FREE - Making Genealogy Accessible with Sophie Kay (1-hour talk) Saturday, 23 November 2024 14:00

Are you sharing your genealogy? Is it accessible to users with disabilities or sensory impairments? Marking UK Disability History Month (14 November to 20 December), we welcome back Dr Sophie Kay to explain how to ensure that your outputs are suitable for users with disabilities and sensory impairments. We’ll explore practical tips, tools and training to support you in catering to a range of visual, neurological and auditory needs, whether you’re writing up your family history as a blogpost, book, or building a website.

Treasure of the Month

Our November Treasure of the Month is SoG Sources for the Armed Services. Catch up on the latest episode on YouTube.

Join us on Tuesday 5 November, from 14:00 to 14:30, to catch the next Treasures session in real time! Book your FREE ticket to attend the Zoom. Discover our collections for the Armed Services and how they might help you with your genealogy research.

Tips from inside the SoG

Our event attendees share top tips on what they’ve learnt by watching our latest educational talks:

From the talk on Customs & Excise Ancestors by James Cronan of The National Archives, attendees were delighted to discover Ham’s Year Books, indexed directories of Customs officers, Excise men and Inland Revenue officials covering 1875 to 1930. Better yet, Ham's Year Books are on the TNA Library shelves and you don't need a reader's ticket to view them.

From Sue Gibbons’ talk on Shopkeeper Ancestors, attendees were excited to learn that shopkeepers were sometimes early adopters of the telephone. Explore telephone directories, and also don’t forget to check freemason records for these ancestors.

Talking of directories, Else Churchill’s talk Using Local Trade Directories for Family History contained lots of tips on this subject! For example, check ALL the available directories for a place, not just census years, because people may have moved between the data collection date and printing date. Trade directories are older than you might think and can complement census returns.

All the talks and sessions mentioned in our tips section are available in our Gold Members’ video library. Join today and you’ll have access to the whole back catalogue of over 100 recordings. Find out more here.

Volunteering With Us

We have various projects designed for the meticulous, the curious, and the creative. From facilitating events to transcribing Pedigree Rolls - there are plenty of opportunities to learn more about the world of genealogy and family history while sharing your expertise.

We have over 150 volunteers, working from all over the world but we also have in-person opportunities working from our north London-based library. Training is available for all of our projects and we have a dedicated volunteer’s forum where you can ask questions or have a chat.

So, whether you would like to learn more or would just like to make new friends why not check out our volunteers page and get in touch?

During October we took a look at courts and scandals, discussing some of our rogue and ne’er-do-well ancestors. Many of the talks are now available in the Gold Recording Library so do take a look.

Where there’s a will there’s a genealogist

Starting 28 October Else Churchill will be teaching a six-week course, Delve deep into Wills & Probate Records in England & Wales with expert genealogist and tutor, Else Churchill. Reading this after 28 October? It’s not too late to join us and catch up via the recordings. Bookings close 18 November.

In November thoughts inevitably turn to Remembrance.  We have talks on getting the most from the 1939 Register and exploring beyond it, records for the armed services, WW1 prisoners of war, Commonwealth war graves and the home front. Plus, talks on burials, bodies, funerals and death taxes.

On St. Andrew’s Day (30 November), we’ll be examining Scottish sources and indexes, perfect for anyone with Scottish ancestry.

SoG member? We’ve inviting you to trial our new Genealogy Cinema experience! Come into Wharf Road and watch the below talk in return for some feedback:

Using County Archives: Police Records with West Sussex Record Office (1-hour talk) Wednesday 30 October 2024 14:00

The speaker will be displayed on our big screen, but you will still be able to ask your questions. Book your place using the link above.

Browse all our upcoming events here.

November’s Book of the Month is My Ancestor was in the Royal Navy by Ian Waller (2014). A comprehensive guide to Royal Navy records from Ian Waller. The Navy was always one of the largest employers in Britain. Ian explains how to find your ancestor’s records and learn about their service. He also covers social issues, such as the motivation to join the Navy and what life was like for sailors.

This book covers all the people who joined the Navy: commissioned officers, warrant officers and ratings. To help you identify your ancestor’s rank and ships, there are guides to uniforms and insignia, divisions and branches, pensions, dockyards, casualties, courts-martial and tribunals.

The Halsted Trust Announces ‘Secrets & Lies’ - An International Family History Conference

The Halsted Trust is thrilled to announce its fourth International Family History Conference. Titled ‘Secrets & Lies: More Hidden Voices of Our Ancestors’, the conference will take place at the Holiday Inn, Peterborough West, from 19th to 21st September 2025.

This immersive, residential event will delve deeper into the lesser-known stories of our ancestors - stories of mystery, hardship, and resilience that have shaped the history of the British Isles.

Foundling Hospital Archive Goes Digital: 100,000 Pages Now Online

Coram has launched a digital archive of almost 100,000 pages of records from England’s first home for abandoned babies, the Foundling Hospital. The archive, covering 1739 to 1899, reveals the stories of over 20,000 children and includes touching petition letters from their birth mothers.

Part of Coram’s Voices Through Time project, the archive provides valuable insights into childcare, education, and the lives of working-class women. Family historians can explore details about children, parents, staff, and apprentices. The records are free to access and searchable online.

Locating London’s Past Update

The Digital Humanities Institute has launched a substantially updated version of Locating London's Past, the website which allows you to map a wide body of digital resources pertaining to early modern and eighteenth-century London onto John Rocque’s 1746 map.

Upcoming Book Launch and Seminar by Jennifer Aston

Jennifer Aston, who will be speaking during our Using English and Welsh Court Records for Family History course starting in February, has a new book coming out in November. Titled Deserted Wives and Economic Divorce in 19th Century England and Wales: Wives Alone, the book will be launched at a seminar and wine reception at the Institute of Historical Research (IHR) on 6th December, with a hybrid option available.

The event is free to attend, but registration is required. You can find more details and register here.

Huguenot Society of Great Britain and Ireland

The Huguenot Society’s Lecture and Dinner takes place on Wednesday 6 November 2024 at The Medical Society of London, Lettsom House, 11 Chandos Street, London W1G 9EB. Dr Jane McKee will speak on ‘Political and religious insecurity in the correspondence of Charles Drelincourt, 1620-1668’. If you cannot attend in person, you can join via Zoom, in the comfort of your own home. The booking form was included as part of the emailed Autumn Mailing in September. See the website for full details.

MyHeritage

The MyHeritage Inbox has a new and improved look. The updated design makes the Inbox easier to use and navigate and is now fully supported on mobile web. You can read more about it on their blog.

MyHeritage added:

• Canada, People of Quebec from 1500
• Canada, Quebec Deaths from 1926
• France, Tables of Successions and Absences, 1890-1970
• Ireland Deaths, 1864-1958
• Poland, Masovian, Warsaw Burials from 1793
• Georgia Deaths, 1917–1928
• Ohio, Cuyahoga County Marriages and Banns 1811-1943
• Texas Deaths, 1964 – 2021