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A warm welcome to the November issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital mix of family and social history, in our unique web-friendly format ideal for screens of all sizes.
It's with great sadness that we share the news that one of our long-standing writers (as well as an expert speaker at the Family History Shows), Dr Simon Wills, has died after a few years battling with serious illness. You can read a short tribute to him in this issue.
Simon was in fact going to write about the 18th-century Navy for this issue, one of numerous subjects he was a much-respected expert in. Instead, we have an article on another maritime subject I'm sure he would have been clued up on, thanks to Nicola Lisle's interesting history of lighthouses and the men who worked in them. Also in this issue, we look into a sparkling family of firework manufacturers, the grim work of young chimney sweeping apprentices and more.
Remember, you can still obtain a copy of the 11th printed edition of Discover Your Ancestors at our website – it's packed with dozens of fascinating articles.
I hope you enjoy this issue.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the October issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital mix of family and social history, in our unique web-friendly format ideal for screens of all sizes.
A quick announcement: if you're reading this before 5th October, it's not too late to get your tickets and visit the London Family History Show at Kempton Park Racecourse on Saturday 5th! Do visit what's always one of the liveliest events of the family history year if you can. You can also pick up a copy of the 11th printed edition of Discover Your Ancestors, or buy one online if you can't make the show. The Family History Shows will of course be back next year – including a new venue in Liverpool!
Meanwhile, the usual rich melange of subjects can be found in the articles in this issue – from plague in the 17th century (as I type this I have Covid, and I'm grateful that modern medicine has made many types of infectious disease a thing of the past) to workers' education institutions, from villages happy to have escaped loss during the world wars to the dark story of Aleister Crowley. All that and more inside!
I hope you enjoy this issue – and stay well in the season of germs.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the September issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital mix of family and social history, in our unique web-friendly format ideal for screens of all sizes.
Today we take photography for granted, but its pioneering years must have been exciting – in this issue, Nell Darby gives us a fascinating snapshot of its development. Something else we might take for granted is health and safety in the workplace – not something our ancestors could do, though, as Simon Wills explores in our cover feature. And if that's not enough to make your hair curl… Ruth Symes has a story of hair fashion in the past.
As ever, there's much more inside to enjoy and learn from inside, and you can still get your copy of the 11th printed edition of Discover Your Ancestors, packed with completely new articles, via our website!
I hope you enjoy this issue.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm, sunny welcome to the August issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital mix of family and social history, in our unique web-friendly format ideal for screens of all sizes.
Perhaps you're off to a wedding this summer? In this issue, Robbie Gorr vividly conjures up the scene of a rural wedding in the 19th century, inspired by a short newspaper account of his ancestors' nuptials – join the bystanders and experience a slice of life that many of our ancestors would have recognised.
Also in this issue, we explore the history of one of the leading education unions, visit the nation's 'other' seaside tower that used to dwarf the one at Blackpool, find out more details from gravestones, and more besides.
And you can still get your copy of the 11th printed edition of Discover Your Ancestors via our website!
I hope you enjoy this issue.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the July issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital mix of family and social history, in our unique web-friendly format ideal for screens of all sizes.
The role of the midwife has been of huge importance down the ages, and a family story prompted Stephen Wade to explore it in this issue. Meanwhile we're also on the trail of family secrets and useful info to be gleaned in unusual places – from gravestones in our churchyards so hidden places in the home.
Also in this issue, we learn about the impressive career of opera supremo Sir Charles Santley, the history of cricket and more!
A special note in this issue to say a huge thank you to Nick Thorne, who retires this month from his role as staff writer and who has been with us since DYAP started. Enjoy your next adventures!
Finally, don't forget to get your copy of the 11th printed edition of Discover Your Ancestors via our website!
I hope you enjoy this issue.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the June issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital mix of family and social history, in our unique web-friendly format ideal for screens of all sizes.
It probably won't have escaped your attention that this month sees the 80th anniversary of D-Day – the Normandy landings that marked such an important turning point in World War Two. In this issue, Keith Gregson offers some interesting tales told to him by veterans in the past – useful stories to record given that very few such veterans are still alive today. Plus we delve into the archives and bring you the first live news report from D-Day itself.
Also in this issue, we learn about the valuable genealogical details in Dade registers, follow the foppery of Beau Brummell, and visit a British family seat of an American president's family, and more besides.
And let's not forget the York Family History Show on Saturday 22nd! Do book your early bird tickets now and visit what's always one of the liveliest events of the family history year. You can also pick up a copy of the 11th printed edition of Discover Your Ancestors, or buy one online if you can't make the show.
I hope you enjoy this issue.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the May issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital mix of family and social history, in our unique web-friendly format ideal for screens of all sizes.
The history and legacy of slavery is a complex and (rightly) much-discussed topic, but one aspect is little mentioned: the imprisonment of Europeans by Barbary corsairs in the Ottoman empire – in this issue Phil Wood tells their story, including some fascinating snippets of first-hand accounts from those enslaved.
Also in this issue, we mark the 200th anniversary of England's National Gallery – something touched on more briefly in the 11th printed edition of Discover Your Ancestors, which is now out! – and we follow in the footsteps of a Victorian detective agency. All that and more…
I hope you enjoy this issue.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the April issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital mix of family and social history, in our unique web-friendly format ideal for screens of all sizes.
With Easter already past, the season for exploring the nation's heritage is well and truly under way. This issue we offer a historical perspective on two types of heritage which have been popular for generations and remain so today: country houses and seaside piers. Caroline Roope and Dene Bebbington take us on a tour of each.
Also in this issue, we delve into the history of April Fools' pranks and mark the 425th anniversary of Oliver Cromwell's birth. Enjoy all this and more inside!
And of course don't forget that the 11th printed edition of Discover Your Ancestors is now out! Our flagship, top-quality 'bookazine' is packed with brand new features on all manner of subjects – do grab a copy at a branch of WHSmith near you, or you can guarantee finding one at our website!
I hope you enjoy this issue, and good luck with your own journeys through history and heritage this month.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the March issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital mix of family and social history, in our unique web-friendly format ideal for screens of all sizes.
If any of your ancestors were tailors, you'll find Nell Darby's historical exploration of this trade illuminating. We also join Ruth Symes for a look into the social history of wallpaper and the secrets it can reveal, while Paul Matthews investigates a particularly unpleasant crime of past times. All that and more besides can be found inside…
The first of this year's live Family History Shows takes place this month, on 16 March at the super convenient Midlands venue of the Three Counties Showground. Do get your tickets now! One of our own highlights at the show will be the release of the 11th printed edition of Discover Your Ancestors! This flagship, high quality 'bookazine' is packed with brand new features on all manner of subjects – do grab a copy at the show, or you can buy one online now!
I hope you enjoy this issue, and good luck with your own historical explorations this month.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the February issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital mix of family and social history, in our unique web-friendly format ideal for screens of all sizes.
Perhaps chocolates are on your mind in Valentine's month? But Denise Bates has a warning for us as she explores the late 19th and early 20th century chocolate poisoners! If that hasn't put you off your food, we also have Phil Wood's interesting exploration of diets and dining in the Georgian era. Meanwhile Nick Thorne and Keith Gregson both go on intriguing research missions, and there's more besides!
The first of this year's Family History Shows is this month, on the 10th – that's the online version which anyone can attend. And our first physical show for 2024 is not far off either – in Malvern on 16 March. Do get your tickets now! (And you'll be able to get hold of our next print edition there – more on that next time.)
I hope you enjoy this issue, and good luck with your own family history quests.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the January issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital mix of family and social history – once again in our new web-friendly format ideal for screens of all sizes. And of course Happy New Year!
We kick off the new year with the usual interesting melange – from the sad story of the women incarcerated in the Magdalene laundries, recently brought to attention in a TV drama; to the race for speed and progress on land and in the air at Brooklands; and down to the fascinating minutiae of newspaper small ads. We have all this and more.
Meanwhile work on the next print edition of Discover Your Ancestors continues, so keep an eye out for news here and at the DYA website. And remember to save the dates for this year's Family History Shows – the first one is coming up quite soon, in February!
I hope you enjoy this issue, and that the new year brings you exciting discoveries in your family tree.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the December issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital mix of family and social history – once again in our new web-friendly format ideal for screens of all sizes!
With Christmas parties on people's minds now, how about stepping back in time a couple of centuries to the heyday of Georgian assembly rooms, many of which survive today? Our article by Phil Wood looks at this enjoyable slice of social history. And with Christmas posting dates on everyone's mind, take a moment to think of the postmasters and mistresses of the past, and the challenges they faced – inside, Caroline Roope tells their story. We have all that and more, of course.
Another piece of important news is that we've started work on the next print edition of Discover Your Ancestors, which will be packed with brand new features – keep an eye out for news here and at the DYA website. And remember to save the dates for next year's Family History Shows on your shiny new 2024 calendar!
Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this issue, and have a wonderful Christmas.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the November issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital mix of family and social history – once again in our new web-friendly format ideal for screens of all sizes!
In this month's hotpot of historical interest (a warming metaphor as the autumn sets in), we celebrate this year's 150th anniversary of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich (although its history stretches back through previous incarnations as a royal palace and then a hospital for seamen). Nell Darby leads us towards the festive season with a cheery exploration of the glee club movement. Denise Bates delves into the joys of local history, and how written accounts can inform our genealogical research too – and there's more besides.
Don't forget to start making plans for next year's Family History Shows too – we now have events in three different parts of England, plus the usual annual online one. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this issue…
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the October issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital mix of family and social history – now in a new web-friendly format so you can enjoy it on any device!
This time we cover subjects near to home and the ordinary daily lives of many of our ancestors – and something much further away from those. For the former, we explore the growth of Sunday schools, plus the importance of community events such as horticultural shows; and at the opposite extreme, we follow some female explorers who upped sticks (not always by choice) and had to forge a life in far-flung lands, often very much against the odds.
We also look into a fascinating Victorian project to bring rich and poor children together, explore the history of the Doulton pottery empire and more.
Some exciting news about the Family History Shows too! Our growing event stream now has a new, extra venue in the calendar to cover the Midlands – do plan now for a trip to Malvern on 24th March! Meanwhile, enjoy this issue…
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the September issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital mix of family and social history – now in a new web-friendly format so you can enjoy it on any device!
This issue covers a typical variety of topics. We have two articles on very different occupations of the past, glove-making and lamplighting. These are both jobs of the past thanks to industrialisation of the former and the technology of electricity for the latter, but they have rich traditions and perhaps one of your ancestors worked in one of these roles?
Meanwhile we also look at one of the country's worst disasters, which took place 145 years ago this month, plus follow some research stories into a rakish songwriter and an adventure-loving engineer!
If you missed this month's Family History Show in London, remember the shows will be back in various forms again next year, so do keep an eye on thefamilyhistoryshow.com and get your booking in early. Meanwhile, enjoy this issue!
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the August issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital mix of family and social history.
A hundred and sixty-five years ago this month, London was in the grip of a horrific pollution problem which became known as the Great Stink – an issue still resonating today as the sewer system that Joseph Bazalgette created in the city shows it age, and in a time where pollution of rivers with sewage is still sadly headline news. In this issue, we explore various aspects of the original events, plus Bazalgette's family history and the connected subject of public drinking fountains.
