish to commemorate the centenary of the First World War. Applications for funding are being encouraged in support of events which will take place during 2014-18. See the official website. [thanks to the FFHS News Service for this item]

The GenealogyInTime website maintains a handy-looking list of new online records as an when they pop up. The list covers the entire globe, with a heavy bias towards the English-speaking countries. As far as I can see, there is nothing there which hasn't appeared on this blog (for Britain/Ireland), but those of you with a smattering of overseas interests may wish to keep tabs on it.

The December issue of Family History Monthly is now available - but if you wish to learn more (or even if you don't), then why not read about it in their latest e-newsletter. You might as well, as there are a few other bits of news in there which may be of interest to you.

The recently-opened 'Royal Manuscripts' exhibition at the British Library is running a series of talks/events regarding the display. You can also click here for the library's full programme of events for the next few weeks. Whilst they're the topic of conversation, I might as well mention the email I received from the BL regarding their 'Seasonal Gifts'.

James McLaren of the Channel Islands FHS has contacted me regarding a very specialised history project that's come to fruition in his neck of the woods. The Societe Sercquaise have compiled a document called Men of Sark, which details every one of the 63 men from Sark who served in the First World War, and the one who left before the Occupation and served in the Second World War. For comparison, those 63 men represented about 50% of those eligible for service on the island... a rather sobering thought. The Societe are happy to make this available to whoever is interested (website at www.socsercq.sark.gg - though there is no mention of the document online yet, as far as I can see).

Pen & Sword Books have a few special offers on the go (inc. free p&p for a week) - see here.

The latest Ireland Reaching Out newsletter is now available, in which genealogy features in one of the articles.

The BBC's HistoryExtra website has a new Podcast (WWII veterans, and sugar in Victorian Britain).

MEDIA NEWS

The week's TV & Radio can be found here.


And don't forget to come back tomorrow for news of BI-Gen's new publication, and how to get your hands on a reduced-price pre-launch copy!

Scottish Debate

NEWS

I have just spotted an important post on 'The Scottish Emigration Blog' about a forthcoming debate on the subject of, well, Scottish emigration! What looks like a most enjoyable evening will take place on Tuesday 29th November at Edinburgh University. Best get in there quickly.

Ancestry is soon to have a new look - or rather the 'Image Viewer' will, anyway. The new interface is currently in test mode, and you can give it a try by reading the relevant blog post, here.

The SoG has highlighted an appeal for research guinea pigs which will interest genealogists - and you'll be paid for it (well, there's a 'cash incentive'). Check out the details here - but don't hang about, as the study begins on 22nd.

The SoG has also published it's first e-book, My Ancestor Was a Royal Marine.


Here's another update to the Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives from the ever-reliable Claire Santry.

The British Library has added to its 'e-book Treasures' with a couple of sacred texts - see here.

December's HistoryToday magazine is now available.

And, most importantly of all:
If you read my blog post for Monday, you will be aware that BI-Gen will be releasing its first publications (two of them) very soon. I'm aiming for an official launch date of 1st December, but I can tell you now that the first one is ready to roll out now (have just received a small batch from the printers and they look great). It is called Dead End Hobby: Oddments from the World of Family History, and I have decided to offer readers of the blog the chance to purchase pre-launch copies at a reduced price. Full details of the offer and the booklet will appear on the blog on Saturday.

Remembrance

NEWS

In addition to the free WWI material currently available at Ancestry (see yesterday's post), a few other military bits and pieces are popping up on the Internet - which is to be expected at this time of year. TNA has a special post on the topic here, which provides a few research pointers. And Lost Cousins have produced a special issue of their newsletter which has a distinctly military air to it - see here (plenty of other news in there, too, of course!). If anything else surfaces in the next day or two I'll let you know.

Before we leave Ancestry behind completely, overseas readers may be interested in their competition to 'Follow Your Roots to Europe'.

Not sure if I've mentioned this before, but I think not, so here goes. Chris Paton has spotted a really interesting series of talks and events concerning Ballymena.

The British Library launches a new exhibition today, which runs until March next year - it's entitled Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination. Not of much relevance to genealogists, but worth a look if you're passing the place.

