20 top family history projects & tasks for 2020

Welcome

Whether you’re enlisting the power of DNA to reveal your origins – or exploring traditional archives and that much-loved family shoe box in the attic – your family history is sure to give you a story to remember…

manuscript rewrites knowledge of Elizabeth I

Karen Clare reports on the latest genealogy news. Got a story to share? Email editorial@family-tree.co.uk

Virtual reality brings Berlin Wall family history to life

A first-of-its-kind YouTube documentary has used virtual

World’s largest medicine galleries open to public

The £24 million ‘Medicine: The Wellcome Galleries’

Confusion at wills delay

Following a price reduction in the ‘Find a will’ service

Come to see FamilySearch at Family Tree Live!

Family Tree is delighted to welcome FamilySearch as

Digital map identifies all WW2 air raids

A new bomb mapping tool that plots every one of more

Archives in studio photos appeal

Hackney Archives needs help in identifying people in

YOUR FREE RECORDS

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

Honour for young genie

The Irish Genealogical Research Society has revived

Hoard provides peek into our ancient past

The largest Bronze Age hoard to be discovered in London

John Major to join Mayflower commemorations

Former British Prime Minister Sir John Major is set

New releases online

• TheGenealogist has added colour tithe maps for Bedfordshire

You can get back to the 1500s too (if you just know where to look!)

When fishing online for genealogy clues, Christine Jackson trekked offthe beaten track – and in the process uncovered a wealth of lesser-known sources that took her research back centuries. Read on to learn about the discoveries she made, and perhaps these leads can help you too…

Dear Karen

Karen Clare discovers a road safety-conscious ancestor, strange double registrations and a calculating clergyman in this issue’s genealogical gems

Meet the McDougalls

As co-administrator of the ‘MacDougall DNA Surname Project’ Susie Douglas of Borders Ancestry explains why a combined approach to lineal research is often required, and how DNA Clan or Surname Projects can help. There is also a free Y-DNA test to give away to a McDougall male with proven ancestry in the Scottish Borders!

Just the ticket!

There’s nothing like the start of a new year to inspire you to set fresh goals and dreams for the12 months to come. And when it comes to tracing your family’s history, we’ve got just the ticket to help you…

Twiglets

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

Money-saving tips for family historians

Follow the advice of genealogy budget whizz Alison Spring this New Year and you’ll save a small fortune – and still have fun with your family history

Your DNA Workshop

Welcome to the DNA Workshop, the brand new series starting

‘It’s much more fun when ancestors were naughty!’

It was a chatty archives assistant in North Yorkshire County Record Office who made that remark to Joan Dexter – and how true it was!

Join the Family Tree Academy & become a skilled family historian

The Family Tree Academy is specially created to help you discover more about the records, resources and research skills you need to become the best genealogist you can be! Read on to find out how join in with Family Tree Academy challenges

Books

Karen Clare looks at a colourful range of new genealogical reads, including local histories, memoirs and scandals, while Helen Tovey reviews a useful CD of apprenticeship records

Spotlight on… Isle of Wight Family History Society

If your ancestors had connections to the Isle of Wight, Sharon Beddard, who is heritage resource centre education officer for the Isle of Wight Family History Society, explains how the organisation can help you on your ancestral journey

DIARY DATES

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

Coming next in Family Tree

THE GO-TO GUIDE FOR LEARNING ABOUT DNA:

Your LETTERS

A quest to reunite images of WW1 soldiers with their families, a brickwall smashed, and a taste of a remarkable life story…

SUBS CLUB

Welcome to the Family Tree Subscriber Club. When you’ve

THE FAMILY TREE NOTICE BOARD

The first step to encouraging your family and friends

FINANCIAL TIMES…

Thanks to the God of Brick Walls, a 1660 will has led Diane Lindsay down a new path of discovery and made her contemplate her ancestors’ material wealth

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. It’s time to tuck into Rachel Bellerby’s genealogy treats

How did you do?

Find out the answers to last issue’s Family Tree Academy ‘End of the Year Test’. Our Academy tutor David Annal explains all

Learning aboutapprentices

Before censuses begin, there aren’t many records that tell you about an ancestor’s teenage years, but details of an apprenticeship may reveal how your forebear acquired an occupation, as Simon Wills explains

Techy tips for family historians

Through the coming year, genealogy website specialist Paul Carter will be mentoring three lucky readers who submitted entries to the Family Tree ‘Win a website’ competition last summer. As they each work on creating their family history website with Paul, we hope these hints and steps will inspire you to create your own family history website too

Your questions answered

With our panel of experts Jayne Shrimpton, David Frost, Gill Thomas, Tim Lovering, and Steven Smyrl