And there's more, of course – from the important issue of workers' rights when injured in the workplace to a new series starting, in which Stephen Roberts looks at ten battles in British history which formed major turning points in the story of the nation. Plus we have a brilliant family history case study where Vicki McKenna rose to a tough genealogical challenge. Enjoy the issue!
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the July issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital mix of family and social history.
This issue has fallen into two main themes rather. One focuses on how images open up details of the past: for example, Nick Thorne and Nell Darby both found interesting pictures of bygone stars which took them on very different research paths; plus we have Jayne Shrimpton’s aptly seasonal guide to the history of seaside photography. And then there’s the other theme, encompassing two disasters at sea which led to – and I promise this wasn’t exactly intended as a theme! – desperate attempts to survive by, um, cannibalism. There’s all that and more in this issue, and I hope you enjoy it, grisly though some of it may be…
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the June issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital mix of family and social history.
It’s certainly a good month for family historians. For one thing, the nation’s favourite celebrity genealogy show, Who Do You Think You Are? is back – astonishingly for its 20th run.
Also, on 24 June, we’re back in York for the Family History Show – this is always a great occasion and I’m sure it will be a huge success like last year’s. Grab your early bird tickets now at www.thefamilyhistoryshow.com!
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the May issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital mix of family and social history.
The work of past civil registrars is of course essential for today’s family history research, but we probably reflect rarely on the people who undertook that role – but in this issue we have Daniel Hewitt to rectify that through his discovery of an old manual detailing their responsibilities – do take a look. Meanwhile we look at subjects as diverse as renting a home, the adventures of Christian missionaries and use the latest amazing high-resolution census scans to aid research.
We’re also planning our next trip to York: do grab your show tickets now www.thefamilyhistoryshow.com!
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the April issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital mix of family and social history.
There’s rather a whiff of the briny in this issue – we have maritime history expert Simon Wills’s guide to merchant navy photos, but there’s also a tale of the Titanic, and indeed an account of a traveller to the New World in the Elizabethan era. Back on land, we also learn about an entertaining Easter custom which is mostly forgotten now, but still persists in south-east London…
I hope you have a great Easter, and enjoy this issue.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the March issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital mix of family and social history.
There’s something for everyone (as usual) in this issue: we’ve got Rachel Bates’s excellent article about a useful early modern source for social and family history research, and tales of two pioneers, a woman of science and the man who arguably created the self-help industry. And then there’s the intriguing mystery of Ilda Orme (if you know anything of what happened to her, do get in touch!).
I hope you enjoy the issue, and good luck solving your own research mysteries (do tell us about them!).
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the February issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital mix of family and social history. It’s showtime again this month – with the Family History Show’s online incarnation back for your convenience (see page 26 for details, and for the dates of the next two live shows, or visit www.thefamilyhistoryshow.com to get your tickets right away). Meanwhile it’s Valentine’s month, and we have Jayne Shrimpton’s fascinating history of how lonely hearts found one another down the ages, plus the usual mix of other interesting features. I hope you enjoy the issue. Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the January issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital mix of family and social history – and of course happy new year.
One the big challenges for family historians pushing back before the era of typewriters is reading old handwriting – I’m delighted to give you Rachel Bates’s excellent starter guide to secretary hand in this issue. We also hear the stories of some interesting characters, both famous and ‘ordinary’, whatever that means, and the reality behind a famous dialect poem from north-west England. Enjoy! Andrew Chapman, Editor.
PS: We still have copies of our most recent print edition available: you can get hold of one via discoveryourancestors.co.uk.
A warm welcome to the December issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital mix of family and social history. I have to confess I’m often a bit ‘bah, humbug’ over Christmas – but in an effort to counteract that, I give you lots of seasonal delights in this issue. At least I’m not as bad as John Elwes, the inspiration for Dickens’ Scrooge. We have more about Dickens, too, in Nick Thorne’s piece exploring Dickens’ own life and death through online records. Then there are the children named after Christmas itself, and a delve into an era when Christmas lots its sparkle. So do enjoy the festive theme, and I hope you discover more interesting ancestors of your own if you’re researching over the Christmas period! Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the November issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital mix of family and social history.
Did someone in your family win a wartime medal, or have you found medals in a box in the attic and would like to learn more? Do take a look at Nick Thorne’s guide in this issue. As ever, we cover a wide range of other topics, too, from the centenary of when Howard Carter first made his famous foray into Tut’s tomb to the dark and complex history of capital punishment in Britain.
If you’re looking for lots more to read on these colder nights, remember this year’s print edition is still available at www. discoveryourancestors.co.uk too.
Meanwhile, enjoy this issue!
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the October issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital mix of family and social history.
Thanks to everyone who came to the London Family History Show last month – it was great to see another live event thronged with engaged visitors, many of whom spent hours at the show. Look out for more shows next year.
In the meantime, as the longer nights draw in, it’s a great time to dust off your family history files and push your research further! Keep an eye on our website (discoveryourancestors.co.uk) for some highlights from our archives to help you, and of course I hope you enjoy the usual interesting mix of new material in this issue, all helping to add historical context to your research.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the September issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital mix of family and social history.
The big news this month is that the London Family History Show – organised by DYA – is back after the pandemic hiatus, and it would be wonderful to see you there. If the York show in June is anything to go by, it will be packed (in a suitably spacious way) with experts, exhibitors and visitors alike. Find out more in this issue (along with a feature about the history of the venue) or head straight to www.thefamilyhistoryshow.com to grab your early bird tickets.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy reading this issue.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the August issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital mix of family and social history.
And ‘warm’ is the operative word, as we head into another heatwave at the time I’m writing this. Jayne Shrimpton’s interesting article this month about the history of ice cream comes therefore as a refreshing relief, especially if you read it with a cone in hand!
Don’t forget the London Family History Show is coming up very soon, next month (see www.thefamilyhistoryshow.com), by which time hopefully things will be a little cooler.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy reading this issue.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the July issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital mix of family and social history.
I must say the York Family History Show which we help to organise was a roaring success, and thank you to everyone who was part of it – and don’t forget the London show is coming up in September (see www.thefamilyhistoryshow.com).
This month we have another article following the roots of one of the recent clutch of celebrities in Who Do You Think You Are?, plus of course our usual variety of interesting windows into family and social history.
I hope you enjoy the read.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the June issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital mix of family and social history.
We’re now all systems go planning the York Family History show on 25 June – see www.thefamilyhistoryshow.com for details. It’s not too late to grab your early bird tickets at a great discount!
Meanwhile, this latest Periodical offers a variety of fascinating features, and I hope you enjoy them.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the May issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital mix of family and social history.
A reminder that our York Family History show – in real life again – is on 25 June – see www.thefamilyhistoryshow.com for details. And you can also still get hold of our current printed publication in WHSmith or from discoveryourancestors.co.uk.
Meanwhile, this latest Periodical covers the usual rich variety of subjects, from what our ancestors wore to go the beach, to the life of an Indian doctor during the country’s partition, and the tribulations of a Victorian coffee roaster. I do hope you enjoy it.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the April issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital mix of family and social history.
History is not just in the major archives and museums, but also in all sorts of cracks and crevices – this week, for example, we see how music hall song lyrics reflected the concerns of their times. On a darker note, we look at how the causes of death have changed down the ages, and scrub down with the story of public baths. All that and more besides can be found in the pages that follow!
Remember our York Family History show – in real life again – is on 25 June – see www.thefamilyhistoryshow.com for details. And you can also still get hold of our current printed publication in WHSmith or from discoveryourancestors.co.uk.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this issue.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the March issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital mix of family and social history.
Thanks to the many people who switched on and logged into the latest online Family History Show last month, which was a great success thanks to all the expert speakers and exhibitors. The exciting news in these times of re-emergence is that the next show will be in the real world. Do come to the York show on 25 June if you can – see www.thefamilyhistoryshow.com for details.
A reminder that you can also still get hold of our current printed publication in most branches of WHSmith or from discoveryourancestors.co.uk.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this latest Periodical. As usual we have a diverse range of fascinating features to entertain and inform.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the February issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital mix of family and social history.
As Covid evolves, we’re in hybrid times – some events in person, many still online. This month we welcome the Family History Show online back – see page 25 for details, grab your tickets at www.thefamilyhistoryshow.com and we’ll see you there! – but we also hope to be back in person at York in the summer. Keep an eye on the show website or in these pages for details as time goes on. You can also still get hold of our current printed publication in WHSmith or from discoveryourancestors.co.uk.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this latest Periodical!
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Happy new year and a warm welcome to the January issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your rich digital mix of family and social history.
I hope the season of goodwill has been kind to you, and you’ve perhaps had a chance to advance your own family history research – many people start their trees at this time of year, of course. If you’re one of them, do attend next month’s online Family History Show to get loads of useful advice from experts (see www.thefamilyhistoryshow.com); or pick up our annual printed edition, available in WHSmith or direct from www.discoveryourancestors.co.uk. Enjoy your research, and this latest Periodical! Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the December issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your rich digital mix of family and social history.
I hope you’re keeping well as the pandemic continues to spring new surprises (having had Covid myself recently, I’m only grateful for the vaccines that blunted it), and that Christmas brings you new opportunities to explore your roots, hopefully with other family members joining you at the fireside. If you need a last-minute present, do grab a copy of our new, 10th annual printed edition, available through www.discoveryourancestors.co.uk.
Have a wonderful season, and I hope you enjoy this latest Periodical too.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the November issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your rich digital mix of family and social history.
As the colder months encroach, family history often becomes a popular activity to explore in the evenings. Something that will really help you with that research, as well as set your ancestors’ lives in context, is our recently released 10th annual printed edition, packed with brand-new features on all sorts of family and social history topics. You can now pick up your copy through www.discoveryourancestors.co.uk or look out for it in WHSmith.
Meanwhile, do enjoy this latest Periodical.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the October issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your rich digital mix of family and social history.
It’s always good to see Who Do You Think You Are? back on the TV screens, and this month Nick Thorne shows how you can follow research into one of the new celebrities’ roots yourself through readily available online resources – but look out for spoilers or watch the episode first!
Our own new release is our 10th annual printed edition, packed with brand-new features on all sorts of family and social history topics. You can now pick up your copy through www. discoveryourancestors.co.uk or look out for it in WHSmith.
In the meantime, do enjoy this latest Periodical. Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the September issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical.
A busy month beckons in the world of family history! On 25 September, our latest Family History Show Online takes place, where you can watch a host of experts give fantastic talks, as well as make contact with a wide array of exhibitors and even get one-to-one professional family history advice. Do sign up asap for the best prices and a great gift – see page 26 or visit www.thefamilyhistoryshow.com. Also, I’m delighted to say or 10th annual printed edition, packed with brand-new features on all sorts of family and social history topics, will be out in time for the show. I’ll have more details for you soon, but keep an eye on www.discoveryourancestors.co.uk if you’re one of the many readers who likes to keep the complete set!
In the meantime, do enjoy this latest Periodical.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the August issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, our 100th edition! Over that century of issues, we have covered a huge variety of subjects, encompassing all manner of records to learn about for furthering your family history, and a great array of social history subjects for giving that research some proper, fascinating context. Here’s to the next 100!