The next item concerns the West Yorkshire Archives Service and, more specifically, plans for their 'Leeds branch'. The text which follows comes via the FFHS and their 'informant', Jackie Depelle:

This is to provide you with some preliminary information on our plans for the service. I would be grateful if you would share it with others in your organisation who may be interested.

The Archive Service has been working with Leeds City Council to provide improved accommodation for and access to the irreplaceable archive collections relating to Leeds District. We have explored several options for potential sites and partnerships and have costed remedial work to the Art Deco Sheepscar building. The Sheepscar building has a number of problems related to its age and construction and the National Archives has declared it no longer fit for purpose. Having explored a range of other options, none of which proved to be workable or affordable, we have now received approval from the Executive Board of Leeds CC to move out of the Sheepscar building and convert space for storage and public access at the Joint Services HQ complex at Gildersome. This option provides the best storage and access we can achieve at a reasonable cost in the immediate future. It also means that the collections currently held at Sheepscar will be located at the same site as those Leeds collections currently housed in our modern outstore at Joint Services HQ. For the first time, nearly two-thirds of Leeds archives will be accommodated on the same site.

This project will provide:

• Much improved storage conditions for collections, ensuring their preservation
• Much improved security for collections, staff and customers
• Fully-accessible, modern, customer accommodation
• Free customer parking

We are planning for the new facilities to be ready in the third quarter of 2012. There will need to be a short time when the service cannot provide a public service, while the collections are in transit. We will make information available as soon as the timetable is finalised and keep that time to a minimum.

I am pleased to be able to assure you that, in spite of the problems the building gives us, no collections have been damaged. The staff and Conservation Team continue their vigilance and interventions and will ensure that archives remain safe until we can effect the move.

Katy Goodrum

Head of Archives

ARTICLES

Back to 'Remembrance' with a nice article on 'A History of Poppy Day' from Ros Bott.

And check out the BBC HistoryExtra website for their usual Friday offerings, with its heavy military bias this time around ('History Headlines', various blogs, and their latest Podcast - oh, and the December issue of their magazine is now out).

MEDIA NEWS

TV & Radio for the week ahead can be found here - as you can imagine, lots of military stuff to come. In addition to all those programmes listed, please see Chris Paton's post about the US WDYTYA? TV show (begins 16th).

OTHER STUFF

There are a couple of votes/surveys on the go at the HistoryToday website which may interest you (most important history book/historian of the past 60 years).

 

 

Tuesday's Genealogy Events Listing

NEWS

Here's your weekly instalment of forthcoming events of interest:

• Saturday 12th November - Huddersfield & District FHS Family & Local History Fair, Batley;
• Sunday 13th November - Somerset Family & Local History Day, Taunton;
• Friday 11th & Saturday 12th November - The 50+ Show, Glasgow (inc. the odd genealogy stand);
• Saturday 12th November - The Parish & The Manor Day Course, Canterbury (bookings still being taken);
• Saturday 12th November - Ireland & WWI, Dublin;
• Saturday 12th November - Surrey Military Book Fair, Camberley;
• Sunday 13th November - London Holiday Inn Book Fair;
• Saturday 12th November - Kinross Postcard Fair, Church Centre, High Street (10.30am-4pm) (best check with organiser Gareth Burgess on 01368 860365 before travelling);
• Sunday 13th November - Fareham Postcard Fair (please check with organisers before travelling).

I must apologise for missing the news of the re-opening of Gwent Archives a couple of weeks ago. I knew it was coming, but had a temporary malfunction in my memory bank. Anyway, check out the new set-up here.

A couple of items from the British Library now, beginning with the availability of more than 50,000 university theses. Don't know about you, but I often find some really useful historical stuff in this sort of material, so you may want to check it out. And those of you who regularly use the BL's Document Supply Service may not be aware of this helpful link.

ARTICLES

There's a helpful piece for those of you who are heavy users of the FamilySearch website, here.

The HistoryToday website has a short article about the German perspective on WWI and 'Remembrance'.

And The Telegraph website has a curious little item about the island of Lundy.

