Category Archives: research tips

Thanks to all the paperwork I found last weekend I’ve been busy scanning and saving over 100 documents. It was quite fun looking back at my old research and I found letters I wrote, including one from 1990 when I was just starting my research whilst still at school!

It was interesting to see the letters because now everything is via email and I haven’t kept any of them, and I also make less enquiries as so much can be found online. I also came across lots of research I had forgotten about and done again, reminding me how valuable this project is to save everything in the right place. I am still keeping paper documents, but it is much easier to find digital versions on my laptop.

As well as the scanning I did a little saving of Ancestry documents. I merged some duplicate entries and added a few and the total number of ancestors stands at 504 people.

Previous posts:

Week 12 update

Week 6 update

Week 5 update

Week 4 update

Week 3 update

Week 2 update

Week 1 update

The problem with Ancestry

I’ve had a little Bank Holiday push to get some more records saved and organised. My people count has now increased to 500 people and 72 photos and I’m being firm with myself and trying not to add any more people from branches .i.e siblings and their children. I’m also not adding any of my own photos as I really want all my research on my own site.

We also sorted out a cupboard and I found a few certificates I had lost, thank goodness for Bank Holidays.

Previous posts:

Week 6 update

Week 5 update

Week 4 update

Week 3 update

Week 2 update

Week 1 update

The problem with Ancestry

I completed the Stage 1 family history course with the Society of Genealogists which was really good.  I’ve now completed the Stage 1 and Stage 3 so I’m thinking I will sign up to the Stage 2 course.

Last week I spent a lot of time learning about Marianne Nantes, the first wife of Henry Harper. His second wife was Julia Young, sister of Alfred Young, my 2xgreat grand father. I should not have become side tracked by Marianne Nantes but she had a fascinating life, about 9 children, and an infamous father (Henry Nantes, look him up).

Previous posts:

Week 5 update

Week 4 update

Week 3 update

Week 2 update

Week 1 update

The problem with Ancestry

Despite cancelling the Find My Past subscription I have been continuing to procrastinate from my important historical task. My list of connected ancestors on my family tree has risen to 387 people as I discovered a new-to-me Young relation, based in Sheerness. This took me on a wonderful trip down the rabbit hole and I added several interesting characters to my family tree.

So I have not had time to download any of my existing records. Better luck next week.

Previous posts:

Week 4 update

Week 3 update

Week 2 update

Week 1 update

The problem with Ancestry

Actually nothing to report this week as there has been no progress at all. I need to make some time for this as I really want to cancel my Ancestry subscription and spend the money on something else. The list of people is still at 321. I have done 28% so far.

I have been enjoying listening to the recordings from the Stage 1 Family History course run by the Society of Genealogists.

I need to complete my little project as soon as I can!

Week 2 update

Week 1 update

The problem with Ancestry

A major new collection of Home Children records has launched today on family tree website, Findmypast, which will allow millions of descendants of British Home Children to trace their ancestors for free – many for the first time.

Created in collaboration with organisations across the UK and Canada, including The National Archives, The British Library, Library and Archives Canada, and Home Children Canada, the new collection features a vast and varied range of records which tell the stories of those who were part of the forced child migrant scheme in place from the 1860s up to the 1970s.

The collection, launched at Rootstech, will be a growing repository with records added on an ongoing basis. It currently includes workhouse records, Juvenile Inspection Reports, Home Children Board of Guardian Records and emigration reports, while future updates are likely to see historical newspapers, migration records, workhouse and institutional records, periodicals and military records added.

Over 130,000 children, now known as ‘British Home Children’, were sent across the Commonwealth, in particular to Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Only 12% of these children were ‘true orphans’ – many came from charitable homes, workhouses, or destitute and struggling families. They were usually fostered into families when they reached their destinations to be used as unpaid domestic or farming labour.

However, abuse was widespread in a system which offered little protection to the children and few investigations into the care they received from their foster families. Many were relocated several times during their childhood, and often separated from their siblings.

Historically, descendants of Home Children have struggled to trace their roots, with most records held in private archives and inaccessible to the public. This collection will provide an open-access, centralised set of resources for descendants to trace their forced migrant ancestors back to the UK and their birth families and add them directly to their family tree on Findmypast.

Discover the collection for free on Findmypast: https://www.findmypast.co.uk/page/british-home-children