Meanwhile, I’m also pleased to reveal that the 10th edition of our bumper annual print issue, the ‘bookazine’, will be out next month. As usual it will be packed full of completely new features, offering the same variety in glossy, highly illustrated printed form. More about that next month!
In the meantime, I’m pleased to welcome you to another varied issue of the Periodical. I hope you enjoy it.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the July issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
Archives and museums continue to open as we head into whatever the British summer has in store for us, and let’s hope we can all enjoy safe visits to these and heritage sites while the weather is good. In the meantime, there’s always more online to explore, as every issue of the Periodical reveals through its articles and references to internet resources. This issue offers the usual interesting mix, from two very different occupational subjects – governesses and brickmakers – to online photo collections and other resources. I hope you enjoy it. Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the June issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
While we wait to hear how much the pandemic restrictions can be lifted, family history carries on regardless of closures and constraints: this month sees the latest in our series of fantastic online Family History Shows, once again graced by a great range of expert speakers, a multitude of exhibitors and lots of special offers. Save 19 June in your diary, and grab your tickets now at www.thefamilyhistoryshow.com. Another online innovation is a brilliant new set of expert videos on all aspects of family history, available now at www.family-history.tv. As always, meanwhile, we have a great spread of articles in this issue – I hope you enjoy it.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the May issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
It’s good that many archives and libraries have started to reopen – hopefully by the time our June issue comes out, their cafés might be open again too! Certainly we can continue to enjoy online records regardless, and it’s clear that many events will remain online for some time. Our own Family History Show will be back next month, online again, and the format – which has proven to be a great success – will have some new features too. More details next month, but do keep 19th June in your diary, and see www.thefamilyhistoryshow.com for the latest info.
Meanwhile we have our usual interesting mix of articles in this issue – I hope you enjoy it.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the April issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
There’s some fantastic news from our associates at TheGenealogist this month: the release of the 1939 Register at the site (see p28). This was compiled in advance of the creation of the NHS, and is the closest thing we have to a 1941 census (cancelled due to the Second World War, of course) – and is simply the biggest and best resource for tracing family members in the mid-20th century (as long as they are not still alive).
Meanwhile we have our usual diverse mix of articles in this issue, from actresses to aristocratic paupers, confectioners to rhinoceroses! I hope you enjoy it.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the March issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
Last month saw the third online incarnation of the Family History Show and it was a huge success: we had a whopping 19 experts in the expanded panel this time, and way over 2,000 people attended, which shows that this sort of online event has a great appeal in the absence of normal travel. We hope the latter will return soon, of course, but our next event, on 19 June, will be online again. Do keep an eye on www.thefamilyhistoryshow.com for details. And if you’re looking out for the 2021 printed edition of DYA, fear not, we haven’t forgotten it! Publication has been held off until the summer – and it’ll be another corker, I promise.
In the meantime I hope you enjoy this monthly issue, packed with the usual variety of features.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the February issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
As spring starts to show signs of appearing, which will hopefully lift all our spirits, the birds are building their nests. Many of our ancestors would have been experts on this subject as children, no doubt, given the astonishing success of the Dicky Bird Society – Keith Gregson goes beyond mere tweets to tell its tale this month! We also have a fascinating account by Caroline Roope of when William F. Cody brought his Wild West show to entertain Queen Victoria, a tale of crime and unrest in Cornwall, and plenty more besides.
And don’t forget we’ll be running another fantastic online Family History Show this month – see page 9 and www.thefamilyhistoryshow.com.
I hope you enjoy the issue. Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the January issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
Well, I can’t exactly say the new year has begun on a cheery note, but at least our cover picture this time is upbeat – one from a series of ‘Don’t Worry – Smile’ cards from the Tuck postcard dynasty that Nick Thorne explores in this issue. It seems a good motto to strive for at the moment!
Also inside, we look at early reporting of criminal statistics, the history of dieting – we’re clearly not the first era to focus on self-improvement – and some interesting records from the Second World War period. Plenty of distractions, I hope, to keep you informed and entertained, wherever you are – and I hope you’re keeping safe.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the December issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
With everyone hoping for new vaccines in the near future, it’s interesting to note that this month sees the 200th anniversary of pharmaceutical pioneer Thomas Beecham, whose remarkable story began with him as a shepherd in the hills of Oxfordshire, only a few miles from where I write this. Nicola Lisle tells his story in this issue.
And of course there’s much more, from an interesting perspective on controversies about public statues more than a century ago, to the Christmassy joys of amateur dramatics. And speaking of Christmas, I wish you all a safe and happy one.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the November issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
As I write this, another lockdown looms and another series of Who Do You Think You Are? ends, reminding us of how family history provides a great way to forget the troubles of the present. I hope you all stay safe and well. As always, the pages that follow contain a rich mix of research advice – this time including some unusual 17th century sources – and interesting background history. And for more reading of this kind, I’m pleased to say our current print edition is still available, via discoveryourancestors.co.uk.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the October issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
As we hunker down for autumn and winter in a tough year, thank heavens for family history as a diverting and rewarding field of exploration which we can enjoy from our own homes. Last month’s second online Family History Show also proved that we can still find great ways to share our family history experiences too – see page 28.
I always enjoy the autumn, not just for long country walks as the trees turn golden, but because it’s also when I start planning our next print edition! More on that as plans develop.
In the meantime, this issue has the usual diverse range of subjects to delve into – do enjoy it, and as always send me your letters and suggestions to the email address at the left.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the September issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
Much as we might miss the opportunity to network in person and enjoy a day out, we’re lucky that internet technology has reached the point in 2020 that we can still run mass events that people ‘attend’ from home. This month we see the second online Family History Show, having proven the great success of the format of talks, expert advice and exhibitions with the first such event – very well attended! – in June. See page 26 for more info or head straight to www.thefamilyhistoryshow.com.
Meanwhile as autumn begins it’s time to sit down with a cuppa and enjoy the usual rich mix of research advice and historical context of the Periodical!
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the August issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
It’s coming up to half a century – not really that long – since the law about breach of promise to marry was dropped. This month Denise Bates looks into this powerful law which affected many people’s lives. Jayne Shrimpton gives us a guide to photographs showing sporting and leisure pursuits in past decades. And we have two shady characters explored by Nell Darby and Nick Thorne.
Meanwhile we’re gearing up for our second online Family History Show, in September (see page 28), so do head to www.thefamilyhistoryshow.com and get your tickets early to save money!
I hope you enjoy this issue, and your summer.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the July issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
I’m pleased to report that the first online Family History Show last month was a great success, with large numbers of people ‘attending’ the fantastic range of talks, asking the expert panel for help and exploring the exhibition areas. We’re going to be hosting another in September, so do save Saturday 26th in your diary and keep an eye on discoveryourancestors.co.uk.
In this issue we begin with two nicely paired articles on a related theme: one looks at the classic gentlemen’s clubs, and the other the working men’s clubs which catered to the other end of the social spectrum. And of course we have the usual wide variety of other subjects. Enjoy the issue!
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the June issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
We’re lucky, of course, that family history research is a hobby that can often be furthered online, but sometimes there’s no substitute for getting together with like-minded people to learn from one another, find useful products and get expert advice. The lockdown has made this sort of thing much more challenging – but this month we step into the breach with the new online version of the Family History Show! This jam-packed event will come as close as is possible to the ‘real world’ experience, and you can be there on Saturday 20 June. Turn to page 10 for our guide, or head straight to www.thefamilyhistoryshow.com to pick up your tickets. And do say hello at the Discover Your Ancestors stand!
In the meantime, do enjoy this issue, and stay safe.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the May issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
The challenges of life in lockdown remain, but one small ray of light in our own little universe is that many people have found time and inclination to delve into their family history. Hats off, therefore, to TheGenealogist, which has launched a brilliant First Steps package for beginners – packed with loads of free data (including copies of this digital magazine, and three whole censuses!) – see p26 for more details. Here at DYA we’re also looking into the idea of an online family history event –more about that next time.
This month is Local and Community History Month, which of course also faces great challenges when people can’t visit archives in person – but there is still lots going on, as we explore. You can enjoy that article, our fashion feature to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day, and more besides.
Do enjoy this issue, and stay safe.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the April issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
You don’t need me to tell you that the world has changed dramatically in recent weeks, and we don’t yet know how it will unfold. I hope those of you reading this remain well and able to find some normality.
It is perhaps fortunate that we can retreat into the world of history – heaven knows our ancestors suffered all manner of ills and hardships which most of us have been spared, and with the distance of time we can find their lives subjects of interest. In this issue, we have our usual mix of historical context and research advice, and I hope your own family history work can provide a suitable distraction from the world’s woes.
For more reading of this kind, I’m pleased to say our new print edition is still available, via discoveryourancestors.co.uk.
In the meantime, do enjoy this latest digital issue.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the March issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
A reminder that our new annual print ‘bookazine’ edition – Issue 9 – is now out! This is the usual bumper collection of new features about all aspects of family and social history – and this time we have a special set of features about tracing the history of a house, as well as dozens more brand-new features on a fascinating range of subjects. Look out for it in WHSmith or grab one directly from us online at discoveryourancestors.co.uk.
In the meantime, do enjoy this latest digital issue!
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the February issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
The big news this month is that our new annual print ‘bookazine’ edition – Issue 9 – is coming out on 8 February! This is the usual bumper collection of new features about all aspects of family and social history – and this time there’s a special set of features about tracing the history of a house. This publication runs to almost 200 pages in a premiumquality format, and if you come to the Family History Show in Bristol on 8 February, you can be the first to get hold of one!
For details of that show, see www.thefamilyhistoryshow.com. As always, the print issue will also be available in WHSmith or directly from us online at discoveryourancestors.co.uk.
In the meantime, do enjoy this latest digital issue!
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A very happy new year and a warm welcome to the January issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
This year is already shaping up to be busy and exciting for family historians, and here at Discover Your Ancestors we’re hectic at present, preparing for the South-West Family History Show in Bristol on 8 February (see www.thefamilyhistoryshow.com) as well as working hard on our next flagship print edition (more on that next time, but you can still get Issue 8 in WHSmith or directly from us online at discoveryourancestors.co.uk).
In the meantime, do enjoy this issue, which has the usual rich variety of interest and information.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the December issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
Christmas hurtles towards us, of course, and this month Jayne Shrimpton explores the festive subject of dressing up, with her social history of fancy dress. But we have the usual wide range of subjects in the issue, from the Rochdale Pioneers to life in the Napoleonic-era Royal Navy.
If you’re still looking for Christmas gift ideas, do turn to page 30, where you’ll find details of our own new products for family historians – or do buy the magazine for a friend or family member! (Visit discoveryourancestors.co.uk).
Happy Christmas, and happy researching!
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the November issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
Few of us will be unfamiliar with the svelte form of the former tea and wool clipper Cutty Sark, berthed at Greenwich – I can still remember visiting as a child, and despite the fire a few years ago the ship has survived to its 150th anniversary this month, looking better than never. In this issue Nicola Lisle tells its story. Turning to transport on the land, Nell Darby explores how public transport opened up new opportunities for criminals, and Jayne Shrimpton explores the history of bus crew uniforms. From clippers to clippies!