WEBSITES

'A History of Parliament' website is new to the Web. Not as boring as it sounds, as it contains articles covering many aspects of social history - even if they do seem to be a bit on the short side. Could be a one to add to your 'favourites'.

Irish Reports

NEWS

Needless to say, the genealogical world is still buzzing with the fall-out from the weekend's Back to Our Past fair in Dublin. There's an absolute stack of items to report on from this major event, and it's better by far to read about them via two experts who were there and 'did the rounds', namely, Claire Santry (of Irish Genealogy News, Part 1 and Part 2), and, of course, Chris Paton.

And whilst we're with the Irish, I might as well mention the latest Eneclann newsletter - with its county focus on Wicklow.

Next on the list of mentions is another regular read: the Lost Cousins newsletter. And as you should know by now, this is something which I always insist on you taking in. So enjoy!

Another great 'freebie' read is Warfare magazine. Click here for unfettered access to Issue 3.

The folk at BBC History Magazine have produced another Podcast ('Second World War misconceptions' and 'pirates').

The National Archives have issued a news release which will be of interest to those of you with links to the Caribbean - see here.

MEDIA NEWS

A little bit of background information on last week's Find My Past TV show can be found here.

Irish Prison Registers

NEWS

The big news of the day has to be the release of the Irish Prison Registers, 1790-1924 on FindMyPast Ireland. And if you want a helping hand, or an example or two of what you may expect to find therein, who better to turn to than Claire Santry.

Ancestry has being doing its very best this week to keep the above event 'off the front page' with several developments of its own:

• See their celebration of the recent addition of 3.9million records pertaining to Warwickshire and Dorset with this 'parish records fest' on their website (I think the West Yorkshire holdings have also been updated);
• The official announcement of the release of Family Tree Maker 2012;
• And there's a special 'Ancestry Anne' Live session. It will probably have passed by the time you read this, but there is a 'catch-up' facility (guess it'll be US biased, though).

Users of Bradford Central Library will be suitably confused, no doubt, by recent shenanigans at their research venue. The place has been closed for 'health and safety reasons' of late; and though it has been partially re-opened today, the Archives/Local Studies sections remain out-of-bounds. Meetings, etc., are taking place at Shipley Library, and at least one talk (1st Dec) has been moved, date-wise. Their website doesn't seem to be much help - though it does give a telephone number.

Two new mags are now on the market (November issues):

• Family History Monthly;
• HistoryToday.

The HistoryToday Crossword is also freely available here.

Manx researchers will want to have a look at this 'Newspapers Online Survey'.

WEBSITES

Those of you who use the specialist genealogical search engine, Mocavo, will have noticed that they've redesigned their website. Announcement here, search home page here. Give it a go - it's pretty useful.

MEDIA NEWS

The usual weekly outlook for the UK's TV & Radio can be found here.

OTHER STUFF

GeneaBloggers is running a competition which involves you writing your own obituary!

 

 

WWII Escapers & Evaders

NEWS

FindMyPast have released a batch of military records which they have labelled 'WWII Escapers & Evaders' - all to do with Allied POWs who managed to do a runner during hostilities. Take a look at the announcement here.

The BritishGENES blog has posted an entry about the forthcoming BFI Reel Histories Family Day in London. Looks like a lot of fun - and it could be of considerable interest to family history folk. Read all about it here.

Irish researchers will probably already be aware of this, but a couple of mentions have popped up of late about the ongoing Ireland Reaching Out (Ireland XO) project. If you'd like to catch up on the latest developments, see here and here.

A touch more Irish news, concerning a Care & Conservation of Historic Graveyards seminar, can be found on the Irish Genealogy News blog.

The British Library is flogging off some of its stock at reduced prices.

A couple of new Podcasts are available:

• BBC History Magazine (Peter Ackroyd talks about his new history of England and Philip Carter explains how a group of architects have made it into the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography);
• TNA (The 1911 Census: A Vision of England).

Further news from the TNA, with a warning that there will be a certain amount of disruption to online services on Monday 17th October - see here. And there's another snippet concerning education records, on what is the 200th anniversary of the founding of The National Society.

