This has gone straight into my top ten of the ‘Best Maps I Have Ever Seen’. I mean, will you just look at the colours!!! 😍

A rare example of a death certificate with the person's names the wrong way round. His name was actually Townsend Howard NOT Howard Townsend. An understandable error perhaps but a bit depressing that the official from the workhouse registering the death didn't know Townsend's proper name...

Did your family member fight in the Battle of Britain? Discover more about the Battle and how to trace records of 'the Few' with our guide: www.whodoyouthinkyouaremaga...

This is a new one to me. A child who was born in 1847 was baptised in 1853, some distance from where he was born. The clerk wrote in the margin: "Bapt[ised] Hypothetically" Apparently this is an option where it's uncertain whether the child had already been baptised or not. #EveryDaysASchoolDay

If you're watching a #genealogy show, a death certificate is shown on screen, and you hear someone yelling "Who is the informant?!?" it could be me. Who gave the information, and what were they likely to know? 👇

Most bastardy records form part of the parish chest collections held in local record offices although some examinations can be located in the court rolls or minutes of the local Quarter Sessions. #Genealogy #FamilyHistory #TopTip www.exploreyourgenealogy.co.uk/illegitimate...

Never underestimate the value of death certificates. An elderly couple die within 3 years of each other, husband following wife. However, informant on husband’s death certificate is his widow. Aged 85, he had married again, a woman 40 years younger. Never would have known. #genealogy #ancestry

Missing a will in the PPR indexes probatesearch.service.gov.uk for Charles Woodings, d. 1916, Admon 1918, which you can see on Ancestry. Tried all sorts of things including Wood* but no luck. Any ideas? How can you contact the relevant department? Thanks in advance! #genealogy #familyhistory

😄

A gem from a late 20th century will. The testator left some friends 'the sum of One Thousand Pounds (£1,000) in equal shares absolutely' and went on to say: and I EXPRESS the wish without creating any trust or legal obligation that the money be used by them to purchase a lovely holiday... 🌴🏖️🍹🌄

A special plea to buyers of Pen and Sword family history books scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2025/07/a-sp... #genealogy #FamilyHistory

Historic newspapers are full of stories about ordinary people. Sometimes you find a story that has as much relevance today as it did then. In The Good Samaritan, read the tragic account of a lost boy and the actions of those who came across his path. genealogyjude.com/2020/03/07/t... #familyhistory

Looking forward to IHGS Awards Day!

Just before midnight, on July 9th 1917, an explosion tore apart the battleship HMS Vanguard at Scapa Flow, killing 843 out of the 845 men on board. Included amongst them was my relative, Arthur John Maton. This is his story: genealogyjude.com/2020/02/08/b... #OnThisDay #WW1 #familyhistory

Disappearing ancestors - one minute you see them and then you don't! This is the story of a genealogical mystery involving my Rudman ancestors, who I was unable to trace after the 1851 census, and how I managed to solve the case. #genealogy #familyhistory #ancestry #familytree

This is such a fresh way of sharing one's family history. Beautifully written, it conjures up what life was like in the past. Highly recommended! #ancestry #familyhistory #genealogy #familytree

I have a lot of sympathy for Blaise Metreweli, the new female head of MI6. It’s been revealed that her grandfather, who she never met, was a Nazi collaborator in Ukraine. It’s sad when a person’s family history can be used as a weapon against them. www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...

Historical photographs and stories of the South East feature in a new digital archive project. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Today I started transcribing the school log books for my #Sudbourne #OnePlaceStudy & I’m loving it! Many children were ‘irregular’ (in attendance) & often missed school to help in the fields. Stone picking & ‘topping beet’ being mentioned frequently #GenHour

Whilst investigating an American branch, I found a couple who died on the same day in the 1960s. Perhaps they were killed in a car crash? A newspaper report revealed that it was a murder/suicide. A photo of their joint gravestone was also available. I'm surprised that they were buried together.

How do we leave a personal legacy? What information should we leave about our own lives for the benefit of descendants? If you have ever struggled with these questions, read my article about this very topic: genealogyjude.com/2020/02/24/w... #legacy #familyhistory #ancestry #familytree

I’m always drawn to monuments with little rows of a couple’s children, boys on one side and girls on the other — ‘weepers’ for their lost parents. There are two lovely ones at Gloucester Cathedral from almost the exact same date that each have an unusual feature.

This is a cracking read that helps to explain why a person may be found using multiple names. Highly recommended! #ancestry #genealogy #familytree

Another thorough piece of research Jude. Family History can sometimes feel like doing a puzzle without a finished picture. The picture is only revealed when all of the pieces fit. This also shows the value in looking at multiple sources before coming to a reasoned conclusion.

Disappearing ancestors - one minute you see them and then you don't! This is the story of a genealogical mystery involving my Rudman ancestors, who I was unable to trace after the 1851 census, and how I managed to solve the case. #genealogy #familyhistory #ancestry #familytree

Just discovered an ancestor, Daniel Comber of Maidstone, who was a Hoyman in the Register of Duties Paid for Apprentices' Indentures in 1766. A hoyman operated a hoy, a boat that was used to carry cargo or passengers to larger ships, often moored in the Thames. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoy_%28...