You can still get hold of our current print issue in WH Smith and online (see discoveryourancestors.co.uk) – and we’ll have details of the next one soon! Meanwhile, do enjoy this issue.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the October issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
This month we have something of an educational theme as both Gaynor Haliday and Nell Darby pick up on 150th anniversaries of educational milestones. We joke about the Victorians sending our children up the chimneys, but really we should think of them as the pioneers who stopped all that! Having said that, Nell’s regular law and order feature this month looks a rather grim tale of corporal punishment from the same era…
You can still get hold of our current print issue in WH Smith and online (see discoveryourancestors.co.uk) – and I’m already starting to plan the next one!
In the meantime, do enjoy this issue.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the September issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
It was lovely to meet many of you at the London Family History Show last month – that’s the show season over now, but do see page 26 for the dates for next year, which include a move to February for the Bristol show, and a new venue for the London event. You can also find details there about our new collections of back issues of this Periodical. And of course you can still get hold of our current print issue in WH Smith and online (see discoveryourancestors.co.uk for more info).
In the meantime, do enjoy this issue – we welcome Stephen Wade to our list of writers, covering the little-discussed subject of prison warders. As ever, there’s plenty more inside!
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A summer welcome to the August issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
Hot on the heels of our new South West Family History Show, our fast-growing London show is back again this month, on 24 August –we’ll be there with copies of our latest print issue (see www.discoveryourancestors.co.uk for more info) and indeed our previous publications, many at fantastic show prices. And of course the show offers a vast array of other exhibitors and our hugely popular expert panel and free talks. See page 26 of this issue for more details – and do snap up an early bird ticket at www.thefamilyhistoryshow.com!
In the meantime, this issue has the usual varied mix of useful and interesting articles – I hope you enjoy it.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the July issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
It’s firmly event season now, and the Discover Your Ancestors York Family History Show was a roaring success. Genealogist Jane Roberts put it in a nutshell on her blog: ‘It’s great for show novices because it’s not overwhelming, but for regulars it’s like returning to a much-loved home.’As I write this we’re only days away from our new South West Family History Show too, near Bristol. I do hope you can make it, and look forward to meeting a new wave of keen family historians from a different part of the country. We’ll be there, of course, and you can pick up Issue 8 of our print edition, as well as back issues and books. I hope to see you there, and meanwhile do enjoy this issue.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the June issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
This month, of course, sees the 75th anniversary of D-Day, a major landmark of the Second World War – see pages 26 and 30 for information about events and new books on the subject.
And of course we’re off to York for the largest family history show in the north of England, organised by Discover Your Ancestors. Do stop by the DYA stand and say hello! You’ll be able to pick up our publications at special prices, plus the recently published Issue 8 of our bumper 196-page print edition. If you can’t make it, do visit our website instead, at discoveryourancestors.co.uk.
I hope to see you in York, and meanwhile enjoy this issue.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the May issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
There’s been surprisingly little fanfare in the media so far about the bicentenary of perhaps the nation’s favourite monarch – but we redress the balance in this issue, with Ruth A Symes delving into Queen Victoria’s own diaries to see how she felt about growing older. Meanwhile, with May holidays on our minds, we also explore the variety of rural traditions and customs throughout the year.
And don’t forget Issue 8 of our bumper 196-page print edition is out now in WHSmith and available direct from us via www.discoveryourancestors.co.uk, and it’s not long now until the first of our three Family History Shows – see page 26 for more details. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this issue.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the April issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
There’s a busy year ahead: this year the summer months see three Discover Your Ancestors shows in different parts of England. Do turn to our news page on p26 to see details of the fantastic expert speakers now lined up. Also on that page, you’ll see the exciting news from our friends at TheGenealogist about their Map Explorer, which offers a unique and really interesting way to delve into your family history, or indeed conduct other research.
And of course Issue 8 of our bumper 196-page print edition is out now in WHSmith and available direct from us via discoveryourancestors.co.uk. Now I’ve run out of space to tell you about this really interesting issue of the Periodical! Do have a look below, and enjoy it.
Andrew Chapman, Editor
A warm welcome to the March issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
I’m delighted to announce that Issue 8 of our print edition, packed with brand-new features on all manner of family and social history subjects, is now out – you can pick up your copy in many branches of WHSmith or direct from us at discoveryourancestors.co.uk for when it is released; you can also still pick up previous issues there. Issue 8 also boasts some fantastic offers, worth more than £170! There’s an Edwardian theme, as the cover opposite this page shows, but there are many other eras of history covered. Grab yours now!
Meanwhile, do enjoy the usual mix in this month’s digital issue! Andrew Chapman, Editor
A warm welcome to the February issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
Our big news this month is that Issue 8 of our print edition has gone to the printers! This time the bumper ‘bookazine’, packed with 196 pages of brand-new features, has an Edwardian focus, although as always it still offers a broad mix of research advice and historical context, and the subjects covered go right back as far as Tudor times. Do keep an eye on our website discoveryourancestors.co.uk for when it is released – you can also still pick up previous issues there. Issue 8 also boasts some fantastic offers, worth more than £170! Meanwhile, enjoy this month’s digital issue!
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A very happy new year to you all, and a warm welcome to the January issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine. I hope you have had a restful holiday period – and perhaps the chance to spend a little time among the branches of your family tree.
As well as getting this issue finished, with its usual stimulating mix, our team of writers and I have been working hard lately on our next print issue, which I’ll tell you more about next month – there’s lots to look forward to! You can still snap up the previous one, Issue 7, in many branches of WHSmith if you don’t have it – but don’t wait too long!
Meanwhile, enjoy this month’s issue, and I hope a year of exciting research and discoveries awaits you!
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the December issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
The news from Discover Your Ancestors this month is that our Family History Shows have now officially grown to three annual events, with the introduction of a new South-West England show in Bristol next July – see page 25 for more details. Meanwhile, we’re already working hard on our eighth print edition, which will be out next spring.
Meanwhile, here we are with the latest Periodical and its usual mix of interesting social history, research advice and more. My family will tell you I’m a curmudgeon about Christmas, but even that is a subject of historical interest to me at least – so in this issue we mark the season and travel back to Georgian times to get past the usual Victorian clichés: enjoy the issue, and Merry Christmas to one and all! Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the November issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical.
Surely no one can be oblivious to this month seeing the centenary of the end of the First World War. It is appropriate, therefore, that this issue is a special one, with two thirds of our content devoted to WW1-related subjects, on the home front and at war.
Astonishingly, I found an Armistice diary my grandfather wrote among family papers only a few weeks ago – and you can read it in this issue. Every family will have its WW1 stories, and they all deserve to be told… lest we forget. Let’s all honour those who died, and think of them this month.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the October issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
It was wonderful to see the crowds at the Family History Show at sandown Park last month – the much bigger venue was packed out, and it was great to meet many of you. For more on this great success, see page 26.
As usual, we bring you your monthly mix, covering subjects as diverse as back-to-backs in Birmingham and indentured servitude in America. Do let us know if you’d like to see particular subjects covered in future – we’re already starting to plan our next bumper print edition too!
In the meantime, do enjoy this issue. Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the September issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your digital family and social history magazine.
I write this in somewhat sombre mood just after the death of my father. But if it wasn’t for the mystery of a French family middle name that he and I shared, I would never have got into the world of family history in the first place, and my dad was always interested to hear of my discoveries. Sad though this loss is, family history does at least help us to put our lives and those of our loved ones in a wider context. Local history, too, can give us a real sense of our place in time, as our guest writer Will Hazell explores this month – he is finding new ways to share his passion for the subject with a broader audience than usual.
And of course this month the magazine will be spearheading the latest London Family History Show – see page 17 or www.thefamilyhistoryshow.com for more details. Do come along, say hello and share your own historical passions! In the meantime, enjoy this issue. Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the August issue of Discover Your Ancestors periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
In this unusually hot summer, our thoughts may well turn to the seaside, so it’s appropriate that we have Jayne Shrimpton’s interesting article about beach trades and equipment. My great-great-grandmother was a bathing machine operator in Kent, so I have a particular interest in the subject!
Meanwhile here at DYA, things are also hotting up in readiness for next month’s London Family History Show on 22 September this year, which boasts Jayne herself among its speakers, along with US genealogy legend Dick Eastman – see page 17 or www.thefamilyhistoryshow.comfor more details.
In the meantime, do enjoy this issue!
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the July issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, the only monthly digital family and social history magazine for the UK. It was wonderful to see so many people at the York Family History Show last month, which saw attendance figures at record levels – there was fantastic buzz, with the talks and exhibition stands thronged all day. It’ll be back next year, along with a new show in the South-West of England (more on that another time!); in the meantime, you can enjoy the expanded London Family History Show on 22 September this year – see www.thefamilyhistoryshow.com for more details. DYA will of course be there, as the show organiser!
Meanwhile, do enjoy this issue of the Periodical with its usual fascinating mix of features. Andrew Chapman, Editor
A warm welcome to the June issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, the only monthly digital family and social history magazine for the UK.
This month I urge anyone within travelling distance of York to head to this jewel of northern England for the Discover Your Ancestors Family History Show, the York fair being a major feature of the genealogical calendar which has run for many years. It’s on Saturday 23 June (see page 9 or visit www.thefamilyhistoryshow.comfor more details), and has a wealth of talks and fantastic stalls. Do come and say hello at the Discover Your Ancestors stand and pick up our latest print issue!
Meanwhile, do enjoy this issue of the Periodical with its usual wealth of features. Andrew Chapman, Editor
A warm welcome to the May issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, the only monthly digital family and social history magazine for the UK.
If you’re a family historian based in the north of England or with roots in that area, you’ll want to know that the Yorkshire Family History Show will be on again next month, on Saturday 23 June (see page 15 or visit www.thefamilyhistoryshow.comfor more details). This longrunning event is now organised by the Discover Your Ancestors tea, so do come and say hello. And of course you can pick up a copy of our latest annual print ‘bookazine’ (Issue 7) – it’s also available most branches of WHSmith and via our website at discoveryourancestors.co.uk.
Meanwhile, of course, we have another Periodical packed with interesting features, as you can see below – I hope you enjoy it. Andrew Chapman, Editor
A warm welcome to the April issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, the only monthly digital family and social history magazine for the UK. No April Fool jokes here: just lots of useful and interesting information!
This year sees the centenaries of women (well, some of them) getting the vote, and of what became the Royal Air Force. In this issue we mark both of those, although in fact going back 50 years earlier in the case of the former, to look at the pioneering Manchester suffragettes. We cover plenty more of this year’s anniversaries in our latest annual print ‘bookazine’ (Issue 7) – this only came out recently and you can find it on the shelves of most branches of WHSmith and via our website at discoveryourancestors.co.uk. It has nearly 40 features on all aspects of genealogy and social history, plus some amazing free data offers, in this case worth more than £170. Do get hold of your copy! Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the March issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, the only monthly digital family and social history magazine for the UK.
As well as this digital magazine, of course, we have an annual print ‘bookazine’ packed with a wealth of different articles – and the good news is that Issue 7 is just out! You can find it on the shelves of most branches of WHSmith, numerous other retailers, and via our website at discoveryourancestors.co.uk. It has nearly 40 features on all aspects of genealogy and social history, celebrity family trees, useful advice, fascinating explorations and more. As usual, the issue also comes with some amazing free data offers, in this case worth more than £170!