ARTICLES

A bit of an articles 'fest' today, with news that the folk at BBC History Magazine have made their September issue free to download - see the announcement and link here (yes, it works - I've tried it).

WEBSITES

Couldn't let this one slip by.  Thanks to Chris Paton for pointing out the availability of a very, very handy online resource indeed, namely, JSTOR's early journals. Not sure what I'm on about? Well, check out Chris's post for the full story.

 

 

GenesReunited Claims a Big One

NEWS

A press release by GenesReunited this morning states the following:

PARISH RECORDS ADDED TO GENESREUNITED.CO.UK

UK family history site Genes Reunited have added Parish Records to their growing record collection.

Today sees the launch of over 35 million baptism, marriage and burial records for England and Wales dating back to 1538.

Parish records are an important source for family historians allowing them to trace their ancestors back further than 1837.  The Parish Records added to www.genesreunited.co.uk include Boyd's Marriage Index 1538-1840 and Boyd's 1st Miscellaneous Series 1538-1775 supplied by the Society of Genealogists. 

Genes Reunited have worked in partnership with the Federation of Family History Societies and local family history experts who have supplied many of the records.  In total there are over 12 million baptism records, over 15 million marriage records and just over 8 million burial records.

The newly added parish records are available online at www.genesreunited.co.uk and can be viewed on a pay per view basis or Platinum members can choose to add on one or more of the record sets to their package at a low cost.

Rhoda Breakell, Head of Genes Reunited comments: "Now that the Parish Records are available online they are easily accessible to everyone.  Even if you do not know where your ancestors were before 1837, you can now search for them in over 35 million records online at Genes Reunited."

A visit to their website does not provide any further details, but no doubt more information will come to the fore during the next day or two.

Elsewhere, accessibility to the England & Wales GRO Index has made the news, nicely summarised by this announcement on the FFHS website. Now, north-easterners like myself will be well aware that Newcastle City Library already has the Index readily available on tap (and has done for many years) - I can only assume that this means it will now be sent the last few year's-worth to 'top up' their holdings. Note that the London Metropolitan Archives will have their Indexes removed on 28th October.

TheGenealogist have released more of the 1911 Census (Kent) to their Diamond subscribers. Oops, and I see lots of Catholic records have also popped up!

A reminder that the British Library have lots of talks, etc., coming up in the next few months - see here for October's programme (Nov., Dec., etc., available, too).

The November issue of the BBC History Magazine is now on the market.

The November issue of HistoryToday Magazine is also available.

Pen & Sword Books have released details of their Autumn sale.

Linen Hall Library in Belfast has plenty to offer in its October Events Programme (should have brought you this news a few days ago - sorry).

There's a competition running on the WDYTYA? website to win tickets for Dublin's 'Back to Our Past' fair next week - see here.

Oh, and Eastbourne Reference Library have been in touch this morning to tell me that one of the email addresses I gave out yesterday is incorrect (their fault, not mine!). I have now amended the post, to leave the correct one only!

ARTICLES

The usual weekly helping of 'History Headlines' from the BBC can be found here.

MEDIA NEWS


TV & Radio for the coming week has been posted here.

WEBSITES

Though I think I've mentioned it before, check out this site for some free family history webinars (well, some are free, some are not!).

Websites of Interest

WEBSITES

Whilst having another (proper) look at the Lost Cousins newsletter which I mentioned yesterday, I had a chance to scour the quite excellent Gresham College website. I recommend that you all have a look at the same, if for no other reason than to have a browse of its superb collection of online lectures. Not only that, but you can also trot along to the talks, too, of course - which are free to all.  Especially useful for London residents - but the website features make the material handily available to us all. Marvellous.

Another excellent online resource has been flagged by blogger John Reid, namely, the Home Children Database for Canada, 1869-1930. Many of you will know about the many, many thousands of children who were despatched to Canada during the period in question with the intention of giving them a 'better life' - and this recently updated website provides a useful way into the records. Read John's blog entry, here, where you will find the link in question.

Followers of the Europeana project will be interested to learn of the website's new look - see the official announcement.