Something about an original will, touched by the person you are studying, which never fails to bring joy. #GenHour 🗃️

A gravestone helped identify the origin place in Ireland for my Shannon immigrants in Ontario, Canada. I can only guess that this Robert was a brother of my 3xGGF John Shannon. (The light makes it look like he was "aged 33 yrs" but it does say "aged 93 yrs.") Sadly, John Shannon's stone is gone.

#stepsSaturday #staircaseSaturday Lovely positive image. Birmingham. 1918 A large group of women workers smile and wave for the camera as they crowd down the stairs outside their canteen at an aeroplane factory in Birmingham. #WW1 IWM image.

#WestMiddlesexFHS has a dedicated email offering help for anyone encountering a genealogical brick wall or rabbit hole! We don’t carry out research for you but are always happy to help with queries about West Middlesex. [email protected]. Simple!

I find the difference between the levels of detail in the UK (well, certainly in Scotland, at any rate) on gravestones is governed by when the stone was inscribed. Those from the mid to late 20th century and onwards often have good date information e.g. this one placed in the 21st century.

I’ve been following a branch of my family in America & I’ve noticed that gravestones here are much more informative. It’s not uncommon to find an exact date of birth recorded or even a place of birth in the “Old Country”. @FindaGrave is well worth searching. #genealogy #ancestry

I think the parents might have wanted a boy! #familyhistory #genealogy #ancestry

Parish registers state that my ancestor was the daughter of James & Mary Kent but I knew little about them. Today I found that a couple named George & Mary Kent were having children baptised in the parish at the same time. Checked the bishops’ transcripts & here, her parents are also George & Mary.

It would be wonderful if you could join me! Find those women! 😁 #familyhistory #genealogy #ancestry #familytree

It would be wonderful if you could join me! Find those women! 😁 #familyhistory #genealogy #ancestry #familytree

I can only imagine the exuberance 80 years ago on #VEDay. The gayety of the street parties, the food, the dancing & music as everyone celebrated. I can also imagine how it was tinged with sadness for those whose loved ones weren’t coming home. Their sacrifice was not in vain & we remember them!

A Few Forgotten Women present a radio-style play for VE Day 'It's Alright for you Women!' about women's wartime experiences. www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dw5... #VEDay #WomensHistory

Every once in a while, you may be lucky enough to find a record that contains information that you were not expecting. When my illegitimate ancestor, Caroline Bower, married in 1843, the clerk noted not only the name of her father, but also the name of her mother: genealogyjude.com/2020/02/01/a...

Happy Lady Day! Were our ancestors enjoying the festivities today? 🥳🍺 www.wealddown.co.uk/museum-news/...

Research in the 1700s can be a challenge. However help is always available, see @genealogyjude.bsky.social recent blog “Sleuthing in Kent genealogyjude.com/2024/10/27/1... #NWKFHS #Kent #Genealogy

Mary Dowse who died in 1800 in Great Cheverell, Wiltshire, enjoyed music very much. How do I know? She left £5 and one guinea to the singers and instrumental performers in her parish church in her will. Was she also a member of the choir? #familyhistory #genealogy #music #ancestry #Wiltshire

In 1928 The River Thames flooded with devastating effect killing 14 Londoners including 4 sisters from one family - read their harrowing story here chiddicksfamilytree.com/2025/03/14/t... #Genealogy #History #Thames #London #Flood #Disaster #TateGallery #Embankment

Amazing tour of the historic Lincoln’s Inn, one of the four Inns of Court in the City of London. Was your ancestor called to the bar? Spectacular display of #heraldry in the stained glass windows of the chapel. @ihgs.bsky.social @chriscrosslet.bsky.social @theheraldrysociety.bsky.social

Three new stories have been added today. #WomensHistory #FamilyHistory #Genealogy #SocialHistory www.fewforgottenwomen.com/post/three-n...

Happy Birthday to my parents! They shared the same birthday, March 11, although four years apart. My Dad would have been 100 today. 💕 In this photo, they appear with my eldest two brothers, long before I came on the scene. #familyhistory #birthday

Check out our latest blog 'The Joy of Tithe Records: Finding an Ancestor's Home & More' By @genealogyjude.bsky.social! Discover how these historical gems can help you trace where they lived and uncover hidden family stories family-wise.co.uk/2025/02/12/t... #FamilyHistory #Genealogy #TitheRecords

A new blog is coming soon! The Joy of Tithe Records: Finding an Ancestor's Home & More By @genealogyjude.bsky.social ! Over the years, I have discovered that many of my ancestors were country folk and I love to visit the villages where they once lived.... Stay Tuned! #Genealogy #Blog

I have just one centenarian in my tree - Emma Clark (née Jones) my 2x great-grandmother. Born Wilcott Marsh 1841, died Oswestry 1941. My late dad was at her 100th birthday party. #Shropshire #genealogy