Welcome

Three cheers for our mothers, grannies and more! This issue we’re celebrating our female relations and cherishing both sides of our family trees…

FAMILY HISTORY NEWS

Karen Clare reports on the latest genealogy news. Send us your stories by emailing them to editorial@family-tree.co.uk or post to our Facebook page at facebook.com/familytreemaguk

GET READY FOR FAMILY TREE LIVE!

An exciting new family history show is coming to London’s

THE GREAT IRISH FAMINE PROJECT LAUNCHES ONLINE

The Great Irish Famine Online project has been launched

New genealogical society

The Virtual Genealogical Society is a new global organisation

Letters that survived WW2 shipwreck reveal past lives

A new exhibition at The Postal Museum is displaying

Major project will digitise postal spoils of war

The National Archives (TNA) has begun a 20-year-long

Real-life stories at www.family-tree.co.uk

Explore our new Real-Life Stories section on the Family

Archives card access threat amid fears over ‘bonfire of records’

Archives card access threat amid fears over ‘bonfire

Parking charges at Kew

The National Archives is to start charging for visitor

Website gets fresh look

Military genealogy website Forces War Records has given

Lost memories competition

Online scrapbook and photo album Storychest.com is

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? BACK ON TV

The BBC’s hit genealogy TV show Who Do You Think You

NATIONAL APPE AL FOR UNSUNG STORIES

Heritage Open Days (HODs), England’s largest festival

Quilting your family tales

A new website called Family Quilt at www.familyquilt.net

YOUR FREE RECORDS

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

House of Maxwells

Explore the serious, sublime and the ridiculous facets of family history in this genealogical miscellany. This issue, Tom Wood looks into ancestors’ naming traditions, discovers a reader’s relative with a colourful career in early motor racing and the lifetime stigma of illegitimacy for some of our forebears…

Discover the answers to last issue’s challenges 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 documents & sources chall enge The 1939 Register

The online release of the 1939 National Register revolutionised

Research thinking skills

Read the question below and have a think about how

‘Until you actually live there…’

In the wake of the Windrush, 10-year-old Edwin Joseph came to Britain to build a better life for himself. Here his wife, Jane Joseph, traces his ancestry back to British Guiana and ultimately Africa, from where Edwin’s great-great-greatgrandparents had been sold into slavery two centuries ago

The lunch hour genealogist

Being busy doesn’t mean you have to neglect 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 treats

Exploring ancestors’ ages

Don’t assume your ancestors all married and died young – Dr Edward Dutton has some surprising news…

Taken a DNA test? Now what?

DNA tests are becoming ever more popular and useful

The sum of all parts

Chris Paton describes how pursuing the stories of his female ancestors may often be difficult, but never any less important

Techy tips for fa mily historians

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

Celebrating centuries OF WOMEN

To mark the centenary of the vote being granted to (some) women, and the 90th anniversary of it being granted to all in July 1918, Rachel Bellerby takes a tour through centuries of female history, looking at achievements in fields including medicine, industry, the military and entertainment

The feel of fashion

Learn about the clothing your ancestors were wearing during the late Georgian and early Victorian era, when Britain underwent rapid social and economic change. Jayne Shrimpton reflects on the fashions of the past

Tracing your family tree is something for everyone!

If you have a computer and access to the internet then you have what you need to start tracing your family tree. June Terrington is a huge fan of online research and has been finding ancestors and making family history connections for years!

Twiglets

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

Two remarkable people

During 2018, Julie Goucher is spotlighting websites that are unusual, overlooked or simply fascinating. This issue she explores two websites, each one dedicated to a remarkable Victorian woman who left an astonishing written legacy…

The real EastEnders: sharing women’s history

Why aren’t there more museums devoted to women’s history? Sarah Jackson asked this question, but then decided to do something about it. The result was the creation of the inspirational East End Women’s Museum. Currently online, Sarah and her team aim to open the museum in a permanent home. Simon Wills chatted to her to find out more

Spotlight on… The Sussex Family History Group

Anyone with ancestors in Sussex will receive a warm welcome at Sussex Family History Group, a friendly society with a strong events and publishing programme, writes Roy Winchester

She burned too bright for this world’

Ruth A Symes reminds us how there is much to interest family historians in Emily Brontë’s life and work as we mark 200 years since her birth

Books

I Remain your Loving Wife Lizzie: Letters in a Skip

YOUR Q&A ADVICE…

With our experts Jayne Shrimpton, Emma Jolly, David Frost, Tim Lovering, Mary Evans, Simon Wills and Geoff Simpson

DIARY DATES

Find or post diary dates at www.family-tree.co.uk/Events

There’s something about Mary…

Researching your female line can be a real challenge, especially as maiden names can be forgotten over time. FT reader Jilly Innes was stuck fast after struggling to identify her ancestor Mary Fuller’s birth name. Fellow reader Charlotte Soares took up the cause after her problem was published in our Q&A pages, and shares her tips for tracking down the elusive maiden names of women in your family trees

MAILBOX

A family link to a famous suffragette, memories of home and war, and a burial ground in peril…

A worrying time

In this month’s snippet Keith Gregson looks at the plight of families of prisoners of war back home

In Bill’s own words

Diane Lindsay’s research rummaging has revealed untold riches this time – the first-hand reminiscences of a Victorian soldier and servant

It’s a Navvy’s life for me

Many of our ancestors worked in the construction industry and their legacy is the architecture we see around us today. Adèle Emm explains how to find out more about their lives