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the fascinating variety of features in this month’s Periodical. Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the February issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine. Our big news is that our next print edition – Issue 7 (it comes out once a year in ‘bookazine’ form, with almost 200 pages) – is on its way to your newsagent soon. Look out for it on the shelves of WHSmith and other retailers from the start of March. It is packed with nearly 40 features on all aspects of genealogy and social history, celebrity family trees, useful advice, fascinating explorations and more! As usual, the issue also comes with some amazing free data offers, in this case worth more than £170! Do keep an eye out for it at discoveryourancestors.co.uk.
Meanwhile, our monthly Periodical continues to bring you a similar smorgasbord of historical information – do enjoy it. Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Happy new year, and welcome to the January issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
We start the year with the usual lively and fascinating mix of articles, from a look at life as a Victorian policeman from the author of a new book on the subject, to the 250th anniversary of the circus in Britain. I’m also delighted to say that work on our next annual print edition is almost complete – this will be our 7th such ‘bookazine’, and once again is crammed with all sorts of useful and interesting articles, all of them newly written by our gang of expert authors. It should be out by early March, so do keep an eye on our website, www.discoveryourancestors.co.uk, or pick one up in WHSmith and elsewhere when the time comes.
In the meantime, I wish you all the very best for 2018 – I hope it brings many new discoveries in your own ancestry!
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome to the December issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
In this issue I’m pleased to welcome back Simon Wills, who presents a fascinating history of poachers and gamekeepers, a subject which has been somewhat neglected in the history magazines hitherto. Meanwhile, Harry Cunningham follows up his history of the Labour Party (see our May 2017 issue) with a look at the Tories.
My family will tell you I’m a bit of a curmudgeon about Christmas, but it’s always interesting to learn about the history of our traditions – so in this issue I’m glad that Nick Thorne has given us the background to two long-standing Christmas traditions.
All of this issue’s writers will be back in our next print edition, which we’re working hard on. More on that next time!
In the meantime, have a great Christmas and enjoy this issue.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome to the November issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
It’s likely that many of us will have whitecollar workers in our family lines, but it’s surprising how little the work of humble office clerks in the past has been researched. This month I’m pleased that Richard Willis is redressing the balance with a look at legal clerks in particular.
With this being the season of fireworks, it’s also interesting to learn of the roots of actor Kit Harington, star of the BBC’s recent Gunpowder series and a direct descendant of one of the 1605 plotters against James I.
All that and more in a great read for the autumn fireside – I hope you enjoy it.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome to the October issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your trusty digital family and social history magazine.
It was great to see the new Family History Show in Esher, Surrey, last month proving such a roaring success – do put next year’s date in your diary (see page 30) as there are already plans to make this a significantly larger event, with the convenience of being near London. Thanks to everyone who came along and kept the hall packed and busy all day, and indeed to all the excellent exhibitors there.
I confess I hadn’t realised that British soldiers had played a part in the events of the Russian Revolution, the second part of which took place 100 years ago this month – I’m pleased to say Colin Ellson has written on the subject to enlighten us. Plus we have a fascinating study by Denise Bates of how a trial invented by Dickens had a notable influence on real history, Jayne Shrimpton’s history of hand-knitting, and more! I hope you enjoy the issue.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome to the September issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
As autumn looms, there remains a bright beacon on the horizon for family historians in the form of the new Family History Show in London. I confess I’m biased – Discover Your Ancestors is the organiser of the event, and I’ll be there on our stand so do come and say hello and let me know what you’d like to see in our magazine (I’ll be planning next year’s print edition soon). It certainly promises to be a lively event, with loads of interesting stalls and talks to enjoy, and hopefully this will become an established feature of the calendar now that the Who Do You Think You Are? Live show has been cancelled. The new show is on Sunday 24 September and you can find more details on page 26 of this issue. We’d love to see you there!
In the meantime, do enjoy our usual interesting mix of articles in this issue! Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome to the August issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your regular digital family and social history magazine.
When we name our children, we probably think we’re doing so on our own terms, but in fact it’s hard to avoid being part of wider trends in society. When we named my first son, I was surprised to discover his name was in the top 100, although we thought it was a bit unusual! This month we have two articles on the subject of names: Denise Bates looks at Victorian forename trends, and Nick Thorne explores the research challenge of a family with changing surnames.
A reminder that Discover Your Ancestors is running this year’s new Family History Show in Esher, Surrey, not far from London – that’s on Sunday 24 September and you can find full details at www.thefamilyhistoryshow.com. We’d love to see you there!
In the meantime, do enjoy the usual varied and fascinating range of articles in this issue! Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome to the July issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
It was fantastic to see so many people flocking to the Yorkshire Family History Fair last month – the even has been running for many years, but is now organised by the Discover Your Ancestors team. The venue, York Racecourse, was packed for much of the day, showing the real value of grassroots family history, with hundreds of people eagerly exploring around 60 stands.
If you missed it, or your based in southern England, remember that we’re also running this year’s new Family History Show in Esher, Surrey, not far from London – that’s on Sunday 24 September and you can find full details at www.thefamilyhistoryshow.com
.In the meantime, this issue is packed with the usual fascinating and informative mixture! Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome to the June issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, the monthly digital family and social history magazine.
It hardly seems possible but this is our 50th issue! This monthly Periodical began in the spring of 2013, and every month since then we’ve had a unique mixture of articles which will help you further your research into your forebears or illuminate their lives and times. I’m proud to have been at the helm throughout, and here’s to the next 50 issues! Discover Your Ancestors began, of course, with our annual print edition, which is now in its sixth issue, available in newsagents and via www.discoveryourancestors.co.uk. Remember, this is packed with more than 30 features, all of them different from those in the Periodical.
The family history world has been stunned by the closure of the Who Do You Think You Are? Live show – but there is good news in the form of the long-standing York and new London Family History Shows, organised by our team. The York show is coming up this month (see page 26) – I hope to see you there! In the meantime, enjoy this issue. Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome to the May issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, the monthly digital family and social history magazine.
As usual we cover some diverse subjects, from Basque refugees to the early history of the Labour party – as well as looking into how you might be able to get an idea of what your ancestors actually sounded like.
It was wonderful to see so many of you at the Who Do You Think You Are? Live show in Birmingham – thank you for coming to see us at the stand! We’re delighted to welcome lots of new subscribers, and of course many of you came by to pick up Issue 6 of our annual printed ‘bookazine’. If you couldn’t get to the show, however, you can pick it up in most branches of WHSmith, or you can simply order one direct from us via www.discoveryourancestors.co.uk.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this issue, and keep in touch. Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome to the April issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, the monthly digital family and social history magazine.
If you’re reading this in early April, you may well be planning a visit to the Who Do You Think You Are Live? show in Birmingham, the biggest genealogical jamboree of the year. Here at DYA we’re getting ready for the show, and you’ll find our stand there as usual, along with many of the big players in the family history world. Do pop by and see us – and don’t forget you’ll be able to pick up Issue 6 of our annual print edition! We also have copies of some back issues available, plus our range of useful books.
If you can’t get to Brum, however, don’t panic, as the bookazine is also available in many branches of WHSmith and other retailers, as well as at www.discoveryourancestors.co.uk.
In the meantime, we have the usual engaging mix of subjects in the Periodical, from a history of tartan (appropriate for 2017 being Scotland’s Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology) to shrinking down to find history in dolls’ houses. Enjoy the issue, and I hope to see you at the show. Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome to the March issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly family and social history magazine.
This month we have an interesting, different angle on the First World War as the centenary rumbles on: the role of Scouts and Guides is not particularly well known, but Sharon Brookshaw is here with the story.
As usual, we cover a lot of ground in a short space: back to medieval universities, for example, via a pioneering female physician and the fascinating snippets that can be gleaned from some of our ancestors’ weather diaries.
Meanwhile Issue 6 of our annual print magazine is now in shops such as WHSmiths, crammed with more than 30 entirely new features, as well as boasting a brilliant cover DVD with lots of useful data and amazing offers worth more than £170. You can also order a copy right away via our own website www.discoveryourancestors.co.uk. And of course it’s only a month until the Who Do You Think You Are? Live show in Birmingham – we’ll be there as usual, so do say hello!
Enjoy this issue in the meantime. Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome to the February issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, with the usual fascinating mix of family and social history.
As I write we’re getting ready to distribute Issue 6 of our annual print magazine to shops around the country, including WHSmiths and some supermarkets, so do look out for that. It’s packed with more than 30 brand new features, as well as having a fantastic cover DVD with lots of useful data and amazing offers worth more than £170. If you’re impatient to get your hands on one, though, you can also order a copy right away via discoveryourancestors.co.uk or www.genealogysupplies.com.
Meanwhile, this issue of the monthly Periodical boasts its own interesting variety of features, on subjects as diverse as Victorian prostitution and the Scottish court system! Also, we have the fruit of local history expert Melvyn Jones’s fascinating research into the demographics of Yorkshire mining communities.
As ever, I hope you enjoy the issue. Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Happy New Year, and welcome to the January issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, once again bringing you a rich and interesting mixture of family and social history.
This month we mark the centenary of the Silvertown munitions factory explosion in London, which highlights the perilous world of munitions workers, many of whom were women. We have a double dose of the article’s author, Sharon Brookshaw, in fact, with her fascinating piece on the history of depression, which seems apt enough in the dark days of winter.
Offering a beam of light, however, is the fabulous news that our sixth annual printed edition is now available to buy, and will give you plenty to read on those winter nights by the fire. You can pick up Issue 6 – crammed with more than 30 new features, and some amazing offers on the cover DVD – online via discoveryourancestors.co.uk or www.genealogysupplies.com, and look out for it in newsagents from next month. Meanwhile, enjoy this issue! Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome to the December issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, with its usual rich blend of family and social history.
This month we have two articles to mark the effective 500th anniversary of the Royal Mail at the start of the new year, based on Sir Brian Tuke’s appointment by Henry VIII as the first Master of the Posts in 1517. With the modern mail system under threat from the internet and rival firms, it’s interesting to remember its rich and fascinating history. Among other things, we also have an interesting piece from composer David Lewiston Sharpe, who reflects on other kinds of ‘genealogy’ from the standard family ones.
It’s not too late to treat yourself to Issue 5 of our printed edition in newsagents or online at discoveryourancestors.co.uk – and over the next couple of months I’ll be bringing you news of Issue 6! In the meantime, have a wonderful Christmas. Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome to the November issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly mix of fascinating and informative family and social history.
I’ve long been fascinated by the Great Exhibition and the Crystal Palace – perhaps because my own mother remembers it burning down, 80 years ago this month. She was a young girl in south London at the time, and still recalls the sky light up by the fire. 15-odd years ago, I lived in the Crystal Palace area myself, and found the vestiges of the palace there today haunting and fascinating. So I’m delighted we have Sue Wilkes back this month to tell us the whole story of the palace from the Great Exhibition to its final downfall. And of course we have plenty more besides to enjoy in this issue!
You can still pick up issue 5 of our printed edition in newsagents or online at discoveryourancestors.co.uk – it has more than 30 fresh articles, and loads of great data offers.
