Nov 17
You either know someone named Smith or even have at least one ancestor with the surname 'Smith'. It is one of the most common names in the English-speaking world. If you wanted to know the most common surname anywhere in the world, it would be 'Lee' or 'Li', especially in the Asian continent. Even other European nations have a surname which is s...
Oct 27
[caption id="attachment_13348" align="alignleft" width="300"] SUFFRAGETTES[/caption] If you had ancestors living in England and Wales between 1832 and 1932, you will need to examine the Findmypast collection of about 220 million names of registered English voters as well as those in Wales. The records are part of the British Library and now on...
Apr 19
The proper Victorians of the mid to late 1800s had their own ideas of what was proper social behavior. This is shown in viewing the typical photographs taken. You see the strict, stern facial expressions in just about all of them. Part of the main reason was the photo technology of those times. People had to hold still as a photo was taken. If ...
Apr 15
With digital photography we can forget having color photos was a rarity decades ago. This site, Mashable, offers up a variety of color photos of people and locations in England in 1928. It is fascinating to see the vehicles, businesses and especially the fashion of England in the 'Roaring Twenties', especially in color. As you scroll down the site...
Mar 13
Most family researchers are happy if they can locate ancestors back 100 - 150 years. That is an accomplishment verifying actual relatives who were 2 to 4 generations back. There are others doing their family tree that can take the lineage back even further-- even to 17th through 14th century. Now available through the United Kingdom Natio...
Feb 5
A reminder the areas that comprise the United Kingdom (the U. K.). They are England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Many people have ancestors from these areas, some who resettled in other areas, like Canada, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa or the United States. If you did have ancestors who remained in some region of the U. K., then ...
Nov 13
Family English surnames rarely existed until well after the year 1066 AD with William the Conqueror invading the island that would become England. What was commonly done was a description for a person such as Thomas the Baker, Norman son of Richard, Henry the Whitehead, Elizabeth of the Field or Joan of York. Surnames evolved based on those desc...
Aug 9
Nothing brings back fond memories like your favorite desserts. Some are classics like chocolate cake or apple pie, however your family may have some family favorites that are special just to your family. Different desserts can be created and handled down through the generations. They can also be more a cultural favorite. Maybe it is only on specia...
Jul 23
Online are the British newspapers archives for most counties and time periods, with millions of pages done so far and adding more each month. Not only the regular news articles of events, but also are the Family Notices (births-marriages-anniversaries-deaths). The obituaries alone are so important to learning about a specific ancestor along with an...
Jul 22
The well-known and loved television program 'Who Do You Think You Are?' begins its 5th season this summer, starting July 23rd on the TLC channel. Featured celebrities on the show will include: Valerie Bertinelli, Kelsey Grammer and Cynthia Nixon. The show takes the viewer through the process of locating a specific branch of a person's family, incl...