News
The latest news from the world of family history
Genealogy company offers learning opportunity for young genealogist
Wiltshire-based family history company Family Wise is offering one young genealogist the chance to visit its business
1921 census released on Ancestry
Family history website Ancestry published the 1921 census records for England and Wales on 7 January 2025
Proposals to destroy original wills overturned after public outcry
The Ministry of Justice has announced it will not proceed with controversial proposals to digitise post-1858 wills and destroy the originals
The tragic story behind this newly-discovered sketch by Britain's greatest pantomime dame
Researchers at the University of Kent have discovered a sketch by music hall artist and pantomime dame Dan Leno
Scottish archives portal launches
The Scottish Council on Archives has launched Your Scottish Archives, a new portal offering access to archive catalogues in Scotland
Railway 200 finds family who have worked on railways for 178 years
Railway 200, the 200th anniversary celebration of the birth of the modern railway, is searching for the family with the longest continuous history of railway service in the UK
RootsTech: What is it, and when is it taking place in 2025?
Everything you need to know about RootsTech, the world’s largest online and in person family history conference
Ancestry reveals 12 questions to ask your elderly relatives this Christmas
Family history website Ancestry has revealed 12 questions to ask your elderly relatives this Christmas to find out more about their lives
Does a new discovery in an ancient will finally reveal the fate of the Princes in the Tower?
A copy of a 16th-century will in The National Archives provides an extraordinary clue about the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower
Over 50,000 historic RNLI records go online for free
Remarkable drawings from artist’s First World War scrapbook go online
Findmypast has published an illustrated scrapbook by First World War soldier Henry Page
28,511 records transcribed on Transcription Tuesday
Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine readers transcribed 28,511 family history records at our Transcription Tuesday volunteer event
1.7m Second World War records to go online
The last woman sentenced to be executed for witchcraft in England may have survived, new evidence suggests
Over 180,000 records from Scotland’s Barlinnie prison go online
Over 180,000 historic records from Barlinnie prison in Glasgow have been added to ScotlandsPeople
How much does Findmypast cost?
What do family history website Findmypast's new Family Tree and Everything pricing structures mean, and how much do they cost?
Over one million Teesside parish records go online
A new collection over one million Teesside parish records has been added to Ancestry
James Nesbitt is moved to tears by his grandfather's WW1 POW diary on DNA Journey
James Nesbitt discovered his grandfather's First World War service while appearing on DNA Journey with Sarah Parish
Findmypast offers free access over the next four weekends leading to Remembrance Day
Findmypast is offering free access to a different set of records each weekend in the run-up to Remembrance Day 2024
Discover the poignant stories of thousands of orphaned and abandoned children as the archives of London's famous Foundling Hospital go online
Records of over 20,000 children can now be found in the free online archives of London's Foundling Hospital
Sue Johnston discovers she's related to King Charles III's racehorse trainer on DNA Journey
The Royle Family stars Sue Johnston and Ricky Tomlinson will trace their family history in the next episode of DNA Journey
How much is Ancestry UK?
Discover all the Ancestry pricing options and choose the right Ancestry subscription to find your UK ancestors
First World War Royal Flying Corps medal records are free to access until 9 October
11,992 Royal Flying Corps Medal Index Cards have been digitised on Forces War Records and are free to search until 9 October 2024
John Simm discovers his father wasn't his biological father on DNA Journey
John Simm made a shocking discovery when he appeared with Philip Glenister on ITV's DNA Journey