Enjoy this issue in the meantime. Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome to the October issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, the monthly digital family and social history magazine full of fascinating articles about our ancestors’ lives and times.
Many of us will have come across ‘ag labs’ – ie agricultural labourers – in census records for our ancestors, given the importance of agriculture to Britain’s economy in the past. These people were the backbone of the nation. In this issue, we welcome Hannah Spencer to our team of writers for a thorough account of their lives and work, and how this changed over the centuries, especially after the Industrial Revolution. Meanwhile, Harry Cunningham explores another traditional trade, that of the cooper, and we have the usual mix of other subjects for your interest and edification!
You can still pick up issue 5 of our printed edition in newsagents or online at discoveryourancestors.co.uk – it has more than 30 fresh articles, and loads of great data offers. Enjoy this issue in the meantime. Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome to the September issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, the family and social history magazine packed with fascinating insights into our ancestors’ lives and times.
You may well have spotted that this month marks 350 years since the Great Fire of London, and there’s a major exhibition reflecting that at the Museum of London. In this issue we have two features inspired by this subject – one looks at how the city itself was reimagined after so much of it had been destroyed; the other at how the fire led to the development of more organised fire fighting, both in the capital and across Britain.
And of course we have plenty more to explore, from a Waterloo veteran to the quiet, comfortable world of wealthy rural vicars. You can still pick up issue 5 of our printed edition in newsagents or online at discoveryourancestors.co.uk – it has more than 30 fresh articles, and loads of great data offers.
Enjoy this issue meanwhile. Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome to the August issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, with its signature blend of fascinating family and social history.
In this issue we spend a while in the Edwardian era, but at home rather than at war, looking at women’s fashions during wartime economies, and also the role the telephone played, and how phone directory records available online can illuminate our early 20th century research. Further back, we taste the fascinating history of Britain’s leading chocolate manufacturers, as well as nearly five centuries of Anglicanism.
You can still pick up issue 5 of our printed edition, packed with more than 30 new articles and some fantastic data offers, in newsagents such as WHSmith or online at discoveryourancestors.co.uk. And we’re already thinking about what to put in the next one!
Enjoy this issue meanwhile. Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome to the July issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, full of the usual mix of family and social history.
It probably won’t have escaped your attention that this month marks the beginning of the fivemonth- long centenary of the Battle of the Somme. I didn’t want to overdo our coverage of this, as there’s so much going on elsewhere, but in this issue you’ll find a fascinating case study from the battle, plus a round-up of recent books relating to the Somme. While British politics succumbs to distracting turmoil, we shouldn’t forget the momentous events of 100 years ago, and the grave numbers of casualties.
Don’t forget you can pick up issue 5 of our printed edition, packed with more than 30 new articles and some fantastic data offers, in newsagents or online at discoveryourancestors.co.uk. Enjoy this issue, and thanks for reading. Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome to the June issue of your monthly mix of family and social history, Discover Your Ancestors Periodical.
What could be better than a good story? Many of us find them in the course of exploring our own families. In writer Jocelyn Robson’s case, she came across one which she just had to pursue – read her fascinating account of a woman who faked her own death as well as helping to advance girls’ education in this issue. And there’s plenty more to explore, from shipwrecks to fascinating trades in Northern England.
Meanwhile, if you haven’t got your copy of issue 5 of our printed edition, packed with more than 30 new articles and some fantastic data offers, do look out for it in your newsagent or buy it online at discoveryourancestors.co.uk.
Enjoy this issue, and thanks for reading. Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to the May issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, packed with family and social history ideas and information.
This issue is something of an occupations special, as three of our main features look at different trades in the past: Ruth Symes explores the wide variety of work undertaken by seamstresses; Harry Cunningham, inspired his own ancestor, reveals the history of hairdressing, which was not always the benign business we might imagine; and Paul Matthews walks us through the forgotten world of pattens, taking in some other lost trades along the way.
If this has piqued your interest, our new annual printed bookazine also has a huge range of occupation-themed articles (as well as plenty more besides, including £150 of offers on the cover disc) – you can grab a copy now in WHSmith and other retailers, or online via discoveryourancestors.co.uk.
It was lovely to meet many of you at the WDYTYA? Live show (see page 20) and hear your supportive comments! I hope you enjoy this issue too. Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome to the April issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, full of the usual variety of family and social history articles.
In this issue we have an interesting exploration of the Royal Naval Division, which is often neglected in military history; and on the military theme, a unique case study from prisoner of war records which went online only recently. Plus we follow several generations of a Derbyshire family who worked on the railways – even before the railways were built! And on a darker note, we look at how society treated suicide in the past.
Meanwhile, do check your newsagent for Issue 5 of our annual printed ‘bookazine’, Discover Your Ancestors. This brand new publication is packed with more than 30 new articles – not to mention a free cover DVD crammed with offers worth more than £150! It is also now available at our website, discoveryourancestors.co.uk, and you can pick up your copy at the Who Do You Think You Are? Live show at Birmingham from 7-9 April – do come and see us at our stand there.
Enjoy the issue! Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome to the March issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, packed as usual with family and social history advice and information.
As well as enjoying this issue, I urge you to check your newsagent this month for Issue 5 of our annual printed ‘bookazine’, Discover Your Ancestors. This brand new publication is packed with more than 30 new articles by a wide range of expert writers – not to mention a free cover DVD crammed with offers worth more than £150! It will also be available soon at our website, discoveryourancestors.co.uk, and you can pick up your copy at the Who Do You Think You Are? Live show at Birmingham from 7-9 April – do come and see us at our stand there and share your ideas and family history stories!
Meanwhile, in this issue we bring you features on everything from lead mining to Scottish landowners – take a look below for full details, and enjoy the read! Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome to the latest Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, offering the usual variety of interest, advice and inspiration.
Our big news this month is that Issue 5 of our annual print edition has gone to the printers, and you can expect it out at the end of the month – we’ll have much more information next month, but suffice it to say once again it is packed with more than 30 completely new articles on a huge range of subjects. Look out for it on the newsstands soon! Don’t forget, too, we have four books under our umbrella, with more on the way this year – see page 13.
Meanwhile, if you dive into this issue, you’ll find an interesting history of mankind’s relationship with dogs, 400 years of Quakerism in one family, plus full details of a major exhibition marking this April’s 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, and indeed we mark 175 years since the railway came to Swindon.
Enjoy all that and more inside!
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A very happy new year to you all, and welcome back to Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, packed with our signature mix of social history and practical family history research advice.
As usual, we cover a lot of ground – from occupational explorations of pawnbroking and the leather industry to a wartime case study, walled kitchen gardens, freemasonry and more.
I’m very pleased to announce we have recently published a series of expert research guides, plus a compendium of articles first published in this magazine in 2013, so you can now read them in print for the first time – see page 24 for details.
Also, I’m delighted to say we’re now working on our fifth annual printed ‘bookazine’, which will be available in newsagents and supermarkets from around the end of February. We’ll bring you more details next month!
Meanwhile, enjoy this issue! Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome again to Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your unique magazine full of interesting social history and practical family history research advice.
Now that it’s December, Christmas is looming upon us, of course. It’s very much seen as a festival focused on family – and as two of our articles this month attest, that’s something which has been in place for a good 150 years or more. Join Ruth Symes and Nick Thorne as they explore the history behind some of the Christmas commonplaces we take for granted.
If Christmas makes you think of getting away, however, you can also follow in the footsteps of the Victorian pioneers of tourism – Lorraine Schofield reveals many of them were much more well-travelled than we might imagine, given they didn’t have the joys of Easyjet or Eurostar to help.
And if you’re off to church or Christmas parties, you might want to don a smart hat – also in this issue, Jayne Shrimpton explores the complex history of millinery.
All the very best of the season, and enjoy the issue!
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome once more to Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, packed as usual with fascinating social history and useful family history research advice.
Family history is of course all about personal stories – not just the dry names and dates, but the interesting details of people’s lives, their occupations, and their relationships. In this issue we see examples of all of these aspects, from Daniel Hewitt’s clockmaking forebears and Anthony Boulton’s memoir of his grandfather in WW1, to the sentimental nuances of relationships often encoded in the jewellery our forebears gave to one another.
We’d love to hear your family stories, too – do drop me a line via [email protected] if you have a case study to share or an interesting family story. We’re now starting to plan a series of books and next year’s print magazine, too, so watch this space for more details soon!
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this issue and the variety of subjects covered inside.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A warm welcome to Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, offering the usual engaging monthly mix of social history and family history research advice.
This month we have a typically diverse range of articles. I’m pleased to welcome Dr Jonathan Healey of Oxford University to our pages, exploring popular rebellions in Tudor times. Social historian Sue Wilkes takes us into the salt works of Cheshire and Worcestershire, looking at a trade of great importance to life in the past.
Meanwhile we also delve into the murky stories of Scotland Yard’s private crime museum, never open to the public – but a new exhibition at the Museum of London starting this month showcases some of its interesting treasures.
In a reflection of the colourful patchwork of this month’s articles, we also have Ruth Symes exploring how patchworks lovingly sewn by our forebears can sometimes offer useful insights into the details of our family history.
And there’s more, of course – I hope you enjoy the read!
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome again to Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly feast of social history and family history research advice.
Historical research is about both the general and the particular. There are the great sweeping arcs of history – the Industrial Revolution, say, or the common patterns of birth, marriage and death. But there are also tiny details which can illuminate life in the past.
Thus Mel Jones’s careful analysis in this issue of a late 17th century probate inventory for a Yorkshire farmer turns out to reveal huge amounts of fascinating detail, giving us a remarkable insight into rural life in the past – and so back to the general again.
As usual, there’s plenty more crammed into our pages: a stroll through the history of public museums; a handy guide to PCC wills; details of an interesting research project in Glasgow to research the family histories of people who donated paintings to the city’s museums and galleries; and plenty more besides.
I hope you enjoy another voyage into the past with us.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome again to Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly mixture of social history and family history research advice.
Much as we still moan about our aches and pains, we also take modern medicine for granted – and we live longer, healthier lives than many of our ancestors thanks to it. This month, medical historian Simon Wills looks back at the medicines and treatments our forebears used – many of which could be as dangerous as the conditions they were intended to cure.
Family history is often about looking for traces of our ancestors in official records – but sometimes they left traces of other kinds, personal marks on buildings, trees and the like which can reveal little, personal insights into their character and lives. Inside, Ruth Symes offers an interesting exploration of our ancestors’ graffiti.
And there’s more, of course: life in the circus, deaths at sea, and more useful records going online, for example. I hope you enjoy another good read.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome once again to Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your first port of call for illuminating social history, plus research advice.
With summer fully upon us, there’s no better time to get out and about for your research – this might mean visiting archives in areas where your ancestors lived, or churchyards where they were buried, or visiting some of the hundreds of amazing local history museums across the land – these almost always have fascinating collections about regional industries, and indeed often have their own sets of records about local families. In these times of cuts to the heritage industry, they all deserve our support, especially given how many of them are run by volunteers.
Back to this issue: we have the usual variety of interest, exploring the toys our forebears might have played with when young, and the engaging subject of house history, which family historians often get drawn into – the two fields work well together, as our expert author Laura Berry reveals. And there’s plenty more besides – I do hope you enjoy it.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome back to Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, packed as always with interesting social history and research advice.
