Update on SoG Explore

Migration of our digital collections from our old search function, SoG Data Online, to our new tool, SoG Explore, continues at a pace, with a total of 11.6 million names now available for searching. That’s about 75% of all names!

As well as migrated data we are also adding new material, such as the recently uploaded 68 Parish Register indexes, not previously included in our online collections!

New Searchable Gold Video Library Page

Our library of gold talks has been growing at a rapid pace. Our newly launched video library page allows Gold Members to search for talks by keyword (including speaker name) and to filter on relevant categories. The new design also makes it clear when videos are due to leave the library, and gives you easy access to talk handouts.

Not a Gold Member yet? Find out more here.

Looking ahead to March we are celebrating St David's Day, Women's History Month, British Science Week and St Patrick’s Day.

At the beginning of March, all thoughts turn to Wales as we celebrate St David’s Day. Gill Thomas spends a morning showing us how to research Welsh Ancestry.

Attending last year Toby told us, “The vast amount of expert information highlighting avenues of research I hadn't considered. The information on nonconformism was particularly helpful.”

Tim Healey returns to tell us all about the Welsh drovers who left Wales leaving tell-tale marks across England. We hope Julianne spots this talk, as she told us “I would like to hear another presentation by this speaker.” Gill Thomas returns to tell us about The Welsh Migration Story and Dai Davies shares his First-Name Study method.

To celebrate Women’s History Month, we learn about An Independent Woman in Georgian London. Plus, just for SoG Members Wanda Wyporska will be in our virtual common room for a lunchtime chat about Finding Women in the Archives (sold out twice over at RootsTech!), and at our Lady Day Members’ Social, we’ll have updates from the SoG staff.

After learning what meteorology, geology, and sociology have to do with genealogy in British Science  Week we travel to Ireland for St Patrick’s Day. Else Churchill will share the Irish Sources held at the SoG and we shine a spotlight on Anglo-Irish Relations in the Edwardian era, and Irish Revolutionaries from 1916 – 1922. Starting in early April we are excited that Jill Williams is returning to teach a brand new 8-week course on Beginning Irish Research.

We are delighted to be repeating our popular Creating Family Trees & Pedigrees course on Wednesday evenings. This covers every aspect from what makes a good family tree and using family history software to drawing working pedigree charts and calligraphic family trees.

Plus, our FREE Focus on the SoG Genealogical Treasures and Collections on 12th March will be looking at Special Collections: New archive accessions since 2020. Our occupation of the month is seamstresses, dressmakers and tailors. Whether you have been a professional genealogist for years or are just thinking about taking that step, we have a chance to explore your writing voice and learn how to develop a professional brand in ours Professional Corner.

We have not one but two Wednesday Workshops in March, Six Hats for Genealogy with Sophie Kay, a chance to think about our decision-making processes, and Crafting Successful Searches with Cyndi Ingle. Join us live online on Wednesday evenings, the speaker doesn’t do all the work in these sessions!

Book of the Month: My Ancestor was Irish by Alan Stewart (2nd ed., 2015)

A concise, straightforward guide to help you start to trace your Irish ancestry. Alan Stewart’s book is not only for people who live in Ireland but also for anyone living in other countries. The challenges of Irish research are well known but many records and sources do exist. Alan aims to guide you through the pitfalls and problems, while offering plenty of advice and tips along the way.

The usual cost of My Ancestor Was Irish is £8.99 and is currently available to SoG members at the discounted price of £7.19 (£7.99 to non-members).