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Using Newspapers in Family History
The stories behind our ancestors When we start researching our family history, we tend to focus on the “big” records — birth certificates, census returns, marriage records and wills. These are essential, of course, but they only tell us the bare facts. If you really want to bring your ancestors to life, newspapers are one…
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Breaking Down a Brickwall with AI: How I found my Great-Great Grandfather
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Artificial Intelligence in Genealogy: Helpful Assistant or Risky Shortcut?
Artificial Intelligence is now appearing everywhere — in search engines, photo apps, email tools and even word processors. It was only a matter of time before it reached genealogy. But what does AI actually mean for family historians? Is it transforming research, or simply speeding up what we already do? The answer, as ever in…
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Unlocking the UK Census – A Treasure Trove for Family Historians
For anyone researching their family history, the census is one of the most valuable record sets available. Taken every ten years, it allows us to trace families over time, watch children grow up, see occupations change, and follow movements around the country. Here we explore how to make the most of UK census records —…
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Why 1837 Matters So Much in Family History Research
If you spend any time researching family history in England and Wales, you very quickly come across a key date: 1837. It’s one of those dividing lines that separates two very different worlds of record keeping — and understanding it can make your research far more effective. Before 1837: Parish Registers Prior to 1 July…
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Family History Software and Online Databases: Choosing the Right Tools
One of the most common questions in family history is: “What software should I use?” The honest answer is: it depends on how you like to work. Here we look at three methods for recording your family history: Each has strengths and weaknesses — and many experienced researchers use a combination. Let’s look at them…
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How I Store my Records
In a recent post I talked about organising your records so I thought in this follow up I’d show specifically how I do it. Physical Records I actually don’t have that many physical records, mainly ordered certificates and original documents, but I still want to keep them in an orderly fashion. In my case I…
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Getting Organised in Family History Research
One of the biggest differences between enjoyable family history and frustrating family history is organisation. Most of us start with enthusiasm: downloading certificates, saving census images, scribbling notes, bookmarking websites. Then, a few months later, we can’t remember where anything is — or worse, we end up ordering the same certificate twice. Getting organised isn’t…
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Service Records and The London Gazette: Exploring the Military History of Your Ancestors
Military records are among the richest and most revealing sources available to family historians. If your ancestor served in the armed forces, there may be detailed documentation that tells you far more than a census ever could — sometimes including physical description, medical history, promotions, disciplinary issues, and even the exact battles they experienced. This…
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Citations in Family History
