There are many common hurdles that every family historian faces: not knowing where to start, which records to search for or where to look next, are just a few of them. Family history research can often be particularly challenging for those of African American descent due to the long history of slavery in the U.S. Read More
July marks the anniversary of the death of John Richard Archer, the first Black mayor in London; a Lancashire-born photographer, seaman, singer, political activist and pioneer who died on 14 July 1932. Archer was involved in local politics from the early 1900s until his death and became Mayor of Battersea in 1913. We explored Read More
Trying to explore your Irish family history and coming up against some brick walls? Ancestry has released six new record collections that may hold the missing piece (or person!) to your research. Ancestry’s Content and Acquisition Manager, Rhona Murray, takes us through the new collections and how to use the records to find your family Read More
We have many people to thank for the important role they played in establishing the right of women to vote in the United Kingdom. Three such people are sisters Annie, Jessie and Nellie Kenney, whose actions were invaluable to the fight for woman’s suffrage. Ancestry genealogist Simon Pearce explores their inspiring story and the records Read More
Held in Athens, Greece, the 1896 games were the first modern Summer Olympic Games and this year marks 125 years of British athletes taking part in the sporting event. The opening ceremony of the first modern Olympic Games took place on 6 April 1896 in Athens in front of 60,000 spectators. Although the ancient Read More
Today is the anniversary of the sinking of the infamous RMS Titanic, one of the worst disasters in maritime history. Genealogist Simon Pearce journeys through Titanic’s fateful voyage from Southampton to New York and explores the collections which can help bring the Titanic’s backstory to life. Through historical documents, you can discover remarkable details Read More
This month, we have launched more than 5.6 million new Irish records to our collection. To help you explore some of these new historical collections Content Specialist Rhona Murray shares insight and tips to help you understand the importance of the newly added Church of Ireland Parish Search Forms collection. The history of the Read More
The Blitz is a chapter of the Second World War (WWII) many of us will be familiar with or will have at least heard of. We may have parents, grandparents or aunts and uncles who lived through the German bombing raids of the British Isles between 7 September 1940 and 11 May 1941 which claimed Read More
Records are at the heart of every story found on Ancestry. These documents not only reveal valuable information about the lives our ancestors lived, but pieced together, they create a vivid picture of who our ancestors were. The more records you uncover, the greater your understanding of who your ancestor was and what their life Read More
Birth, Marriage & Death records, including Parish records, are key collections for family historians. They can provide details about important milestones in your ancestors’ lives and are the foundation of family history research. When a birth, marriage or death is registered, a certificate is filled out and the information is kept on file. They include Read More