Tracing ancestors from British India

Posted on January 31, 2014 | 1 comment

Everytime I hear anything about British India, like when I posted about a recent press release the other day, it reminds me that I want to research some objects in my possession.

I inherited this locket from my paternal Grandmother. It features an Indian god on the front, the back is plain. Inside are two locks of hair behind glass. It measures about 4cm in height and doesn’t bear any hallmarks.

indian locket

I prised it open when I was much younger in the hope there would be a secret note stored behind the locks of hair, but there was nothing, except some re-used card.

I have absolutely no information about the locket, no way of dating it or knowing who it belonged to.

I also have an unusual coin.

half rupee coin

It’s a half rupee coin issued in 1840 by the East India Company.

Both of these items suggest I have an ancestor who visited India. But I’m unsure where to start….

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New British India records released

Posted on January 29, 2014 | 1 comment

There’s exciting news for anyone researching ancestors in British India. The website findmypast.co.uk has, in partnership with the British Library, today exclusively added 2.5 million records covering over 200 years of history of the British in India, published online for the first time.

These records covering 1698-1947 give real insight into the heart warming and heart breaking stories of British citizens living in India during the tenure of the East India Company and the British Raj.

Debra Chatfield, Brand Manager at findmypast.co.uk said of the release: “The new British in India records at findmypast are a great opportunity to find ancestors that previously were considered missing, as so many of our relatives sought their fortune on the subcontinent. Whether your relatives were clergy, aristocracy, tradespeople, merchants, civil servants or soldiers, the lowest and the landed all have stories to be told with these records.”

These 2.5 million records include:

Baptisms, Marriages & Burials (Catholic, Anglican & Civil registers)
Army officers’ marriage notifications
Records for other locations administered by the India office (Aden, Burma, Kuwait, St Helena)
Civil service records
Pension registers
Probate records & wills

British in India records are available on all findmypast sites and can be searched at http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-united-kingdom-records/british-india-office-births-and-baptisms

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Operation War Diary

Posted on January 14, 2014 | Leave a comment

The Imperial War Museum are currently asking for help ahead of the launch of Lives of the First World War later this year. They need our help exploring a previously untapped resource which could help them to discover and remember the incredible life stories of the men and women who fought in the First World War.

Operation War Diary, a joint project between IWM and The National Archives, has made digital versions of First World War Unit War Diaries from the Western Front available for the first time. They believe that more people were mentioned by name than previously thought.

You can get involved by becoming a Citizen Historian and help classify some of the  1.5 million pages of unit war diaries which cover activity on the Western Front. There are lots of different types of pages full of fascinating details about the people involved and descriptions of their activities.

From the tags that people add they can create a detailed index to the people who appear in these pages and learn more about what they were doing. Please note they are not transcribing every word of the documents.

This is a great project and will open up lots of sources to the family historian and more importantly allow us to find new mentions of our relatives. Eventually all of the data produced by Operation War Diary will be available to everyone free of charge.

The project also has a blog which I’m sure will be revealing lots of interesting facts as they are discovered.

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Posted in anniversary of the First World War, First World War

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Cymru 1914 site

Posted on December 30, 2013 | Leave a comment

Next year will be a great year for family historians due to the anniversary of the First World War.

I was excited to learn about a new website – Cymru 1914 – as I have a Welsh ancestor who died during the First World War. According to the homepage:

This project has conducted mass digitization of primary sources relating to the First World War from the Libraries, Special Collections and Archives of Wales. The project will make available a coherent, consolidated digital collection revealing the often hidden history of the First World War as it impacted all aspects of Welsh life, language and culture. This digital archive brings together source materials that were previously fragmented and frequently inaccessible. This digital archive is a unique resource of vital interest to researchers, students, and the public in Wales and beyond.

I haven’t found any mention of my great uncle Alfred Mansel Young yet, but I hope to have some more time to explore the site soon.

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Posted in anniversary of the First World War, First World War, Young family

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Start Your Family Tree Week with findmypast

Posted on December 24, 2013 | Leave a comment

I thought I would share this email which I received from find my past in case it’s useful:

Christmas is the perfect time to build your family tree as you catch up with relatives and share stories around the Christmas dinner table. Make sure you join findmypast for this year’s Start Your Family Tree Week! Each day from Boxing Day until New Year’s Day, visit findmypast.co.uk and the findmypast Facebook page for hints and tips on how to research your family tree, how to get the most out of their records and a whole host of free gifts and prizes to help you along the way. Get the whole family involved and see how much of your tree you can build together, whether you are starting for the first time or a seasoned expert – you are sure to find something of interest.

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Findmypast.co.uk adds details of Royal Navy ships destroyed during WW1

Posted on November 16, 2013 | Leave a comment

Leading family history website, findmypast.co.uk has published some fascinating new military records online, in partnership with The National Archives.

Over 500 British Royal Navy ships were lost at sea during the First World War. Thanks to these new records, you can now discover more about the vessels that were destroyed.

The WW1 Ships Lost at Sea records are available on all findmypast websites and can provide the following information:

·         Ship name
·         Date it was destroyed
·         Number of officers killed or wounded
·         How and where it was destroyed

For more information and to search the records, please visit http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-united-kingdom-records/military-armed-forces-and-conflict/ww1-ships-lost-at-sea-1914-1919

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