All aboard for a busy year of family history conferences

Welcome

When tracing our family trees we seek solutions to the family puzzle, one question leading to another as we piece together the clues. Patient and persistent, we never give up the search…

FAMILY HISTRORY NEWS

Karen Clare reports on the latest genealogy news. If you want to see your story featured, email it to editorial@family-tree.co.uk or post to our Facebook page at facebook.com/familytreemaguk

Preserving memories & family trees

A website combining preserving family history with

Heritage project seeks stories

A heritage project exploring institutional work carried

New Mayflower site of Pilgrim descendants

An interactive website of descendants from May flower

MOVERS & SHAKERS

’DNA Detective’ Michelle Leonard, #genesgenie of Twitter’s popular #AncestryHour, gives us some of the latest news from this friendly online community of family history enthusiasts

1939 Register made available on monthly Findmypast subscription

1939 Register made available on monthly Findmypast

Edwardian ‘Domesday’ goes online

Subscription site TheGenealogist.co.uk has released

A century of seamen’s hospital records go online

Records held by the National Maritime Museum covering

Record office to close as plans progress for £4m history centre

Record office to close as plans progress for £4m history

WW2 WREN HONOURED AT BLETCHLEY

Former Wren Joanna Chorley has made a special visit

Web archive records women’s history

Women in Trousers: A Visual Archive is a new website

YOUR FREE RECORDS

At Family Tree we’ve teamed up with UK family history

No stopping Ivy Stocks

Explore the serious, sublime and the ridiculous facets of family history in this genealogical miscellany. This issue, Tom Wood uncovers a young female motorcyclist’s misadventures and some family history mysteries

Your ancestors & the Church of England

Those of us with English roots before the 19th century are certain to have Church of England ancestors – and the good news is there are many more historical records created by the Established Church to explore. Stuart A Raymond reveals some of the genealogical treasures available

DNA dilemma

What would you do? Risk upsetting a family, by ‘reuniting’ a father with his longlost child – or deny a daughter the chance to know her dad? Debbie Kennett, David Annal and Mary Evans help a reader decide the best way forward

How to write your family MEMOIR

If you’ve been putting off writing your memoirs, 2018 is the perfect time to begin. For a long while Bernard Barker felt he had a story to tell, but didn’t know the best way to go about it. Here he shares his advice for writing a memoir, gained from his own learning journey. Now there’s no excuse – make it your New Year’s resolution to put pen to paper

Understanding marriage laws in Scotland

If you’ve discovered ancestors who tied the knot north of the border, it’s worth getting to grips with the Scots laws that led to the creation of a different set of historical records from the rest of the UK. Family historian Chris Paton leads the way, explaining the legal infrastructure surrounding marriage in Scotland, and how it may further your family history research

Patersons’ farewell

A remarkable find during a house removal set Anne-Mary Paterson on the trail of two family members who were casualties in World War I

The Family Tree SUBS CLUB

Welcome to the Family Tree Subscriber Club page, where subscribers to the magazine can benefit from a range of different offers and competitions every issue! To be sure not to miss out, take out a subscription today – see page 50 for our latest fabulous offer

The obesity genes

Dr Nicola Davies, health psychologist and author of I Can Beat Obesity! Finding the Motivation, Confidence and Skills to Lose Weight and Avoid Relapse, explores the role of genetics in being overweight and obese

Exploring the history of India

Over the coming year Julie Goucher will be spotlighting a website each month that is either unusual, overlooked or simply fascinating. It is an ideal way to expand and bring to life your family history

Finally a full deck of cards

While sometimes we make rapid progress on our family history, at other times the discoveries come at a slower pace – and are all the more treasured because of it. Reader June Terrington tells of her many years of research into her London folk, and the twists and turns along the route

Miss Webb’s recipe collection

There’s something about the cold weather that increases the appetite and makes it even more enjoyable to pore over a recipe book – and when it’s a collection of culinary adventures from the Georgian and Victorian eras, with some family history mysteries and medical concoctions to boot, that’s the icing on the cake. Charlotte Soares gives a taste of an extraordinary record from kitchens past

Techy tips for family historians

Make the most of digital devices, websites, apps and gadgets, with genealogical web guru Paul Carter

Books

A HISTORY OF BIRDS by Simon Wills

Hertfordshire Family History Society

John Tunesi outlines the many events and activities of Hertfordshire Family History Society, which has been celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2017

Finding Peterloo roots

The Peterloo Massacre in Manchester in 1819 was a turning point in British history. Now the city is gearing up to mark the 200th anniversary with a commemorative project that includes helping descendants of those killed or injured trace their family trees. Simon Wills finds out more

Twiglets

Diarist Gill Shaw charts the rollercoaster ride of researching her family history

The lunch hour genealogist

Being busy doesn’t mean you have to sneglect your favourite hobby, you can still learn in your lunch break! Squeeze just 60 minutes of family history into your daily routine and you’ll soon start to see your tree blossom. So settle down with your lunch and tuck into Rachel Bellerby’s genealogy treat

ADVICE…

With our experts Jayne Shrimpton, Celia Heritage, Adèle Emm, Tim Lovering, and Mary Evans

DIARY DATES

Find or post diary dates at www.family-tree.co.uk/Events for FREE or email them to editorial@family-tree.co.uk

Unsung heroines & pioneers

Two exhibitions in Leeds are exploring the lives of

MAILBOX

From creating memory boxes, to tackling DNA research, and tracking down a tiny, but crucial, detail at long last… find out what fellow readers have been up to as they search for their ancestors

A grounded poet

Keith Gregson explains his love of the wartime ditties of ‘Red Cross man’ Robert Service

If it helps us understand

When we embark on family history we need to be aware we may discover things that are extraordinarily painful, but Diane Lindsay wouldn’t have it any other way

How did you do?

Read on to find out the answers to last issue’s Family Tree Academy challenges. Our Academy tutor David Annal explains all

Join The Family Tree Academy & become a skilled family historian

Running all through 2018, the Academy learning experience will help you discover more about the records, resources and research skills you need to become the best genealogist you can be. We have case studies for you to pit your wits against, documents for you to decipher, old handwriting for you to tackle, and more…

Your brainteaser challenge

For printable study sheets to fill in your answers

Your transcription challenge

The ability to read old handwriting is such an invaluable

Your document challenge Studying a poll book & an electoral register

Your document challenge Studying a poll book &

Your case study challenge Looking for a ‘love-child’…

Read the question below, sent in by reader Rowland