NEWS

The National Archives have published their October newsletter. Contained therein is a reminder about their special one-day Titanic 2012 Conference on 14th April next year (discounted booking rates available until the end of October).

OK, I know I only mentioned it yesterday, but with the 'Back to Our Past' 'do' in Dublin looming, I thought you might like to know that the Irish Genealogy News blog can get you a discount on the entrance fee - see here. Well done, Claire!

ARTICLE

There's a piece about the history of the English version of the Bible to be found on the HistoryToday website. Not connected with family history, I hear you say - but, no, this was a BIG part of our ancestors' lives, and the availability of successive English translations (culminating with the King James edition in 1611) was really quite a big deal (ask religious reformer William Tyndale, who died for the cause).

OTHER STUFF

I have been asked by Steve Kent to give the following appeal a public airing. I can't personally endorse the idea (as I haven't tried it), but it does sound like a rather neat idea...

View Family Tree Pedigrees and Wall Charts on your TV set

For the past few months I've been developing a computer program that enables me to produce interactive DVD discs from GEDCOM files.

What is different about the DVDs I produce is that they can be played on a standard DVD player/ standard TV set. i.e. No computer is required. The main advantage is that copies of the DVD can be passed on to family members that do not have a computer, but do have a standard DVD player and TV set. Photographs, videos, slideshows and scans of documents can also be included on the DVD.
Navigation through the pedigrees/wall charts is by means of the up, down, left, right arrow keys on the DVD player's remote control keypad. I've successfully produced sample DVDs containing pedigrees/wall charts containing well over 2000 people.

I'm looking for a few volunteers to take part in a free trial of the service that I hope to offer to genealogists. There is absolutely no cost to anyone that takes part in the trial and they will each receive a free copy of their DVD. In return, I will ask trialists to provide feedback on their experience and any suggestions they may have for improvements. The system uses a GEDCOM file that most genealogy applications are able to export.

Initially, trialists will need to tell me:
1.  The name of the genealogy application that they use (Family Tree Maker, Rootsmagic, PAF etc);
2.  The approximate number of individuals in their family tree database;
3.  The number of photographs, videos, slideshows and document scans (if any) that are linked to their family tree database.

Those people accepted for the trial will then need to provide me with a copy of a GEDCOM file produced by their application.

Please note that it is not the software that I am offering for trial. It is the DVD produced by my software that is on offer.
All information supplied to me will be treated in the strictest confidence and will not be made available to anyone else. Anyone interested in taking part in the trial should email:  pedsoft@live.co.uk

Thanks, Steve Kent.


 

Genealogy Open Days

NEWS

No, not the genealogy equivalent of the Heritage Open Days (hey, that would be a good idea!), but just news of two notable 'Open Day' sessions to come later this month ...

First of all there's a special day of free tours, etc., to be enjoyed at the Society of Genealogists' HQ in London on Monday 24th October - with no need to book. Sounds like a splendid opportunity for us non-members to have a nose around!

Then there's the Wakefield branch of the West Yorkshire Archive Service and their Open Day on Saturday 15th October. Please note that you have to book in advance for some of the activities on offer, and there will also be a chance to examine their redevelopment plans (you can also complete an online questionnaire re. the same). Further details on all these Yorkshire goings-on can be found here.

A truly huge get-together is in the early stages of preparation in Ireland, with the announcement of 'The Gathering' - a year long event for 2013 aimed at putting the nation on the road to financial recovery. See the official announcement here. I should think family history will play a rather large part in proceedings!

The new Family Tree Magazine news service brings us a piece on the activities of The War Graves Photographic Project and their latest newsletter.

Cheltenham Probate Abstracts 1660-1740 have popped up on the Origins website.

TheGenealogist has made some 14,000 baptismal records available for the county of Worcestershire (though the parishes in question remain a mystery).

And if you've some spare time this weekend you can always turn to the following podcasts which have popped up in the last couple of days:

• TNA - Textile Designs 1842-1964: exploring the Board of Trade Representations and Registers and The Hong Kong Colonial Cemetery - for both, click here;
• BBC History Magazine - The Life and Times of Queen Matilda, and The Lost Prehistoric City of Pavlopetri - see here.