This month sees the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. As a history enthusiast, you probably knew that – but sadly a recent survey by the National Army Museum revealed that 73% of Britons have little or no knowledge of the battle, and many think first of the railway station or the Abba song rather than this pivotal moment in European relations. Find out more in our article on the subject – and you can also read first-hand accounts in and around the battle in Issue 4 of our print edition, available in WHSmith, Sainsburys and elsewhere, or from www.discoveryourancestors.co.uk.
In this issue we also have two features in the subject of migration: one a general overview of what led people to up sticks in the past by Professor Melvyn Jones, and the other a guide to naturalisation and denization records, by Laura Berry. As usual, there’s plenty more besides – I hope you enjoy it.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome again to Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, offering its usual variety of fascinating social history and research advice.
A huge thank you to the many readers who came to say hello at our busy stand at the Who Do You Think You Are? Live show in Birmingham last month – it was great to meet you, and indeed welcome many new subscribers. Copies of our new annual print edition were going like hot cakes – if you haven’t got yours yet, you can find it in many branches of WHSmith, Sainsburys and elsewhere, or buy it direct from us at discoveryourancestors.co.uk. Don’t forget there’s a free DVD on the cover, with data and offers worth more than £130. We’ll also have a stand at the Yorkshire Family History Fair in June (see page 8) – come and see us there too!
In this issue we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Salvation Army, pop into department stores of the past, and reflect on two great disasters of the early 20th century – the Great Fire of 1922 in Canada and the Quintinshill railway crash on the England-Scotland border. All that and more!
Andrew Chapman, Editor
Welcome to Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
The big news here is that our fourth annual print edition, with 196 pages packed full of completely new material, is now out in newsagents across the English-speaking world, and can be ordered through our website: discoveryourancestors.co.uk. It’s the only UK family and social history magazine currently available with a free DVD on the cover, too, which has a fantastic collection of data and offers worth more than £130.
If you’re heading to the big show this month – Who Do You Think You Are? Live in Birmingham (see page 27) – you can pick up your copy there, too – and do come and say hello.
Meanwhile, this issue marks two whole years of the Periodical, and as usual is full of diverse information and historical interest, from tracing criminal ancestors to fascinating new DNA research. Enjoy the issue and thanks for reading!
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome once more to Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your growing library of family and social history features and expertise.
I’m delighted to say that our new print edition, Issue 4, has now gone to press. It is now expected in newsagents later this month and you’ll be able to get it online by visiting discoveryourancestors.co.uk. It is our biggest issue yet, with 35 features and almost 200 pages – all completely different material from what’s in the Periodical, but with a familiar fascinating mix. The cover DVD with it also has an amazing collection of products and offers – including three months’ free Gold subscription at www.TheGenealogist.co.uk – worth a total of more than £130!
Throughout this monthly edition you’ll find links to the print magazine which hint at the diversity of its content. In the meantime, the Periodical is packed with interest too: in this issue we cover everything from the first penal colony in Australia (look out for BBC Two’s new drama on the subject, Banished) to the history of wellie boots! Enjoy the issue.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome again to Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly feast of family and social history.
As I write, Issue 4 of our print edition is almost ready for press, and will be out in late February. It’s our biggest-ever issue, and packed to the gunwales with treasures from history – all new articles different from those in the Periodical. I’m also very pleased to announce that it will have a DVD on the cover, packed with data and offers worth well over £100! Visit www.discoveryourancestors.co.uk to pre-order your copy now at a discount, or keep an eye on your newsagent later this month.
Meanwhile in this issue of the Periodical we have two very different, equally fascinating case studies of convicts transported to Australia, one of whom turned the situation to his advantage. Keith Gregson completes his two-part series on tracing sporting ancestors, as does Melvyn Jones on the gems to be found in estate archives. And there’s plenty more. Enjoy the issue, and do look out for the new print edition soon.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
A very happy new year to you all, and a welcome once again to Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, the only monthly, digital family and social history magazine in the UK. It's all hands to the pump here at the moment – as well as producing this jam-packed issue, we’re working on our next print edition, which will appear on newsstands across Britain, North America and Australasia in February. It will be Issue 4 – our biggest yet, and crammed with completely new material. Visitwww.discoveryourancestors.co.uk/to pre-order your copy now at a discount!
Back to this issue… This time we have something of a sporting theme, with an article on tracing professional sportsmen in census records and a fascinating case study about a famed 19th century cyclist. On a more serious note, we also mark the 750th anniversary of Parliament with a look at how the ordinary people have related to this institution over time.
There’s plenty more besides, as the contents below reveal. Enjoy the issue, and I hope 2015 brings you many rewarding adventures through history. Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome to Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly mixture of fascinating family and social history. With this issue I’m delighted to announce that we’ve grown in size, so from now on can bring you even more, exclusive content in every issue. If your subscription is about to lapse, you can also benefit from renewing at the old price. We’re also planning Issue 4 of our printed edition, which will come out in February. Look out for more details next time, but that too will be bigger and better than ever!
Meanwhile, this issue covers a lot of ground. We have more case studies on how online WW1 records can help find out a great deal about your ancestors who served. With Christmas looming, we jump in the time machine to see what the festival was like for those in workhouses and asylums. And you can continue the festive mood with a visit to a Georgian alehouse, inn or tavern.
Plus there’s everything from witchcraft to law – if there’s a difference. Enjoy the issue!
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome to Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, Britain’s only monthly digital magazine about family and social history. This month I’d particularly like to welcome new subscribers who join us from Discover Your History magazine, which has sadly closed. We have a similar mix of content – plus an annual print magazine available in newsagents and with completely different content.
Mental illness has always been stigmatised, and sadly in past ages people with learning disabilities too were often hidden away in workhouses, as this month’s feature by Helen Angove reveals – it’s a subject that has been little written about before. On a similar topic, we also have news of a major new digitisation project which will see many records from old asylums go online.
This month sees the 20th anniversary of Britain’s National Lottery (yes, already!) – in this issue our regular social history expert Nell Darby takes the long view and reveals its numerous antecedents through history.
Plus we’ve got more online WW1 records to explore, and other articles take us right back to mediaeval times. I hope you enjoy the issue.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome to Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, with its usual blend of social and family history to inspire and inform on the lives of your forebears.
We have a typical wide range of subjects in this issue. Margaret Powling uses her own collection of housekeeping books from many decades to shed light on the homes of our ancestors; while Lorraine Schofield takes a saunter round the public parks movement which burgeoned in Victorian times.
There are yet more World War One records going online at TheGenealogist.co.uk, with a unique collection of casualty lists to explore, and covering men from all walks of life.
Many of us will have ancestors who left these islands, perhaps to escape poverty or famine, or simply in search of adventure; and of course many people have come to Britain from elsewhere. We’re delighted to have an extract of Karen Foy’s new book on the subject, in which she considers the wide range of documents and artefacts which we might track down to reveal our migrant ancestors’ experiences.
We’ve also got a letters section in this issue – we always welcome your thoughts, ideas and research stories, so do drop me a line at [email protected] at any time.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome again to Discover Your Ancestors Periodical – your monthly mix of social history, research advice and both personal and public heritage.
This month sees the referendum on Scottish independence. We’re steering away from the politics, but anyone with roots in Scotland will be interested in Jayne Shrimpton’s feature about photography and photographers there; plus we have details of a new heritage plaque scheme in Scotland.
And of course we have more material relating to WW1. Following on from our last issue, featuring women who were awarded medals for their bravery, in this issue we look further at the role of women in wartime – both at home, in a time of great social change, and in active service. We also have details of yet more online WW1 records which will help family historians with their research.
A world away from those subjects, we also look at the status of ‘freeman’ from medieval to modern times and the history of blazers! Meanwhile do write to us and tell us about your own family history research or let us know what subjects you’d like to see covered – we welcome your emails and letters.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome again to Discover Your Ancestors Periodical – your monthly digital family and social history magazine.
This issue has something of an agricultural theme, appropriately enough at harvest time. We have Nell Darby’s fascinating account of rural poverty and the practice of gleaning leftover crops, plus a book extract about hop picking in Kent, and the mass exodus of London’s East Enders to work there every year.
The World War One centenary of course remains the issue dominating the history sector, and we’re pleased to bring exclusive details of Military Medal records poised to go online. Our article looks particularly at women in the records, and we’ll be exploring women at war further in our next issue.
And of course there’s plenty more, from the light-hearted, such as the history of straw boaters, to the more serious: convict transportation to Australia.
The Periodical works perfectly on tablets such as the iPad – if you’re off on research trips to museums, heritage sites or family graveyards this summer, you can take us with you to enjoy the journey!
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome to Discover Your Ancestors Periodical.
It would be hard to miss that this month marks the start of the centenary of World War One, given the astonishing range of events, websites and exhibitions to mark this –many of which will continue over the next few years, of course.
We’re not going to bombard you with WW1 content in the Periodical, as I think there are so many other subjects that one should cover too, but we will of course bring you a careful selection of articles on the subject as the months roll by – this month looking at useful data on Great War deaths and the wider statistics of that most awful of conflicts. ‘Reflection’ is something of a theme in this issue, as we have two articles on not-dissimilar subjects: the role of mirrors and of sunglasses in our ancestors’ lives. With a look at Anglo-Indian research, our cover topic of recreational and medicinal drugtaking and more besides, we have the usual diverse mix of subjects!
I’m starting to think about what to put in our next print edition, too – but don’t forget Issue 3 is still alive and well in newsagents around the world, and available direct from us at discoveryourancestors.co.uk.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome to Discover Your Ancestors Periodical. In this issue we have a typically broad mix of subjects. We think of social networking as a modern phenomenon, but from Georgian to Edwardian times the calling card in many ways played a similar role: social historian Margaret Powling explores the subject for us in this issue. We also take a look at ancestors in the theatre, and the hard-working lot of Victorian policemen.
On the research front, we have Jenny Jones’ survey of Dade-style parish registers – if only all parish registers had been compiled with such detail and our work as family historians would be much easier! Plus we have full details of what is now the most thorough collection of WW1 prisoner of war records online, and information about an interesting DNA-based research project marking the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn in Scotland.
All that and more, of course – and if you haven’t picked up a copy of our third, annual printed edition, you can still find them in leading newsagents or indeed buy one directly from us at discoveryourancestors.co.uk!). As ever, do write to us ([email protected]) – we’d love to hear your research stories or know what you’d like to read about. Enjoy the issue!
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome once more to Discover Your Ancestors Periodical. As we enter our second year, you’ll find some new regulars in this issue. I’m delighted to welcome well-known historical imagery expert Jayne Shrimpton as one. She has written for us before in both the Periodical and the third annual printed edition (available now in newsagents and online at discoveryourancestors.co.uk!). In this issue she begins her new series on ‘History in the details’, which each time will look at how little details in old illustrations and photographs can be used to learn more about our ancestors’ lives and times.
Also joining us as a regular is Jill Morris, now delving each month into less-well-known data that can be found online and the wider history around it. Plus in this issue we welcome back Nell Darby, looking at parish settlements, and we have not one but two features on our forebears’ sleeping arrangements.
I’m often asked if we accept submissions from other writers. I certainly welcome proposals – see the brief ‘Editorial submissions’ notes at the DYA website – although inevitably one is always limited by space, despite our quietly growing pagination. And of course we always welcome more readers – do help us to spread the word, which will help us to grow yet more!
