What’s in a surname? When you research family history you probably have asked yourself. Where did that name come from? How ever did we get that Surname? What is the meaning behind my family name, is it connected to an event in history? What does the family crest look like? As you can see the questions soon build. Well there ...

How to read old handwriting Old handwriting on manuscripts and letters from ancestors can be a challenge to decipher. Its often a challenge to get the sense of what is being put in the document due to the squiggles and expressions that have little tangible meaning to the common language today. So here is our guide ...

Census records before 1901 The 1901 census record is the only complete record online. A massive section of the 1881 and 1891 census is now available. All other censuses are available on microfilm. That isn’t particularly helpful. There are great strides to put these online and gradually sections are being made available. As with all transferring of ...

5 ways to effectively use the 1901 census online 1901 Census Tip 1. Visit our free trial page to see what online companies are currently offering deals for on-line searches 1901 Census Tip 2. When searching for an ancestor using a particular surname, you mat need to narrow the results down, visit our guide on how to narrow search results and ...

5 common census lies It wasn’t unusual for people to lie on their census form.  Here is a list of the 5 most common lies found on the census When it came to occupation few women admitted to prostitution. Yet this was a common profession. With tens of thousands of women involved, many women understandably admitted such Many ...

The UK Census Records Why you need the census? The census is such a valuable tool in your ancestry research. You will find that the census will often be at the heart of a lot of searches on the web. When was the earliest census? Back in 1801 the first census took place. It wasn’t a popular move as ...

Ten Tips for getting the most from your Birth, Marriage and Death certificates. 1. Surnames may change or have a misspelling over time, so do have this in mind. 2. Many of the records were hard to read as they were compiled by local offices and were handwritten. This could well provide a challenge, so if you’re ...

Every picture tells a story Staring at an old family photograph can be an experience with so many hidden stories. Over the years a family photo would have been an opportunity for all the members of the family to be together and wear their Sunday best. Little did they know that under these circumstances, they were provided several ...

Tracing Clues Tracing your ancestors is like being a detective tracing clues, yet the greatest part is you are the central character. Your next clue is... Ok detective what clues do you already have and where do you suspect to find your next clues. That's how it can feel when you start to track down relatives and ancestors ...