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Doing Research irl
When I started doing my family history in the late 1980s, pretty much everything was either paper-based or on microfilms. Giant ledgers giving you the possible key to a lost family member or finding the will of a grandparent. Then the wait while you requested the document and had it sent to you. I remember…
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Simple Backup Strategies — Protecting Your Family History Research
If you spend time researching your family history, your computer probably contains years of work: census records, certificates, scanned photographs, family stories, research notes, and carefully built family trees. Losing that data through a computer failure or accidental deletion can be devastating. The good news is that backing up your files does not need to…
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Using NotebookLM in your Genealogical Research
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Preserving Family Photos: A Practical Guide for Genealogists
For anyone interested in family history, photographs are among the most precious items we have. They bring names and dates to life, offering a tangible connection to the past. But photos—both physical and digital—are surprisingly fragile. Without a bit of care and planning, they can fade, deteriorate, or simply disappear. This guide covers the key…
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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…