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome again to Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly companion to family, social and local history. This issue completes our first full year of the Periodical, and I’m delighted to say that we’ve had lots of encouraging feedback, as well as growing in both pagination and numbers of subscribers. We’re also brimming with plans for future issues!
In the meantime, in this issue you’ll find the usual rich mix. We have an interesting piece by Kirsty Gray about the technology that powered the Industrial Revolution, and how it affected people’s lives; and her colleague at the Society for One-Place Studies, Dr Janet Few, explains what such studies are and why they are so interesting to conduct.
We’ve learned in a previous issue that school records can be fascinating to explore, and this time we have extracts of Victorian school log books from Leicestershire, which at once make school life in the 19th century seem both familiar and remote. All that and plenty more as ever…
Also, don’t forget that Issue 3 of our annual printed edition, packed with more than 30 features across 164 pages, is out now in good newsagents across the English-speaking world, as well as available to buy direct via our own website at discoveryourancestors.co.uk. Happy reading!
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome to Discover Your Ancestors Periodical. It was great to meet so many people at the Who Do You Think You Are? Live show in London last month, and a warm welcome to the many new subscribers who signed up there. The crowds at that event – the largest of its kind in the world – are a cheering testimony to the popularity of exploring our roots, and interest in all aspects of history has never been higher.
The big news from us was of course the launch of our third annual print edition, packed with more than 30 brand new features – see opposite for details of how to get your copy. They should be appearing in newsagents in the UK by the time you read this, and in the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand very soon.
Meanwhile, back to this latest monthly edition. The third and final in our recent series of features on different aspects of marriage sees Susie Douglas exploring the traditions of marriages in the Borders of Scotland, showing that there is a lot more to this subject than English elopements to Gretna Green.
We’re also delighted to have an exclusive book extract by Michelle Higgs’ new Visitor’s Guide to Victorian England where she takes us on a shopping trip in the shadow of our Victorian forebears. It’s exactly that sort of bringing history to life that we love at Discover Your Ancestors. And there’s plenty more to find inside, as you can see below! Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome once again to Discover Your Ancestors Periodical. It’s a busy time for the genealogy world with the Who Do You Think You Are? Live show coming up at London’s Olympia from 20-22 February. We’ll be there with our own stand, of course, so do drop by and say hello.
We’ll be launching Issue 3 of our annual print edition – 164 pages packed full of exclusive new content. In it you will find more than 30 fascinating features on everything from bigamy to WW1 maps, crammed full of social history articles and practical research advice. Get in there quick with our special subscriber offer (see below) and save money!
If you’re at the show – which is the biggest history-related event in the world! – do visit our supporters at TheGenealogist there too –they will have a lecture theatre twice the size of last year with a crammed schedule of expert talks. You will also find Discover Your Ancestors and special subscription offers at their stand.
Back to this issue of the Periodical for now, though: inside we have the usual eclectic mix, including an interesting social history piece by Nell Darby on the many different types of ‘working from home’ that went on long before the present day. Jenny Jones continues our series on marriage with a look at Fleet weddings, which we’ll follow up next time with irregular Borders marriages in Scotland. Plus we’ve got wills, first-hand memories of WW2 veterans, guidance on apprenticeship records, and more! Andrew Chapman, Editor
Welcome again to Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, the first issue of the New Year – although as we’re out before Christmas, perhaps you’ll be reading this over a glass of mulled wine (do try out the Victorian party games featured in our article!).
Marriages in the past generated a surprising range of records beyond the obvious parish registers, and this month you’ll find them explored in our research guide. We’ve also got features on selected occupational records from World War One, a fascinating story about a family legal dispute hinging on an alleged case of ‘lunacy’ and more besides.
I’m also delighted to announce that we’re now working hard on our third annual printed ‘bookazine’, which will be out in time for February’s Who Do You Think You Are? Live show in London. This will offer 164 pages packed full of completely new content and is no doubt set to be a bestseller like the two previous editions. We’ll have a full preview in the February issue of the Periodical. In the meantime, all the very best for the season!
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome once more to Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly mixture of social history, research advice and other features aimed at anyone with an interest in family history and heritage.
This is something of a special issue, with an extended feature on the subject of local history. This subject is closely related to family history and offers rich rewards of its own – and of course understanding one can frequently aid exploration of the other. A sense of place is important to us all, and knowing more about the ground beneath our feet, the factories where our forebears worked or the transformations in the landscape is a valuable skill. There’s plenty more in this issue too, of course, including Assizes records, the Battle of Jutland and more.
As the year draws to a close, we’re also getting geared up for our next annual print edition, due out in February. More on that next month, but suffice it to say we’ll have a wealth of material for anyone interested in history – and it’s all completely different content from what you read each month in the Periodical. In the meantime, enjoy this issue, and have a great Christmas.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome again to Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your regular package of fascinating social history and useful family history research advice.
In this issue we explore the background to English militia, tied in with an important collection of 18th century militia records which has just gone online. We also voyage aboard the SS Great Britain, a landmark (seamark?) work of engineering by Brunel and a ship which played a key role in the lives of many migrants to both America and Australia – this is the first of a new occasional series showcasing unusual and interesting archives. We also have a guide to women’s fashion in Edwardian times – when it sounds like it took most of the day to get dressed! All that plus our regulars – and a new feature at the back where we list major history-themed events and festivals. If you’re involved in organising any of these, do let us know.
As ever, I hope you enjoy the issue – please tell us if there are specific subjects you’d like to see covered in future.
Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome again to Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, packed with social history and family history research advice as ever. Remember, this is our monthly digital publication – we also have a larger, printed magazine which comes out once a year. We’re already planning some of the treats in store for early next year!
October is Black History Month in Britain, Canada and the USA. The roots of people of colour are often overlooked in the genealogy press, so we’re delighted to have an introduction to Caribbean roots in this issue, by Guy Grannum of The National Archives.
Also in this issue, you’ll find the first of our three-part series on Britain’s historic court system, beginning with the arena perhaps of most interest to family historians, Quarter Sessions. Some of these are coming online gradually, and we’d love to see more! Plus you can read about medieval pirates, apprenticeship records and more.
We now welcome your classified ads, too – turn to page 14 for more information. Enjoy the issue. Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome to Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, with its usual medley of social history and family history research advice for anyone with British roots –which of course includes our many overseas readers. (If you’re in North America, Australia or New Zealand, don’t forget our annual printed edition is available in bookstores as well as online direct from us.)
There’s a lot of attention lately for the 125th anniversary of the murders attributed to ‘Jack the Ripper’ – a topic which remains as mysterious and intriguing today as it did in 1888. We’ve got our own article on the subject – but widening it into a piece of social history on attitudes to London’s Jewish community; plus, we have interesting information on records of criminals now available online. Also in this issue, you’ll find leading photo and picture historian Jayne Shrimpton’s guide to the lives and work of photographers, including guidance on tracing ancestors who took up the burgeoning profession in the 19th century; plus popular writer Chris Paton on how to follow Scots ancestors who were uprooted during the unforgivable Clearances.
Another quick reminder to UK readers that the National Family History Fair is on Saturday 7th September, in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Keep in touch, and happy reading! Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome to Discover Your Ancestors Periodical. As ever we’ve packed loads of insight and information into a small space, giving you a rich mixture of social history background and family history advice. This issue has a particularly nautical theme: as well as news of a very useful online data collection for tracking seafaring ancestors in England and Wales through the 19th and early 20th centuries, we have an account of the infamous press gangs who roamed dockside streets and pubs looking for fresh muscle to man the Navy’s ships, and a fascinating account of a lost way of life in the old fishing villages now absorbed into the mass of London. It’s not all salt and sea air, though: we have some great guidance on using school registers for your research, a look at how department stores transformed shopping for our forebears, and more besides. If you’re in the UK this September, do try to get to the National Family History Fair on Saturday 7th, in Newcastle upon Tyne. It’s one of the key events of the UK genealogy calendar and will be packed with stalls and genealogy advice. See www.nationalfamilyhistoryfair.comfor more information. As ever, do let me know – [email protected] – what sort of subjects you’d like to see us cover in future issues. Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome to Discover Your Ancestors Periodical. Once again we're delighted to bring you a packed and compact mixture of research advice, social history and other information which will help you to explore your family history and personal heritage. In this issue we cover topics as diverse as smallpox vaccination, railway staff, writing your own family I history narrative and the early years of the London Underground. See the full contents below or just dive in!
We're building our own online library of family history case studies. Do send us yours via our website using the form atdiscoveryourancestors.co.uk/contact– in time we hope to publish the best of them. Also, as a member of The National Archives User Advisory Group representing the online community, I'd love to hear from you –[email protected] or throughTwitter at @DYAncestors – with your thoughts on TNA services, especially the controversial new Discovery catalogue system, which is expected to absorb the Access to Archives database later this year. By the way, you can pick up the first two issues of our annual printed edition at The National Archives bookshop in Kew.
If you're not a subscriber to the Periodical yet, do join us – it's only ###dyaAnnualPrice### a year – that's no more than five cups of coffee! Andrew Chapman, Editor
Welcome again to Discover Your Ancestors Periodical. Many thanks to everyone who has signed up – at only ###dyaAnnualPrice### a year for 12 issues, it makes good sense! – and also to those who have made contact by email, Facebook or Twitter (@DYAncestors).
This issue is bursting to the seams with our trademark mixture of family and social history, and as the months go by we will continue to bring you a mixture of content which will both foster a love for history and help find new angles on your own family research.
Anniversaries have prompted twp of our main features: it's 100 years since Emily Wilding Davison died at Epsom while trying to help the cause of the suffragettes, and we're delighted to have social historian Nell Darby's article about the movement; and the 70th anniversary of the formation of the Dam Busters ties in with new records released about them online. We've also got a research guide to Welsh religious communities, an exploration of surname distribution maps, and plenty more besides. And don't forget the free records on offer – see the bottom of this page. We'd love to hear from you – do tell us what sort of things you'd like to see in the Periodical. Also, we're building a library of useful family history case studies – visit our website to find out more! Andrew Chapman, Editor.
Welcome to the first issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, the first digital-only monthly publication dedicated to family and social history. You may already be familiar with our annual printed edition available in newsagents worldwide – if so, you’ll find a familiar feel to things, as we build on the print magazine to look at a wealth of subjects in depth; if not, come on in and make yourself at home! Over the months ahead we’ll help you explore your roots – especially in the UK, but we’ll also look at connections abroad – as well as understand what your ancestors’ lives were really like. We’ll have a rich mix of useful genealogy advice, tips on getting past brick walls in your research, and interesting features by respected writers that will help to bring your personal heritage alive. In our second print magazine one of our lead features explored what our ancestors’ schooldays were like – this time we look at the other side of the coin: child labour. You’ll also find research advice on births, marriages and deaths and the censuses, an exploration of exciting new data relating to pioneer aviators – and even a trip to a Tudor tavern. Do let me know what sort of subjects you’d like to see covered in future issues, via [email protected]. Also, look out for free records every month at our website, www.discoveryourancestors.co.uk. Thanks for subscribing – we look forward to helping you on your own historical voyage of discovery! Andrew Chapman, Editor.